Upon hearing her Master’s self-blaming words, Ariel’s eyes welled up with tears.

Why would he think like that? It was she who went to find him, she who said she wanted to learn swordsmanship.

It was Ariel who stood against Bill and Diaton.

―Don’t say that. Those were my choices. They have nothing to do with you.

―Alright… I understand…”

When she spoke calmly, he stopped blaming herself.

“When a person becomes old, they say they’ll become a little child again. Then a baby. Then they will eventually turn their back on the world, like they never existed.”

“…”

Leopold’s words made Ariel’s eyes moist.

“Anyway, thank you for caring.”

“We’ll stay in Kolnman for a while. About a week. I plan to go unofficially to the Kingdom of Macglier. Except for the King of Macglier, they will probably see us as the Duke and Duchess of Atlan.”

Ah.

But what about escorts or attendants?

Ariel hesitated when she was about to ask.

“If they see us as the Duke and Duchess of Atlan, they might think we can have several escorts or attendants.”

Upon Leopold’s words, she pressed her lips tightly shut. She looked at him in amazement as he spoke, as if he’d heard her question himself.

“Choose the people you want to bring and let me know. I’ll put them on the list.”

“Alright. How long will we be in Macglier?”

“A month. If you want to stay longer, we can stay for another half month. Of course, Walter will have a hard time during that time.”

He saw the anticipation in Ariel’s eyes. Leopold lightly flicked her eyelids with his lips.

“You’re so cute.”

“Why are you suddenly saying that?”

Leopold embraced her with his arms. Not wanting to allow even a small gap. He held Ariel on his bare chest.

“I can’t breathe.”

At Ariel’s complaint, Leopold laid her flat and then lay over her. But he supported her body with his arms so that she wouldn’t have a hard time.

Ariel’s thin robe barely slipped off her small and delicate body. On her exposed flesh up to her collarbone, Leopold scattered kisses, unable to resist.

His intense gaze was filled with affection.

“I just couldn’t understand it at all. Like wanting to carry my wife in my pocket or saying I miss you even when I’m looking at you. Those kinds of things.”

“But?”

“Now I understand completely. It’s because of me. I never get tired of thinking about you all day long. I don’t get exhausted. My throat keeps burning because of you. Because of you.”

Ariel looked at Leopold, who was murmuring embarrassing words without pause, fascinated by him.

All I can say is that I love you. Is there a mental warehouse in his head that never dries up with such sweet phrases?

But an honest confession without a hint of falsehood brought a bittersweet taste like honey into her mouth. A sweetness that wouldn’t feel strange even if her teeth rotted.

Ariel couldn’t help but smile.

“Think about what you want to do in the Kingdom of Macglier. Anything is fine. By the way, it’s a peninsula surrounded by sea.”

“Well, Atlan also has a sea, right?”

“Unlike Atlan, there are deep seas in Macglier too. If you want, we can also make a stop there.”

Even though it was a pitch-black night, the word ‘sea’ made her feel the heat of the midsummer sun.

The bright sunlight shattering over the blue sea and sparkling sandy beach. The sound of waves washing over. The sticky air filled with sea salt. Even the lukewarm wind blowing from the sea.

Images formed in Ariel’s mind as she eagerly nodded.

“Okay. I want to go.”

“Alright then.”

Suddenly, his face became somewhat serious. As if he couldn’t embrace her today, and desire piled up within him.

The strength in the arms that held Ariel faded, his face gently descended. Once again, the breaths of the two intertwined.

With his wavering fixed on her, knowing what it implied Ariel’s eyes trembled slightly.

He grabbed her small, round chin in his hand and pulled her towards him. Suddenly, he bit and sucked her lips in a surprise attack.

***

A few days later. Ariel went to Leopold’s study, to deliver a list of attendants that they plan to take along.

Ariel gathered a few maids, including May.

‘May. Solviche. Two should be enough.’

One concern was that since Solviche had only recently become her maid, she had no particular contact with May.

Of course, May would probably do well, but the relationship between the two was a concern.

Nevertheless, Ariel couldn’t give up either of them because May was Ariel’s best friend and Solviche was suitable as a hunting partner.

Besides, since Ariel had plans to train Solviche to awaken her mana, she had to take Solviche to Macglier.

“Richard, let His Majesty know I’m here.”

Richard was standing in front of the study door.

“Your Majesty, the Empress has arrived.”

“Come in.”

“Yes. Your Majesty.”

Richard opened the study door and bowed.

“Thank you.”

After greeting with a rather affectionate tone, she entered Leopold’s study.

“You seem busy.”

These days, Leopold left early in the morning and returned late at night.

“Yes. I need to prepare for us leaving soon. And I also have to finish some work for those who will be left behind. So I’m quite busy.”

His gaze fixed on the documents on the desk as he answered, then he suddenly felt Ariel approaching and raised his head.

His gaze that scanned her from head to toe turned cold.

“Did you really come dressed like this?”

“Well, did you expect me to take it off and put it back on at the door?”

As the weather got warmer, Ariel wore a toned-down light blue off-shoulder dress.

With her hair tied low, her shoulders were prominently exposed, naturally revealing her beautiful shoulder and neckline. Under the thin dress, her chest and slender waistline were visible. The slit in the bottom of the dress revealed glimpses of her thin ankles.

“Is that what you call clothing……”

As Leopold reached for her wrist with a twinkle in his eyes, Ariel reluctantly followed along.

Ariel sat on her thigh, then Leopold wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her shoulder. At his light kisses that scattered lightly, Ariel hunched her shoulders.

“Um… I’ll take May and Solviche with me.”

“Are you referring to the young daughter of Count Mac Platanas?”

There was a tingling sensation where their breaths met.

“Maybe. When Bill took me to Helmir Forest, she was the one who held onto me until the end. We met again at the tea party and I made her my maid.”

“What did you like about her?”

“During the hunt, I saw she was good at shooting a bow. I want to keep her by my side and train her to awaken her mana.”

Leopold made an awkward expression. But with her small white face leaning against his chest, it was hard for her to see his face.

So she turned her body to sit sideways. Ariel looked at him with a calm gaze. In her emerald eyes that contained the man she loved, darkness crept in.

“I’m looking forward to it. It’ll be my first time traveling.”

“I want to have time together and share many stories. I want to know what kind of life you lived in another world.”

Leopold suddenly interrupted his words and whispered in her ear with a deep voice.

“And also, who else you loved.”

He said something unexpected.

Love. Did I ever love before I transmigrated here? As someone who didn’t receive proper love from my parents, it’s impossible for me to love another man.

Wasn’t it such a simple and easy question to answer?

“The last question, I can answer that right away.”

“Really?”

Thinking he could satisfy his curiosity right away, his face brightened with relief.

‘Even if there was someone she loved before, I have Ariel by my side now. And since she’s from another world, there’s no need to worry about losing her.’

Leopold took a deep breath.

“Hooh. My heart is ready.”

“I’ve never loved anyone before. You are my first love. Throughout all my lives.”

Ariel kissed the tip of his nose and made a soft sound as she fell back.

‘My life was truly miserable……’

A bitter smile hovered on her lips, but in Leopold’s slightly trembling dark eyes, her heart melted away.

“Are you satisfied?”

“Yes.”

He took his thick lower lip on his mouth and then sucked on it. A sense of relief flooded over him. He didn’t fully understand the meaning behind her words, and he simply understood it as meaning she had never loved anyone emotionally before.