“Leticia, don’t you need a friend now more than ever?”

Of course, he wasn’t approaching Leticia simply to become her friend. None of this was purely for her benefit either. Leticia wasn’t foolish enough to fall for such sweet words.

“That’s why I can’t hastily make just anyone my friend.”

“You’re absolutely right.”

The viscount agreed with Leticia’s words. His gentle, pleasant voice felt seasoned and calculated.

“Callius Maxis will kill you.”

However, the words that followed were raw and unrefined, creating a stark contrast. Leticia remained composed. He didn’t know about the deal between her and Callius. She answered promptly.

“Is that all you wanted to say to me?”

Leticia’s tone signaled the end of the conversation, and the viscount fell silent for a while. Surely, he hadn’t approached her secretly just to issue a predictable threat. Just as Leticia was about to feel disappointed, his voice turned even more secretive.

“Soon, Her Highness the Princess will send you a token of her sincerity.”

The phrase “a token of sincerity” was vague. Sincerity could be expressed in countless ways.

“What kind of token?”

“You’ll know when you receive it. If you find it to your liking, please respond to my next message.”

It wasn’t a bad proposal for Leticia, provided she liked the token. Regardless of her deal with Callius Maxis, having a contingency plan wouldn’t hurt. Soon, his presence faded away. Leticia stared at the untouched desserts for a long time. Though she hadn’t taken a bite, the red and white decorations looked sweet.

If only people were like that. If she could tell what someone was thinking just by looking at them, things wouldn’t be so frustrating. Unfortunately, people weren’t like desserts; until you consumed them, you couldn’t know whether they were sweet or bitter.

—

Mathias’s face, flushed from drinking too much fruit wine, resembled molten metal freshly pulled from a furnace. Despite the dry, cool breeze of winter still blowing through Metherdea, his face showed no signs of cooling down.

“A mine is only as good as its yield. The Rearbon mines have nothing left to extract, don’t they?”

Rearbon’s largest source of income had been the gold mines owned by the family. After confiscating Rearbon’s wealth, Mathias now owned the most productive gold mines in Metherdea. Though he hadn’t yet seen significant profits, it was only a matter of time. The Duke of Rearbon had devoted his entire life to managing the mines and distributing the extracted gold. Now, the gold would no longer bear Rearbon’s crest but Mathias’s seal, spreading across Metherdea.

Having instantly acquired wealth, Mathias boasted about the mines like a nouveau riche of Metherdea. He didn’t notice how Milona’s face grew increasingly heated.

“Of course, it’s nothing compared to His Majesty’s mines.”

“I’ll summon you again soon. It seems we have much to discuss regarding production.”

Though it was a banquet, Mathias did nothing to celebrate the couple. There were no blessings for their marriage nor any gifts. Instead, he endlessly talked about how arduous their future life would be.

“Even the name Siscreek is too good for it. Once, it might have been a prestigious land, but now it’s practically a wasteland.”

The land Callius had been granted was called Siscreek. It had been abandoned for years after its last owner surrendered it to the emperor and took his own life. The vast land was left untouched because it was considered worthless. The emperor could grant such a large piece of land without losing anything.

When Callius accepted the land, the nobles sneered, thinking him a clueless outsider. In Metherdea, taxes were based on land size rather than population. This tax law had been implemented long ago to prevent resource and manpower waste caused by nobles constantly waging wars to expand their territories. The nobles mocked Callius, believing he had accepted the land without understanding its implications.

“It was granted by His Majesty, so I am satisfied.”

“That’s the spirit. It’s good to see you content.”

Everyone knew Mathias’s words were mocking. Yet Callius remained unbothered.

“When will you return to the capital?”

“I’ll return whenever His Majesty summons me.”

Mathias’s face twisted slightly. Though Callius acted like a well-trained hunting dog, it was clear where his loyalty lay. Mathias could never be the master of that loyalty.

“A fitting answer for a hunting dog.”

The gathered crowd stiffened at once. Callius stood in the middle, tasting his share of fruit wine. Leticia was curious about how he would respond. She already knew he wasn’t the type of man to ruin things over such petty insults.

Callius wasn’t someone who had simply gotten lucky by catching the emperor’s eye. If he wanted further success, Mathias wasn’t a bad person to keep close—at least while the emperor continued to gild Mathias’s rotten image.

“I’ll take it as a compliment, Your Highness.”

Callius’s response was remarkably composed. Mathias’s provocation hadn’t left a scratch on him. This made Mathias’s demeanor seem trivial and caused the crowd’s interest to dissipate.

“Don’t take too long to return.”

“Of course.”

Leticia felt as though those words were directed at her. Amid the red flush, Mathias’s pale eyes turned toward her. Unfortunately, Leticia could now vividly sense Mathias’s strange obsession with her.

—

Leticia felt no particular emotion as she passed through the city gates. Her only reason for entering and leaving the capital was tied to the Damian Academy’s academic calendar. The academy’s program lasted four years, with two months of winter break each year. Thus, Leticia had only spent time in the capital during the winters in recent years.

She had never felt sentimental about the capital before, but strangely, she now felt as though she would never return. Leticia no longer had a place to return to in the capital. Surprisingly, this realization saddened her. The idea of having nowhere to go back to frightened her.

“You’ve been quiet for a while.”

His voice felt abrupt after the long silence. It wasn’t as though the two of them were a loving couple who would chat on their way.

“I don’t have much to say.”

It was best to hide emotions as much as possible. Revealing her feelings recklessly could lead to her weaknesses being exploited. Leticia answered calmly. Sitting side by side in the carriage, they stared out opposite windows, their conversation devoid of substance.

“I thought you’d have many questions.”

Callius Maxis seemed somewhat strange today. Had he turned into a different person the moment they passed through the gates? Or was he simply bored, being alone with her in such a small space?

“You speak as though you’d answer everything I ask.”

“When have I ever refused to answer your questions?”

Upon reflection, his words were true. Though he sometimes deflected or teased, he always provided an answer. Whether Leticia liked the answer or not, he responded. As she gazed out the window in silence, unnecessary sentiments crept in. For her own sake, Leticia decided to say something—anything.

“Is it really that unimpressive?”

“What are you referring to?”

“Siscreek. Your territory.”

Not much was known about Siscreek. It was a long-abandoned land. Its last owner had surrendered it to the emperor and then taken his own life. Some found the land eerie, believing it was stained with the blood of its previous owner. Of course, Callius Maxis wouldn’t care about such things.

“It depends on how you see it.”

“What do you think?”

In truth, Leticia didn’t care about his thoughts. She asked aimlessly, trying to distract herself from the rising emptiness and sorrow. Though her question was careless, the answer she received after some time was unexpectedly substantial.

“It’s perfect.”

What did that mean? Leticia turned her head to face him. Callius Maxis leaned gracefully, his appearance picture-perfect. His answer was surprising, but it wasn’t so moving as to soothe Leticia’s parched emotions. As he said, it was all a matter of perspective. For a fallen noble who had earned the land through his own efforts, it might be the most perfect place in the world. But for Leticia, it was a barren land, devoid of anything worthwhile.

“That’s good to hear.”

“What do you mean?”

As she tried to turn away, Callius asked directly.

“I’m glad you like the land you’ve been granted.”

“You’ll like it too.”

He spoke as if it were a certainty. Leticia thought of Rearbon’s territory. The lush fields of Filia were coveted by all for their beauty, earning the nickname “Fairy’s Land” for its clarity and purity. Compared to Filia, no other place could be considered perfect. Instead of arguing, Leticia turned her head away again.

The inn they arrived at late at night was quiet. It seemed they had rented out the entire place, as the innkeeper greeted them with a wide smile.

“How wonderful to see you, Lord Maxis!”

“Cordelia.”

The elderly innkeeper hugged Callius tightly before letting him go. Despite her strong grip, Callius stood unshaken.

“So this must be Lady Maxis. It’s a pleasure to meet you, madam. I’m Cordelia.”

“…It’s nice to meet you, Cordelia.”

Leticia shook hands with her, feeling a bit dazed. Though Cordelia’s enthusiastic greeting made Leticia feel as though she’d been shaken by an earthquake, the innkeeper didn’t seem to notice. Once the introductions were over, Cordelia instructed her staff to serve dinner.

The meal, for an inn, was quite delicious. By then, night had fully fallen, and the meal was nearing its end.

“Lord Maxis, shall I prepare the bathwater?”

As Callius drank his fruit wine, he met Leticia’s gaze instead of answering.

“That would be nice.”

“Please prepare it.”

The clinking of dishes gradually subsided. Enough time had passed to assume the bathwater was ready.

“I’ll head up first.”

“The room is the middle one upstairs.”

Leticia nodded slowly. Though she hadn’t exerted herself much, her body felt unexpectedly tired.

“See you tomorrow, Lord Maxis.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Callius, having emptied his glass, wiped his mouth with a gesture that was surprisingly aristocratic.

“We’re married, so naturally, we’ll share the same room, won’t we?”