Chapter 2 (Part 4)

Back then, Theodore had returned from a banquet acting unusual. Before leaving, he had joked about how he’d return with his body and mind completely detached, saying all sorts of nonsense. But the moment he came back from the banquet, he was in an unusually good mood, smiling like a fool for some time.  

Not only that, but he, who had always hated banquets, suddenly volunteered to attend them. He ended up attending banquets for an entire month straight.  

Afterward, Theodore went to war and got busy with other matters, so Hel had brushed it off as a fleeting whim.  

“Wait… was it your first love from that banquet?!”

Heldor accidentally shouted, startling himself into covering his mouth.  

And then he noticed something even more surprising—Theodore wasn’t saying anything. Normally, he would have refuted or denied it, but this time, he remained silent.  

“Is… is it true?”  

At that question, Theodore gave a small nod. Seeing a side of Theodore he had never seen before, Heldor’s jaw dropped further.  

‘What a fool I am! Of course, the Commander wouldn’t bring just any woman to the Duke’s manor!’

While it was shocking, there was still a matter that needed to be resolved.  

“Commander, if you’re serious, shouldn’t you reveal your true identity to the young lady?”  

“I suppose I should.”

Heldor couldn’t hide his astonishment as he looked at Theodore’s serious expression.  

After finishing their conversation, Heldor left the office and unconsciously glanced out the window.  

The garden, filled with flowers of vibrant colors blooming beautifully, felt unfamiliar.  

Ever since the previous Duke and Duchess passed away in an accident, a desolate atmosphere had lingered over the Duke’s manor.  

Left alone after losing his parents, young Theodore had fought tooth and nail to survive.  

He lost his smile and cut off most interactions with others.  

Every day, he practiced swordsmanship in the training grounds, and when he went to war, he wielded his sword like someone who had lost all emotion.  

Watching Theodore, who had gone to war and taken lives from such a young age, broke Heldor’s heart.  

Heldor, who had always been blunt and devoid of playfulness, had even changed his demeanor to make Theodore smile.  

Whenever Heldor joked around, Theodore would often respond with scoffs or sarcastic laughs, but he never genuinely smiled with joy.  

However, ever since Reinis arrived, both the desolation of the Duke’s manor and Theodore himself had begun to change.  

As Heldor quietly gazed at the garden, he slowly spoke.  

“At last, flowers are blooming in the Duke’s manor.”  

Early in the morning, Emma had come to him with a message.

“Miss Reinis asked me to convey a message. She said she has something to tell you, and she’d like you to visit her room when you have time.”  

Hearing Emma’s words early in the morning, Theodore immediately made his way to Reinis’s room.  

The anticipation mixed with nervousness was a new feeling for Theodore. Even during battles, he had never experienced such emotions. Despite the unfamiliarity, he didn’t dislike it. Instead, he was filled with worry about what her answer might be.

Knocking on her door with a nervous heart, Theodore spoke.  

“Lady Reinis, it’s me.”  

“Oh! You’re here early! Please come in!”  

Hearing her cheerful voice from beyond the door, he let out a sigh of relief and stepped inside.  

Seeing a small table with paper and a pen placed beside her bed sparked some curiosity in him, but there was something he had to say before hearing her answer.  

Approaching her, he spoke.  

“Before I hear your answer, there’s something I must tell you.”  

Reinis, who had also grown nervous at his serious expression, waited for him to speak.

Just as he was about to confess that he was the Duke, he recalled the rumors circulating about him.  

‘She’ll… be very surprised, won’t she? I wonder if she’ll be afraid because of the rumors.’  

As he was consumed by such worries, Reinis looked at him with eyes full of concern.  

She was afraid that perhaps he carried a story similar to that of Earl Plarad.  

Realizing that she was feeling uneasy, Theodore swallowed his words and shook his head.  

“I was just wondering if you had a proper breakfast this morning.”  

Hearing his words, Reinis let out a sigh of relief and nodded brightly.  

“The chef took special care, so I had a delicious meal. Oh, by the way, are you making sure to eat properly too, Commander? I heard you often skip breakfast.”  

“So that you won’t have to worry, I’ll make sure not to skip meals anymore.”  

When their eyes met in midair, Reinis quickly turned her head away in embarrassment.  

As an awkward silence began to settle, Theodore broke it by speaking.  

“Lady Reinis, what are those things over there?”  

At his words, Reinis awkwardly laughed and picked up the papers placed next to her bed.  

After quickly skimming through the contents she had written late into the night, she handed them to him.  

The title, “Things I’d Like You to Promise After the Wedding,” immediately made Theodore furrow his brows.  

Thanks to Reinis, who was looking at him with a proud expression, Theodore’s face became unusually serious.  

It was clear that there was some major misunderstanding, but he had no idea where to begin correcting it.  

“These are the things I want! Um… I’m sure there are things you can’t agree to and others that will require mutual discussion…”  

Her cherry-like lips continued to move as she spoke, but none of it registered in his ears.  

‘What kind of misunderstanding is this?’

Letting out a small sigh, Theodore finally spoke.  

“Lady Reinis, what is this?”  

“Huh? Oh… as you can see, these are the things I want. Ah! I was also planning to write down the things you’d want from me, Commander!”  

“Ha…”  

Sighing once more, Theodore pressed his hand to his forehead.  

He had never imagined such a development, even in his wildest dreams.

He struggled to find the right words, but upon seeing the contents she had carefully written, he was left speechless.  

‘Proper meals, mutual respect as a married couple, freedom to go out and maintain friendships, and “marital obligations” only with mutual consent.’  

Everything she listed was something that should have been a given.  

He was filled with rage.  

‘What kind of life must she have lived to feel the need to write down such requests?’  

Barely suppressing his unbearable anger toward the Martin family, he heard her voice softly reach his ears.  

“Is there… something you don’t like about what I wrote?”  

Theodore smiled gently and shook his head toward her as she cautiously asked.  

“No. But aren’t the things you wrote down just… basic rights, Lady Reinis?”  

Thud.  

Reinis’s heart sank at Theodore’s words.  

For her, these were things she had never considered to be “basic.”  

One tear slid down her cheek at his shocking statement.  

Startled by Reinis’s sudden tears, Theodore sprang to his feet and gently wiped her cheek with his thumb.  

Surprised by his touch as he wiped away her tears, Reinis turned her head and quickly dried her eyes.  

“Oh! Why… why am I doing this… all of a sudden… I’m sorry.”  

Every single one of her reactions painfully revealed the kind of life she had endured.  

Clenching his teeth, Theodore resolved that he would never let her return to that life.  

“Lady Reinis, if it would ease your concerns, I can put these promises into a formal document. But there is one thing I hope you’ll understand.”  

After a moment of silence, Theodore took a deep breath and placed his large hand gently on her cheek.  

“My feelings for you are genuine.”  

* * *  

“Commander, are you sure this is okay?”  

“What’s the problem?”  

“No matter how long it takes… shouldn’t we at least get permission from Baron Martin? What if he raises an issue later…?”  

“He should be grateful I’m not killing him.”  

It couldn’t have been more absurd.  

When Theodore gave the order to start preparing for the wedding first thing in the morning, Heldor seriously wondered if the man had lost his mind.  

Not even half a day had passed since Theodore had spoken with Reinis, yet he had already completed the marriage permission form to be sent to the Emperor.  

“Are you absolutely sure Lady Reinis agreed to this? You’re not just deciding to marry her on your own, are you?”  

“Do you know how many times you’ve asked me that question already?”  

“Oh, it’s because I can’t believe it! You still haven’t told her that you’re a Duke, right? Unless you threatened her with something like ‘marry me or I’ll kill you,’ why would Lady Reinis agree to marry you?”  

“That’s true. It is strange for a perfect woman like her to marry someone like me.”  

“This is driving me crazy, seriously…”  

Heldor muttered to himself in exasperation at Theodore’s words, his thoughts tangled as he stared at the completed marriage permission form.  

The document bore no signatures from any legal guardians.

The Emperor, who had often suggested to Theodore that he reveal his status as a Duke and find a beautiful bride, would surely approve the form without hesitation.  

It would be fortunate if the two of them were happy together, but the issue lay with Reinis. She had a proper legal guardian.  

Although she was on the verge of her coming-of-age ceremony, it was clear that if Baron Martin and the Baroness raised an issue about this later, it would become a headache.  

If they simply demanded money, it would be easy to toss them a bag of gold coins and tell them to leave. But Heldor knew Elina’s personality well enough to realize she wouldn’t let things slide so easily.  

Since he would ultimately have to resolve all the problems anyway, Heldor did everything he could to prevent the permission form from leaving the Duke’s manor.  

“Commander, I’m begging you. Even if you don’t ask for their permission, at least send a letter to Baron Martin informing him of the marriage.”  

Finally giving in to Hel’s insistence, Theodore wrote a stiff letter that read, 

“Reinis is now part of the Duke’s household, so do not come looking for her.”

Heldor, who didn’t even bother to check the contents of the letter, would later deeply regret not having done so—a day he never saw coming.