Kallian stared intently at the ring he called his collar and whispered to Elliophe.

“So if you are going to use me, make sure you use me well.”

Then he pulled away.

“….”

Elliophe could barely breathe. The sensation of the finger with the ring felt strange. The small, lukewarm metal seemed to grip her finger tightly, never letting go.

‘A collar, huh?’

Kallian had spoken as if he had put a collar on her, but on the contrary, she felt as if a leash had been tied around her neck.

The strange thing was that it didn’t feel uncomfortable.

Even when she was dazed, Kallian led her naturally and helped her into the carriage. Emma, who had been fanning herself in the hall, and Sien, along with Dylan, who wore the most contented smile, saw them off.

“Have a safe trip.”

“We’ll pack or fight hard, don’t worry!”

“Sien!”

“It’s just a joke, Emma. Anyway, have a good trip!”

As Elliophe climbed into the carriage, her mind wandered briefly to the night she had spent in the hired carriage during the day a few days ago. The memory distracted her.

Fortunately, the carriage she was in this time was not as cramped as the one before. Kallian had simply accompanied her politely.

* * *

“Welcome, Lord Kallian… No, Viscount Elsen. And the Viscountess.”

They had reached the banqueting hall in no time. As the carriage came to a halt, the Duke’s servants approached and ushered them inside.

The banquet was being held in a room used for the Duke’s lighter events. Elliophe had been there a few times in her previous life. It was a room used for occasions such as New Year’s celebrations or ceremonies to wish for mild winter weather.

“Viscount Elsen and the Viscountess have arrived!”

The servant shouted, and instantly all eyes in the banquet hall were on Elliophe and Kallian.

Elliophe trembled slightly under the eyes of the crowd, but he wasn’t afraid.

‘Compared to the days when I was a duchess, this is actually better.’

It was nothing compared to the stares she had received at Theodor’s funeral.

At the time, she had been treated with all kinds of contempt and scorn, seen as the terrible woman who had allowed her husband to die in scandalous fashion, surrounded by mistresses.

‘But now…’

Now, however, the looks at her were filled with intense curiosity, even mixed with a little favour, simply because she was Kallian’s wife.

There were still a few looks that condemned her immorality, the fact that she should have been a duchess. But that was something she’d come to terms with long ago, so it didn’t bother her much.

Moreover, before they could even begin to question Elliophe’s immorality, Kallian exuded an intimidating presence.

“Ahem!”

The cold determination that only someone seasoned in battle could project quickly spread throughout the room. Those who had enjoyed the banquet in the warmth of the Duke’s mansion, their bellies full, were quickly silenced by the power of his aura.

This allowed Elliophe to enter with a little more ease. She felt a strange tingling sensation.

‘Ah, the main characters have arrived.’

It was at that moment. Theodor, who had been sitting at the high table in the banqueting hall, spotted her and spoke.

“How unusual not to have a mistress or pr*stitute by your side today.”

He said, raising his glass.

“To the union of these two… and to the harmony between the duke’s family and the royal family.”

At his sign, everyone else raised their glasses as well. A servant approached and offered Elliophe and Kallian glasses.

“Cheers.”

As soon as the words were spoken, Theodor downed his glass in one go.

“To the Duke of Ilmos!”

“For the Duke of Ilmos!”

Elliophe and Kallian also emptied their glasses. Soon the atmosphere around them became lively.

The orchestra, which had been waiting in the corner, quickly began to play a cheerful and lively tune. People gathered in small groups, enjoying themselves, but their eyes often wandered to the two of them and to Theodor.

Theodor, in particular, looked at Elliophe and smiled warmly.

“So, Kallian, how is married life?”

“Thanks to you, it’s wonderful.”

“The title may have come a little late as a reward, but… anyway, it’s made you essentially a royal consort, hasn’t it?”

Theodor said with a mischievous grin.

The servants and knights around them cleared their throats.

“That should be enough compensation, right?”

“More than enough.”

“Now that I think about it.”

Theodor said, shaking his empty glass. The steward quickly approached and refilled it. Theodor took a drink, then spoke.

“There’s a certain right that’s been handed down from the lords and rulers of a region for a long time, isn’t there?”

“……”

The next moment, Theodor’s glass turned to Elliophe.

“Well then. What do you think of me exercising the right of the first night?”

His words, like a dropped cannonball, caused the room to fall silent, as if cold water had been poured over it.

“……”

Up to that point, Elliophe had been unaffected by the looks around her, but at that moment, her lips turned pale. The servants around her also turned pale, their eyes shifting nervously.

‘First night’s law? What the hell?’

Of course, it wasn’t unheard of for a lord to demand that the wives of his vassals spend their first night with him, a practice that was common about a century ago.

After several violent uprisings over the practice, this culture had more or less died out in recent times. Moreover, this was no ordinary knight or vassal, but Kallian, who had become the Visccount of Elsen. Theodor’s demand was not only excessive, it was against the law.

‘This is too much.’

Some of the attendants thought to themselves.

‘If I think of it as the request of a man who’s lost the woman who was supposed to be his wife…’ 

‘Even though it’s a despicable request, I can understand the sentiment behind it.’

And many others though to themselves: 

‘The Duke has acted emotionally again.’

‘Once again, his behaviour is inappropriate…’ 

‘Tch. How can he say such a thing?’

This was the opinion of those who knew that the vassals loved him thanks to the love of the previous Duke and Duchess, but that his abilities as a Duke were lacking.

“……”

Meanwhile, the knights who were emotionally closer to Kallian considered this an immense insult. But none of them dared to say so. The lively music had suddenly stopped. It was the moment when all eyes were on them.

Elliophe dropped her glass by accident.

A thud.

Kallian gently caught it with his own hand and placed it on the tray of a passing servant, next to his own glass. Then, with his usual indifferent expression, he replied,

“The first night will be difficult.”

“Are you saying that even the most loyal knight refuses this? How dare you disrespect your lord?”

It was the moment when Theodor made his sarcastic remark. Kallian replied nonchalantly.

“That was a long time ago. I cannot offer it to Your Excellency.”

“……”

“I think it was about fifteen years ago… or rather, maybe thirty by now.”

“Ku, cough.”

One of the servants, holding a glass, began to cough in embarrassment as he choked on his drink.

It was an embarrassing remark for a groom who had only been married four days, so the other servants quickly looked away.

Elliophe was so shocked that she felt the insult fade away. The problem was that the number Kallian mentioned didn’t seem too far off, at least as far as she was concerned.

When Theodor heard the number Kallian had mentioned, the corners of his lips twisted into a wry grin.

“…Kallian, my lord.”

At that moment, Elliophe slowly turned to face Kallian. Without making eye contact, he wrapped his arm gently around her waist.

“That’s why the first night is already meaningless.”

“……”

“Perhaps the right of entry is still possible.”

(GASPING) Cough! Gag!

Several of the guards began to choke. The servants rushed over with towels.

‘The right… of entry.’

‘Not just anybody, but Kallian, no, Viscount Kallian…’

The right of entry usually referred to the privilege of witnesses observing the couple’s union to confirm the marriage, which was often seen as a symbolic act of proving the marital bond.

Although the right of entry is still occasionally used in royal settings when necessary, it was part of a dying culture that had died with the practice of the first night.

‘Are you seriously suggesting, right in front of the Duke, that he should watch us do that?’

Clink

The glass Theodor was holding shattered. Elliophe felt the heat rush to his face.

‘Of all things.’

The mention of the right of entry reminded her of the real first encounter between the two of them in her past life. It reminded her of the moment when she first tasted sin and gave her body over to an indescribable pleasure. Theodor, now dead, had witnessed their illicit relationship as one of her confessions.

Elliophe, unsure how to react, blushed, but as she looked at Theodor’s twisted face, she felt a strange thrill. For a moment, a smile almost formed at the corner of her lips. She felt like a person with a really bad temper.

Meanwhile, Kallian’s expression remained completely calm. It was unclear whether he had spoken those words out of loyalty or to insult Theodor, but his face showed no sign of either.

“……”

So Theodor didn’t dare to confront Kallian. Kallian added something to Theodor, who seemed hesitant.

“Of course, my wife’s consent is also required for the recording.”

Kallian looked down at Elliophe, then pulled her closer, holding her in a way that was much more affectionate than usual. The gentle smile he gave her was unmistakably that of a husband who cherished his wife.

No one present could point out or criticise her lack of virtue. It was almost as if it was Kallian who had seduced her, not the princess.

Drip.

Finally, the cracked glass Theodor was holding began to drip alcohol. Several servants rushed over to him, excited.

“Enough.”

Theodor, as if the taste of alcohol had completely soured him, stood up and muttered as he made his way somewhere. The orchestra, watching cautiously, began to play again.

“…Viscount Elsen.”

“There are some urgent matters.”

“Actually, we wanted to call you, but you haven’t come out of the house for a long time.”

A few of those present, having regained their composure, approached Kallian and spoke to him. This gave the crowd a chance to disperse.