Seated at the mahogany desk, Iela was reading a letter. Anton’s office, the only comfortable space in the neglected castle, was the perfect place to read a letter from Diana.

Valentin was standing beside her without fail, as he always did. Without any sign of trying to peek at the contents of the letter, he was gazing at the sunlight streaming in through the window with a look of contentment on his dazzling face.

It was a rare sunny day for Valita. The man’s pale skin shimmered in the light. It was a sight captivating enough that Iela found herself staring without thinking, even in the middle of reading the letter.

Unable to bear watching Valentin insist on standing, Anton had brought over a large armchair, and the man was now sunk into it, occasionally reaching into the air with his long fingers as though trying to catch the sunlight.

‘Seeing things like that, he is a little lacking, I suppose.’

Three days had passed since the marriage that was not quite a marriage. The man who had declared with such confidence that he would uncover the identity of the ghost had yet to make any notable move.

Anton had reported that it seemed to be taking time for him to gather his colleagues.

Having gone into the domain to assess the situation, Anton returned tilting his head in puzzlement, saying that the ripple caused by the marriage seemed smaller than expected.

“That is probably because many people regard Lord Bahar as an omen.”

“An omen?”

“Something like a symbol of misfortune. The kind of thing where speaking his name carelessly is thought to steal your luck.”

At Iela’s helpful explanation, Anton let out a sigh. The real reason was that Diana had honored her request, leaving people unaware that the lord had married, but there was no particular need for Anton to know the truth.

“There are still so many foolish people who believe in such superstitions.”

Anton said, showing off his intelligence with an air of superiority.

“My lord is simply extremely shy. As Miss Lorid must know by now, what about him could possibly warrant attaching such an ominous word as curse.”

“Shy, is it…”

Iela looked at the man. He had at some point shifted into a sprawling position, legs draped over the armrest, and when their eyes met, he smiled as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

“He is simply not skilled with people. That is precisely why the Mivela family exists. To ease my lord’s difficulties.”

A shy man who was not skilled with people was half-lying down in someone else’s office, playing with his hands.

Iela, who had taken over Anton’s desk, was not in a position to point that out, but at the very least Diana never made excuses for herself, claiming that she was so bashful she ended up behaving rudely without meaning to.

Diana did ask to be left alone as much as possible, but since that was something Iela wanted as well, she had no complaints about it.

Even Diana, who adored Iela beyond measure, was never this blindly infatuated, so why on earth did she have to sit here watching a squire put on such a display of devotion.

On top of that, it was also rather amusing that he was so desperately trying to conceal his master’s flaws when he was, in truth, afraid of Valentin.

“In any case, I have found out who that man is. Peter Carpenter. He is more capable than the others who have come to the castle before. The colleagues he is trying to summon appear to be mercenaries rather than people in the same trade. Since it seems he is prepared to resort to force if necessary, my strength alone would not be enough to protect Miss Lorid.”

“Lady Iela.”

Valentin, who had been resting with his eyes closed like a cat, dropped those two words. His eyes remained closed. Anton, who flinched, corrected the form of address and continued.

“It would be best for Lady Iela to stay in the annex.”

“The annex?”

Iela asked back. Valentin’s eyelids lifted. Anton noticed and swallowed dryly, but resolved not to back down easily.

“The annex has quarters for the knight order. They are not particularly useful to my lord, but I hired them at my own discretion because they are necessary for running the domain without disruption.”

“Ah. I have seen them. They came to help with repairs when an avalanche brought down a few houses.”

“Yes. In Valita, rather than guarding against enemy invasions, it is more of a priority to have able-bodied people on hand for emergencies. Since they were also mercenaries before, I believe there is no better match for dealing with other mercenaries.”

Iela thought of the armored group that had flanked the carriage on her way to the castle. They said individual differences varied from person to person, but she had heard that a knight order also valued uniformity and was strict about physical requirements upon entry.

Yet the knight order of Valita was all different shapes and sizes. She had thought that with a lord like that, the knight order could hardly be expected to be any different, and sure enough, their past as mercenaries had come to light.

“The castle is in this state, and the knight order is made up of former mercenaries. It seems Lord Bahar does not place much importance on appearances.”

Iela said with a smile. At the obvious mockery, Anton’s expression stiffened. Valentin, on the other hand, simply nodded in agreement.

“Lady Iela, please mind your words. The Bahar family is one of the oldest and most historically distinguished noble families in the kingdom. They made an immense contribution to expanding the kingdom’s map by conquering the harsh terrain of Valita, which no one else had been able to claim.”

“That is ancient history. Lord Bahar, by your account, is extremely shy, so let us say he is simply refusing to engage in social activities. But the previous lords were never summoned to the capital either, were they? In the end, does that not simply mean that Valita, sitting at the very edge of the map, is of no interest to anyone as long as it does not start a rebellion?”

“Please, hold your tongue!”

“Do not act like Philip Lorid. There is no need to be so alarmed. There are only the three of us here, so who is going to repeat anything. This is one thing I do appreciate, Lord Bahar. Not needing to watch what I say.”

“Miss Lorid would not have watched her words even if there were thirty people here.”

Feeling a heavy gaze on him, Anton corrected himself.

“Lady Iela, that is.”

Valentin straightened up. It was a simple movement, yet it had a way of drawing all attention to it, and the two of them quietly waited for him to speak.

Iela realized she had done the same and clicked her tongue.

“The annex would not be bad. People live there, so it is probably cleaner than the castle.”

Unable to stand being subdued by someone else’s presence, Iela spoke first. She acknowledged that Valentin was a beautiful man.

But that beauty ought to remain nothing more than beauty to be admired. Like a masterpiece painting or a sculpture. Looking and enjoying was fine, but it would not do for him to become an object of reverence.

Revering an inanimate thing was something only a madman did, and Iela was not the sort of person to sit quietly while her own reason was being encroached upon.

“The annex is too noisy.”

“I can tolerate a little noise.”

“I cannot.”

Valentin responded seriously.

“When you bathe or change your clothes, I have no choice but to be apart from you for a short while, and since the main castle is under my control, I can wait, but in the annex, I cannot.”

“You speak as though you are quite good at waiting, Lord Bahar. You glare terribly every time my maids come in. Thanks to that, they rush so much that neither my bath nor my dressing is to my satisfaction. Those girls are thorough in their work because I trained them myself, but lately they have been making mistakes more frequently, and it is quite inconvenient.”

“If you will permit it, I will attend to you myself.”

“You are aware we have had this conversation multiple times, are you not? I will decline. Be satisfied with bathing and changing behind a screen in the same room. That alone is already more than enough of a per…”

“Lady Iela!”

Anton, having inferred what word was about to follow, hurried to cut her off with a shout. He too had been appalled by the series of events relayed to him indirectly.

At the same time, he was grateful that Valentin had not gone so far as to insist on bathing together. So perhaps he had not yet crossed into the territory of that word. Anton forced himself to rationalize.

“…vert.”

Iela finished the word with a smug smile. Anton doubled over clutching his stomach. Lately he had been suffering from a stomach ailment he had never had before, his health deteriorating day by day.

“It is too much, and I would like to be apart from Lord Bahar for a little while.”

She felt she had made it sufficiently clear that the problem in this marriage was Valentin. A wife who had grown exhausted by her husband’s perverted behavior and had finally come to want a divorce.

It was the sort of story that could happen anywhere, and the sort of story that a noble would find difficult to speak of openly to the world.

“My maids seem to pity me as well. Lately they have been whispering to ask if I am truly all right.”

Her gaze was directed at Valentin, but the words were meant for Anton to hear.

“My lord. It is for Lady Iela’s protection.”

Anton, having finally made up his mind, spoke with firm resolve.

“You have managed perfectly well without Lady Iela until now, have you not? If she moves to the annex, her maids will follow, and the castle will return to the same state it was in before. I will also make sure not to come near my lord’s bedchamber as much as possible. I promise there will be nothing to cause my lord any discomfort.”

Valentin looked at Anton with an expressionless face and let go of the hand he had been holding. He let out a brief groan through his teeth.

The man rested both hands on the armrests, and despite the pained furrow between his brows, the corner of his mouth curved upward with a slight, cold smile.

“Your mind is truly contemptible.”

He crossed his long legs and rested his chin in his hand. Iela stared at him for a moment, slightly dazed.

“Every last Mivela is contemptible. And you, among them, are foolish on top of it. Do you truly believe that someone like you being careful could ever replace Iela.”

“……”

“You are making quite a racket in there. My ears are ringing from it. Yes, you were the one who chose Iela. But did you not offer her to me? So she is mine now.”

“……”

“The title of lord’s deputy that brings glory to the Mivela family is all thanks to me as well. Do not wail about how unfair it is. Even if someone like you were to disappear, the castle and Valita would carry on just fine. But if I were to cast you aside, the Mivela family would crumble to dust.”

Iela looked down at Anton, who was trembling. He was on his knees on the carpet with his head bowed low.

His mouth had not opened even once. And yet Valentin seemed to hear his pleas.

She turned her gaze to Valentin. The man who had always worn a blank expression and simply nodded at whatever Iela did was nowhere to be found.

The ferocity that had settled over the face she had thought held only a fleeting beauty seized Iela. It captivated her.

Perhaps the man was not mad after all.

Perhaps the man, despite possessing such formidable power, had chosen to be gentle only with Iela.

Having brought Anton to his knees, he turned his head and looked at Iela.

The razor-sharp edge of his presence vanished in an instant, and a gaze that seemed to be expecting something met hers. He was probably hoping to be praised.

‘This is exciting.’

Iela covered her smoothly curving lips with her palm and trembled inwardly, where no one could see.