“Forgive us for arriving without notice, Duke. And Duchess as well.”

The unwelcome guests that Rian referred to were none other than the Emperor and Empress themselves.

After hearing Cain’s report, Rian and Dearlin stepped out of the greenhouse and watched the imperial family descend silently from their lavish royal carriage.

Despite knowing it was improper, the Emperor and Empress’s sheer shamelessness made even Katrin seem modest in comparison.

“…What brings Your Majesties all the way here?”

Rian immediately demanded to know the reason for their visit, without bothering with formal greetings. He looked cold and unyielding.

It was clear that he had no intention of showing courtesy to those who had been disrespectful first.

It was the kind of arrogant behavior that only Rian could afford to display.

Despite his attitude towards the Emperor bordering on outright disrespect, the Emperor simply maintained his easygoing smile.

In fact, he seemed almost wary of provoking the already displeased Rian any further.

“Don’t be so harsh, Duke. His Majesty was worried about your condition, so I came along with him.”

Before the Emperor could even speak, Roelsa interjected first.

Rian stared at the shameless pair for a moment before finally letting out a sigh and leading them inside the mansion.

“I’ll escort you to the drawing room.”

“Please continue your conversation. I’ll head upstairs first.”

While Rian was escorting the imperial couple to the drawing room, Dearlin tried to excuse herself and return to her bedroom.

She had no desire to insert herself into a conversation between three people who had been friends for a long time.

If she stayed, the discussion would inevitably turn to subjects she knew nothing about, and she did not want to end up feeling isolated.

“Is that so? Then Duchess, please go ahead and—”

“What are you talking about? You should stay with us.”

It seemed as if Roelsa had been waiting for Dearlin to say exactly that, because she was unable to finish her sentence.

Dearlin wanted to leave because she couldn’t bear the pity she saw in Roelsa’s eyes. But before she could leave, Rian caught her hand.

“Duke?”

“Please forgive the discourtesy, Your Majesty. I am not fully recovered yet, so I need her beside me.”

Though his words were directed at Roelsa, Rian’s gaze remained fixed on Dearlin.

‘I need my wife…’

Dearlin’s face flushed as she stared into Rian’s golden eyes, which were fixed firmly on her.

Had he ever spoken to her like that in front of others before?

He had even refused to acknowledge her as his wife once.

Slowly, she descended the few steps she had climbed and returned to stand beside him.

Seeing the shocked expression on Roelsa’s face when she witnessed this unfamiliar side of Rian was unexpectedly satisfying.

“Ahem. Of course the Duchess should join us as well.”

The Emperor stepped in before the atmosphere at the staircase could grow any more uncomfortable under the watchful eyes of the servants.

Thanks to him, all four of them were finally able to enter the drawing room.

‘Mm… The atmosphere feels a little strange…’

Everyone merely sipped the tea served by the maids, but nobody spoke.

Rian, who was sitting next to her, showed no sign of wanting to start a conversation.

Across from them, Roelsa continued to watch Rian.

Meanwhile, the Emperor wore a meaningful smile that concealed his true thoughts.

“My condition is fine, Your Majesty.”

Rian set down his teacup and looked toward the Emperor.

“That is good to hear.”

“Yes. It’s all thanks to my wife.”

Saying something so embarrassingly affectionate that it did not suit him at all, Rian took Dearlin’s hand and gently caressed it.

‘Did he hit his head while recovering or something…?’

Startled by Rian’s completely unpredictable behavior, Dearlin stared at him.

Meanwhile, Rian looked utterly unfazed, as though he were wearing a perfectly composed mask over his face.

“It seems the relationship between the Duke and Duchess has grown much closer than before.”

“Well, we spend the entire day together. It’s only natural.”

In the past, Rian would have ignored such a comment or replied curtly.

Yet now, he answered smoothly, even exaggerating a little.

‘Since when were we together all day…?!’

Although they now shared the same bedroom, aside from sleeping beside each other and occasionally eating meals together, they rarely spent time together, as Dearlin was still uncomfortable around him.

She was always finding excuses to leave the room.

Every time she did, of course, Rian would call her back under the pretense of changing the bandages on his wounds. However, they didn’t spend every moment together, as he claimed.

“You spend every day together…”

Roelsa, who had been silently listening until now, repeated Rian’s words under her breath.

Then she looked toward Dearlin sitting across from her.

The hand clutching her teacup trembled faintly.

“Isn’t that simply how married couples are supposed to be?”

The remark was clearly aimed at Roelsa.

Until now, Rian had tolerated her behavior, but he could no longer see any reason to do so.

He didn’t want to put Dearlin in situations where she could get hurt because of Roelsa.

Previously, he had overlooked it because Roelsa was once his classmate at the academy and is now the Emperor’s wife.

However, Dearlin was uncomfortable around her.

Furthermore, Rian had long since realized that Roelsa’s feelings for him had never been purely platonic.

“I truly care for you, Rian. I know you still can’t forget your former lover… but I want to stay beside you and comfort you.”

The woman who confessed to him the very moment Dearlin disappeared.

“Considering everything we’ve built over the years, I’ll pretend I never heard that. Just this once.”

He found the way she tried to exploit Dearlin’s disappearance for her own benefit deeply distasteful.

If it had been anyone else, he would have made them pay for it without hesitation.

However, Roelsa was the daughter of a prestigious marquess family and he could not easily cast aside this valuable connection, so he let it pass that one time.

Even now, he could still vividly remember how absurd it had felt when he later heard that she was going to marry the Emperor.

“…That’s true. I suppose I was simply surprised because it’s rare to see the Duke and Duchess getting along so well.”

Roelsa’s usually composed expression finally cracked when she heard something she clearly did not want to hear.

Unlike her usual self, who always spoke in a careful and indirect manner, she revealed her true feelings.

She was so openly hostile that she did not even attempt to hide it.

No one present had expected Roelsa to react so openly.

The startled Emperor was the first to reprimand her, while Rian surprisingly did not intervene immediately.

“I’ll take that as Your Majesty saying that my husband and I look close now. Thank you.”

Dearlin, who had listened quietly throughout the exchange, calmly continued the conversation.

She did not know where her courage had come from.

Perhaps it was simply because Rian’s attitude — almost acknowledging her as his wife — had given her strength.

As with Katrin before, it was something she would never normally have done.

“Duchess…”

Caught off guard by the unexpected counterattack, Roelsa let out a hollow laugh as though the situation were absurd.

But rather than focusing on Roelsa’s reaction, Dearlin cautiously watched Rian instead.

‘Was that too presumptuous of me?’

Rian let out a hearty laugh the moment he noticed the trembling unease in Dearlin’s eyes.

The sound shattered the heavy tension that had been hanging over the drawing room in an instant.

Rian seemed genuinely amused; far from being displeased, he appeared to find the situation amusing.

Little by little, the tension wrapped around Dearlin’s body began to ease.

“My wife is absolutely right. Thank you for the compliment, Your Majesty.”

Rian spoke smoothly before continuing without hesitation.

“As a matter of fact, I’ve been thinking of paying much more attention to my wife and my household from now on. Nearly dying once made me realize how precious they truly are.”

As he spoke, Rian deliberately leaned down and kissed Dearlin on the head, making sure that everyone present could see.

The Emperor responded warmly, saying that he was glad Rian had finally come to this realization.

This reaction was far more extreme than she had anticipated; she was so embarrassed that she could not bring herself to lift her head.

‘What on earth is wrong with this man today…?’

Letting out a small sigh, she lightly tapped Rian’s thigh as if telling him that was enough already.

The murderous intent in Roelsa’s gaze from directly across the room was so obvious that cold sweat naturally formed down Dearlin’s back.

“Your condition still hasn’t fully recovered, Duke. I believe the Empress and I have stayed long enough. We should take our leave now.”

Even after the Emperor stood up, Roelsa remained seated and motionless.

It was only when the Emperor, unable to bear it any longer, took her hand and helped her to her feet that she finally moved.

Until she stepped into the carriage, Roelsa continued to stare resentfully at both Dearlin and Rian.

Without her saying it aloud, her gaze seemed to scream: How could you both be so cruel to me?

“Please travel safely, Your Majesty.”

Dearlin maintained her composure and manners, even towards Roelsa, until the very end.

After hearing those words, Roelsa looked as though she wanted to say something, but ultimately kept quiet after noticing the many pairs of eyes watching nearby.

As Dearlin watched the carriage disappear into the distance, she felt as though a heavy weight had been lifted from her heart.

This was the first time she had spoken to Roelsa without being hurt by the conversation afterwards.