The morning of the newlywed duke and duchess’s first day began quietly, almost to the point of being somber. The midsummer sky was clear and cloudless, yet the atmosphere inside Eluan Castle was heavy and contrasting.

Dana Rowen had been awake since dawn. However, she remained in bed until the bell signaled the time for morning prayer. She found it hard to believe that morning had arrived safely, and her heart felt heavy because she had committed such an enormous act that was now irreversible.

‘To create such a secret in a marriage before the eyes of the gods.’

Rising late and alone in the bedroom, Dana knelt by the bed. With her hands clasped and eyes closed, she prayed, reflecting on the falsehood she had created and expressing gratitude for the time that had returned. Afterward, she pulled the cord to summon the head maid.

The head maid entered the bedroom alone, while the maids who had prepared water and towels waited outside the door. Once the door closed silently, the room was enveloped in darkness. Since the Duke of Khalid had not entered the duchess’s bedroom the previous night, darkness and silence had persisted.

Sitting on the bed in the innermost part of the bedroom, Dana asked the head maid, “Where is the Duke?”

“He left for the knights’ quarters early.”

“We need to be more cautious about keeping the servants quiet.”

“Of course.”

From the very first day of marriage, the duchess had been shunned, so it was inevitable that rumors would spread. However, it was crucial that such talk didn’t leak out or reach Taras’s ears. There was a reason she had managed the affairs and people within the castle for three years.

Mrs. Moyer, accustomed to working in the castle, showed no change in expression and simply bowed politely. Dana nodded and instructed the maids to enter.

“I will wash now.”

It was time to bury the secrets of the night deep, like the retreating darkness, and greet the new day and rising sun. The sun had risen, and now it was time to work as the Duchess of Khalid, not as a princess.

Although her plans had changed since her first return, she intended to support Kaiden until he was fully prepared and work for Khalid and the North. She would assist him in building the strength needed to ensure that the knights and the Duke could protect the kingdom, no matter who attempted to invade Rowen. This was what she had proposed to Kaiden for the next three years.