Satin pushed herself back, chair and all. The heavy chair legs scraped against the floor with a loud noise.

“L-Larie just called me. Didn’t you hear?”

Covering her face with her hands in a panic, Satin stood up abruptly without waiting for Rublier’s response. The divorce papers were already forgotten in her mind. Babbling excuses, she fled to her bedroom.

Huh.

…Wow.

What was that?

What just happened?

As soon as she closed the door, Satin slid down to the floor.

She must be crazy. Her heart was pounding so loudly it was deafening. She was completely overwhelmed. Her hands were trembling from the shock. She felt dizzy and nauseous. Burying her face in her knees, Satin took deep breaths.

‘Are you willing to try?’

Rublier’s voice echoed endlessly in her ears.

‘Shall we see if it’s really impossible?’

He’s willing to try with me? …What?

“Ah, what should I do?”

Why am I like this? Why am I trembling so much?

A wave of belated frustration washed over her. Rublier had countered her reason for divorce with a provocation. Normally, she would have retorted with, ‘I can do it,’ but it felt like something irreversible would happen if she said she could do it now.

And then.

“…Am I an idiot? I just got scared and ran away.”

She reacted too straightforwardly, like a child.

The most frustrating part was that her heart was still pounding hard. It showed no sign of calming down.

If she let her guard down for even a moment, she would be swept away like this. It was like a wave, suddenly crashing over her and soaking her thoroughly, leaving her in a difficult situation.

Rublier was truly an infuriating person. An infuriating man.

Satin staggered to the bed and flopped down.

After calming her racing heart, Satin left the bedroom with a determined look. As soon as she stepped out of her private space, her chest tightened again.

Satin tiptoed around the house. Thankfully, Rublier was nowhere to be seen. Who knows where he had disappeared to in the meantime.

“Where is Sir Ka Dillon?”

Despite her nervousness about running into him, she searched the house but couldn’t find Rublier. She grabbed a passing servant and asked.

“He went to the Papal Palace.”

“The Papal Palace?”

“Yes, to report the results of his trip.”

So, he came home straight away yesterday without reporting?

No wonder… I thought it was strange for someone who just returned to be home so early.

Satin glanced at the spot where Rublier had been earlier. The divorce papers were gone, but who knew where they had been moved to.

She considered asking a servant where they were but decided against it. They must be somewhere. Since they had postponed the divorce, the date on the papers was now irrelevant anyway. They would need new divorce papers in three months.

He wouldn’t be stubborn and refuse to stamp them then, right?

‘But Satin, you also have to try to fulfill your responsibilities as a wife.’

It would be nice if he went away on another long trip soon.

But he wouldn’t be going on any long trips for a while. That meant she had to spend the next three months fulfilling her responsibilities as a wife.

Satin’s expression gradually turned blank. She had no idea what kind of newlywed life she was supposed to lead.

* * *

Oh no. Even while looking at the picturesque scenery, she couldn’t feel the old tranquility. Even the sight of the goats in the pasture couldn’t bring her inner peace. In her current state of mind, it would be the same no matter what she looked at.

Her eyes were facing forward, but her ears were open, waiting for the sound of approaching hooves.

It had been hours of this. He would be back soon.

Time passed mercilessly.

In the distance, even from a side glance, a massive black horse appeared, incomparable to an ordinary horse.

Without realizing it, Satin jumped to her feet. Her legs moved on their own. In her anxiety, she started pacing the room, and Larie asked curiously,

“What’s wrong? Madam, you’ll get dizzy.”

“…Larie. Please bring me a glass of water.”

“Yes, Madam.”

Her throat was parched.

She needed to drink some cold water and get herself together.

As she grasped the cup that Larie had brought, her fingers trembled slightly. Satin sipped the water, trying to calm her pounding heart.

The black horse was incredibly fast. In less than five minutes, Rublier arrived home. Satin tried not to pay attention to the door. She felt that if she kept being conscious of him and didn’t know what to do, she would only lose, so she tried to stay as calm and indifferent as possible.

“Satin.”

Pfft. …Cough.

She choked right away. She covered her mouth, trying desperately to suppress the cough, but Rublier approached.

The more she tried to hold it back, the worse it got. Her eyes stung, and tears welled up. Satin sniffled, patting her chest. She kept getting startled whenever she saw Rublier. It was driving her crazy, even though she hadn’t done anything wrong.

“Cough, cough, oh…”

“Be careful.”

A large, sturdy hand stroked Satin’s back. Normally, Larie would have done this, but Larie, who had been by her side just a moment ago, had disappeared without a trace.

Her blocked throat cleared. Maybe because his hands were big, the effect was quick.

“Um… I’m okay now.”

Her breathing steadied. Satin, with tear-filled eyes, looked up at Rublier to refuse his help. But before she could react, Rublier brought his hand to her face, wiping away her tears with his thumb.

Gasp. Her breath got caught again. Startled, Satin quickly turned her head.

And then she made eye contact with Larie, who was peeking in from outside the door. Larie stepped back with a relieved smile.

Did she misunderstand just now? Is that it?

No, absolutely not! It’s not!

With Rublier right in front of her, Satin couldn’t call out to Larie to explain, so she sighed deeply, feeling the world crumble around her. She felt so drained that she wasn’t even upset anymore.

Since Rublier’s return, Satin had lost the freedom to roam the house as she pleased.

At the slightest sound, she would retreat to her room. It was extremely burdensome to be in the same space as him. It was better to stay cooped up in her bedroom, even if it felt stifling.

Larie followed her in.

“Madam.”

“What?”

“Did something happen to the Paladin while he was away on his trip?”

Huh? Did something happen to Rublier?

She had no idea. Moreover, for someone who had been away for such a long time, he didn’t seem particularly tired. Maybe it was because he was a knight and had good stamina. That was definitely different from Gjorn, who barely passed the basic physical training at the academy.

Anyway, Rublier didn’t seem any different from usual. Satin tilted her head and asked Larie back.

“I don’t know. Did something happen?”

“You didn’t ask him?”

“No, I didn’t.”

“You should ask!”

Larie stomped her feet.

“Why?”

“Because you two don’t talk to each other at all.”

“We never talked much to begin with…”

“And you don’t seem interested.”

“That’s true too…”

For five years at the academy, she either avoided him or snapped at him. After graduation, she didn’t think about him at all. They ended up married by chance, but he left home right after the wedding for his mission. Not seeing him for a long time made things even more awkward, and they were supposed to divorce in three months.

How was she supposed to feel any familiarity with Rublier? He was naturally an awkward presence.

Larie, looking at the utterly indifferent Satin, murmured sadly.

“I just wish you two would get along since you’re married.”

“Huh?”

“…I shouldn’t say this, but Gjorn is just too despicable.”

Larie pouted her lips.

“How could he treat you like that? Even if you shouldn’t trust a man’s heart, I thought Gjorn would be different. You two were so close. I heard he’s known you since you were a baby, but then three days before the wedding, he gets caught in a scandal with an opera singer… Fortunately, things worked out, and you ended up with a better family, but I want you to live well, just to spite Gjorn.”

Larie must have been secretly troubled, watching Satin suffer up close. Satin, who had been listening quietly, called Larie’s name.

“Larie.”

“Yes, Madam.”

“I understand your concern, but I don’t trust Sir Ka Dillon either.”

Larie’s eyes widened.

“What?”

“I believed I knew Gjorn better than anyone after twenty years. But who could have imagined he’d change completely over one woman? Is the Gjorn now the Gjorn I knew? No. And I know Sir Ka Dillon even less than I knew Gjorn.”

She had learned through Gjorn that even the calmest person could lose sight of everything when deeply in love. Satin continued.

“I spent five years at the academy with him, and even then, I was mostly with Gjorn. How can I trust Sir Ka Dillon when I barely know him? At least Gjorn was kind and gentle, but Sir Ka Dillon… well, anyway.”

Satin concluded decisively.

“If I get divorced, I’ll move to the countryside until the rumors die down. I think I’m quite suited for rural life. Let’s raise sheep together.”

“Madam, what about the heir to Del Mare?”

“I’ll find someone suitable later. I don’t neglect my duties. I’m still the only daughter of Del Mare.”

Despite the two scandals of marriage and divorce, Del Mare was still Del Mare. There would be plenty of men aspiring to join the guardian family. Satin resolved to find someone who would respect the name of Del Mare, unlike Rublier or Gjorn, who were too highborn to care. Surely there was a partner out there who could live a quiet and peaceful life without causing any more trouble.

“Oh, Madam…”

Larie sighed deeply. Satin pushed Larie out of the room.

“Go keep watch. My heart races so much because of him, I can’t stand it.”