To say her safety was more important even if it meant getting divorced due to misunderstandings…

“If we had really divorced, I would never have wanted to see you again.”

“That would have been problematic. I was planning to propose again.”

His words made her laugh incredulously.

“Do you think marriage and divorce of imperial family members is such a simple matter?”

Though she scolded him, her feelings were strange. She knew Aidan wasn’t really taking divorce and re-proposal lightly. He had prioritized her safety even knowing he would have to deal with all that complexity and trouble.

She felt grateful but also sorry. If she had been honest from the start, would Aidan have trusted and relied on her more?

“Don’t do that again.”

“Talk about divorce? I won’t.”

Aidan answered easily with a smile.

“No. That too, but I mean don’t hide things.”

“……”

This time, his answer didn’t come immediately. This man would probably not hesitate to keep things secret from her again in the future if he thought it necessary, if he thought it would be better for Karina.

“I’m sick of being caught off guard. So tell me honestly, whatever it is. I won’t betray you…”

“That’s not really why.”

Aidan shook his head, saying it wasn’t because he didn’t trust Karina. After seeming to contemplate for a moment, he smiled bitterly and spoke.

“These feelings are a first for me too, so it’s a bit awkward.”

She waited silently for his next words, wondering what he meant to say.

“I want to show you only my good side. Until now, I’ve never cared what others said about me. I lived thinking ‘let them talk if they want to,’ but with you, I can’t do that.”

Aidan’s right hand rose toward Karina’s cheek. However, it stopped just before touching, maintaining a precarious distance.

“Even touching like this, for some reason, I’m becoming more and more careful.”

Karina tilted her head.

“What if you hate it? I started worrying about that first. I’ve never been like this before.”

He chuckled as he spoke, seeming to find it ridiculous himself.

“Being hated had become a constant for me. Even if someone hated me, I never felt intimidated or concerned about it.”

It was somehow a sad statement. Though ‘Aidan’ too had always been antagonized by the Empress and Lloyd, there were still many who tried to protect him. Even if he showed inadequacies, ‘Aidan’ was still the prince and the hope of some factions simply because he had legitimacy.

Perhaps the man before her had been more unfortunate than ‘Aidan,’ who became timid and always lived in fear just from being hated by the Empress’s faction. Yet he always wore a smiling face and kept moving straight ahead.

“But with you, I find I don’t want to be hated. And what’s funny is that I hate seeing you hurt more than being hated.”

Aidan still seemed unable to quite comprehend these feelings himself. He muttered that he never expected to be so swayed by someone else’s every move.

Karina stretched out both arms and wrapped them around Aidan’s neck, embracing him. For some reason, she wanted to hug him. This man, who she had thought would handle anything well after hosting the palace banquet and winning the knights’ tournament, somehow seemed pitiful now.

“It’s okay to be swayed a little more.”

At Karina’s words, Aidan hesitated before letting out a long breath. His large hand gently patted her back.

“It would be unfair if only I was swayed.”

She was already being swayed more by him. Her heart would flutter at Aidan’s smile, and when he mentioned divorce, it felt like her heart had dropped. Every time he showed an unexpected side, she was helplessly drawn to him.

It didn’t matter if Aidan wasn’t the prince. She was certain she would have been attracted to this man even if they had met under different circumstances.

Now the political marriage didn’t matter at all. Her heart, her desire simply wanted to be with him.

“I told you. I’m not as good a person as you think.”

The hands holding Karina were affectionate. Nevertheless, he warned her once more. Karina separated from him and looked up.

“I’ve never once thought you were a good person. I still think you need to fix that habit of carelessly addressing His Majesty the Emperor anywhere.”

Though she no longer pointed it out every time they talked, she indicated the servants following behind them with her eyes. If they had heard, it would surely have been a problem, and Aidan lowered his head and smiled at her meaning.

“Looks like I’ll need a teacher for quite a while longer.”

At his words about her, Karina met his gaze with a clear expression.

“Just a teacher?”

“No, a lover too.”

Having given the answer she wanted, Aidan smiled brightly and kissed her cheek with a soft sound.

The watching servants tactfully turned their heads away, but fond smiles played on their lips. They had worried about divorce and such, but it seemed those concerns had been needless. Seeing how they couldn’t take their eyes off each other from the moment they met and acted so affectionately, they were clearly deeply in love with each other.

*

Even after having dinner together at Karina’s palace and enjoying dessert, Aidan showed no signs of leaving. Outside the window, the sky had already turned dark. Though she hadn’t checked the exact time, the fact that she was starting to yawn suggested bedtime was approaching.

“Aidan.”

At Karina’s call, Aidan, who was refilling his empty teacup, just raised his head to look at her.

“That’s already your fifth cup.”

Karina gestured with her eyes toward his teacup. That much tea should have been enough to fill his stomach.

“Right.”

Aidan answered nonchalantly and continued pouring the tea. Then with a leisurely gesture, he brought the teacup to his lips.

“If dinner wasn’t enough, should I have something else prepared?”

She asked, wondering if perhaps dinner had been insufficient. Even as she asked, she doubted that was the case. Aidan kept emptying only his teacup while not touching any of the fruit served alongside it.

“No.”

As expected, he shook his head without hesitation, saying no. Karina’s gaze turned toward the window. Only the lanterns lit far in the garden glowed faintly in the darkness.

“Shouldn’t you be heading back soon?”

She wanted to ask this for a while but held back. She waited thinking he might have something more to say, but that didn’t seem to be the case. Aidan kept silently drinking his tea without saying much. Though he would give her gentle eye-smiles whenever their eyes met, that was all. So he definitely couldn’t have any remaining business.

“Do you want me to leave?”

Aidan returned her question with another question. Wondering what he meant, she just blinked while looking at him.

“I don’t want to.”

She narrowed her eyes at his slightly playful tone.

“I want to stay the night. Here.”

He deliberately spoke in short, broken phrases.

“Go ahead. I’ll have a bedroom prepared.”

Karina stood up to call the servant waiting in the hallway. However, before she could take a single step, Aidan grabbed her wrist.

“Your bedroom will do. No need to prepare another.”

She looked down at Aidan sitting on the sofa at his quiet voice. He still kept his gaze on the teacup on the table.

“I want to sleep with you. If you don’t mind.”

Aidan slowly turned his head to look at Karina. When their eyes met, her mouth went dry. Unlike just moments ago, there was no playfulness at all in his face.

“Not just sleeping in each other’s arms, but properly.”

She swallowed hard at his words. She understood exactly what he wanted.

Though she had been prepared for it someday, it felt sudden now that it was happening. She hadn’t expected him to want to consummate their marriage right away on the day she returned to the palace. With no warning, she wasn’t mentally prepared.

“You can refuse if you don’t want to.”

Aidan added with a faint smile.

“You look like you might cry if I refuse.”

Though he was smiling, she could see his lips trembling at the corners. Realizing this man could feel nervous too somehow made Karina feel less tense herself.

“I won’t cry. I’ll just be gloomy.”

His honest answer made her laugh.

“I’d prefer it if you didn’t refuse though. I’m actually gathering quite a bit of courage here.”

He had said he feared being hated by Karina most of all, and it seemed that was true. His palm holding Karina’s wrist was covered in cold sweat.

“Weren’t you supposed to be experienced?”

Though his appearance might be different, inside was a man with far more years of life experience. It was surprising to see such a man showing this newfound awkwardness.

“I thought so too. But apparently not when it’s someone I really like.”

Someone I really like. Those words felt heavy.

Karina took a deep breath and pulled her wrist from Aidan’s grip. At the same time, she saw his face harden with disappointment.

“I’ll go wash up.”

She answered briefly and immediately turned to leave the reception room. A moment later, she heard Aidan shout “Yes!” from inside, making her face flush hot.

*