With each step to the music, the sound of the dress skirt brushing could be heard. Feeling the strength of the arm firmly around her waist, Karina’s gaze moved to the hand holding Aidan’s. As she raised her eyes after looking at the large hand steadily holding hers, she met Aidan’s gaze, who was staring at her intently. A gentle smile naturally spread across his face.

Her feelings were complicated in many ways. To be able to dance so skillfully just from watching… She felt a sense of self-deprecation, wondering what all her daily practice since childhood amounted to, while at the same time being amazed and even scared by Aidan’s talent.

She thought he might have been an actor, but was he actually a dancer? That would explain how he could follow the dance just by watching.

“You look like you can’t believe it.”

Aidan leaned in slightly and whispered in Karina’s ear.

“Well, it is a bit surprising.”

She answered honestly. Even when he had been confident, Karina had been prepared to lead him if necessary.

“I told you you could trust me.”

Aidan raised his head again to meet her eyes and grinned. To others, it would just look like he was smitten with his Princess Consort and didn’t know what to do with himself. In fact, sighs of admiration could be heard from here and there as people watched the two.

“They’re truly a handsome couple. They match so well.”

“Duke Hewitt must be so proud.”

“When they first entered the banquet hall, I was shocked by their attire, but now I see that regardless of their clothes, the two of them shine on their own.”

Among the nobles admiring the couple, only the Empress and Lloyd had unpleasant expressions. The Empress wasn’t even looking in their direction, while on the contrary, Lloyd was glaring at Aidan as if he wanted to devour him.

“I’m a bit curious about something.”

Aidan opened his mouth as he skillfully led Karina through the steps.

“You weren’t possibly having a thing with that guy, were you?”

She frowned at the expression ‘having a thing’. The idea of having anything with that guy was absurd.

“Judging by your expression, I guess not. But no matter how I look at it, that gaze of his seems like the resentment of a man who’s had his woman stolen.”

He raised his voice at the end and tightened the arm around Karina’s waist. This brought the two even closer together. He tilted his head and brought his face very close. As he narrowed the distance as if he was about to kiss her, Karina flinched and tried to pull her head back.

“Stay still.”

She hesitated at the low whisper. The distance had decreased to the point where she could feel his breath on her cheek.

“If you avoid me here now, others will think it’s strange.”

He deliberately brought his lips close to Karina’s ear and whispered. It was nothing special, but as his breath brushed her neck, she unconsciously shrugged her shoulders. A sound of suppressed laughter and Aidan’s upper body shook slightly. Then immediately, a short groan of ‘ugh’ was heard.

“Are you in pain?”

Karina raised her head in surprise to check Aidan’s face.

“You were just acting too cute.”

With an expression that was hard to tell whether he was frowning or smiling, he lowered his head and kissed Karina’s neck with a soft sound. She almost let out a scream when she heard and felt the unfamiliar sensation of his lips touching and leaving. She barely managed to suppress a moan in her throat by clenching her molars tightly.

“Look over there.”

Aidan raised his head as if nothing had happened and pointed to a spot with his eyes. Karina turned her head to look where he indicated and let out a sigh. Lloyd was watching the two of them with blazing eyes as if he really wanted to devour them. When his attendant said something behind him, he put down the glass he was holding as if throwing it, with a thoroughly distorted face, and turned away.

“I’m right, aren’t I?”

Aidan smirked and looked at Karina.

“Are you really sure there was nothing between you two?”

He asks the same question as before.

“Just like Your Highness, I’ve only seen his face a few times.”

At her cold answer, Aidan made a humming sound.

“So it’s a one-sided emotion.”

Karina didn’t react to what seemed like a self-mutter. She had experienced enough of Lloyd’s obsession in her previous life, but she didn’t know it well right after the marriage. Maybe it wasn’t as noticeable then because Aidan didn’t attend this banquet at that time.

“Perhaps you’re thinking of remarrying that guy if you divorce me…?”

When she glared at him for the absurd question, Aidan smiled broadly.

“I guess not.”

“Don’t say such horrible things.”

She disliked being mentioned with Lloyd in any way. Apart from his abnormal obsession with his brother’s woman, he was the man who eventually beheaded her. It was natural that she disliked Lloyd even more than before.

“It’s a bit strange.”

Aidan muttered as he moved naturally to the music.

“What’s strange now…?”

“You say you’ve only met a few times, but you hate him excessively.”

Hearing, Karina realized her mistake. In fact, in her previous life, she had no feelings about Lloyd around this time. She had grown tired of Aidan during the three years in the imperial palace, while simultaneously becoming fed up with Lloyd’s excessive attention and obsession. Those feelings were now fully revealed, so it would seem strange to Aidan.

Because I’ve already dealt with that guy for three years.

She couldn’t answer like that. After taking a deep breath in and out, she turned her head, but she could still feel Aidan’s gaze fixed on her.

“I think we’ve danced enough.”

She tried to let go of Aidan’s hand and remove his arm from her waist, but it didn’t budge at all.

“Your Highness.”

She looked up at Aidan and protested with her eyes to let go, but whether he understood or not, Aidan just grinned.

“There’s something I haven’t told you.”

“……?”

“I really hate it.”

“What…?”

“When someone covets what’s mine.”

He said with a bright smile, and it took a moment for the meaning to sink in.

“I’m not yours.”

“You are my person. You’re officially the Prince’s consort.”

When he put it that way, she couldn’t deny it. Although she was a time-limited Prince’s consort, she was still Aidan’s wife.

“Even if it’s just for half a year.”

Aidan wrapped both hands around Karina’s waist. In this position, she became completely embraced by him, and feeling uncomfortable with the too-close distance, she gently pushed his chest with both hands.

“So what do you want me to do?”

When she asked, looking straight up at Aidan, his eyes curved gently. It was obvious that people watching from afar wouldn’t be able to guess their conversation. They would just think the couple was having an intimate conversation while facing each other.

“Nothing in particular. It’s enough if you have no interest in that guy at all.”

It was a refreshing answer considering how much he had sharpened his guard.

“However, it seems there is something I need to do.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Aidan’s right hand grasped the back of Karina’s head. Karina’s eyes widened as the distance suddenly decreased.

“At times like this, you should close your eyes, Karina.”

With a low whisper, his lips overlapped with her. The warmth that lingered for a moment finally pulled away. Karina looked up at Aidan without even blinking. Seeing her like this, Aidan smiled, pulling up the corners of his mouth, and stroked Karina’s hair with one hand.

“Let’s just say I was momentarily enchanted because my consort is too beautiful.”

He said with a sweet expression and held out one hand. Understanding his intention to return to their seats, Karina placed her hand on his, still feeling dazed.

“You’re really cute, I’m telling you.”

Aidan added one more comment as he watched Karina, who was half-stunned until she sat down. Only then did Karina come to her senses, and she felt her face heating up belatedly.

No way. My… my first kiss!

In her past life, there had been no physical contact between them even though they lived as a married couple for three years. So, that just now was Karina’s first kiss.

*

Karina sat in her seat, fanning herself for a while, affected by the unexpected kiss from Aidan. The burning sensation on her face didn’t seem to subside. Watching her, Aidan kept making strange sounds as if trying to hold back laughter.

“What’s so funny?”

When she threw out a grumpy comment, he waved his hand saying it was nothing, but the corners of his mouth were still twitching.

“You’re a lifelong single, aren’t you?”

“A lifelong single?”

The sudden question was another incomprehensible sound.

“I’m asking if you’ve ever dated.”

Aidan added an explanation with a grin.

“Ah…”

Well, since she had been educated from birth to become the Prince’s consort and eventually the Empress, she never had the chance to meet a man other than the Prince. As she grew older, Karina also thought without doubt that she would marry either Aidan or Lloyd. Considering a Prince as her partner, no one else even entered her eyes.

If I had known both princes would be this disappointing, I should have rebelled against Father and tried dating.

It was too late for regrets now. If she was going to turn back time anyway, it would have been better if it was earlier than right after the marriage. Then, she would have gone to meet another man without a moment’s hesitation, not Aidan.

As she kept her mouth shut, Aidan smirked as if he had expected it.