“His Majesty acknowledged that mine are more effective than those made by the royal magician. He said that although it’s against royal protocol, he specially permitted me to make potions.”

“Fa, Father did?”

“He said it was in return for making Queen Liliana’s sculpture.”

“……”

“So. I’ll continue making my sedatives with my own hands.”

Normally, he would have tried to understand her sensitive reaction, but…… Viett was already as sensitive as she was due to consecutive treatment failures.

Her stubborn behavior felt unpleasant, as if she was pushing him away.

It was incomprehensible that she had discussed such an important matter with his father first instead of him, her husband, and he couldn’t understand why she insisted on continuing what was clearly excessive and harmful to her health.

“You de, decided on such an im, important matter with Father without me?”

“You’re busy, aren’t you? I spend most of my day with His Majesty.”

“Is it that di, difficult to ask me first?”

“The last time I tried to ask your opinion, you rushed off saying you were busy!”

Viett suppressed the urge to argue back and gulped down his wine. Phenelity also gulped down water as if she’d been waiting for this moment.

In the end, the verbal dispute ended ambiguously, leaving deep emotional scars on both sides. It almost developed into a serious marital fight, but with many eyes watching around them, they each swallowed their words.

Only the sound of clinking utensils continued in the spacious dining room. He could feel the chief chamberlain, chef, and maids standing against the wall, watching each other nervously and gulping dry saliva.

How long had they been picking at their food after swallowing sharp words? Viett broke the silence first.

“Ne, next week…… I need to vi, visit the Slan Empire for about two days to si, sign a treaty.”

“……I heard. I’m going with you, right?”

“No. The Pri, Prime Minister will accompany me.”

“Not me……?”

Viett silently nodded. Since it was proper for the crown princess to accompany the crown prince on diplomatic schedules, Phenelity must have been certain she would go to the Slan Empire. She showed her disappointment with a crestfallen face.

The destination was the Slan Empire, famous for its beautiful seas. It was natural for her to be greatly disappointed.

“Why the Prime Minister instead of me……”

There were many reasons he wanted to say. The Easton army advancing toward the border, the unstable world situation, and the assassination threats from Easton intelligence agents.

Above all, he hated the idea of taking their first sea trip together so halfheartedly. Even if she went along, she would have to be confined to the VIP room while he met with the king of the Slan Empire.

But since his mood was already soured by their earlier argument, Viett blurted out a crooked response.

“You’re not in a po, position to move around freely.”

In that moment, he realized his verbal mistake and his hand faltered. The maids and other people around also gasped, covering their mouths. The chief chamberlain closed his eyes tightly and shook his head.

“Damn it. What I wa, wanted to say was, th, this isn’t……”

He awkwardly began to speak, but Phenelity didn’t listen to the end and gulped down her wine.

“Oh right, I didn’t tell you I’m staying with Amelia tonight? I’ll get up first.”

Then she stood up abruptly without looking at him.

“Well then. Have a good night, Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

And she stormed out of the dining room. Viett rubbed his face dry and swallowed curses. He had ruined their rare dinner time with a terrible slip of the tongue.

Naturally, his wife didn’t return to the bedroom all night despite his tossing and turning in bed.

Unable to bear it any longer, Viett trudged out of the bedroom in his robe. He couldn’t feel more foolish than knocking on his sister-in-law’s door in the middle of the night.

“Phe, Phenelity?”

After hesitating for a moment, he whispered in a small voice, and finally the door slid open. Rosemary tightened her robe and peeked her head through the door gap.

“Isn’t it a bit inappropriate to knock on your sister-in-law’s door in the middle of the night?”

Viett, who had expected his wife to come out, frowned with a bewildered face.

“Wh, why are you here?”

“Why am I here?”

Rosemary clicked her tongue, looking at him like garbage.

“I wonder if my brother knows what a pajama party is.”

Just as he was about to ask what Phenelity was doing, he heard the joyful laughter of Phenelity and Amelia from inside the room.

She’s laughing? She doesn’t care what her husband is doing, just having the time of her life. Rosemary suppressed a laugh watching Viett’s rising indignation.

“We were all drinking wine together.”

“Wi, wine……?”

Viett muttered with a dumbfounded face. After leaving with a face that looked like she was about to cry, she was having a drinking party until late at night?

“Well then, good night!”

Rosemary closed the door mercilessly in his face.

Viett turned away sharply, too hurt in his pride to knock on the door again. He returned to his room, grinding his teeth. And he couldn’t sleep all night.

* * *

The cold war between the crown prince couple continued for several days. People enjoyed reading about the couple’s first cold war detailed in the novel. The king especially found it most amusing.

“I used to fight bitterly with your mother too.”

Viett glared irritably at his father who was giggling. It’s someone else’s business anyway.

“A man shouldn’t hold his neck stiff against his wife.”

Throughout the meal, which Phenelity and Amelia didn’t attend, the king was desperate to tease Viett. Rosemary, slightly drunk, added with a snicker:

“Right. When you should be stiffening something else instead……”

“Rosemary!”

The king shouted in disgust.

“Oh my, Father. Seeing your voice getting louder than before, I guess your condition has finally improved.”

Rosemary, drunk on alcohol, couldn’t distinguish the king’s angry face. Viett, whose appetite suddenly disappeared, wiped his mouth with a napkin and stood up.

“I’ll ex, excuse myself first.”

“But Rosemary is right. You need to keep that part busy so I can see a grandchild soon, really.”

His father clicked his tongue and stared intently at Viett’s lower body. Viett, uncomfortable with his explicit gaze, quickly left the dining room. Back in his bedroom, he roughly ran his fingers through his hair.

Perhaps because the excitement of the argument had subsided, Viett only worried about ‘how to reconcile’ over and over again. The displeasure he had felt toward his wife had already disappeared without a trace.

Should he look at the “Hundred Truths” Rosemary had given him? But somehow that hurt his pride.

Although he shared the same bed with Phenelity, it had already been three days since they exchanged a single word.

She didn’t leave the letters she always wrote for him on his office desk, and she treated him as if he didn’t exist.

He sighed and opened the newspaper. He quickly checked the novel “Pepe” first. He could find complaints like “stupid Viett” or “I really hate him!” described throughout the novel.

Seeing it filled with complaints directed at him made it clear she still hadn’t calmed down, but her attitude toward him remained indifferent and haughty.

Just then, Phenelity, who had finished showering, entered the room humming. She completely ignored Viett’s presence sitting on the bed and busily dried her hair at the dressing table. Even when Viett stared at her face reflected in the mirror, she didn’t even glance at him.

“I’m sleeping in Amelia’s room tonight!”

Then she left the room with that one remark. Viett lay flat on the bed and heaved a deep sigh.

* * *

“Look at this, Viett!”

On the evening of the fifth day of their marital fight, Phenelity casually spoke to Viett.

Viett froze in the middle of changing clothes and glumly looked at the fish tank she was holding. It was the tank in which he had kept a puffer fish when he was young. Two fish were swimming in the water.

“Say hello. This is Vivi. And this is Pepe.”

Phenelity held the fish tank at eye level and pointed to each of the two fish.

Viett frowned as he looked at her large eyes. Her eyes and nose appeared larger and rounder than usual due to the curvature of the fish tank.

“Wh, what?”

“This one’s name is Vivi, and this one is Pepe.”

“But you ju, just said the fish on the left was…… Vi, Vivi.”

Viett muttered with an exasperated face. Phenelity ignored his words and brought her face even closer to the fish tank. Then she glared at one fish with furrowed brows.

“Vivi! I told you not to bully Pepe!”

“……”

“You never listen. You’re really so mean!”

“……”

“Ugh, I really hate it!”

Viett involuntarily flinched each time she made threats. She was watching him jump with sidelong glances, enjoying it.

“Oh dear. Did I scare you with my shouting, Vivi?”

“……”

“……I’m sorry. I’ll apologize first.”

Phenelity said while keeping her gaze fixed on the fish. It felt as if she was speaking to him. Viett realized she was extending a hand of reconciliation first, and awkwardly cleared his throat.

“I’m sorry. I, I was…… too ha, harsh with my words then.”

“Well, it’s frustrating, but what you said was true. I’m not in a position to travel abroad freely. I’m not Little Lord Titi who had brave adventures in various countries.”

Phenelity nodded as she put the fish tank down on the table.

“I also apologize for being too stubborn. But, this doesn’t mean I’ll stop being stubborn altogether in the future. You know that, right? I’m just saying I won’t be quite so stubborn!”

“Okay. From now on…… go ea, easy on me.”

Viett nodded with a sigh.

“About the magic po, potion issue……”

As he cautiously brought up the topic, tension flashed across Phenelity’s face. He continued slowly, taking her small hand with a bitter smile.