Chapter 5.1

Hestia opened her eyes again two days later.  

As promised, Lian was by her side when she regained consciousness. When she hesitated, wondering if the events of the past nights had all been a dream, he waved his hand adorned with the ring at her. He looked down at her with a beautiful and gentle smile, addressing her with a new title.  

“Did you sleep well, Madame Clyde?”  

“Ahaha.”  

That single word felt as though it completely redefined their relationship, making it something entirely different from before.  

Ah, she had truly become his wife. They had promised to marry. Although it was still temporary since the formal procedures had yet to be completed, their acknowledgment of each other’s existence had already made their relationship special.  

When Hestia smiled brightly and held his hand, Lian kissed the back of it and spoke.  

“Let’s visit the temple in a few days. We’ll submit our marriage vows together.”  

“Alright.”  

Hestia said she’d like to go immediately, but he refused, saying she still had a slight fever and he didn’t want her exposed to the cold wind. He then promised that he had already ordered a new bouquet for her to carry that day and would make sure to give it to her.  

“I asked them to include all kinds of flowers. On that day, everyone will only see you.”  

“How big did you order it? Will I even be able to carry it? The last one was already huge.”  

At her curious question, Lian simply smiled quietly, his face filled with mischief. Judging by his expression, it might be even more extravagant than she imagined.  

“I’ll carry it for you then. As long as you find it fun, that’s all that matters. Don’t worry about anything else—just think about becoming my bride.”  

“I think about that every day.”  

At her playful response, Lian laughed out loud this time, his face filled with joy.  

And so, they started their morning with promises of a new beginning, completely forgetting about other lingering problems.  

That afternoon.  

As Hestia changed into fresh clothes and staggered out of her room, she spotted someone walking down the hallway. It was Sir Forrest.  

It seemed he had returned from his field survey and was on his way back after reporting to Lian as usual.  

“Sir Forrest!”  

Thankfully, her voice, which had been hoarse from the cold, had returned to normal. She greeted him cheerfully.  

“It’s been a while. Did your survey go well?”  

But Sir Forrest’s reaction upon meeting her eyes was strange.  

His eyes widened in surprise, and he quickly glanced around before abruptly grabbing her arm and pushing her towards a secluded area. He led her to the quiet garden behind the villa.  

When they reached a spot beneath a tree, Sir Forrest suddenly spun around and began questioning her.  

“Miss Hestia! What on earth were you doing? It’s only been a few days!”  

“Pardon?”  

Judging by his expression, he wasn’t joking. Confused and unsure of what he was referring to, Hestia blinked at him in bewilderment. He let out an exasperated sigh and explained in a tone filled with irritation.  

“Do you not know that rumors about the Deputy Commander are spreading like wildfire all over town?”  

“What rumors?”  

“Marriage! People are saying he was planning to propose and even called people together! It’s chaos right now! Where did such ridiculous rumors come from?”  

Only then did Hestia realize what had happened.  

Apparently, the commotion surrounding Lian’s elaborate proposal preparations had started to spread. Although Lian had canceled everything that day, it seemed word had leaked out regardless.  

And there was another problem.  

‘Wait, how do I explain this to him?’  

Sir Forrest clearly didn’t know that she and Lian had decided to get married.  

As expected, he rubbed the back of his neck in frustration. Judging by his subtle glances, he seemed to have dismissed all the rumors about Lian as baseless. He then began lamenting loudly.  

“No matter how much you two fought! What on earth did you do for such rumors to spread? It’s only been five days! Didn’t I warn you that exposing yourself outside would cause trouble?”  

“Ah, well…”  

“Because of that, I’ve been harassed nonstop since I got back. The Imperial Family is in an uproar, the knight order is in chaos, and the entire capital is going wild!”  

“The Imperial Family… too?”  

Of course, it made sense. After all, Lian Clyde was the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Knight Order, a man the Empire was proud of, and the most eligible bachelor admired by women her age.  

‘I think I even heard that the Imperial Princess once considered him as a potential consort.’  

Sir Forrest, noticing her standing frozen with her mouth slightly agape, muttered to himself, “So you didn’t know?” He looked at her with exasperation, while sweat ran down her back.  

‘How am I supposed to explain that Lian and I reconciled and decided to get married? It’s only been five days—will he even believe me?’  

Should I say that we fell in love after he was banished? Or admit that I was the one who confessed first? But how could I say such embarrassing things out loud? 

“Well… um, Sir Forrest. Actually, the thing is…”  

But before she could finish her sentence, a sudden wave of heat surged through her body, likely from the tension. Without warning, a harsh cough escaped her lips. The cold air must have worsened her condition. Covering her mouth with one hand, she coughed violently, her body trembling until she eventually collapsed to the ground.  

“What’s going on? Are you alright? Are you sick—”  

Sir Forrest, startled, tried to support her. But his words were abruptly cut off by a loud yelp. At the same time, Hestia felt herself being lifted into the air, enveloped in a familiar embrace.  

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?”  

Lian had appeared out of nowhere, picking her up and examining her condition with worried eyes.  

From the side, Sir Forrest’s panicked voice rang out.  

“It wasn’t me! I didn’t do anything! She just started coughing all of a sudden… huh?”  

He began hurriedly explaining, clearly worried about being blamed. But then, as if realizing something, his voice trailed off, and he stared at them in shock, his gaze darting between the two of them.  

“What?! What is that? Both of you—what is that?”  

By the time Hestia’s coughing had subsided, she was utterly drained, barely able to keep herself upright. It was then that Sir Forrest’s questioning voice rang out again, this time filled with disbelief. He sounded as though he had witnessed something utterly impossible.  

That?  

Hestia, her tired eyes narrowing, followed his gaze. He was pointing alternately at her and Lian—more specifically, at their hands. It seemed he had noticed the rings they were wearing.  

“Deputy Commander! Are you telling me you really turned the entire city upside down to buy that ring? Was the rumor true?”  

“Yes.”  

At Sir Forrest’s questioning, Lian gave a short, affirmative answer. He looked down at the other man with his usual calm demeanor. His expression seemed to say, ‘What does it matter to you if I buy a gift?’  

Sir Forrest, on the other hand, let out a near-scream, looking as though he wanted to tear his hair out.  

“Good grief! It was true?! I’ve been running around denying it this whole time!”  

“Waste of effort.”  

Lian responded indifferently, letting out a scoff. He turned around abruptly while still holding Hestia tightly in his arms. A strong, cold wind had begun to blow at that moment. As if worried that the wind might harm her cheeks, he held her close to shield her from it.  

“Are you cold? I’ll get you inside quickly.”  

He quickened his pace, still holding her protectively.  

Sir Forrest immediately followed behind them, practically trailing after them like a shadow. Matching his steps to Lian’s hurried pace, he began nagging incessantly.  

“What are you planning to do about this? You should’ve been more mindful of the people watching! Are you just going to ignore the knight order and everything else now? And Miss Hestia—why did you even accept all this? You’re clearly an accomplice!”  

“Don’t blame Hestia.”  

“Don’t blame her? How can you say that? Do you know how much effort I put in over the past few months to keep things under the radar? It’s all been for nothing now! Do you realize that the excuse about being sick and bedridden won’t work anymore? Soon, you’ll receive an order to return and explain yourself! What are you going to do then? You can’t even resume your position as Deputy Commander in your current state!”  

“Shut up.”  

“Oh dear, I’m doomed. I’ll be the one called in first again! Why did I end up with such a reckless superior? What are you going to do about this, huh?”  

As Sir Forrest continued to squawk non-stop beside them, Lian and Hestia exchanged glances. The man seemed to have gone beyond mild frustration and into an outright panic.