Chapter 1.3

Standing before the basin of water for washing his face, Cherilian asked playfully,  

“Do you want me to wash your face for you too?”  

“No.”  

Tina, still pretending to be upset, snorted. She ostentatiously took out a handkerchief from her bosom to wipe her face, aiming it at Cherilian, who didn’t have one… only to realize it was a gift from Cherilian.  

“Tina.”  

“…What?”  

“I’m always conscious of your gaze.”  

“……”  

“I never want you to see any flaw in me. Only the best, the coolest, the perfect and good side. Not this sweaty, battered side.”  

That was why he’d told her not to look, but he apologized politely for not explaining enough.  

“And I didn’t talk much because of my voice. I hit puberty… so my voice got weird…”  

Cherilian gave a wry smile and pointed to his throat. Tina hadn’t known he’d gone through puberty. That’s why he’d always kept his voice low and spoke slowly.  

Unable to stand being sweaty, Cherilian washed thoroughly and explained the rest of the misunderstanding.  

He’d kept a certain distance from Tina, partly out of noble manners, but also because he worried she’d notice the scent of an adolescent boy.  

Watching Cherilian dry his wet hair, Tina tilted her head.  

“What kind of scent is that? I’ve never smelled it.”  

“It’s different for everyone. If you didn’t notice, that’s good.”  

Cherilian’s lips curled in a mesmerizing smile, one that hinted at something she couldn’t quite grasp.  

Feeling embarrassed for no reason, Tina hovered awkwardly around Cherilian. When he looked at her with a gentle expression, she felt both shy and happy.  

“Do you feel better now?”  

“Sorry, Cherry. For misunderstanding.”  

As she hesitantly apologized, Cherilian quickly checked the door.  

The door to Cherilian’s private room at Damsel Castle was wide open. When he was alone, it stayed closed, but when Tina was there, it was always open.  

After confirming no one was passing by, Cherilian hugged Tina.  

“It’s alright.”  

“…Ah!”  

“You kept thinking about me, didn’t you? Until those cute misunderstandings happened, all that time.”  

“That’s right.”  

Her tense shoulders slowly relaxed at the sudden embrace. Tina awkwardly moved her arms and wrapped them around his waist, which was flat and firm compared to his broad shoulders and chest.  

She kept hugging him until her brother found out and lectured her.

* * *

Even after graduating from the academy, Cherilian spent a fixed period every year at Damsel.  

Her brothers didn’t seem to approve of Cherilian’s visits, but they couldn’t treat the Young Master of the Duchy poorly.  

“Tina. There’s a martial arts tournament in the capital. If I win, they say I’ll get a jeweled crown—I’ll bring it for you.”  

Tina gave him a handkerchief she embroidered herself, and Cherilian, true to his word, brought back the prize and presented it to her.  

“To be knighted, I have to go north as a squire. I won’t be able to send letters until I return.”  

Tina gave him a talisman for good luck, and Cherilian repaid her with a kiss on the back of her hand, then returned after being knighted.  

At twenty-four, Cherilian distinguished himself in the Second Monster War, gathering knights who followed him to form the new Biente Knight Order.  

“Ha… My blasted father is dumping the Duchy on me and going on a trip with Mother. I’ll go sort out the unruly branches.”  

Cherilian became the young Duke Biente.  

The status and prestige of her childhood friend rose far above Tina Damsel’s. The gap between them grew immense.  

They were no longer children who could run across fields, climb hills, and read fairy tales beneath the shade of a tree together.  

Now that he was Duke Biente, even making friends meant considering each family and circumstance. Tina felt troubled.  

“The King ordered me to marry.”  

“……”  

Especially when Cherilian said such things.  

Tina kept silent, quietly watching Cherilian, who seemed slightly tense.  

She knew the rumors that had spread even to the countryside: the King of Velia had offered the Princess as a marriage partner to Duke Cherilian Biente.  

“So… even though it’s a bit early, I’m going to get married.”  

The partner must be the Princess.  

Tina tried to smile and bless Cherilian, but the words wouldn’t come. Instead, tears welled up, feeling she wasn’t worthy to stand by his side.  

“Tina…?”  

She cried silently, unable to say anything, while Cherilian panicked in confusion.  

“You’re crying because you’re happy, right? Or… is it because I’m too late?”  

Cherilian, flustered, hurriedly pulled something from his pocket—a small, square velvet box. He knelt before Tina and opened it as he looked up at her.  

Inside was a dazzling diamond ring, so large the band would spin on her finger.  

Her childhood friend gave an awkward smile and said,  

“Marry me, Tina Damsel.”

* * *

Even after the proposal, there were still some obstacles between them.  

“Oh, I always hoped Tina would become my daughter-in-law.”  

But once the Duchess of Biente gave her approval, Cherilian’s father, who took her words as law, strongly supported the couple.  

The Damsel Viscount couple worried about their daughter living far away in the Biente Duchy, which took a month just to reach. Though they set aside their concerns for Tina’s sake.  

The wedding was held at a sanctuary near the Damsel estate. Since the Damsel Viscount couple and Cherilian handled all preparations, Tina had little to do.  

She just had to pick one of the two options Cherilian had carefully selected.  

“It’s the wedding dress—choose between these two.”  

“They look exactly the same. What’s the difference?”  

“The lace.”  

“Hm.”  

“Tina, there’s no lace under the sky that’s the same.”  

“Hearing that from you feels strange…”  

Just by pressing their foreheads together and giggling, the two managed to make everyone around them look away in embarrassment.  

The Biente knights arrived early for their lord’s big event, but were baffled by Cherilian’s lovesick behavior, wondering if he was possessed.  

Meanwhile, the King of Velia seemed somewhat resentful that Cherilian hadn’t married the Princess.  

He ordered Cherilian to assist with a northern campaign, clearly intending to disrupt the wedding.  

Cherilian was furious and wanted to protest, but Tina persuaded him to endure it. Since guests had already gathered and it would be difficult to postpone, they had no choice but to hold the wedding without the groom present.  

Tina was alright with it. She carried out the ceremony bravely with a stand-in groom and set off for the Biente Duchy.  

Before leaving by carriage, Tina’s mother gently stroked her still-childlike cheeks.  

“Tina, you’re now the Duchess. As a member of the Biente family, you must fulfill your duties. Strictly speaking, marriage between noble families is a contract between houses.”  

Tina blushed and nodded.  

“The nanny told me well. I know I must bear an heir, right?”  

“Yes. Of course, it’s not only up to you.”  

Her mother nodded, sighed deeply, and shook her head, muttering to herself,  

“A child must bear a child…”  

She seemed deeply worried. Tina smiled softly and clasped her mother’s hands.  

“Don’t worry. We’re young and healthy. I’ll bring good news soon.”  

Her mother, visibly relieved, gazed at Tina’s face as if memorizing it.  

“If you have any trouble in your married life, don’t keep it to yourself—tell us. If it’s something we can help with, we’ll do our best. If you write, I’ll send your brother to Biente.”  

Her mother stressed again. Tina, who hadn’t shed a tear until now, almost cried.  

But if she cried here, her mother would worry even more. Tina held back her tears and smiled brightly.  

“If I try, I can do anything well.”  

Tina truly believed she could.  

She didn’t yet know that her efforts would lead to something unexpected.