Even without this, the mere fact that a duke had brought a married woman to his estate was enough to spark scandalous rumors.

Allowing her to occupy the room traditionally reserved for the Duchess of Sinaster would be like throwing himself directly into a fire.

‘This won’t be good for Rian’s future marriage either.’

At the very least, she wanted to prevent him from becoming the subject of ridicule because of her.

“And that’s why you don’t like it?”

Unaware of her true thoughts, Rian asked with a faintly mocking smile.

“You know perfectly well this isn’t about whether I like it or not!”

Her frustration caused her voice to rise in pitch.

Rian could not possibly have failed to understand the implications of this.

He was just playing the fool to corner her.

“You said it yourself before. I’m not the daughter of a count anymore—I’m the queen of a defeated nation. I’m already married.”

Although the wedding ceremony ended prematurely, the moment the High Priest declared their union, her marriage to Arthur was effectively sealed.

She hated the idea of that marriage more than death itself.

Nevertheless, she could not bring herself to defile the Duchess’s chambers just to torment Rian.

If things continued as he intended, she felt she would never be able to forgive herself.

‘And this is disrespectful to the former Duchess too…’

The former Duchess, Rian’s mother, had been like a second mother to Dearlin.

After losing his at a young age, Dearlin’s father tried to fill the void with love.

Even so, there were still moments when Dearlin ached for a mother’s warmth.

When she first started dating Rian, she had assumed that the Duchess would be cold and unapproachable.

Instead, she turned out to be kinder than anyone else.

She welcomed Dearlin as though she were already family.

Whenever she entered the Duchess’s room, she was greeted by the gentle scent of flowers and an affectionate smile.

Those memories were precious to her.

She did not want to tarnish them.

“I can’t stay here.”

“……”

“This room should belong to the woman you marry someday.”

The words left behind a strange feeling in her chest.

‘Just a few years ago, I thought the woman who’d marry Rian would naturally be me…’

The fact that even her thoughts had changed this much was proof of how much time had passed.

“Which is exactly why you should stay here, Dearlin.”

Rian closed the distance between them in a single step.

Though it was only one stride, his steps were so large that he reached her instantly.

“The woman I’m going to marry is you. So naturally, this room belongs to you.”

He gathered a strand of Dearlin’s jet-black hair in his hand and gently stroked it.

Then, lowering his voice, he whispered beside her ear—

“What?”

Dearlin’s breath caught sharply.

Ruining her wedding was one thing.

She could understand that a hundred times over.

But those words crossed a line.

“Didn’t you hear what I just said?”

“I heard you.”

“I’m already married to another man.”

Rian gave no response.

The silence stretching between them felt suffocating enough to crush Dearlin’s lungs.

‘What in the world is he thinking…?’

Realistically, it was impossible to annul her marriage to Arthur.

Even if Rian were the mighty Duke of Sinaster, the temple would never allow it.

Throughout history, countless emperors have requested divorces, yet the Temple has only approved two annulments.

“And that’s all you were worried about?”

The hand that had been holding Dearlin’s hair slowly moved to cradle her cheek.

The cool touch sent a shiver down her spine.

Startled, she flinched slightly before slowly lifting her eyes to meet his.

Despite the gentleness of his voice, there was nothing she could read in Rian’s golden eyes.

That emptiness frightened her.

It was as though every trace of emotion had vanished from them completely.

“There’s no way I’d leave you as the wife of trash like that, Dearlin.”

Rian gently caressed her cheek as though handling a beloved lover.

“You’re going to become my wife.”

“……”

“The Duchess of Sinaster is you.”

Dearlin’s eyes shook violently.

“You’ve gone insane, Rian…”

Taking another man’s wife as one’s own.

According to the temple’s doctrine, this was considered one of the most serious sins imaginable.

Endless condemnation would undoubtedly follow.

‘Even when he told the High Priest during the wedding ceremony that he didn’t believe in gods…’

Only now did Dearlin realize that everything had been part of the process of making her his wife.

“We’re done discussing this, Dearlin.”

Rian’s attitude was utterly resolute, as though he refused to hear another word of resistance.

“The servants are going to think strangely of this.”

“I don’t care.”

A metallic taste spread across her mouth from how hard she had been biting the inside of her lip.

“Stay quietly in your room and wait, Dearlin.”

Rian lightly pressed a kiss against her round forehead before opening the closed bedroom door.

“Make sure she’s attended to properly. I don’t want her inconvenienced in any way.”

“…Understood, Your Grace.”

Even the way he instructed the servants to care for her only served to burden her further.

From her time in the Kingdom of Orva, she knew that the more openly someone favored her, the more resentment it provoked in others.

“Haah…”

Watching Rian walk away with light steps, seemingly pleased with the situation, Dearlin pressed a hand against her throbbing head.

As soon as Rian disappeared from sight, she looked at the maid, who was staring at her.

The look in the maid’s eyes made one thing painfully clear: life here would be much the same as life in the Kingdom of Orva.

***

After leaving the ducal estate, Rian headed straight for the Imperial Palace.

“I greet Your Majesty the Emperor.”

“You’re late, Duke.”

Knowing full well why he was late, the emperor still deliberately pointed it out.

Rian merely shrugged and answered with a sly smile.

“I heard you brought the queen of the defeated nation back to the ducal estate.”

‘The queen of the defeated nation.’

The moment those words were used to refer to Dearlin, Rian frowned openly.

“She is my woman.”

“And yet I heard the High Priest already completed the marriage declaration.”

The Emperor was well aware of the relationship between Rian and Dearlin.

It was simply his way of goading his old friend into a tantrum for his own amusement.

Though, of course, it was also true.

“I intend to make Dearlin the Duchess of Sinaster.”

The emperor had already expected Rian to say exactly that.

After all, during the four years Dearlin had disappeared, no one understood better than the emperor just how obsessively consumed Rian had been with her.

“And what do you plan to do about the temple?”

Having already heard about what happened between Rian and the High Priest in the Kingdom of Orva, the emperor could not help feeling concerned.

“There’s no need for Your Majesty to worry.”

“What?”

Rian spoke cryptically, the corners of his lips curving upwards ever so slightly.

The moment the Emperor saw that smile, he felt an uneasy feeling creep up his spine.

Whenever Rian smiled like that, something catastrophic inevitably followed.

“No matter what I do, all I ask is that Your Majesty overlook it.”

A hollow laugh escaped the emperor.

“I must go to the Kingdom of Orva. Please grant me permission, Your Majesty.”

It was reminiscent of the day Rian had stormed into the Imperial Palace upon hearing the news of Dearlin’s marriage.

Eliminating the Kingdom of Orva, a nation that had long been a thorn in the Empire’s side, was certainly a praiseworthy act.

This time, however, the Emperor had no idea what Rian intended to do next.

“What exactly are you planning this time?”

“No matter what I do, I can assure Your Majesty that it will benefit both the Empire and yourself.”

Rian was not the sort of man who spoke empty promises.

After all, it was true that the Empire had grown even stronger after he inherited the title of Duke Sinaster.

“Very well. I’ll make you a promise. As long as your actions do not harm me, I’ll overlook whatever you do.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Rian looked satisfied.

‘I truly can’t understand what he’s thinking.’

The emperor had known Rian since childhood, yet he still could not keep up with the man’s thoughts.

Especially—when those thoughts involved Dearlin.

“Ahem. Setting that aside, what do you intend to do with the king of Orva?”

Unlike Dearlin, Arthur was currently imprisoned deep within the underground dungeon of the Imperial Palace.

“He should be executed, Your Majesty.”

Rian answered in a calm tone, as though the answer were painfully obvious.

“And what exactly do you plan to tell Dearlin?”

Her former lover had ruined her wedding, intended to k*ll her husband, and now insisted he would marry her himself.

Even the emperor, who held no particular feelings toward Dearlin, found himself pitying her.

“I intend to let her see it.”

“The king’s execution?”

“Yes. Which is why the king of Orva should be publicly executed.”

Was this really revenge?

By this point, the Emperor could no longer tell whether Rian’s feelings for Dearlin were genuine love or a warped obsession born of possessiveness.

He began to wonder if Rian was crossing a line from which there would be no turning back.

“The moment that man dared covet my woman, he should have died.”

“……”

“And Dearlin needs to witness it herself. Otherwise, she might start entertaining unnecessary thoughts.”

Realizing there was no point in arguing further, the emperor silently closed his mouth.

“…Very well. Do as you wish.”

The emperor waved a hand dismissively, signaling for him to leave already.

Having obtained exactly what he wanted from both Dearlin and the emperor, Rian left with even lighter steps than when he had returned to the estate.

“Your Grace, where are we headed?”

Rian’s knights had already gathered outside the Imperial Palace.

“To the temple.”

He intended to settle everything as quickly as possible before returning.

Dearlin needed to understand clearly, the place she belonged was by his side.