The summer journey was very hot and difficult. The Duke and Duchess of Khalid’s procession arrived at the capital after thirteen days, passing through the cities of the central region. Dana mostly stayed in the carriage with her maids, while Kaiden was with the knights, so there wasn’t much interaction between them. Even when they arrived at inns in cities, Kaiden used separate rooms from Dana. It didn’t look at all like newlyweds traveling together.

Though Kaiden didn’t share rooms with Dana and had no interaction otherwise, he consistently came to personally inform her whenever he anticipated the carriage would shake more due to rough roads. When they arrived in cities and the procession stopped, or at meal times, or when suggesting sleep in the carriage for camping, he would come directly to Dana to report. He did this despite how difficult it must have been to go back and forth wearing armor and helmet in the heat. Dana thought he was truly a diligent man, since he could have sent a subordinate knight for such matters.

Beyond such minor communications, Dana had no interaction with the escort knights in any other way. Though it would have been natural to exchange greetings with the knights working hard on such a long journey, the knights always kept their distance and never approached the Duchess.

Dana thought the subordinate knights must be like Kaiden – very stern and sharp when it came to their duties. Not wanting to disturb the hardworking knights, she also stayed quietly without approaching them unnecessarily.

Thus, Dana spent the journey to the capital sightseeing in cities with her maids, and in the carriage reading poetry books, eating snacks, or playing dice games. From Dana’s perspective, it was a very leisurely and quiet journey.

They arrived at the royal palace the evening before the celebration for the prince’s birth. Though it was summer and the sun was just setting, it was very late. The trees in the forest surrounding the royal palace were being dyed in sunset colors.

Dana entered the castle following the royal servants she hadn’t seen in a long time. Then she and Kaiden in his armor first had an audience with King Taras.

Taras sat on the throne and received Dana and Kaiden’s greetings. It was a face she hadn’t seen in three whole years. Surprisingly, it was also their first greeting since the marriage.

“We greet His Majesty Taras Rowen, King of Rowen, Duke of Larnas, Lord of Larnan, one of the Lights of Vican, Commander of the Divine Beast Corps, Contractor of Divine Beast Sermen. May you have always been at peace in Yurhemia’s breath.”

Taras nodded and replied.

“Yes. Congratulations on your marriage. Congratulations on your marriage.”

“Thank you, brother.”

Dana replied and Kaiden also greeted him. After finishing the long greeting she had memorized with effort, Dana said to Taras:

“Congratulations on becoming a parent.”

“Thank you. You must have had a hard journey.”

“Of course I had to come. Is Bridget healthy?”

“Yes. It’s too late today, so you should rest first and see her at tomorrow’s celebration.”

Dana said she understood. Being tired from the long journey, that was exactly what she wanted. Taras asked:

“How long do you plan to stay in Larnas?”

“We need to return right after the celebration ends. We need to match the timing with the end of the monster spawning season in the north.”

Dana and Kaiden planned to return to rest at a reasonable time instead of staying up all night at the celebration once it properly concluded, then depart for the north as soon as morning came. It was a schedule planned considering the time needed to travel from Larnas in the south to Khalid in the north.

Taras gave a hollow laugh at Dana’s answer.

“You’ve become quite the northerner. Even having to worry about such things, you prefer Khalid? Instead of living safely in the capital.”

Surprisingly, Kaiden answered King Taras’s words.

“Khalid is safe too. We are doing our utmost to protect the princess.”

‘A guard rather than a husband…’

Dana thought this while smiling slightly. Taras looked at Kaiden with a still disapproving face and said:

“Of course you should! How else could you have become a duke without Dana! I allowed it because my sister wanted it, but Dana must be the only royal in this continent to marry someone with no family name and unknown parents! And I must be the only king to grant a dukedom to someone of unclear origins whose lineage is unknown!”

‘Oh no.’

At this blatantly dismissive remark, Dana couldn’t help but glance at Kaiden nervously.

In the past, and until now, Taras and Kaiden would not have met face to face. Considering their positions, they couldn’t have a positive relationship. She hoped Taras wouldn’t express his jealousy in such a wrong way, and that their time facing each other would be as brief as possible.

However, just when she wished he would stop there, Taras seemed to have thrown his sense of discretion somewhere and wouldn’t close his mouth at all.

“My goodness, when asking for permission to marry, how she praised your appearance. That you look handsome even with messy hair, that your eyes are captivating, that your nose looks like it could cut, something about your hands…”

‘Oh no…’

Why is he like this… For different reasons now, Dana wanted to cover Taras’s mouth immediately. It was frustrating that she couldn’t do that or cut off his words. She couldn’t bring herself to look at Kaiden standing beside her. Her ear tips grew hot and heat rushed to her face.

“I thought it was praise about the gods. No priest in the world would offer such praise to the gods. I thought a new god of beauty had been born. There was so much I can’t even remember it all.”

Fortunately, Taras stopped his mischief just before Dana’s face was about to explode. The brother who had endlessly embarrassed his sister shook his head while looking at the troublemaker with an exasperated expression and said:

“Your room remains as it was. Since you’re leaving after just the celebration, you can use your room as is.”

“Yes.”

Dana nodded with a sigh of relief. She gave her greetings and left the audience chamber with Kaiden.

The knights closed the audience chamber doors behind them. While walking out holding Kaiden’s hand, Dana finally couldn’t hold back and opened her mouth. It was in a voice soft enough for only Kaiden to hear.

“The letter I sent to my brother was made up because I needed permission for marriage.”

Looking at the back of the servant walking ahead to guide them down a path that needed no guidance out of courtesy, Dana tried to maintain a composed expression while adding:

“Kaiden, you should prepare too. If my brother asks what you liked about me to marry me, you might need something to make up.”

After saying that, Dana became worried for a moment. She had reflexively made excuses because she was concerned, but perhaps Kaiden was more upset about Taras’s insults earlier than the story about Dana’s letter and only remembered that. Maybe that would be better? She couldn’t tell.

Just then Kaiden looked at Dana without answering. Dana looked up at him too, raising the corners of her lips in a polite smile.

Fortunately, Kaiden didn’t seem too upset. He simply turned his gaze from Dana to look ahead while walking, saying with an indifferent expression:

“I don’t need to prepare.”

“…”

Dana looked up at Kaiden with her smile gone.

‘He won’t even think about answering?’

Looking back, she supposed that was better. To prove they hadn’t consummated the marriage in three years, and to invalidate the marriage, it would naturally be better for him to appear indifferent to her. Of course, she had just brought it up jokingly to try to lighten the mood, but…

Dana quietly turned her head to look ahead while walking. As she walked, she thought:

‘I’m glad I didn’t ask.’

Why he had kissed her. If he would kiss her again. This marriage…

Only the quiet sounds of footsteps and rustling clothes echoed in the corridor.

* * *

While the maids brought from Eluan Castle were organizing the luggage with the royal palace maids, Dana had something to tell Kaiden. She temporarily sent out the maids who were bringing in luggage and had Kaiden sit down. Kaiden was in her reception room, her space where she had lived almost her entire life.

“Kaiden, come sleep in my bedroom at night.”

“…”

Kaiden remained still, frozen like a decoration in the room. Dana quickly added, worried he might misunderstand:

“You remember what I told you before? Right now, our relationship shouldn’t be known here yet. So that we…”

‘Haven’t consummated.’

Dana moved only her lips silently to say the words. Then she whispered in a very low voice:

“Whatever happens later, right now we need to appear to be on good terms. So while we’re in Larnas, I think it’s better if we sleep together in my bedroom.”

Even if they changed the story three years later to confess that they actually weren’t on good terms and hadn’t consummated the marriage, for now they needed to keep things quiet. So although Kaiden had been assigned a separate room, she thought it would be better if they at least slept together in her bedroom. This was the royal palace, so the fact that they used separate rooms could reach Taras’s ears at any time and give him unnecessary cause for complaint.

Looking at the frozen Kaiden, Dana quickly added:

“Of course, just sleeping in my bedroom. It’s only two days, so please bear with the discomfort. Is that alright?”

“…Yes.”

Kaiden answered with an expressionless face that made it impossible to tell if he was okay with it or displeased.