The day Karina and Aidan returned to the palace, they spent quietly resting without anything particular to do. With Lloyd’s wedding approaching, no one paid attention to their outing.

“It seems like it’s been a while since you’ve rested so comfortably, Your Highness.”

Aidan smirked at Kai’s words.

“I rested yesterday.”

Kai smiled slightly at the implication that yesterday’s outing with Karina had been a rest. It seemed his lord found rest in the mere presence of his consort.

“You’ve changed so much since the wedding. To be honest, even after your wedding night, I seriously worried about how things would turn out.”

Aidan only laughed silently at his sincere concern. It made sense from Kai’s perspective. Even for a political marriage, what kind of bastard cheats from the very first night?

“You somehow became the knight of such trash.”

“Trash? How could you say that…!”

Kai was startled by Aidan’s blunt expression. He felt wronged since he had never referred to him that way.

“Well, anyway. Why did you become my knight? With your skills, you must have had many other options.”

Kai had passed the palace knight examination with the highest marks. He could have joined the Emperor’s guard, and both the Empress and Lloyd would have wanted him. Joining Aidan’s knights had been entirely his own choice.

“Was there pressure from Duke Hewitt?”

Aidan asked, already knowing through investigation that Kai had attended knight school with Duke Hewitt’s help.

“The Duke did suggest it, but it was never forced.”

It seemed Duke Hewitt had brought it up. Aidan waited silently for Kai to continue without adding anything. If it wasn’t Duke Hewitt’s pressure, it was even more incomprehensible. When Kai chose Aidan’s knights, Aidan had been a truly terrible prince. He could guess from the reactions of those who remembered Aidan, but reading his diary made him even more certain.

A prince with no future to hope for. He couldn’t understand why someone would choose such a prince when other paths were available.

“You might not remember, Your Highness, but I met you when you were young.”

This was news to him. He tilted his head, not because he couldn’t remember but because he had never heard this story. A faint smile appeared on Kai’s lips as he recalled something. That childhood meeting must have been quite a good memory for him.

“With Her Majesty the Empress — the Empress from back then — you came out of the palace with her. I don’t know why you were out, but I encountered you both in the forest. Not knowing you were the Empress and the Prince, I was disrespectful, but instead of getting angry, Your Highness took my hand and smiled brightly.”

Aidan had been less than ten years old at that time. Kai, who was training alone in the forest, had encountered Aidan wandering alone there and, finding him suspicious, had pointed a wooden sword at him. The palace knights quickly arrived and subdued Kai, intending to punish him for his insolence in threatening the prince. But Aidan had stopped them.

‘Are you trying to become a knight? You were really good just now. You’ll definitely become an excellent knight. When you pass the knight examination, make sure to join my knights. I’ll make you the captain of my knights.’

Despite his young age, when he could have gotten angry at such disrespect toward him as a prince, Aidan had genuinely admired Kai’s skills. And he had made a promise for the future.

Until then, Kai thought that the imperial family were just arrogant people who looked down on everyone. But the young Aidan he met was as bright and pure as any other child. Yet he was also dignified. He shone like the sun. Kai thought this child might be worth serving as his lord.

By the time he took the knight examination, Aidan had changed too much from before, but he still couldn’t make any other choice. The smile from his childhood had been too intense — he wanted to protect him and help him recover that smile.

“All kids are bright and pure.”

Aidan responded cynically to Kai’s words.

“But you were special to me.”

As Kai answered with a smile, Aidan made a long humming sound.

“So my mother was still alive then. That’s why they say home education is important for children.”

His tone sounded as if he were talking about someone else. Though Aidan’s face seemed somewhat bitter, Kai didn’t know what to say.

“More importantly, prepare for another outing tonight. Ah, I don’t mean prepare the knights — only you and me will go. We’ll meet up with mercenaries outside the palace, so don’t worry unnecessarily.”

Aidan spoke preemptively, anticipating Kai might raise safety concerns.

“We’ll move as quietly as possible.”

At these additional words, Kai let out a low groan before bowing his head in acknowledgment.

“So you’re not really resting today either.”

Aidan smiled dryly at Kai’s words.

“I told you I rested yesterday. And today, ‘officially’, I won’t move an inch from the palace.”

When he implied they would secretly leave the palace, Kai could be seen quietly swallowing a sigh.

Kai’s heart sank every time Aidan said he would move quietly like this. In the past, he would have stayed completely still in the palace after being ambushed, but the changed, post-marriage Aidan didn’t mind at all. Sometimes, he even snuck out of the palace more boldly.

He had been shocked when Aidan said he would spend the night outside the palace with Karina yesterday, and then he even went to meet Marquis Belmont alone at night. When Kai offered to accompany him, he refused, saying he needed to protect Karina. Despite surely knowing how risky it was for a prince to move alone, he was too bold. Sometimes he seemed so accustomed to moving alone that it was puzzling.

At least thanks to the skills he had shown at the knights’ tournament, Kai wasn’t as anxious as before. The reason he couldn’t completely stop Aidan from going alone was that he knew he had enough ability to protect himself.

‘Moving in a group draws too much attention. This isn’t something I want to advertise what I’m doing.’

When he put it that way, Kai couldn’t assign more guard knights.

Still, he couldn’t understand why Aidan wanted to sneak out again after just returning to the palace a day ago. He even thought they should have finished all their business while they were already out. Of course, he knew it was because his consort had been with them, so he didn’t voice such foolish thoughts.

“May I ask where you plan to go?”

He needed to know their destination to make minimal preparations.

“To check the clue Belmont gave me.”

“A clue?”

Hadn’t he met with Marquis Belmont yesterday and heard something directly? When Kai asked what he wanted to verify, Aidan either didn’t want to explain or didn’t know exactly himself, as he gave no further response.

*

Bernice prepared a bath for Karina when she returned to the palace. After soaking in the hot water for a while, she felt the fatigue from the day melting away.

“Did you enjoy your time with His Highness?”

Bernice asked while drying Karina’s wet hair. At her question, Karina recalled wandering around the capital with Aidan the previous day.

“Somewhat…”

It had been a small deviation from her usual experiences. They had left all the guard knights behind and explored every corner of the market, hiding their identities as prince and consort while looking at various trinkets. As time passed, she found herself relaxing and enjoying the experience without thinking. The meal at the humble restaurant had been surprisingly excellent, and the ribbon he bought…

Her gaze unconsciously drifted to the ribbon on the table. Noticing her line of sight, Bernice turned and spotted the ribbon, asking what it was.

“His Highness bought it for me.”

It was too modest for a gift from a prince. Others might have scoffed at such a simple present. However, Bernice was delighted, asking if it was true.

“His Highness is unexpectedly quite the romantic. He personally chose this for you.”

“You’re not mocking it for not being precious jewels.”

“Were you disappointed it wasn’t jewels?”

Bernice asked with a smile, and Karina shook her head. She had never craved jewels. What she already had was enough. She didn’t think the ribbon Aidan chose was shabby either. She only considered that it might seem insufficient to others, given his position as prince.

“Honestly… it was strange. The fact that His Highness bought something for me at all.”

It had never happened in their three years of marriage. That’s why it felt so unfamiliar.

“But this will happen often from now on.”

Well. She couldn’t bring herself to say she wasn’t sure about that.

“It suits you well. His Highness seems to really see you properly. That’s why he chose this kind of ribbon.”

Bernice beamed as she tied Karina’s hair in half with the ribbon. If she knew that he had not only bought the ribbon but also tied her hair himself, she would probably jump around with joy.

“Do you think I could find someone who looks at me the way His Highness looks at you?”

“Does His Highness seem that way to you?”

“Oh my, of course! Can’t you feel it, Your Highness? When His Highness looks at you, honey drips from his eyes.”

Was that so?

‘Karina.’

She recalled his face from last night as he lay facing her, gazing intently. He had looked at her as if she were the only person in the world.

Thump. Her heart pounded just remembering his eyes fixed on her.

It seemed… she had to admit it. That she liked him.

*