Chapter 7.1

At around noon the next day, Hestia was looking at Amber with tears welling up in her eyes.  

“Amber, are you okay? Where does it hurt?”  

Normally, at this hour, she should have been at the shop training a new employee. However, she was at home instead. This was because earlier in the morning, Lian had burst into the shop, urging her to return home quickly.  

When she asked what was going on, he explained that ever since she left for the shop, Amber had been vomiting water and food before collapsing. He had hurriedly taken her from the shop and put her into a carriage.  

But after rushing back, Amber’s condition didn’t seem all that different from the morning.  

As usual, Amber was lazily stretching her limbs by the sunny window near the bed, yawning and dozing off. When she noticed Hestia’s return, she greeted her as cheerfully as ever.  

“She seems fine all of a sudden. Let’s keep an eye on her for a few days.”  

“That’s probably for the best… Did the veterinarian come by?”  

“Yes, but they advised us to monitor her closely for now.”  

Hestia decided not to return to the shop and simply quit altogether.  

Fortunately, the shop owners, who were aware of her deep attachment to the animals she raised, were understanding. They told her to visit whenever she had time in the future, and with that, she officially became unemployed. No, not unemployed—she was now living as his wife.  

After that, they spent peaceful days by Amber’s side.  

Hestia would take leisurely naps in Lian’s arms, sometimes strolling into the garden to pick flowers and arrange them in vases. She even baked bread in advance for dinner. It was a tranquil and serene time.  

“Ah, hngh, ah…! Not here, it’s too bright… ngh…!”  

Then, suddenly, Lian came at her with a deep kiss.  

Apparently, the sight of her tying her hair up high with a ribbon, out of convenience while baking bread, had been too adorable for him to handle.  

Though it was an absurd reason, he truly seemed captivated, as he continuously kissed her face and whispered how beautiful she was throughout their time together. Whatever had excited him so much, he didn’t stop until he melted her into a puddle, biting and licking every inch of her body. Only after she had cl*maxed several times did he finally enter her and release his seed.  

Even after all that, while Hestia was on the verge of passing out, Lian remained composed and full of energy.  

“Get some rest, Hest. I’ll clean up.”  

“But you haven’t even had dinner yet… Aren’t you hungry…?”  

“It’s fine. Let’s have a late-night snack together after you’ve rested. I can wait.”  

“Mmm… then I’ll sleep for just a little while.”  

With a tender kiss and the comforting sensation of the blanket being pulled up to her neck, combined with the lingering exhaustion from their passionate session, her body grew heavy with relaxation. In the end, she could only nod off, her eyes fluttering shut.  

Only after receiving several more playful kisses on her face did Lian finally leave her side with a soft laugh.  

It was some time later when a strange sound reached her ears.  

“…So, after investigating, it seems there was interference that day when the two of you were blocked at the temple.”  

“Ha…”  

Lightly awakened, Hestia focused her ears on the conversation between Sir Forrest and Lian coming from beyond the door. She couldn’t ignore it, knowing it was about the incident at the temple she had experienced.  

However, the mention of someone interfering with them caught her attention, jolting her fully awake. 

What was going on? 

Holding her breath so as not to alert them, she listened carefully, fearing they might notice her movements.  

Who was targeting Lian? And what were they so determined not to give up on that they would interfere?  

As she nervously eavesdropped, the conversation continued.  

“It was on purpose—we went to the temple to be seen.”

“And that ended up provoking them. It seems they’re now spreading strange rumors in high society.”  

“What kind of rumors?”  

“Apparently, the fiancée of Kalin overheard it. The second princess has been insinuating that she and you were secret lovers, Deputy Commander. It seems she’s trying to make you her consort. She’s even claiming she’s waiting for you to repent and change your mind.”  

“Consort? Don’t give me that crap. I’m already married, and I have no intention of going back on it. That woman is insane, talking like that about a married man.”  

“Well, since the temple blocked the official marriage documents from being submitted, technically, it hasn’t been registered yet. Also, there are rumors circulating about Hestia, saying that you’ve fallen for a woman like her…”  

“Ha, I’ll rip their mouths apart…”  

“Whoa, calm down. If you say something like that in public, you could be arrested for insulting the Imperial Family. I understand how angry you are, but…”  

Sir Forrest spoke hurriedly, trying to calm him down.  

The flood of information left Hestia’s mind in chaos. 

What were they talking about?  

She had heard rumors before about Lian, the empire’s top knight, possibly marrying a princess. However, she thought that their marriage had rendered such matters irrelevant. Yet, from Sir Forrest’s words, it seemed that wasn’t the case.  

On top of that, malicious gossip was being spread about her, tarnishing Lian’s reputation. Her head spun from the overwhelming thoughts.  

Sir Forrest continued speaking.  

“Anyway, that’s why I’m thinking of moving up the plan you mentioned earlier.”  

“What plan?”  

“Protecting the suitor coming from the neighboring kingdom.”  

“Why? We just need to stay away from that area. I told you about it so you could earn some merit.”  

“No, this is a different angle. While we could just sit back and react as needed, why not use this opportunity to sever the princess’s obsession with you once and for all? But for that, you’ll need to bring Hestia to the palace with you, even if you dislike the idea.”  

“No. Forget it.”  

“Wait, hear me out first! You’ll understand once I explain. This could even help shift public opinion in your favor.”  

What was that supposed to mean…?  

From what she could gather, Lian had previously instructed Sir Forrest about something, and now Sir Forrest wanted to execute it differently to drive the princess away. However, it seemed this would require Hestia to make an appearance at the palace, which Lian was firmly against.  

Hestia knew Lian was concerned for her safety. But part of her couldn’t help but wonder if he was ashamed of her—a woman of no notable background. Learning that her rival was a princess only made her feel smaller. She didn’t want to doubt his love, but her own insecurities left her feeling pitiful and tearful.  

As she strained to listen further, something unexpected happened.  

Amber, who had somehow wandered in without her noticing, leapt onto the bed and began meowing incessantly, rubbing against her to play.  

‘Oh no, now Lian will know I’m awake…!’  

As expected, the door connecting the adjacent room opened, and Lian entered. Pretending to rub her eyes, she looked up at him.  

“Hest, you’re awake?”  

“Miss Hestia was there—”  

Bang.

At that moment, the door slammed shut with a rough sound. Lian had closed and locked the door before Sir Forrest could even enter.  

Hestia looked up at him with a drowsy expression, wondering what his reaction was about. He strode over and firmly tucked the blanket around her body.  

It was then that she realized—before falling asleep, she had clung to him in a mess and was now only wearing a thin, fluttery nightgown. She swallowed hard, a moment too late, but fortunately, Lian’s attention seemed to have shifted.  

“Thank you… Did someone come by?”  

Feigning ignorance, she asked with sleepy eyes as she looked up at him. He replied, 

“It’s Forrest. He’s just here to chat like usual. It’s nothing.” 

Then, as if it were a habit, he kissed her face here and there.  

“Sleep a little longer.”  

“But he’s a guest…”  

“No way. You can’t greet anyone looking like this. Sorry, but aside from your face, the rest of you is a complete mess. Just now, I nearly had a heart attack.”  

With that, he pulled her into a tight embrace. After letting out a sigh over her head, he finally released her.  

“Sleep some more. I’ll wake you up when he’s gone.”  

“Alright…”  

With his soothing words, Hestia lay back down on the bed.  

He then picked up Amber and left through the front door instead of the one connecting to the adjacent room. It seemed he intended to keep Sir Forrest from coming inside. His attentive actions always made her heart flutter.  

As promised, he came back to wake her a little while later. It seemed they had moved their conversation to another room in the meantime, as she could no longer hear what they were talking about.  

Although she was a bit disappointed, she felt reassured knowing that Lian had chosen her over the princess and that Sir Forrest would handle any interference from her.  

‘We won’t even run into her, so it doesn’t matter what she says.’  

After all, rumors were like bubbles—rising quickly but bursting just as fast. Of course, it would be a lie to say it didn’t bother her, but as long as they didn’t cross paths, she thought it wouldn’t be a big deal.