“…I’m fine, so please use the bed, my lord.”

“…”

“I’ll sleep on the sofa.”

It happened just when Derek was thinking he should stop caring. He’d brought documents he needed to review while letting her sleep comfortably. 

Derek thought leaving the room now would look even stranger, so he removed her from his field of vision and continued reading the documents. But Derek stopped before finishing and turned to look at her. He was dumbfounded.

“You must think I’m quite a pathetic man.”

“Pardon?”

“I’m not such a scoundrel that I’d make a woman sleep on the sofa while I sleep comfortably in bed alone.”

“…”

“If you’re uncomfortable, I’ll just go to my study now.”

Derek, who’d planned to leave at dawn, abandoned his hesitation at Etia’s words and gathered his things. It seemed better to make up some excuse if someone found fault with this later. He didn’t think he could focus on work with someone uncomfortable beside him.

Meanwhile, Etia was flustered by Derek’s suddenly cold attitude. She’d thought he wasn’t the warm type like herself, but this was the first time he’d treated her with such coldness. Yet Etia couldn’t understand why he was angry.

Etia knew Derek had been spending nights in his study or the guest room. Even if she hadn’t wanted to know, the head steward and her personal maid would look at her pitifully while telling her. 

When she herself didn’t care at all.

But as he continued using different rooms and the servants’ gazes grew increasingly blatant, Etia began wondering if she should tell him to use the bedroom. She’d only kept deliberating, and time passed until the Imperial inspection party arrived, so she hadn’t conveyed it to him yet.

Then Derek came to the bedroom. And Etia proposed she’d use the sofa, just like she’d prepared. 

No matter what, Derek was the master of this castle, and she’d been using the bed all this time, so she thought that was right. 

Sleeping on the sofa for one night wouldn’t be a problem. Sharing the same bed with him would be more uncomfortable for Etia.

But Etia hadn’t expected him to get angry at all. Flustered, she couldn’t say anything and just stared blankly at Derek gathering his documents.

“Sleep well.”

With those words, Derek left the bedroom again. Etia still stood rooted to the same spot, Derek’s expression—which hadn’t looked like “sleep well” at all—strongly imprinted on her mind. 

She had no idea what she’d done wrong.

She thought he must want a divorce after all.

* * *

The inspection party’s schedule proceeded quite tightly. They’d already finished all necessary preparations to fulfill their schedule as soon as day broke. Though they’d clearly enjoyed drinking until late last night, they showed no signs of hangovers.

Derek had finished preparing as well. Having spent the night in his study, Derek appeared in the morning looking impeccable.

Etia, who’d woken equally early to greet the Crown Prince, briefly tried to examine his face but turned her head away when their eyes met. She hadn’t known during the two years he was gone, but expressionless Derek had quite a sharp-featured face.

“This is my first time in the North, so I’m very excited. I’m counting on you.”

“It’ll be winter soon, so there won’t be much worth seeing.”

“But it’s still my first time, isn’t it? Both summer in the North and winter in the North are important to me.”

Etia maintained an unbothered appearance as much as possible while seeing off the Crown Prince’s party. Meanwhile, Derek didn’t look at her except for that first eye contact, but Etia didn’t care. She still didn’t know why he’d gotten angry, but it wasn’t an important issue anyway. 

What did such things matter between people getting divorced? 

Etia simply thought she wouldn’t create any problems while the inspection party stayed.

“My lady. Shall I bring breakfast?”

“Yes. Something light.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Returning to her room, Etia settled by the window and enjoyed the tranquility. Having been constantly busy even before the Imperial people arrived, Etia had missed this quietness.

In truth, people had prejudices about the North and were reluctant to live here, but Etia liked the tranquility unique to the North. 

Of course, even she had worried about how she could adapt and live in this barren land until the marriage, and had difficulty adjusting, but as time passed, the North turned out to be quite compatible with her. The North and she shared similarities somehow.

The only thing that made her worry was solely her husband—Derek.

She didn’t want to care about him if she could help it, but the continuing divorce issue and the servants’ talk kept drawing unwanted attention.

During the two years he wasn’t at the castle, she hadn’t known, but even if she couldn’t see his face, as long as they lived together, stories about him constantly reached her ears. 

Moreover, since the castle’s atmosphere had changed considerably after his return, lately she’d grown increasingly tired from her fraying nerves.

Nevertheless, Etia always tried to maintain composure. So others wouldn’t find fault with her.

“How are people reacting? Any complaints about discomfort?”

“No. Everyone says they’re staying comfortably. There are many thanks for my lady’s preparations too.”

“That’s a relief. Just in case, if there’s anything needed or uncomfortable, tell me right away. The head maid can handle minor things.”

“Yes. Understood.”

Even while eating a simple meal, Etia recalled last night’s incident with him. The situation where the man she’d thought would sleep in the guest room as always was sitting right there on the bedroom sofa. 

That situation, which would have been nothing for other couples, was awkward and uncomfortable for Etia. Uncomfortable enough even thinking about it again.

Actually, it wasn’t just uncomfortable because Derek was there. 

Since his return, Etia had continuously anticipated and prepared for situations where she’d have to spend time with him, so her fluster was brief. Him being in the bedroom was one of the scenes she’d expected. Rather, she hadn’t expected him to keep sleeping in the guest room.

The biggest problem that night was the clothes. Etia didn’t know if Derek noticed, but she’d been troubled by what she was wearing. 

Thinking he naturally wouldn’t be there, Etia had entered the room in her usual thin nightgown. But with him sitting right there on the sofa, of course she’d be flustered.

Fortunately it was dark at night, but if it had been bright daylight, her body’s silhouette would have been completely visible. 

Of course they’d already spent their wedding night, but there’d been a two-year gap between then and now. Everything felt like the first time. She’d wanted to raise her arms to cover her body, but couldn’t move for fear he’d notice. That probably caused more misunderstanding.

Did Derek even know that? He’d brushed past her when leaving the room—had he seen then?

Etia shook her head at the feeling of heat rising to her face. It seemed she’d need to wear thick nightgowns until the inspection party left.

“From now on, prepare thick nightgowns for me.”

The things to worry about kept increasing.

* * *

Unlike Etia’s complicated feelings in the castle, Derek, who’d gone out to inspect the territory with the Crown Prince, felt somewhat relieved by the peaceful territorial scenery.

Derek had felt inwardly sorry to the territorial residents for continuously leaving the territory due to wars with neighboring countries and monster subjugation. 

Fortunately the proxy was someone deeply loyal to the family, otherwise he might have been stoned by the residents long ago.

But contrary to his worries, the village was lively and people’s expressions were bright. Even without showing off for the Crown Prince, Derek felt reassured by their appearance.

“Everyone seems to be preparing for winter.”

“The North’s winter is harsh.”

“I heard it snows a lot? Sometimes enough to cover the doors completely.”

“That’s right. We clear the snow as diligently as possible, but often manpower isn’t enough.”

The young Crown Prince had a bright expression throughout the inspection, like he was on a picnic. 

He stopped by the village market, looked around at various things, bought fruits and accessories, and conversed with territorial residents without hesitation. He still seemed to retain much of his commoner days.

The attendants watching from beside him couldn’t even unfurrow their displeased frowns at the Crown Prince’s behavior. 

Derek considered giving a warning but kept his mouth shut, thinking it wasn’t his authority. His mingling well with commoners might be an advantage in a way, but the road ahead looked long. 

Derek gave silent warnings to Sylvester’s bewildered knights instead of the attendants.

“Still, seeing the territorial residents’ bright expressions, you must prepare well.”

“We prepare, but if the snow stops and people suffer major damage, the castle helps as much as possible. People don’t settle well in the North, so at least the natives shouldn’t leave.”

“You must have many concerns. The North’s people are diligent and persistent enough to develop sufficiently, yet climate and monsters make it difficult. Trade between nations is also restricted because of the Land of Fire, isn’t it?”

“There won’t be subjugation for a while, so we plan to gradually expand trade between nations. For now, we’re trying to maintain agreements with the South. Since there’s opportunity to negotiate with the South, we should work toward that at least.”

“Is that why you proceeded with marriage to the Duchess?”

“…That’s right.”

During this peculiar territorial inspection, the conversation suddenly jumped elsewhere. The title “Duchess” suddenly came from the Crown Prince’s mouth.

Derek answered a bit late without realizing. And he felt his mood, which had been consistently calm, gradually sharpening. Because he remembered last night’s incident.

Derek suddenly recalled Etia’s appearance, her body’s silhouette almost completely visible. But he forcibly erased that image and followed the Crown Prince, pretending nothing was wrong.

Only after seeing her face in the morning did Derek realize his behavior last night had been excessive. Thinking about it now, Etia’s offer to sleep on the sofa might have come from her consideration in yielding the bed. Of course, he didn’t know if she had a considerate personality.

Moreover, from her perspective, it would naturally be flustering for him to come without notice when he’d never come to the couple’s bedroom before. 

As if that weren’t enough, the Crown Prince had mentioned “second generation” at dinner that evening, so even more so. She might have hated even seeing his face.

Because she wanted a divorce.

“Does she know too?”

“She knows. It was a marriage with a purpose from the start. Aren’t all noble marriages like that?”

When Derek first heard through his aide Serman that she seemed to be preparing for divorce, he was a bit surprised but not shocked. 

It had been a marriage arranged with terms between families from the start, and there was no affection between them. 

Moreover, he’d made her live practically like a widow for two years, and even after returning wasn’t acting like a husband, so he thought a woman could reasonably want divorce.