When her husband entered the study, his attire was different from before.

He was dressed in nightwear as if he were about to lie down in bed, and Elicity unconsciously averted her gaze.

‘Get a grip, Elicity. He’s only here to talk.’

But she couldn’t stop her heart from pounding. Thump, thump. Her lips were becoming dry.

“W-What brings you here, Alex?”

“I came to check if your cheek is all right after my mother struck you.”

“Oh…”

Elicity touched her cheek. The swelling had subsided a little.

“Olivia and Retia kept applying ice packs, so I’m fine. Fortunately, Bella didn’t notice.”

“Bella… Right. It was wise not to mention it in front of her. She would have been hurt.”

After saying that, he furrowed his brows slightly. It seemed to be guilt.

“I’m sorry.”

“Alex, this isn’t your fault. Children don’t get to choose their parents. Neither did I.”

Elicity sighed and then picked up a sealed envelope she had prepared earlier.

“I plan to cut the allowance sent to the Reten family to one-tenth of its current amount.”

“Do as you see fit.”

“Of course, to be fair, I’ll also reduce the money sent to my parents and brother.”

At that, Alex spoke in a flustered tone.

“There’s no need to go that far. I’ve never been harmed by my father-in-law, mother-in-law, or brother-in-law.”

“Just because you weren’t harmed directly doesn’t mean there was no damage.”

If the Reten family was foolish, her own family, the Lawrences, were all cunning.

Elicity knew all too well what the Lawrences had done to her daughter and the duchy in her past life.

‘I have to stop it in advance. And the first step is to cut off their financial support.’

She was deep in thought when Alex’s words pulled her out of her reverie.

“Elicity.”

“Ah! Yes?”

“Can’t you try to rest easy, at least for now?”

“For now… Until when?”

Elicity tilted her head slightly.

“Is something happening at the royal palace?”

“…”

Her husband rubbed his lips for a moment. She couldn’t read the meaning behind his slightly narrowed brows.

“I mean… for the time I am here in the duchy protecting you and our daughter, until I have to enter the palace. Can’t you feel at ease until then?”

‘Protect.’

Elicity was taken aback by that word. Never once in her past life had he used that term.

Then, a tingling warmth spread near her heart.

‘Am I just getting old and forgetting things…?’

That could be possible. Elicity blushed slightly as she spoke.

“H-However, Alex, you are the commander of the knights. You’re away from the duchy more often than not.”

“No. Not anymore.”

Alex shook his head firmly.

“I won’t be anymore.”

But Elicity took his words lightly.

In her past life, her husband was always away.

As a duke, he couldn’t refuse royal commands.

He was deployed to stop the northern invasion of the Tutania tribe after Salita destroyed their kingdom.

He had to teach a lesson to the young King of Pale, who foolishly set his sights on Madonia.

And most importantly, he subjugated the Haneni people of the northeastern desert by force to ensure their daughter could be sent as the queen of Salita.

Beyond that, he accomplished many other feats, always away from her side.

That was why she needed to prepare in his absence so that their enemies wouldn’t point their swords at their daughter.

‘But… Seeing him with such a worried expression, I can’t bring that up now.’

Elicity forced a smile. Besides, it might be good for their daughter’s emotional well-being to spend more time together as a family.

“All right. Then I’ll handle things after you leave for the palace.”

“I’ll return quickly. From now on, my family comes first.”

“…Thank you for saying that.”

A heavy silence settled between them.

The weight of it was unbearable. Elicity swallowed dryly, unsure of what to do.

‘Should I tell him to leave my study now?’

But she had no justifiable reason to drive him out.

And, inexplicably, she didn’t want him to leave either.

At that moment, Alex took a step closer to her.

Before she could react to the sudden decrease in distance, she saw his hand slowly reaching for her cheek.

Just like in the drawing room earlier.

Except, back then, she had been too distracted to pay attention—whereas now, every hair on her body stood on end.

Her sharpened senses locked onto her husband.

His intense crimson eyes fixated on her, unrelenting.

For the first time, Elicity realized how a mere gaze could make her body stiffen like a brick.

It felt as if all her clothes had been stripped away, leaving her body utterly exposed under his scorching stare.

Heat coursed through her veins, escaping through her slightly parted lips.

She wanted to pull away somehow, but her body wouldn’t obey.

She barely managed to inch her hips backward, but Alex, like a hunter catching his prey, gently wrapped an arm around her waist.

Elicity was completely trapped in his embrace, unable to move an inch.

A pleasant shiver ran down her spine.

“…”

In the thick silence, his hand was just about to touch her cheek.

She wasn’t naïve. She knew what came next.

As husband and wife, this was only natural. And so, just as Elicity slowly lifted her head toward him…

Smooth skin without a single wrinkle and well-defined, striking features came into clear view.

“Ah.”

No.

Elicity instinctively placed both hands on her husband’s chest and, with a strong push, shoved Alex away.

Since she had used all her strength, Elicity was able to free herself from him. Alex halted his actions, surprised by her rather intense reaction.

Within those puzzled red eyes, she saw not a 28-year-old woman, but the 48-year-old Duchess she had once been.

In other words, while the young Elicity might not have hesitated, the reincarnated Elicity found it difficult to embrace her youthful husband so easily.

The man before her was her husband, yet he was not. If she were to kiss Alex, it could not be with this young Alex—it had to be with the middle-aged Alex she had left behind.

Elicity had returned to love her daughter again. But at the same time, it felt as if she had abandoned 49-year-old Alex. She did not want to betray the one who had been left alone.

As she struggled to say anything,

“Then, have a good night.”

He left the study.

It would be a lie to say that his departing figure did not look lonely. He had just been rejected by Elicity and would now have to restrain his burning desires alone.

Unavoidably, Elicity found herself recalling that night—her wedding night with him.

***

Elicity, who had been a virgin, had no concrete knowledge of what would happen on the first night of marriage.

Some of her recently married friends had said it felt as if they were being split in half from the pain, while others blushed and admitted it wasn’t so bad—in fact, it had been quite enjoyable.

Since she had no idea what to expect, Elicity decided to simply leave everything in her husband’s hands.

After all, she had heard that men usually learned about these things beforehand.

Following a humble wedding ceremony where they exchanged thin gold rings, Olivia had led her to the bridal chamber, where her husband was already waiting.

Even if she had been married off as if she were being sold, Elicity did not think it was too much to wish for a little kindness from him.

Besides, she had heard that Alex had wanted her from the beginning.

And Alex was not ugly. The brief glimpse of his face during the vows had revealed that he was quite handsome. No, to be honest—he was strikingly good-looking.

His sharp features beneath his short-cropped hair resembled those of a well-bred hunting hound.

His well-toned physique was like a finely sculpted statue.

Most of all, his red eyes—though her parents had found them ominous—had seemed to Elicity like shimmering rubies, something she quite liked.

She couldn’t understand why a man who could have easily married an earl’s daughter had chosen her instead.

Elicity had to work hard to suppress the growing sense of anticipation.

“You’re here?”

The door quietly closed behind her, and only the two of them remained in the bridal chamber.

As her husband slowly approached, Elicity instinctively lowered her gaze in shy hesitation.

He did not rush.

After stepping in front of her, he gently took her clasped hands and led her to the bed.

Having only ever been around her rough father and brother, Elicity’s heart pounded at the unfamiliar gentleness. She thought she had never met anyone so kind before.

But that thought did not last even ten minutes after sitting on the bed.

When Alex removed his shirt and began undressing her as well, Elicity was caught off guard.

She had heard that men learned how to handle the wedding night, but was this how it was supposed to go?

Of course, he was still gentle.

His hands, as he removed her simple wedding dress, were as cautious as if he were handling a glass sculpture. A sheen of sweat had formed on his forehead.

His thick, coal-black eyebrows knitted slightly, and his neck and ears were flushed red. When the wedding dress slipped onto the bed, revealing her pale skin, he even flinched for a moment.

Yet even amid all of this, Elicity remained uncertain about this embarrassing act of exposing her bare skin.

‘Should I ask him?’

But then, she suddenly recalled her mother’s warning—that she would not forgive her if she ruined the wedding night.

―Elicity, you should be grateful your husband is even willing to take you. No matter what he does in bed, you must accept it obediently.

If she displeased him and he left the room in frustration, she did not even want to imagine what might happen next.

In the end, Elicity could only remain stiff, leaving everything to her husband.

It would have been better if he had noticed her strange reaction, but as it was his first experience as well, Alex was too busy taking in the sight of his beautiful wife sitting before him.

Her fair skin looked as if it would leave a powdery trace if touched, and her lips, as red as summer roses, along with her flushed peach-colored cheeks, were so lovely that he felt an urge to take a bite.

He instinctively wanted to push her onto the bed and cover her body with his own.

However, he had heard from his fellow knights that if he failed to please his wife on their first night, it would be over for him.

Determined to do things properly, Alex took a steady breath and did his best to follow what he had been told.

He pressed his warm lips against her exposed neckline. The sensation was like drinking in the nectar of sweet fruit. He lingered there, licking her delicate skin and softly nipping at it.

“…Ah!”

A small, trembling sound escaped from her lips. He had been told that such sounds were proof of love.

Encouraged by this, Alex became certain—he could use everything he had learned to please her tonight.