And now, she was waiting for him alone in the dressing room. She sat there, ready to propose a deal to such a handsome, capable, and loyal knight.

Dana Rowen, feeling anxious, suddenly stood up.

“It’s okay. I can do this.”

Everything was perfectly prepared, the performance had gone well, and everything was progressing smoothly.

Unconsciously, Dana turned to look at herself in the mirror standing in one corner of the room. She checked her appearance in the mirror adorned with a golden frame. Her hair was fine, her clothes were fine, everything was fine. Of course, these things wouldn’t matter to a man who wasn’t interested in women.

Dana turned away from the mirror and paced the dressing room for a moment, trying to calm herself. Then she stood with her back to the door through which the man she awaited would enter. Her clasped hands were sweaty, and her fingers felt cold.

‘Why am I so nervous?’

It was only natural. Previously, she had been engaged to a prince chosen by her brother Taras and had married him. She had never had an important conversation with another man, let alone made a promise that would determine her future. She had never been close to a man, nor had she needed to be.

But soon, she would face a man who was crucial for her life and the future of the Rowen Kingdom. He was someone she absolutely needed by her side. Perhaps it was solely for that reason that she felt so nervous and shaky, Dana thought.

‘I can do it. I must do it well.’

Clasping her hands together, she thought to herself when suddenly, she heard the creak of the door opening.

‘Oh.’

Thud. Her heart dropped.

Dana unconsciously held her breath. She closed her eyes tightly, then opened them.

‘Good. He’s here.’

She turned around slowly.

She hoped that as she turned, she would appear dignified and noble, befitting royalty. She wanted the man facing her to see her as someone in an unattainably high position. With these thoughts, she turned.

Dana saw the man standing in the doorway. She had seen him earlier when he greeted her, but now he was much closer. She could see him in more detail.

Up close, the man appeared even larger than she had expected. He stood by the door, as imposing as the door itself. He didn’t fit at all with the white and dainty space where Dana stood.

His strong presence and weight felt like that of an invader, entering and leaving an indelible mark, as if he could break down the door with a mere touch. Once he had come in through the door he could easily break, no one could make him leave or erase his presence.

‘Ah, in fact, already.’

The moment he walked toward her. No, the moment he risked his life for Rowen. He had already become someone she wanted by her side.

As she thought about the words she had prepared to say to him and the outcome she wanted to achieve, her heart trembled. However, Dana reminded herself that she shouldn’t describe it as excitement. She stood there not as a woman with a crush on a man, but as a princess of a kingdom. She calmed herself and spoke the words she had prepared for him.

“Sir Leonas.”

The man didn’t respond, but Dana went ahead and recited the words she had prepared.

“Propose to me.”

She clenched her fists tightly with tension. She had heard countless times that the man lacked noble manners, so she expressed directly what she wanted without beating around the bush.

“Marry me.”

She demanded a proposal from him, not as a shy girl confessing her feelings, but as a negotiator requesting a contract.

The man stood still, just as he had when he first entered, and Dana thought he was so surprised that he had forgotten to speak. It made sense. A princess suddenly calling him to propose marriage was indeed shocking. Still, she waited for him to say something, and she saw him open his mouth as if it were impossible not to.

When he opened his mouth, Dana expected him to first discuss his surprise at her words and the suddenness of the proposal. She prepared herself for what to say if he reacted that way, but the man answered immediately.

“Yes.”

“…”

Dana Rowen blinked for a moment, gazing at Kaiden Leonas. He closed his mouth again and said nothing more. With a face as rigid as stone, he stood there, barely moving, making it difficult to tell if he was even breathing—simply watching her.

Dana thought he seemed too stunned to find words. Although he hadn’t asked, she decided to explain the necessity of her proposal.

“Sir Leonas, I know you feel disappointed with the title that doesn’t match your capabilities. If you promise to marry me, I can request His Majesty to grant you the title of Duke of Khalid. Khalid and this kingdom need a great knight. I know you are an outstanding knight, and through marriage, I can provide you with the status and position you deserve.”

Dana explained without pausing for breath, but the man remained silent. She couldn’t decipher the meaning of his silence. She had heard that he was not at all noble, yet facing him now, he appeared more aristocratic and composed than any noble she had ever encountered.

After a long, suffocating silence, Kaiden, who had been looking down at her with an unreadable expression, finally spoke. To Dana, it felt like an eternity had passed before he burst into laughter.

“Hahaha…”

Dana watched in surprise as Kaiden laughed. Unlike his previous unreadable expression, it was clear that this laughter was not born of joy. With a bewildered look, he turned his head away and let out a hollow laugh.

After a brief chuckle, he stopped laughing and furrowed his brow. Then, as if troubled, he raised his hand to his forehead. Dana noticed how different his hand was from hers—his fingers were thick and straight, undeniably the hands of a strong man.

Instinctively, Dana clasped her own hands together, touching her fingers while observing his, which were so different from hers.

In that state, the man muttered as if to himself.

“…Ah, a title?”

His voice was as calm and low as his demeanor. He shifted his weight to one leg, standing at an angle—a posture no one would dare assume in front of royalty.

Seeing this, Dana thought that he indeed lacked the manners she had heard about. With a face now devoid of any hint of laughter, the man, still holding his forehead with his fingers, asked,

“So, you’re saying I should receive a title by marrying the princess?”

In his question, Dana detected a sense of disbelief. It was even more evident than before that his astonishment was not mere surprise but something deeper. She sensed a negative emotion, whether discomfort or displeasure, she couldn’t tell.

‘Hmm.’

Dana was not surprised by his attitude. No matter how uninterested he was in women, he would at least be aware of the princess’s situation. She was the only member of the Rowen royal family who hadn’t contracted with a divine beast, and for that reason, she lived in seclusion, under the guise of convalescence.

Perhaps he thought that marrying her would never grant him the high title he desired, given her status as a problematic royal.

‘I expected as much.’

Dana asked with a smile that exuded royal grace, “Are you insulting me now?”

“No, certainly not.”

He answered swiftly, lowering the hand that had been touching his forehead and standing straight. Then, looking down at Dana, he said, “I am of such low birth, desperate for a title, that I never imagined such a method existed.”

Dana wondered if her mention of his status had pricked his pride. Knowing that he was a man who sought to have his dignity recognized through his abilities, despite not being born and raised as a noble, she thought it made sense.

“Interesting.”

With a face that showed no amusement, he ran his hand roughly through his hair, messing up what had been neatly arranged. Surprisingly, even the disheveled look suited him so well that Dana found herself blinking, her gaze fixed on his hair.

And then, in that state, he asked Dana, “What’s your reason?”