Bright sunlight poured over the bed of the duke and duchess.

Yuis opened her eyes in Edric’s arms, surrounded by his familiar scent, his broad chest, and the firm arm wrapped around her.

He was now, without question, her husband.

Still drowsy, she furrowed her brow as her heavy eyelids refused to lift—only for soft lips to brush against them.

When her eyes fully opened, Edric’s lips moved from her flushed cheeks to the bridge of her nose, and finally settled upon her own lips before parting.

As he pulled back slightly, her gaze met his deep blue eyes, filled only with her.

There wasn’t the slightest trace of sleep in them—he must have been awake for a while.

“When did you wake up?”

“A little while ago.”

Yuis burrowed deeper into Edric’s embrace.

His smile deepened at the feel of the n*ked woman in his arms.

His hand moved slowly along her waist and back, while kisses rained endlessly upon her hair.

Having been away from the mansion for quite some time to handle postwar matters with Hetar, Edric now focused solely on spending time with Yuis after returning to Haneder.

Once Yuis had fully awoken, Edric helped her dress and rang the call bell.

Soon after, Laura entered the room and set down the morning tea on the table.

“Good morning, my lady, my lord.”
“Good morning, Laura.”

Edric gave a slight nod in place of a reply.

Even after Laura had left, Edric showed no signs of letting Yuis go from his arms.

“The tea will go cold.”
“I can just have them bring more.”

Yuis narrowed her eyes, shooting him a glare, but Edric remained unbothered.

“If we keep this up, what will everyone in the mansion think of us?”
“They’ll think we’re a loving couple. No need to make a fuss. Besides, if not this bedroom, where else would we sleep?”

At Edric’s slightly cheeky remark, Yuis pressed her lips together.

Aside from the guest rooms, this was the only bedroom in the mansion designated for the duke and duchess.

Seeing her flustered expression, Edric chuckled softly.

As he tucked her loose hair behind her ear, he spoke again.

“My mother’s decision was the right one. I’m the one benefitting from it.”

Pulling Yuis by her slender waist, Edric lay back down beside her.

As the bright sunlight stretched into the afternoon, laughter and affectionate conversation continued to fill the air.

***

Even while they were having lunch together, Yuis couldn’t seem to put the catalog down, and Edric’s gaze narrowed slightly as he watched her.

The two of them were planning to leave soon for another honeymoon, a trip meant solely for the two of them.

“Then, after everything’s settled, I want to go back to Hetar. Just the two of us. Is that possible?”

That was what his wife had said when he asked her what she wanted to do once he returned from handling postwar matters. So she had asked him to come back quickly.

And the moment he did, Yuis devoted herself entirely to preparing for the trip.

“We’ll leave our first honeymoon just as it was, and set off again.”

Edric let out a quiet laugh and nodded. It wasn’t a difficult request.

Simple wishes like walking the seaside together again, visiting the cliffs they had missed and enjoying a picnic in the park.

He thought there wasn’t much to prepare. As long as they left together, that would be enough.

But his wife clearly thought otherwise.

Watching her practically dive into the catalogue while setting aside her cutlery, Edric finally let out a faint chuckle.

“Are you planning to be like this even at the outdoor café later?”

At his words, Yuis let out a small laugh before setting the catalog aside and meeting his gaze. The excitement shimmering in her violet eyes reached Edric clearly.

“No, of course not.”

Folding the catalog and pushing it to the side, Yuis finally began to eat.

For a while, his blue eyes stayed on her as she focused on her plate.

She was beautiful. He wanted to cherish her. Her flushed cheeks were utterly lovable.

The way the corners of her lips lifted when she smiled, the way her eyes sparkled when she was excited and couldn’t hide it, even the careful movements of her hands as she ate.

All of it was beautiful.

Her violet eyes, which had been filled with only him, were now focused on her meal.

Even so, Edric opened his mouth to speak.

“Aaron Eccles will be leaving Kalang soon. He’s headed to Darec.”

Since he would be visiting shortly, Edric figured it was best to mention it now rather than surprise her later.

“I see.”

Aaron Eccles. Terian Johannes’s husband, and Edric’s aide.

“Since he’ll be hard to see once he’s stationed in Darec, he’s stopping by to say goodbye. He should be arriving soon.”

Yuis’s expression stiffened slightly.

Edric didn’t miss even the smallest reaction.

So he immediately added,

“Terian Johannes already returned earlier. She won’t be coming to our home.”

Terian Johannes would live a life of torment from now on, dragging herself through her own private h*ll, all while maintaining the outer dignity she’d so desperately clung to.

Or perhaps, even that dignity would crumble, and she’d become the pitiable duchess everyone whispered about behind her back.

Maybe, in the end, she would live exactly the way Yuis had once hoped she wouldn’t—for a lifetime.

Swallowing the sneer that nearly escaped, Edric continued.

“You only need to see Aaron Eccles and Rina L’Edden. If even that’s too unpleasant, then just rest. I can go alone.”

Yuis remained silent for a moment. But soon, she shook her head.

“He’s your aide. I’d like to greet him as well.”

Edric accepted her choice without resistance.

Yuis no longer forced herself to do things she disliked.
If she didn’t want something, she said so.
If she liked something, she told him.

There were still moments that required some thought, but waiting for her wasn’t difficult.
Edric could wait as long as needed.

His gaze, soft and touched with warmth, lingered on Yuis.

That was when an unexpected question came.

“By the way… who is Miss Rina L’Edden?”

At her curious tone, Edric let out a faint smile.

“She’s Aaron Eccles’s eternal love.”

“…What?”

Instead of explaining further, Edric simply raised his eyebrows with a smirk and resumed eating.

In time, Yuis would come to understand the hellish life Terian Johannes now lived.
But when their own time together was already so precious, wasting it talking about that noblewoman felt unnecessary.

Yuis tilted her head slightly at Edric, who had returned to his meal then quietly picked up her cutlery again.

She no longer felt curious about Terian.

It was something she didn’t need to know.

Edric simply wasn’t telling her because it wasn’t worth knowing.

And of course, she knew her husband well enough to be certain:
if she ever did ask, he would answer everything one by one.

And because she knew that, Yuis found she didn’t need to ask anymore.

A gentle silence filled the dining room for a while until it was gradually replaced by Yuis’s plans for their upcoming honeymoon.

***

The carriage began to slow down. They had arrived at the last stop of the day: the outdoor café.

Today, they had decided to indulge in fruit-topped pancakes drenched in syrup. Naturally, Yuis’s favorite lemon soda would be part of the order.

Truthfully, these weren’t things Edric particularly enjoyed. They were dishes the mansion’s head chef could easily prepare anytime, if Yuis so wished.

But this was something his wife wanted. Yuis cherished the simple moments they spent together.

She treasured the time they dined casually at outdoor restaurants, loved walking hand-in-hand across bridges, matching her steps to his.

If it had been Edric alone, he would have never found joy in such things. But with Yuis, it was different.

She was the only one who brought color to his world, and any time spent with her became more precious than anything else.

Only Yuis gave him happiness. When he looked at her, Edric felt as if he could glimpse the very essence of joy.

Every moment they shared felt that way.

As he stepped down from the carriage, Edric lifted Yuis into his arms. She used to panic at first—but now, she seemed to be getting used to it.

Holding her gently, Edric looked at her for a moment and let out a soft chuckle before setting her down.

Instead of offering his arm, he held out his hand. As their fingers laced together, Yuis’s cheeks flushed slightly.

Pleased by the sight, Edric’s lips curved into a smile.

The couple, hand in hand, began to walk slowly.

Yuis’s violet eyes sparkled as she chatted about a new restaurant that had opened next to their favorite café. Edric smiled lazily as he listened, savoring her presence.

Beneath a sky slowly turning a rich, rosy violet, their bright laughter spread, carried on the lengthening shadows of dusk.

A day that was modest and ordinary and because of that, all the more special and beautiful was coming to an end.

It had been a beautiful, happy day.

[Complete]