Originally, Rublier and Satin weren’t particularly compatible in terms of personality. Both had strong personalities, having grown up as the only daughter and eldest son of good families. If they had known each other for a long time, they would have roughly understood each other’s tendencies and lived with appropriate compromises, but since the time they had lived separately was much longer than the time they had spent together, there was still much to learn about each other.

Surely, there would be days when they would bicker again someday. For a quiet life without trouble, a man similar to Gjorn who rarely had his own opinions, was generally easygoing, and felt reverence for the Del Mare name would have been better. If she had looked for such a man, she could have found one.

The same would be true from Rublier’s perspective. During the period when he was divorced and single, it was said that women who wanted to marry Rublier lined up at the Ka Dillon family. If he had wanted to forget Satin and live a peaceful life, he could have done so as well.

For Satin, Rublier was the most inefficient partner, and for Rublier, Satin was the same. However, it was love that made them willingly bear this inefficiency.

“I’ll probably get angry at you for something. It won’t be too far in the future, I guarantee.”

Rublier chuckled at Satin’s addition.

“Okay.”

“When I get angry, some days you’ll try to smooth things over, some days you’ll apologize, and other days you’ll suffer internally.”

“Satin. You already know me so well?”

“There will be days when we get along better than today, days when we don’t get along as well, and since I have family matters and you have knight duties, there will probably be quite a few days when we’re too busy to see each other’s faces…”

The Papal Palace relies heavily on the Holy Knights. Whenever something happens in the country, the knights are the first to be summoned. Rublier left for a long business trip right after the wedding and was also mobilized during the flood.

Satin, for her part, would have to take over Del Mare in the future, protect the family, and assist the Pope as a guardian family. There probably wouldn’t be many days like this in their remaining lives where they could spend all day together, clearing their minds. The duties they both shouldered were too heavy.

“Still, we’ll be just fine.”

Rublier pressed his forehead against hers. Satin agreed.

“That’s right. We’ll be fine.”

“On days when we get along well, you’ll be so lovable that I’ll love you even more than yesterday. On days when we don’t get along well, I’ll think about how to reconcile with you. If you get angry, whatever the problem is, it’s probably my fault. There will be many days when I have to go on long, extended business trips, which will be painful, but in return, the day I come back will be really exciting and something to look forward to. On that day, I’ll come to see you first. Yes, we can’t always have good things happen to us as we live. We’ll surely face bad things, difficult things. But still…”

Rublier whispered calmly.

“I’d much rather go through difficult and bad things with you than be happy alone without you. No, that would make me happier.”

He’s right. No matter how difficult or bad things get, there’s no need to be afraid if Rublier is by her side. Haven’t they already gone through such a period once?

Satin nodded in agreement. Their touching foreheads gently brushed, causing a tickle. They rubbed their foreheads and nuzzled their noses. His body temperature lingered on every bit of skin that touched. If sensation had a temperature, this would be it.

Somewhere, there are surely people experiencing a love that burns so hot it scorches their hearts, but the temperature of love Satin felt wasn’t hot enough to burn. It wasn’t cold enough to make her heart ache either. It was exactly this temperature.

The appropriately warm temperature of a person. Therefore, even if you stay and touch for a long time, you won’t get hurt, and when you get used to it, you might suddenly wonder if it’s there or not, but when it’s actually gone, you’ll feel a cool emptiness. That very temperature.

No more flowery words were needed.

It was love, it was happiness. That was enough.

2.

Rublier slowly rode the black horse. Satin, leaning against Rublier’s chest, felt the up and down movement of the horse’s plodding steps. The scenery in front approached as slowly as the horse’s pace. Feeling somehow newly impressed, Satin tilted her head and looked up at Rublier.

“I thought you always rode at full speed.”

“There were many days like that.”

Rublier smiled and continued his answer.

“Because you were there.”

What should one do with a man who says he rode at full speed because you were there?

Satin closed her eyes. The speed brushed past her cheeks and flew away. When she opened her eyes again, the familiar scenery was even clearer. It was their newlywed home. The red and yellow hues of the sunset falling on the roof and front yard of the house were so hazy it felt like a dream.

“Welcome home.”

The servants who came out to greet the two owners lined up in a row. On days when Satin went out, the servants naturally assumed that the two would meet and return together.

Although the Del Mare main house wanted her to come back and live close by to take care of the family, Satin was maintaining the mansion where she had started her newlywed life, willingly enduring some inconveniences. The same was true for Rublier.

They still wanted to spend more time with just the two of them.

“Madam, be careful.”

The child in the nanny’s arms wiggled its tiny hands. Satin quickly took the child into her arms. Because of the child, they planned to stay in this mansion for a few more years. If they were to live in the main house, the child would likely be thrown into various rules and education early on as the heir to Del Mare to succeed Satin.

Satin wanted to delay that time as much as possible. Unlike the strict discipline of Del Mare, Rublier, who had grown up relatively freely, had a principle that young children should play in wide, open countryside. He fully agreed with Satin’s thoughts.

“Baby. Mommy’s here.”

Satin gently rocked the child. Since the child was born, each day had been new in a different way.

“The baby ate well and played well today too.”

The nanny added proudly.

Like Larie had insisted several times, the nursery was set up in Satin’s former bedroom. Some servants who remembered the history were uneasy as it was the room where the evil spirit had stayed, but Satin wasn’t worried. Larie would protect them. In fact, the child was doing very well in that room. The nanny didn’t have any nightmares either.

“Children really grow up so fast.”

It hadn’t been long, but her wrist was already aching. When Satin tried to change her position for comfort, the child whimpered, “Waaah.”

There are a total of five nannies in this house who are solely responsible for taking care of the child. There were even more at the Del Mare main house. The parents at the main house had hired several experienced nannies for the child who visited very occasionally. With so many professional nannies to raise the child, Satin, who was busy with her life as the head of Del Mare, had no chance to get used to childcare.

“Give the child to me.”

Rublier took the child from Satin.

“The Paladin is more skilled at holding and soothing the baby.”

The nanny smiled. Satin pouted.

“Of course. I was sick, wasn’t I?”

Despite Satin’s hardships throughout the pregnancy, the child who had bravely endured became mischievous as the due date approached. It showed signs of coming out earlier than expected.

Satin, who had set out on the return journey after finishing a long honeymoon, roughly calculating the delivery date, felt unexpected labor pains in the carriage. Holding Satin, who was screaming in pain and fear, Rublier urgently requisitioned a nearby private house and moved Satin there.

The labor pains continued for a full day.

It varies depending on the mother, but this is normal, it will take longer because it’s your first child, if you wait you’ll be able to hold your child safely — Rublier, who was waiting outside the door with superhuman patience despite the doctor’s dissuasion from entering the delivery room, rushed in immediately, kicking down the door when Satin’s screams of pain rang out clearly.

He held Satin’s hand tightly all day. Satin alternated between crying, getting angry, and collapsing from exhaustion. Rublier, who had turned as pale as a patient, cried when Satin cried, apologized when she got angry, and became terrified when she went limp from exhaustion.

“You bastard! What kind of suffering am I going through because of you!”

“I’m sorry, it’s my fault…”

“I’m not having a second one, you know!”

“Okay, let’s not have two, alright.”

They both sobbed, not even knowing what they were saying. Later, Rublier honestly revealed that he had never felt so powerless.

He confessed that even more than when he faced the devil possessing his friend, that day when he could only watch the bloody labor was more overwhelming. He admitted that he didn’t know how terrifying it was to be unable to do anything while his wife was in pain.

Fortunately, the accompanying doctor and servants with childbirth experience were skilled. Despite it being a difficult case with a weak mother and a large baby, the couple finally held their first child in their arms.

Satin and Rublier moved to the nearby Ka Dillon territory to recover. Satin’s whole body ached, and she couldn’t even hold the baby for long. While Satin focused solely on recovering, it became Rublier’s role to look after and study the child.

As a result, the child was much more accustomed to Rublier’s hands. Satin, who became afraid of dropping the child because her weakened arms couldn’t hold it firmly, could only lightly touch the cheek or gently grasp a finger when Rublier was holding the child.

It took longer than expected to regain her former health. Satin and Rublier indefinitely postponed their return date and stayed in the territory. Rublier was at a loss, overwhelmed by the emotion of his first child and guilt towards Satin.

“A child was born from your blood, flesh, and bones. I’m so sorry to you.”

He held the child for Satin’s share as well, while simultaneously nursing Satin.

But it wasn’t all difficult times.

One day, they listened to the baby’s “ma-a, ba-a” babbling together with Rublier. They got excited, thinking the baby was saying mom or dad, but then felt disappointed when it was explained that these were just meaningless babbles that are easy for babies to make at first.

When would the baby clearly call her mom?

Even now, after returning to their newlywed home upon receiving the doctor’s diagnosis that long-distance travel was no longer a problem, and returning to daily life, Satin was still trying to distinguish whether the baby’s unclear babbling was calling for her, the mother, or just meaningless self-talk.

While Rublier was soothing the child, Satin had a casual conversation with him.

“When are you planning to return to the Knights? Shouldn’t you be going back soon?”

“It’s still okay for now. My lieutenant is performing the acting duties well. I heard there’s an epidemic going around these days, is everything alright in the Del Mare territories?”

“I’ve been worried because news keeps coming in.”

“Speaking of which, Satin…”

“Sah.”

That’s when it happened. The child opened its eyes slightly and babbled.

Rublier and Satin simultaneously closed their mouths.

“Huh?”

“Ah-ah, Sah.”

“Did the baby just call me?”

Satin looked at Rublier with wide eyes. Rublier, also unsure, stared intently at the child.