“Uh…… I mean……”

They were all people who felt no flaws in Naella’s personality to begin with. They all liked Naella and tried not to leave her side.

Instead of Jenny, who couldn’t find more words, Priya listened quietly and nodded vigorously.

“His Grace the Grand Duke has such a taciturn personality, so he might not be able to express himself.”

“Hmm, come to think of it, I did receive a necklace as a gift.”

“That’s right. His Grace has never said anything about what you do, my lady.”

“Right. Even Father sometimes found me overwhelming, but Chedran never did.”

This came as a new realization to Naella. She knew she was insensitive to emotions like love. Just noticing this much was great progress.

She must have been distracted by the matter of Esto and the Siron family.

After pondering for a while longer, Naella realized there was nothing strange about it theoretically. The emotion called love she’d heard about from various people had aspects quite similar to Chedran’s actions.

Giving gifts, coming to see her often, not getting angry about the things she’d done.

Applying it like planning tactics made her even more certain. Where there’s a process, there’s a result and a cause. Chedran’s emotion seemed to be love.

She’d reached correct conclusions most of the time until now. This time would be right too.

“Well, since we’re married, it’s better to have love.”

Priya chimed in.

“That’s right. Though it’s a contract marriage, His Grace the Grand Duke doesn’t seem like a bad person, and it would be better with love.”

“Then what should I do now?”

“Hmm…… It’s unreasonable for Lady Naella to love Lord Chedran right away, so how about at least making an effort?”

“What kind of effort?”

“First, you should treat His Grace the Grand Duke well.”

“I’ll have to pay more attention and treat him better than now.”

“Affectionately.”

“Right. Might Chedran want something else?”

“Like what?”

“A child, or the bedroom.”

She recalled what a knight once said about wanting to do more things when you fall in love with someone.

She knew love wasn’t always beautiful but mostly started from small things. It was a conclusion she’d reached from hearing many things.

“Ah…… that could be.”

“We do need to have an heir eventually. Having a child would be after everything’s finished, but getting used to the bedroom might be better.”

Thinking it highly possible, Naella resolved to discuss it with Chedran at dinner.

After all, it was a couple’s matter, so she couldn’t decide alone.

And she thought she should treat Chedran, who liked her, as affectionately as possible.

Watching this, Jenny began to genuinely worry about how to handle this situation.

Standing near the training grounds talking, Chedran and Ronche spotted someone approaching from afar. Naella appeared wearing a light shirt and pants unlike usual, even carrying a sword at her waist.

Since she’d sent her beloved sword to Esto, it must be borrowed from someone or used temporarily. There wasn’t enough time to have a new sword made, and Naella wasn’t someone who’d choose a sword easily.

Having observed her for several days, Chedran was a bit surprised by the sudden appearance. He hadn’t seen her holding a sword for a while, so there’d been no reason to run away.

Looking up, Naella’s eyes met Chedran’s as he watched her with curiosity.

“You’re going to train?”

Still a plain conversation that skipped greetings.

“Ah…… well……”

“Mm?”

“I have something to reflect on, so I was going to compose my mind.”

“Reflect? You? The sun must have risen in the west today.”

“It’s a reflection on myself for not noticing something I could have realized, having my heart stolen by other things.”

At the increasingly labyrinthine conversation, Chedran raised one eyebrow. So did Ronche, who’d been standing dumbly and missed the timing to greet her.

Growing uncomfortable with the couple’s strange silence, Ronche finally offered a greeting.

“Did you sleep well? The weather is clear. It should be good for training.”

“Ah, Sir Bantmore. You were here too.”

“……I was here from the beginning.”

“I’m distracted. Not that I was ignoring you, Sir Bantmore. Thank you for always working hard.”

Exchanging pleasantries, Naella suddenly remembered something.

Be affectionate to Chedran!

How long had it been since she resolved that, yet she’d already forgotten? Meeting Chedran faster than expected, she hadn’t had time to make a plan.

Worried she might have acted too stiffly, Naella thought of an action to make up for it.

“Mm……”

Just as Chedran was about to leave, sensing something strange in her overly serious contemplative expression, her mouth opened first, one step faster.

“As expected, Lord Chedran is…… I mean…… excellent at handling the aftermath.”

“……?”

“I can always feel at ease no matter what trouble I cause.”

“Does that mean…… I should handle the aftermath even better in the future?”

“If you’re capable, you should use it. Ah, no, that’s not it…… I’ve never seen anyone assist as well as you.”

For Naella, this was maximum praise. She couldn’t lie, and she’d never thought about Chedran’s other merits.

“Since when was I your assistant? Of course I’ve handled a lot of aftermath, but I’m not an assistant. I’m your husband.”

“Then…… your ability to assist as a husband is very excellent. You also wield a sword very well. You’re the first person to wield a sword as well as you since my eldest brother.”

Having squeezed out maximum praise, Naella reluctantly added one more compliment. Matters about swords touched her pride, so it was truly generous praise.

“The breakfast must have been bad. I’ll call the cook and severely question this crime.”

“Speaking of cooks reminds me. Come to think of it, didn’t we exclude the kitchen from training because they had so much work? I forgot the cooks and their assistants could also be spies.”

“I’ll check and take measures.”

“As expected, you’re not just good with a sword.”

“Being good with a sword is a nice thing to say, but…… why are you really like this today? Are you struggling mentally?”

While Chedran was troubled, convinced there must have been a problem with breakfast, Naella wondered if she should speak honestly.

She’d tried to make up for not being affectionate by at least giving compliments. At this rate, the conversation would just go in circles.

From Chedran’s perspective, would it be good for Naella to notice his feelings?

He must have been too embarrassed to speak, so he might like it more if she expressed knowing first. If Naella were in Chedran’s position, she thought she would.

“I was going to tell you at dinner, but since we’ve met now, I’ll say it.”

“So there was a problem after all. Is it that matter you mentioned earlier about not noticing quickly because your heart was stolen by other things?”

“Correct. It’s about your feelings of liking me.”

Chedran and Ronche’s heads turned simultaneously.

“……I think I heard wrong.”

“Don’t you like me, Lord Chedran? That’s why I’m calling you Lord Chedran now.”

As Chedran blinked blankly, his blue eyes appeared and disappeared repeatedly.

Standing beside him, Ronche thought the matter was very serious and he should flee quickly, but he’d missed the timing. He couldn’t move a single step at the next bombshell statement.

“Do you also want to touch me, Lord Chedran?”

“Want to touch……?”

“I’m asking if you want to touch me and share a bed.”

The focus disappeared from Chedran’s eyes briefly before returning.

“Ah, of course I don’t have much resistance to such things.”

“It seems like you should……”

“We’re a married couple, so I think it’s a natural duty. I also know I must fulfill my responsibilities to my rights as the mistress of the house. Just please tell me in advance. I ask that you give me time to prepare mentally.”

“……”

“You seem flustered. I think that’s natural. I’ll excuse myself. Instead, I’d like to discuss what we should observe as a couple going forward at dinner. Bedroom matters and heir matters require sufficient discussion.”

Naella finished saying what she wanted and left after giving Ronche a slight eye greeting. Her retreating figure he watched blankly was upright and straight like her usual self.

Only her black hair tied in one moved with her steps. That appearance was like Naella without any wavering, making him realize only Chedran was confused by the earlier conversation.

“Your Grace……”

When Ronche called quietly, Chedran turned with a blank face. He had the face of one whose country had been stolen.

Or should it be the face of a man about to have his chastity stolen?

In any case, Naella’s words were extraordinary enough to deal a great blow even to Chedran’s strong spirit.

At that troubled-looking face, pity rose in Ronche naturally.

“Why didn’t you say no?”

“What do you think Naella would do then?”

“I don’t know……”

“That’s the problem. I don’t know how she’ll react either. How can I say we don’t need a bedroom or heir? How can I even tell my wife ‘I don’t like you, so don’t misunderstand’?”

“……Won’t there be a problem if things continue like this?”

“Do you think the problem that arises then will be bigger? Or the problem when I say I don’t like Naella?”

“That’s…… I don’t know that either.”

“I don’t know either. That’s why I couldn’t respond at all.”

The words bedroom and heir floated around in Chedran’s head. He had to discuss this topic tonight at dinner.

What on earth could he say?

He’d never really thought about an heir, but it was also true having one would be good. Having worked hard to build the grand ducal territory, wouldn’t it be better than handing it to someone he didn’t even know well?

A child of Naella and himself would likely be born with superior talent compared to others. If they inherited just Naella’s mind and his sword skills, the grand ducal territory might grow much larger.

After thinking, he even thought an heir should be born.

Weren’t the parents’ qualifications too excellent?

The bedroom was actually a natural matter between couples. Among noble couples in political marriages, even those with formal relationships often shared beds on scheduled dates for an heir.

However, Naella and Chedran hadn’t really thought about it and hadn’t felt any particular need to observe it.

But…… a bedroom with Naella……? One bed with her……?

“Ah……”

In an instant, Chedran’s face flushed redder than ever before.

If only there’d been a woman in his life, he could have at least imagined something.

Moving from battlefield to battlefield, Chedran had heard knights’ bawdy jokes. But though he knew the method, he hadn’t thought it would be his own affair.

“Really……”

When Ronche looked puzzled, Chedran avoided that gaze and looked at distant mountains.

“I want to faint.”

Chedran couldn’t faint as he’d wished and just glared hard at the innocent sky.