* * *

“Miss, oh my, I’m sorry. I’m still not used to it and made a slip of the tongue… Madam, would you like a cup of tea?”

Larie watched Satin’s expression.

“Ah!”

Madam?

Satin screamed in shock for a moment. Raising her voice unknowingly, she regained some of her senses. But it would take more time to fully come back.

Right, I got married. Yes, I got married. Whether it was marrying or being married off, it’s puzzling, but anyway.

Satin rubbed her forehead. She had been sitting at the table for hours, flipping through thick books, making her head and shoulders ache. But it was a task that needed to be done. Satin read the tiny letters, occasionally underlining and copying some passages.

“No, it’s okay, no, give me the tea. I’ll drink it. Something that calms the mind.”

After the haphazard, messy wedding, Satin hadn’t slept a wink.

She had to find a way to overcome this crisis somehow. Fortunately, Larie had followed Satin as an attendant, so she was relieved. Having a familiar face nearby could help find stability…

…Could it help find stability?

She couldn’t find stability even in her lifelong family home and had moved out.

After digging through all sorts of means, she found one method. Now, she had to discuss this method, but Rublier hadn’t contacted her yet. She heard that the Papal Palace had sent a messenger to the head of the Holy Knights, telling him to report the marriage while he was at it, but the matter was taking longer than expected.

She was glancing at the clock anxiously.

“Madam, the Paladin has arrived.”

Larie informed her of Rublier’s return. Satin stood up abruptly. It was rare for her to wait for Rublier this much. It was their first meeting since the wedding.

What would be her first words when she saw Rublier?

What would be his first words when Rublier saw her?

Both were worried in their own way. Somehow, they had become the world’s most distant couple. A normal greeting wouldn’t suit them. The sense of futility was greater especially for Satin, than for Rublier.

‘Hello?’

She’d be better off than me. Who made this absurd marriage happen?

‘It’s been a while.’

How long has it been to say it’s been a while…

To be honest, Satin was surprised that the newlywed house was decided much faster than expected. Money could indeed do anything in this world.

If there had been any flaw in the house, she could have used it as an excuse to live separately for a while, but the mansion owned by the Ka Dillon family was unnecessarily perfect.

On the walls of the rooms were works by a famous painter who had held an exhibition at Mrs. Suzanne’s salon, and the furniture was also crafted by a master artisan. The servants from the Ka Dillon family were quick and meticulous in taking care of Satin.

But that wasn’t all. The original newlywed house prepared for Satin and Gjorn was in the old town, where wealthy mansions were gathered.

Gjorn loved books and enjoyed studying, so he put a lot of effort into the library while decorating the house. From the desk and chair at the right height for Gjorn, to the bookshelf made of high-quality wood, fountain pen, ink bottle, bookstand, and paperweight, everything was prepared with the best quality.

But because he spent a lot of time in the room, his eyes became weak, so he hung thin curtains in layers to block out strong light. As a result, the whole house was dark and lacked the bright and lively energy needed for a newlywed house.

Additionally, although the old town had the advantage of convenient transportation, it wasn’t a significant benefit for Satin, who traveled by carriage anyway.

However, the newlywed house prepared by the Ka Dillon family was located in the suburbs. It was a house that Rublier, who liked exercise more than reading books and spent more time outside than inside, would have chosen.

There was no need to carefully adjust the light with curtains. Covering and hiding this house was a sin. When the front windows were opened wide, the vibrant natural scenery filled the window frame like a canvas.

The lake, natural forest, and pasture unfolded at a glance. It couldn’t be compared to the artificially created gardens in the old town. The servants said it was also good to procure fresh ingredients from nearby farms.

Rublier, who had to frequently visit the Holy Knights and the Papal Palace, might find it somewhat inconvenient, but he had a horse that could run for three days without sleep or water. This distance would probably feel like a stroll to him.

She liked the house, the workers, and the environment.

Only the husband was the problem.

Thinking back, it felt like a dream.

That day, the wedding proceeded, as if she was possessed by something. In the blink of an eye, the marriage vows were completed, and in another blink, they were receiving congratulations from guests at the reception.

The Sel Wio family, who had been demoted from the protagonist to the honored guests of the wedding, disappeared from the venue without a sound. She couldn’t even remember when Gjorn and Delilah left.

Looking back, there was one thing she had to be grateful to Rublier for. He made her completely forget about Gjorn and Delilah. Considering she, the ex-fiancée, almost overturned the wedding in a fit of rage when Gjorn’s mistress appeared to sing the wedding hymn, the shock wasn’t as big as expected.

Whether they lived well or poorly, that was their problem. Satin was busy thinking about how to manage her married life.

Creak. She heard the sound of the door opening. Satin pricked up her ears.

“You’ve arrived.”

The servants lined up to greet Rublier.

“Where is Satin?”

“She is in the reception room.”

As soon as he came in, Rublier asked for Satin. His footsteps were bold and unhesitant. His presence naturally made people tense.

He appeared in no time. Satin, hugging a book, awkwardly faced Rublier.

Oh my! Unknowingly, she averted her gaze and took a deep breath.

Why should I be embarrassed? We’re meeting for the first time after getting married.

I hate feeling like I’m losing. Satin changed her expression to a calm one and raised her head.

“Nice to see you again, Sir Ka Dillon.”

Rublier chuckled.

“Why still Sir Ka Dillon?”

“Then what?”

Satin, who had called Rublier Sir Ka Dillon out of habit, realized her mistake.

Right, I got married. Whether I keep forgetting or want to forget, I don’t even know my own heart. Anyway, now Rublier was my husband.

“Thank you. Even after marriage, you still treat me with great respect as a Paladin.”

The distant expression turned into an expression of respect. Satin pouted.

“I went to the Papal Palace, and I have something to tell you.”

Rublier brought up the topic first. He had to inform Satin of the Papal Palace’s order that he would be going on a business trip immediately after their marriage.

“I have something to tell you too.”

Satin, who also had something prepared, agreed. Out of habit, she looked for Larie but instead called the nearest servant and gave instructions.

“Please prepare some tea here.”

“Yes, Madam.”

The servant cleared Satin’s empty teacup and brought two new cups of freshly brewed tea, along with sugar and warmed milk.

“Madam, please try the warm milk tea. We get fresh milk from a nearby farm every day.”

Satin glared at the milk in the small silver cup.

If Larie were here, she wouldn’t have brought milk.

“No, I don’t drink milk.”

Even though she didn’t like the taste of raw milk, she used to enjoy sweet milk tea with milk, but at some point, she came to dislike all milk and stopped drinking it altogether.

“You need to drink a lot of milk and grow taller.”

Because of the man in front of her.

She hadn’t disliked Rublier from the start. At the age of twelve, Satin was too young to understand the subtle power struggles within the guardian families.

Twelve is usually an age when one hasn’t even experienced their first love. Teaching such a young child about family power dynamics only makes them think it’s an adult’s affair.

But since her parents told her to keep her distance from Ka Dillon, she had some sense of caution.

Among the new students, Rublier stood out. Even from a distance, his black hair was noticeable. Satin thought,

That boy must be ‘Ka Dillon.’

It started with something trivial. The academy was divided into three main areas. The education rooms where classes were held, the church where students prayed daily, and the dormitories. But there were so many small annex buildings that no new student avoided getting lost at least once.

Satin got lost a few times too. At home, calling a servant resolved everything, but the academy couldn’t offer the same convenience.

While hurrying down the corridor after mistakenly heading to the wrong education room, she collided with someone running around a 90-degree corner.

The other person easily regained their balance, but the lightweight Satin fell hard on her bottom. The size difference made it more painful.

“…Ouch.”

As she rubbed her sore bottom and tried to get up, a shadow loomed over her. Looking up in surprise, she saw a familiar face.

Rublier.

The boy with sharp eyebrows and eyes, making a strong first impression, grabbed Satin’s hand and pulled her up with one strong motion. They said he was a genius in swordsmanship, and indeed, his grip was incredible.

“You’re so small, I didn’t see you, kid.”

Then Rublier ran off. Since he’s from Ka Dillon, he could joke around without worrying about the consequences.

Moreover, for Satin, who already had a complex about her short height, this was a small but definite reason to find him annoying.

After that, whenever they ran into each other, Rublier always greeted her the same way.

“Hey, little kid, you’re here?”

“……”

At first, Satin avoided him. For her, who had to look up at everyone due to her short height, Rublier, with his impressive stature and presence, was intimidating. It was a relief if their classes didn’t overlap, and if they did, she sat far away. Anyway, Satin always hung around Gjorn. On the contrary, it was Rublier who walked alone, as all the students were scared of him.

But Rublier often spoke to Satin, making it impossible for her to ignore him.

Avoiding him wasn’t a solution anymore.

One day, Rublier interfered while Satin was picking out only her favorite foods at the dinner hall.

“Don’t just pick at your food. That’s why you didn’t grow while others did.”