Aidan’s voice was more affectionate than ever. His eyes looking at Karina were sweet and tender.

How can he make such an expression that says she’s unbearably lovable?

His Highness really seems completely smitten with Consort Karina.

How envious. I wish to be loved like that too.

The young ladies couldn’t take their eyes off the couple out of envy.

“You two look so good together. I’m so envious.”

One of the young ladies finally expressed her honest feelings. Aidan smiled softly at her words. The young ladies internally suppressed their screams at his smile.

Had Prince Aidan always been such a wonderful man? If they had known about him earlier, they might have tried to arrange a marriage through their parents. Everyone was having similar regrets.

“It’s all thanks to Karina.”

Aidan’s response dispelled even their unnecessary regrets. Throughout all this, his gaze remained fixed on Karina.

“We should take our leave now. We’ll seem tactless if we stay any longer.”

At someone’s words, everyone prepared to leave despite their reluctance.

“I look forward to good news soon!”

One cheerful young lady shouted instead of saying goodbye before leaving.

“Good news?”

Karina took a shallow breath.

“About an heir.”

“Ah.”

Aidan had also been receiving subtle pressure about an heir from various sources recently. The ministers supporting Aidan would casually ask in passing if there was any good news between him and Consort Karina. They seemed quite anxious since Kate was already pregnant with Lloyd’s child.

“Shall I stay here tonight?”

Karina looked up at his playfully thrown words. He thought she would scold him for saying unnecessary things, but she just stared at him blankly.

“You’re not refusing? If you don’t chase me away, I’ll really stay.”

When he added another comment, her chest rose slightly, letting out a small sigh.

“Do as you please.”

She answered briefly before turning around. Aidan followed a beat later and stood beside her.

“Really?”

“Even if you stay, nothing will happen anyway. If you wish, I’ll have a separate bedroom prepared.”

Though they had slept in the same bed several times, nothing had ever happened. So it was natural for Karina to be completely unconcerned.

“I’d prefer to share the same bed though.”

“If that’s what you want.”

She showed no particular resistance even to sharing a bed. It was puzzling since until recently, she would blush just at the word ‘consummation.’

“What’s this? Why are you so indifferent?”

When he asked playfully, she stopped walking and turned to face him again.

“I just don’t want to waste unnecessary emotions.”

Aidan stared blankly at Karina’s answer before raising the corners of his mouth.

“So I made you conscious enough to waste emotions.”

Karina’s eyes wavered at his words spoken in a low voice. She really was someone who couldn’t lie even if her life depended on it.

“Could it be that you’re upset because I didn’t do anything?”

“Upset? Why would I be?”

“If not upset, were you disappointed?”

“……”

Karina, who had been looking at Aidan with pursed lips, turned away abruptly. She felt that the more they talked, the more she would be caught up in his pace. As she quickened her steps, Aidan immediately caught up.

“Talk to me.”

Unsure of what he wanted her to say, she stubbornly kept walking, only looking ahead without responding.

“I’m waiting, you know. Just for your permission.”

She faltered at his following words. Though she didn’t consciously turn to look at him, her steps stopped. Even without looking back, she could imagine his smiling face.

“Even tonight, I’d welcome it anytime if you just give permission.”

“It’s not like that.”

“Really?”

“……”

“Have you never imagined it even once?”

“What exactly…?”

“What my body would be like, how I would hold you, how it would feel to be in my arms.”

She could no longer bear the burning sensation in her face at his continuous stream of words. This man seemed to have completely forgotten about propriety. At times like this, she doubted whether he had any awareness of being a prince.

No, he wasn’t originally a prince.

While he usually played the role of prince so well, she couldn’t understand why he showed such an unfiltered side only to her.

“I haven’t!”

As she blurted out her answer and tried to walk away, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. Aidan embraced Karina’s waist from behind and buried his face in the hollow space between her shoulder and neck. Unfortunately, she was wearing a dress that exposed her shoulders, allowing his breath to touch her skin.

“I imagine it every day.”

His low voice resonated near her ear.

“How beautiful you would be entrusting everything to me. How red your face would turn when my fingertips brush your skin. All disheveled– Ouch!”

Unable to listen anymore, Karina firmly stepped on Aidan’s foot.

“Let’s stop the teasing there.”

She broke free from his arms and glared at him. Though he was wincing from his stepped-on foot, his eyes still held a playful glint.

“Teasing? This is affection.”

“I’ll pass on the affection.”

“That’s too cruel—between lovers. And we’re not just lovers; we’re married.”

Lovers and spouses — it was true, but she couldn’t get used to Aidan’s way of expressing it. Especially not when servants were following behind them. Sure enough, some of the servants were trying to suppress their laughter with their heads bowed as they listened to Aidan and Karina’s conversation.

“I understand, so let’s continue this later.”

She spoke after glancing subtly at the servants and knights behind them, and Aidan immediately understood and grinned.

“Does this mean you’re giving permission for tonight?”

It seemed his earlier talk about staying the night wasn’t just empty words. As she hesitated to answer, unsure if he really meant to spend the night together, Aidan approached and took her hand as they walked.

“You know what I find most disagreeable here, though it’s not the worst thing?”

As the topic seemed to change, she looked up at him with relief.

“That the Prince’s palace and the Consort’s palace are separate. Does this make sense? They say married couples shouldn’t even use separate rooms, yet here we have separate palaces. This is why people end up having affairs. The palace being unnecessarily large is also a problem. It takes real preparation just to meet once, geez.”

Listening to his casual complaints, she somehow thought he seemed childlike. Just moments ago, he seemed like a fox deliberately trying to seduce someone…

“Should we merge the palaces? I could come here? Or you could come to my palace.”

She let out a small laugh at his unexpected conclusion.

“You think I’m joking. I’m serious.”

“Yes, I’m sure you know best.”

“You don’t believe me. Kai.”

Aidan suddenly called out to Kai who was following behind.

“I’ll be staying here from today, so move all the guard knights here too.”

“What?”

Kai was startled by the sudden order.

“Your Highness!”

Karina also called out to him in shock. Aidan turned to look at Karina with a bright smile as if nothing was wrong.

“Who’s going to stop me from staying with my consort?”

“Hah… I understand your feelings, Your Highness, so please calm down. I’ll come whenever you call for me.”

Karina answered with a long sigh. She wasn’t sure how much was jest, but knowing he was the type to absolutely accomplish anything once he set his mind to it, she needed to cut this off appropriately — otherwise, he might really try to merge his palace here.

“Make sure you keep that promise.”

He specifically picked up on the part about coming whenever he called.

“You don’t move well from your side unless I come. You used to visit every day when I was bedridden from the ambush.”

“That was because Your Highness couldn’t move then, and…”

Because she had been worried about what accidents might happen with an unknown person inside the prince’s body.

She looked at him intently, unable to say these words aloud for fear the people following might hear. Aidan gave her a knowing eye-smile, seeming to understand what she wanted to say.

“Anyway, compared to then, Your Highness is managing everything well even without me now.”

The pace at which Aidan was learning was truly remarkable. He had now adapted to this place even more princely than the previous Aidan.

“Managing so well that I’m short on time.”

That seemed to be what he wanted to say. Karina knew he was making time in his schedule to spend every evening together. Was that why he wanted her to come to him instead?

“That’s why I was serious about merging the palaces. Don’t dismiss it as a joke, consider it seriously. Really, just seeing you briefly isn’t enough anymore.”

Aidan leaned down to Karina’s ear.

“My patience is shattering and I feel like I’m turning into a beast, so please replenish it appropriately before then. It would be terrible if I ended up pouncing on you, wouldn’t it?”

His low voice tickled her ear along with his breath. Karina hunched her shoulders and covered her ear with one hand.

“You’re red again.”

Aidan reached out and touched Karina’s earlobe, then stroked her nape. Her skin burned where his fingertips touched.

It wouldn’t really matter if he pounced.

She caught herself thinking that inadvertently. She couldn’t look at him directly, too embarrassed that he might notice such thoughts.

*