After the failed night with Cogette, Pedro spent several more days in agony.

He couldn’t get the image of her sorrowful face out of his mind. Yet, he felt frustrated at his inability to do anything for her. His heart was already unsettled because of Ertel.

Still, he couldn’t afford to remain idle, so he immersed himself in his work.

One day, Pedro was walking through the palace lobby with his vassals.

As he gazed at the clear sky visible between the columns, his eyes drifted downward. He caught sight of a fleeting figure passing by.

A woman with long orange hair and a slender frame disappeared behind a column.

“……Ertel?”

The king instinctively approached the column.

He wanted to follow and confirm her face immediately.

But his steps faltered.

‘No way… It must just be a woman who looks like her.’

There was no way the woman who had vanished like the wind could be in the palace. It was an unrealistic thought.

Pedro immediately became dejected.

Noticing the king’s unstable demeanor, a vassal voiced his concern.

“Your Majesty? Is something the matter? Are you looking for someone?”

“It’s nothing.”

“Shall I continue the report, then?”

“Go on.”

He blamed himself for nearly losing his composure in that moment.

Pedro clasped his hands behind his back and resumed walking in a straight line.

The fact that he had mistaken the woman for Ertel made him realize how fragile his heart had become.

***

Ironically, the woman Pedro had mistaken for someone else was indeed Ertel.

Under Icarus’s guidance, she had safely entered the Aronder Palace.

Ertel, brimming with excitement on her first day of work, walked lightly toward the storage area with a basket at her side. The basket was filled with various spices, including pepper, cloves, and honey.

When she arrived at her destination, Icarus was already there, striking a dignified pose.

“You’re here, Duchess.”

“Yes. Wow, this place is so mysterious and antique. The blend of scents from the various spices is absolutely enchanting.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

“Just working in a place like this feels inspiring.”

“Is there a reason you need inspiration?”

“Oh, not really. I just mean I like it here that much.”

Seeing how delighted she was with the workspace, Icarus felt a quiet sense of pride.

As Ertel picked up and examined one jar after another, she asked,

“Did you inform His Majesty that I’ve started working here?”

“This area is under my jurisdiction, so I can manage it as I please. But as a matter of courtesy, I should report it. The king would feel slighted if he didn’t know that my wife is working in the palace.”

“Should I go see him myself?”

“There’s no need. He’ll find out in time. Besides, His Majesty has been busy lately with international matters….”

Icarus trailed off.

He wanted to delay the inevitable for as long as possible. He didn’t want to expose such a precious and beautiful woman to the most dangerous person in the palace.

“I see….”

Ertel quietly observed Icarus’s face, which seemed preoccupied with various thoughts.

Now that they would be seeing each other more frequently in the palace rather than at the mansion, she knew she needed to be even more cautious with her words.

There were many eyes watching here.

The two moved deeper into the storage area, where the brownish light of a lantern illuminated their close proximity.

Ertel whispered softly with her small lips,

“I find it surprising.”

“What is?”

“That you granted my request so readily, even though you could have refused.”

“…….”

“Doesn’t the fact that I’m in the palace make you uneasy?”

Icarus looked down at her with pensive eyes.

She was a woman he could strangle at any moment, yet he didn’t.

“I told you. A promise is a promise.”

“…….”

“A marriage of convenience is simply about fulfilling each other’s desires….”

“If I had been twenty-three years old at the time.”

Ertel interrupted him with a sharp question.

“You would’ve killed me on the spot without needing a marriage contract, wouldn’t you?”

She asked such a chilling question with an innocent expression.

Icarus barely held back a laugh that threatened to escape.

He didn’t know what kind of answer she wanted, but—

“You’re right.”

“…….”

“I probably would have.”

The heat that started in her cheeks quickly spread throughout her body.

For Ertel, confirming his true feelings again and again was like taking bitter medicine.

Before she could be deceived by his occasional kindness, she needed to face reality repeatedly.

That was the only thing that motivated her to grit her teeth and survive.

“Thank you for being honest.”

“Ertel, there’s someone I’d like to introduce to you.”

“……?”

At that moment, a woman stepped out from behind him.

She was wearing a red dress with Gothic patterns extending from her neck.

Ertel recognized her instantly.

It was Cogette.

‘Wow….’

Both women silently marveled at each other as they took in each other’s presence.

They were each overwhelmed by the other’s distinct kind of beauty.

Cogette was the first to warmly bow her waist.

“It’s such an honor to meet my sister-in-law in the palace. I’ve been begging my brother to invite you to a dinner with me for so long. Finally, we get to meet like this. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Cogette de Juan, his younger sister.”

“Hello, Lady Cogette. I’m Ertel. Starting today, I’ll be working in the palace’s spice storage. I suppose we’ll be seeing each other often. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

For a brief moment, Cogette was deeply impressed by Ertel.

Not only did she exude a noble aura, but she also seemed like a woman with a story to tell.

‘I think I understand why my brother chose her as his wife.’

Icarus, who usually treated women like delicate flowers, had chosen Ertel as his only wife.

***

Back in his office, Icarus waited for his aide.

“I’m here, Your Grace.”

“Ah, Amar.”

Today, Icarus had stayed by Ertel’s side until she had fully settled into her new role.

Amar, curious about the day’s events, observed Icarus closely.

“How was Ertel’s first day at work?”

“Not bad. She seemed to like the storage area.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“Yes, it is.”

“And how was her meeting with the concubine?”

Amar was most curious about the first encounter between Cogette and Ertel.

As someone who had witnessed the scene as a third party, Icarus felt emotions he couldn’t quite describe.

The two women seemed to regard each other with curiosity and fascination.

Icarus replied,

“I’ve asked her to assist my sister with her tea gatherings, so she’ll do well.”

“By the way, Your Grace, have you heard the rumors?”

“What rumors?”

“Well… it’s about the king.”

Amar hesitated, finding it difficult to continue.

It was news Icarus wouldn’t like.

“They say the king visited the concubine’s chambers at night recently, but the attempt to share a bed failed….”

“……!”

“It’s not just a rumor; it’s practically confirmed.”

Hearing this, Icarus’s eyes widened.

He clenched his fist and stood abruptly.

Lately, he had been so focused on Ertel that he had assumed Cogette was handling things on her own.

Icarus asked again,

“It’s been several days since Cogette was appointed as a concubine, and she still hasn’t shared a bed with the king?”

“Perhaps His Majesty is inexperienced with concubines, or maybe he isn’t emotionally ready yet. We don’t know the exact reason.”

“Hm.”

For someone like Icarus, who needed everything to proceed according to plan, this was an irritating development.

After all, the order he had given Cogette was to ‘capture Pedro’s heart.’

Frustrated, he muttered to himself, “And yet my sister remains so naive.”

“Whatever the reason, only the two of them would know. We can’t say whether the issue lies with the king or the concubine.”

“Do you think the king is just holding out?”

“Pardon?”

“Because Cogette is of the Juan family. Do you think he’s resisting out of pride?”

“If that were the case, given His Majesty’s character, he wouldn’t have accepted her as a concubine in the first place.”

“That’s true.”

“Now that I think about it, Your Grace, isn’t it strange that the king accepted someone from the Juan family as a concubine so easily? Even if he fears the Juan family, Pedro is a man of considerable pride.”

“I should arrange a private conversation with the king.”

“That sounds like a good idea.”

“You may leave now.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

What a fool.

Icarus couldn’t hide his disappointment in his sister.

Though their sibling bond wasn’t particularly strong, he had at least expected her to share his tenacity and ambition.

Apparently, she wasn’t as capable as he had hoped.

But that worry was fleeting. Icarus believed there was nothing he couldn’t control with his own hands.

Just as Amar was about to leave the office with a polite bow, the door opened first.

The knight commander, Henry, appeared at the entrance to Icarus’s office.

“!”

Both Amar and Icarus turned their gazes to Henry simultaneously.

It was unusual for the knight commander to visit the office directly instead of sending a message through a servant.

“What brings you here, Sir Henry?”

“Duke Juan, His Majesty has requested a private audience with you.”

This was exactly what Icarus had been waiting for.

Feeling that things were about to go his way, Icarus smiled.