Over the past few days, Avenne had been holed up in the library, researching magic.

With Rubier’s help, it should be easy to get the Count into the carriage.

The problem was that travelling from the Count’s estate to the north would take two full days. If the journey took that long, the Count would inevitably become suspicious.

This was why Avenne had considered using magic to speed up the journey.

‘But the distance between the Valleris estate and the ducal estate is far too great.’

Rubier would probably lure the Count outside by suggesting they spend the day together. They could only travel for three hours on the road without arousing his suspicions.

However, if they arrived too early, the Count would realize immediately that the wedding venue was their destination.

They had to arrive at precisely the right moment. To achieve this, Avenne had to calculate the carriage’s speed, the distance to their destination, and the journey time with absolute precision.

She also had to account for every possible variable, from the coachman’s skill and the horses’ stamina to unpredictable changes in the weather.

If even one of her calculations was incorrect and they arrived too late, the entire plan would fall apart.

They had only one chance, yet there were far too many things that could go wrong.

The fear of making a fatal mistake prevented her from attempting the magic recklessly.

Just as she let out a weary groan under the weight of her thoughts, the library door suddenly swung open.

“……Your Grace?”

Avenne raised her head blankly and found Cassian leaning casually against the doorframe.

After studying the exhaustion etched deeply across her face, Cassian asked in an indifferent voice,

“Is everything proceeding well?”

“I have already devised the entire plan. The rest will depend upon my younger sister. I only hope she continues following my instructions without becoming suspicious of me……”

Avenne trailed off worriedly before shrugging with an innocent expression.

“Still, I am not concerned.”

Rubier would undoubtedly carry out the plan until the very end. Even if she discovered the trap midway through, she would be unable to stop.

After all, Avenne’s plan was now Rubier’s only hope of salvation.

“Then I wish you good fortune.”

“……Does it not concern Your Grace? I am so worried that I doubt I will be able to sleep.”

Cassian’s unexpectedly calm reaction left Avenne genuinely astonished.

Judging by how he had behaved until now, she had expected him to pressure her into working harder or reprimand her for acting so confident.

“I trust my partner. My constant suspicion has already caused me to make the same mistake repeatedly.”

“…….”

“So, to avoid doing so again, I have decided to place my complete trust in the woman who will become my wife.”

‘……Was that an apology? Or merely an explanation?’

Perhaps it was because of his weary, emotionless tone, but his words sounded almost insincere.

Yet Cassian was hardly the sort of man who would say something he did not mean……

Avenne glanced at him before nodding almost unconsciously.

“I-I will do my best.”

Avenne clenched her fists in determination. Suddenly, she noticed that his attention had shifted elsewhere.

Following his gaze, she saw that he was staring at the open notebook on the table.

Its pages were filled with chaotic magical formulas and frustrated scribbles, made whenever she encountered an obstacle.

Embarrassed, Avenne hurriedly covered the notebook with her arm, but it seemed that Cassian had already read its contents.

“……Although I still have not completed the most important spell.”

She noticed the teasing curve of his lips and muttered dejectedly.

However, worry soon clouded Avenne’s face.

She still had a lot of work left to do.

Their wedding would effectively mark Cassian Noctaven’s second debut in high society.

The wedding banquet was the perfect opportunity to dispel the countless disgraceful rumors surrounding him.

If they wanted to overcome the prejudices of the haughty nobles, the ceremony and banquet had to be flawless.

Yet here she was, wasting precious time struggling with a single spell for the carriage. Even Avenne could not help but feel frustrated by how unfair it all seemed.

As she continued to express her frustration, she suddenly found herself being lifted into the air.

The notebook on the table rapidly receded from view, making her acutely aware of the growing distance between them.

“Y-Your Grace?”

In the blink of an eye, Cassian had lifted Avenne into his arms.

Her legs, supported by his strong arm, flailed helplessly in the air in her bewilderment.

Avenne repeatedly asked him to put her down, but as always, Cassian did not offer even the slightest response.

He strode out of the library without slowing his steps.

“W-where are you taking me……?”

The cold air brushed against her ankles, causing her toes to curl up instinctively.

Realizing how late it was, she hurriedly closed her mouth.

Still refusing to speak, Cassian carried her up the stairs. Her body swayed with every step, making her uneasy, and she unconsciously wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

He was heading for none other than their bedroom.

After being abruptly placed on the soft bed, Avenne blinked in confusion.

“Th-thank you, but I still have a great deal of work left to finish……”

The moment she remembered her unfinished work and tried to sit up again, Cassian’s powerful forearm pressed firmly against her upper chest.

Avenne fell backward, her head sinking into the soft pillow.

“I will take care of the wedding preparations. Stop worrying and get some rest.”

“…….”

“As you said, we are partners. We should divide the work between us.”

“But Your Grace already has so much work of your own……”

“None of it is more important than the wedding.”

Avenne’s eyes widened in surprise at Cassian’s firm declaration that the wedding took precedence over everything else.

She had expected him to dismiss her concerns, saying he was too busy. Instead, he encouraged her and offered to help.

Slowly pulling the blanket over herself, Avenne asked,

“……Y-Your Grace, you are not ill, are you?”

Something was amiss. He was not usually so considerate.

They said that a sudden change in behavior was a sign of impending death. At this rate, she feared Cassian might die in his sleep.

After a moment, he raised an eyebrow slightly and replied in a flat tone.

“I am perfectly fine.”

“Th-then why are you being so kind to me?”

At Avenne’s question, Cassian drew his brows together, seemingly unable to understand what she meant.

“You have been strangely considerate since earlier. You encouraged me by saying you trusted me, made sure I got enough rest, and even offered to divide the work between us……”

“To think you consider something so trivial an act of kindness. Your expectations of me must be remarkably low.”

Avenne could not bring herself to deny it.

As she fell silent and nervously pressed her dry lips together, Cassian watched her before letting out a quiet laugh.

“I wanted to apologize, and I thought showing you through my actions would be the most effective way.”

“……Pardon?”

Avenne blinked at his unexpected words.

Lowering his gaze, Cassian took longer than usual to choose his words.

“I doubted you twice, yet I do not believe I ever offered you a proper apology.”

“…….”

“I am particularly ashamed of what happened recently. Despite having read the investigation that proved your innocence, I could not shake off the suspicion that you had deceived me. My distrust of Valleris caused me to doubt you as well.”

Unconsciously, Avenne tightened her grip on the blanket.

Cassian’s gaze lingered on her fingers for a moment before returning to her face.

“I sincerely apologize. I was too hasty.”

Unable to speak for some time, Avenne awkwardly scratched her cheek.

“……Your Grace is being so sincere that I do not know how to respond.”

Although she certainly felt she had been wronged, she could also understand Cassian’s situation.

Above all, she had never expected a man like him to apologize.

Now that he had offered her such a sincere apology out of the blue, she didn’t know how to respond.

It had been a long time since anyone had properly apologized to her.

The Count and Countess had always told her to be understanding and let things go. Rubier would gloss over everything with her cheerful voice and charming manner, while Victor would make excuses and insist that he hadn’t meant to hurt her.

Yet here was Cassian — the man who had made the worst possible first impression on her, and with whom she could hardly say she was close — acknowledging his mistake and apologizing sincerely.

Drawing a quiet breath, Avenne met his gaze and replied.

“S-still, thank you for apologizing.”

Cassian soon let out a low laugh.

“You are thanking me for apologizing? It seems you have far too many things to be grateful for.”

“…….”

“I apologize for disturbing your sleep. Rest comfortably now. Consider my assistance with the duchess’s duties an extension of my apology.”

Still fidgeting beneath his watchful gaze, Avenne pulled the blanket all the way up to her chin.

“Th-then I will leave it in your hands……”

Avenne closed her eyes and listened to Cassian’s steady footsteps as he left the room. She thought to herself that perhaps he was kinder than she had initially realized.

Maybe he was kinder than she had thought.