Leaving those meaningful words, the Grand Duke disappeared into the crowd.

Aristie sighed and resumed exchanging artificial greetings with the surrounding nobles. It was painful to meet each of the gazes directed at her.

Why did they all crowd into the reception hall with such expectations……

“He’s coming!”

“Oh my, finally……”

The time that had been crawling like torture suddenly began to storm like a tempest. As the congratulatory guests parted like an ebbing tide on both sides, a clear path opened up in front of Aristie.

A man was walking toward her along that path.

Aristie greeted the man with a feeling like she had tried to avoid a small spark only to face a greater calamity.

Her fiancé, now her husband,

The Emperor of the great Empire, Khalid.

“……Your Majesty.”

Khalid, who had reached her, extended his hand with a smile.

“Shall we dance?”

With everyone watching, Khalid’s strong hand wrapped around Aristie’s waist.

It was a hand that knew exactly how to hold her so she would feel comfortable.

When their bodies touched, the scent of natural musk rushed into Aristie’s nose. An intense bodily fragrance that might make her dizzy if she wasn’t careful.

It seemed impossible to remain indifferent to this captivating scent even after a lifetime. She was fortunate that familiarity allowed her to feign composure.

Soon, their dance began with the music. The murmuring sounds subsided, and everyone started watching the bride and groom with interested faces.

Constricting tension. Sweat formed on Aristie’s nape as she stood at the center of the heat. Only Khalid remained relaxed in this atmosphere.

“It exceeded my expectations, your performance earlier.”

Khalid spoke.

Though it sounded sarcastic, it was pure admiration.

“I’m honored.”

Aristie responded impassively. Khalid’s eyes took on a smiling contour.

“You could have pushed further. If it would have made you feel better.”

“……”

“For example, calling me impotent, or a pervert. Things like that.”

“Excuse me……?”

Aristie’s brow, which had maintained an expressionless face, gradually contorted. It was a face that had heard something bizarre, found it somewhat funny, and ultimately couldn’t decide how to react.

Khalid looked down at her with loving eyes. His expression was light-hearted. He had finally realized the answer to the question that had been troubling him recently.

The true reason Aristie had pushed him away and distanced herself.

It wasn’t because of Estelle.

It wasn’t because of Prince Icaryuel.

It was because of his distrust.

Although he had been swept up by Estelle, and she had been shaken by Icaryuel, they would have eventually returned to their original places and remained faithful to each other. If only he had trusted her.

If he had put aside logic and reason and trusted her with his heart until the end, his precious fiancée wouldn’t have entered the wedding hall feeling cornered.

How painful and frightening it must have been for her to make the decision to overturn the wedding like that……

“I used to think I couldn’t understand your mind.”

Khalid said as he lightly twirled Aristie in time with the melody.

“But now I see you’re a far more unfathomable person than I thought. And I like that about you.”

Aristie still didn’t smile, but Khalid didn’t mind. He had resolved to definitely restore her smile.

Whether it took 10 years or 20 years. No matter how long it took.

“Aristie, I……”

He pulled his wife close and whispered as if kissing her.

“Choose to trust you.”

Suddenly something welled up inside Aristie.

The feeling felt extremely unfamiliar.

It resembled warm heat. Something she couldn’t feel before.

No, perhaps……

She simply hadn’t been aware of it.

* * *

After the reception ended, Khalid returned to his room, took a quick shower, and changed into his loungewear. Looking at the room, always neatly arranged, he couldn’t quite believe he was married.

But now he truly was a married man. And his wife was Aristie, who had stood by his side as his fiancée for nearly 20 years.

To think that the four-year-old little girl who once looked at him with pearl-like eyes had really become his partner……

‘Such a cute child becoming my wife felt like receiving an incredible gift.’

Khalid smiled faintly, recalling his first meeting with Aristie. To him, she had never been anything but beautiful for even a moment.

Thinking that he would see her every day in the imperial palace from now on made it hard for him to calm down. Considering their conflict and how they almost broke off their engagement, their successful marriage was nothing short of a miracle.

‘I had given up once…..’

He had lost his mother early in life. Then he sent off his sister and uncle to another country, and even his father to his mother’s side, one after another.

The imperial palace felt too large for him, left alone. Yet he couldn’t express his loneliness to anyone. Because he was the Emperor. Because the imperial throne was inherently such a position.

But even an emperor was human.

He immersed himself in training to soothe his anxiety, but his heart grew increasingly weak.

Giving up on Aristie was ultimately the result of his weakened heart. Because he was tired, because he could no longer endure, even knowing she was in a difficult position too, he drew an invisible line and let go of his attachment. He killed his emotions with all his might.

While living like that, one day. A woman who suddenly appeared before his utterly barren self.

‘……Estelle.’

His thoughts, which began with marriage, gradually flowed darker. Having decided to trust Aristie, he couldn’t help but think about Estelle again.

Estelle, it was true that he had felt human goodwill toward her.

At least in the beginning.

He couldn’t help it, because there had never been anyone who moved so remarkably in tune with him.

But if that was all, he would never have continued meeting her. The reason he maintained contact with Estelle was because there was something he desperately wanted to figure out.

The unidentified sense of déjà vu he felt from Estelle—discovering its identity was the real purpose of meeting her.

‘It was an intensely familiar and nostalgic feeling.’

The moment he first felt that déjà vu, he became obsessed with the belief that he must recover it. Because it felt like discovering something he had lost without realizing it. Because it seemed like it belonged not to Estelle, but to someone precious to him.

But even he didn’t understand his own feelings.

Why? He had never met this woman named Roselina whom Estelle supposedly imitated.

No, from the beginning, all the situations where he felt déjà vu were actually things he had never experienced before.

‘Above all, I don’t have anyone more precious to me than Aristie.’

His thoughts, which had briefly wandered elsewhere, returned to Aristie as always. Perhaps the déjà vu he felt from Estelle was what he had unconsciously wished from Aristie.

That she would smile with her heart just once, that she would speak to him affectionately.

Though she had closed herself like a clam, ignoring such wishes, Khalid never pushed her. He simply longed for the day when her heart would open.

Because he believed it would explode more passionately the longer he waited. Probably intense enough to consume his heart.

He desperately wished Aristie would do so. So that he could become inextricably bound to her. Because he wanted to yearn for her.

But what actually came to him was Estelle, who clung to him like a sticky shadow of his inner self.

‘Was meeting Estelle truly a coincidence?’

When the image of Estelle attending to him in the jewelry shop came to mind, Khalid’s eyes sharpened. He had thought her approach natural since he had gone to the shop of his own accord.

But looking back, everything from their first meeting until today was full of suspicious elements.

Why hadn’t he thought to suspect earlier? Even after hearing Aristie’s revelation. Focused on reason and logic, obsessed only with uncovering the identity of the déjà vu, I……

“Rhion.”

Khalid called for Rhion, who was waiting outside. When Rhion entered the room, he issued orders in a lowered voice.

“Investigate Estelle.”

He already knew Estelle’s background. However, that was only through her own words and surrounding circumstances; thinking it would be low to investigate without grounds, he hadn’t looked deeply.

But now his mind had changed.

“Lady Estelle, you mean?”

“Yes. Secretly. All information you can find. Make sure she doesn’t notice.”

“Understood.”

Rhion bowed his head respectfully. After giving the order, Khalid rose from his seat and sauntered outside. He waved away Rhion, who tried to follow to guard him.

“No need for that. I’m not going far.”

“Where are you going?”

“Where am I going?”

Khalid looked back incredulously.

“How tactless to ask such a thing.”

He grinned and retorted.

“Where would a newly married groom go in the night?”

* * *

“I will serve you to the best of my ability, Your Majesty the Empress.”

Marchioness Hildebrand, the head lady-in-waiting, entered the bedroom leading a flock of maids. Aristie nodded quietly.

Though this was her first time being served by Lady Hildebrand, the current situation didn’t feel too unfamiliar since the woman had been like a teacher guiding her through palace life since childhood.

Many of the maids had been brought from her family home, which gave her an even more familiar feeling.

‘I should get used to living in this new home quickly.’

The maids diligently attended to Aristie from her bath to dressing in nightwear under Lady Hildebrand’s guidance. Subtle scented candles were placed around the room, and the finest champagne was set on the table.