The prison door was already open. The Crown Prince, showing a troubled expression, spoke to me.

“……The Duchess should go in first.”

“Yes, I will.”

It seemed Cameron needed time to think over what he was going to say. I answered him obediently and entered the prison where Grace was held. Contrary to my expectation of seeing her immediately, the inside was a long, dark corridor.

‘It’s even darker than the place where I was kept.’

It was a literal ‘dungeon.’ There were probably windows somewhere, but I couldn’t find any, and the only light came from burning torches. Is she really here? Since I stepped in, the only presence I could feel was my own. I walked further inside.

Startled. My searching eyes caught sight of a figure. Discovering it without any prior sound felt like seeing a ghost. Instinctively, I realized the silhouette belonged to Grace.

“Grace…?”

My voice echoed through the prison. She remained still, only lowering her head. The reason I hadn’t sensed her presence earlier became clear.

Despite the clear sound of my voice, she didn’t move. Seeing no reaction from Grace, I wondered if she was dead or perhaps asleep. As these thoughts crossed my mind, she slowly raised her head.

“……What is this?”

It seemed Grace recognized me as well. Though I couldn’t see clearly, it looked like she was faintly frowning.

“Why are you here?”

Her question was sharp and clear, not like someone facing death.

“Did you come to gloat and say you knew this would happen, that I deserved it? Or maybe to curse me one last time before I go?”

Grace sneered.

“Go ahead. Say whatever you want.”

It was an opportunity handed to me by the person herself. There was no way I would just let it pass.

“Yes. Since you’re inviting me, I will.”

Grace’s expression turned incredulous at my response. I heard a small scoff. I took a deep breath and let out everything at once.

“……Did it really have to come to this? Did you really have to throw everything you had away just to feel satisfied? You might think this happened because you were unlucky, but in truth, you walked into the fire yourself.”

“……What did I have? I never had anything to begin with.”

Grace, who had just told me to say whatever I wanted, now seemed displeased and scowled. I, too, didn’t understand her words, so I asked.

“Nothing? You had so much. You could have had even more. The Crown Prince’s affection, the position of Empress…….”

“Nothing you mentioned was ever really mine.”

Grace cut off my words sharply.

“Well, maybe you never had them because you didn’t believe they were yours. Even when they already were.”

“……What do you know to keep going on like this?”

She looked at me with irritation.

“Do you think the Crown Prince would have always remained devoted to only me? Even if he managed to stay with me now, he would have turned his eyes to another when we grew old. He was already looking at that woman who plays friends with you. I just needed certainty.”

“What are you talking about? There’s no way His Highness would have looked away from you. He….”

Loved only you. Wasn’t that why he even gave up on Alicia?

“Heh, maybe not now, but he might have eventually.”

As I listened to Grace, I thought that sometimes love comes to those who don’t deserve it.

“What kind of nonsense is that? Who changed first, anyway?”

Though it felt strange to be defending Cameron, I didn’t stop talking. I had been unsure before, but now I was certain.

The reason Cameron had become distant from Grace wasn’t because his attention had shifted to Alicia, but because he had begun to see glimpses of Grace’s cold-hearted nature, just like I had. And he must have felt confused, wondering if she was really the woman he had fallen in love with.

“Yes, the Crown Prince may have chosen you for political reasons, but if he didn’t love you, he wouldn’t have wanted to marry you. Marriage is not something he could only do with you. In the end, it all comes down to not trusting him.”

“…….”

Grace didn’t reply, perhaps because she felt there was no point in arguing, or maybe she was lost in thought. This time, I stayed silent and watched her. In the silence of the prison, Grace’s voice slowly, and quietly, echoed.

“……I now understand why I hated you so much.”

‘Perhaps it was because you had the potential to become what I could never be.’

Grace scoffed. A brief smile appeared on her face, but it didn’t stop there, and she continued to chuckle. Just as I began to wonder what was happening, she stopped laughing.

“Goodbye.”

Grace gave me a one-sided farewell. It was a strangely light-hearted goodbye, considering she had once tried to kill me.

***

When I exited the prison, I saw Cameron still waiting. He had been leaning against the wall but straightened up as soon as he saw me.

“How was it?”

He asked me a question filled with meaning the moment I came out.

“It’s fine.”

Grace seemed different from the last time we met, but at least she didn’t seem powerless.

“Have you thought about what you want to say?”

I asked, worried that he might hesitate during the conversation and get swept away by her words, which I had just experienced myself.

“Yes.”

Cameron replied with a faint smile. It seemed he had finished organizing his thoughts.

“You can go back first.”

“Alright.”

Just before he opened the prison door to go in, he said something to me.

“……Thank you for giving me courage, Duchess.”

“You’re welcome.”

I coolly accepted his words.

Thud. Soon, I heard the sound of the prison door closing behind him.

***

When I returned to the mansion, Roan was there, which was rare.

“Roan!”

It wasn’t often that he was the one to greet me, as he usually came home late. He smiled softly as he opened his arms to me.

“Did something happen?”

“No, much less than I expected.”

“That’s good to hear.”

Roan pushed back a strand of my hair that had fallen over my face, then held my gaze steadily.

“I have a suggestion for you.”

“For me? What is it?”

I asked, curious. Roan’s lips curved into a languid smile, a smile that made my heart skip a beat.

“How about we start sharing a room from today?”

Sharing a room? Surely he didn’t mean “a big hit in life” when he said sharing a room.

“What?”

Even though I knew what he meant, I asked again, wondering if I had misheard. Instead of answering, he asked me,

“Do you dislike the idea?”

“No!”

I realized that I had denied it too vehemently. I just hadn’t expected Roan to bring it up first. I knew that we would eventually share a bedroom, but I thought I would be the one to suggest it.

“N-No, I like the idea too.”

“Then let’s do that, starting tonight.”

Tonight. The speed of it left me almost gaping.

No, stay calm. Maybe I’m the only one thinking strange thoughts. Roan might simply want to share a room with me, nothing more. I pushed aside any foolish thoughts that came to mind.

But that didn’t last long. Even during dinner, my mind kept wandering back to those thoughts.

“Does the food not suit your taste?”

Alexandra’s calm voice reached my ears, and I realized that it was directed at me.

“Huh? Oh, no, it’s delicious today.”

I just couldn’t seem to taste it properly, but the food at the Bannister estate was always of excellent quality and flavor.

“Then why do you look so distracted? Is something wrong?”

“Do I really look like that?”

Jude’s comment, which could have been a concern or a mild rebuke, made me realize how I must have appeared. At that moment, my gaze met Roan’s across the table. Startled, I quickly looked away, feeling awkward.

I hoped that my reaction hadn’t been as obvious as it felt.

By evening, the process of combining our two bedrooms was surprisingly quick and easy.

Since Roan’s bedroom was larger, we decided to move my things there. Roan’s room was so spacious that there was no difficulty in arranging everything. After a few trips by the servants, the work was done in no time.

The room didn’t feel unfamiliar at all. It was as if we had always shared the same space.

“Even with my things in here, the room still feels so spacious.”

I tried to act as casually as possible, making conversation with Roan, who was standing next to me. Unlike me, who was trying hard to appear nonchalant, Roan genuinely seemed unaffected. His expression remained calm and composed, just like always. He responded to my comment without any fuss.

“Yes, it is.”

He seemed so unaffected that I almost felt like the odd one out. Sharing a bedroom was a significant step, yet Roan appeared to have no particular thoughts about it. His expression gave nothing away, leaving me unsure of his true feelings.

But even if I had been thinking those kinds of thoughts, would that be so strange? We’re married, after all. It’s perfectly normal. If anything, Roan’s calmness seemed almost too detached. Yes, that must be it.

I have reached the point where I am trying to justify myself as much as possible. At that moment, Roan asked me,

“Would you like to bathe? I just bathed a while ago.”

As he said, Roan’s hair was slightly damp, as if he had bathed recently. I tried not to let my eyes linger on his fair skin and replied,

“Yes, yes, sure.”

Why did I answer twice again? Cursing my uncontrollable mouth, I hurried to the bathroom as if fleeing.

I did not receive any assistance with my bath. Before coming out, I took a few deep breaths and checked that my robe was properly fastened, then stepped outside. Roan was reading a book. Sensing my presence, he shifted his gaze from the book to me.

Roan closed the book, stood up, and extended his hand to me.

“Come here.”

At his words, my heart, which I had just calmed, started pounding again. As I approached him hesitantly, he took my wrist and led me to the bed. Lying on the bed, my heart kept pounding with tension, and I worried that he might hear it.

He pulled me into his arms with gentle yet firm strength. A very pleasant scent emanated from him. It felt good. My heart, which had been racing for reasons I couldn’t identify—whether it was anxiety or nervousness—gradually began to calm down.

It might sound a bit odd, but as I was savoring his scent in his arms, I heard his voice in my ear.

“Is this okay?”

I looked up at him. His long lashes curved like a fan as he smiled lazily.

“Actually… I’m more than okay. We’re married, after all.”

I wasn’t averse to what might come next; I was just extremely nervous. When it came to him, I was completely open-minded, and fortunately, it didn’t seem to show on the outside.

After hearing my response, the smile on Roan’s face faded away.

“…Don’t trust me too much. I sometimes lose control too.”

He said this with a serious expression, lifting himself slightly away from me. I couldn’t blame him. There had been situations where I had inadvertently demanded unnecessary restraint from him.

“You don’t have to hold back.”

“…If you don’t regret saying that,”

By now, his eyes were filled with a deep desire.

“I won’t regret it, not at all.”

It felt like I was almost coaxing Roan to come closer to me. I moved toward him as much as he had moved away. The moment our eyes locked,

He suddenly bit his lips.

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