“Bringing in another wife would be denying your existence. And above all, she’s a princess. You might have to bow your head to her, and I hated that idea even more. Besides, there’s a reason the Charlot Marquis family has a tradition of not taking second wives. There was so much strife because of it.”

Luden spoke at length. My heart stirred.

“Won’t you regret it? That you should have accepted that marriage proposal later?”

“Would Annelia be okay with me accepting the marriage proposal?”

Luden struck right at the heart of it. I was at a loss for words.

“Or do you want me to marry someone else?”

At Luden’s sharp words, I bowed my head for a moment.

“…No.”

The answer came after a long pause.

Someday, Luden would fall in love with her. So I should let him go. Since I’d have to let him go anyway, maybe it would be better to do it now.

But watching Luden choose me over the family’s interests made me think strange thoughts.

I wanted to keep Luden as long as possible.

“Today, I…”

Our first night together came to mind.

It had been a hot, tender, happy night.

I’d felt like he loved me. That sensation wouldn’t let me go.

I realized something through this incident.

“I want to be with Luden tonight.”

“Are you… serious?”

“Yes.”

Luden moved the carriage.

“Let’s go to the Charlot estate.”

Luden’s voice was suppressing something.

“Annelia, you sometimes make me lose my reason.”

After saying that, he sighed.

“Like right now.”

He came to me and kissed me. We touched and explored each other in the carriage.

Even after arriving at my room in the Charlot estate, Luden explored me frantically. I also cried out several times in his arms.

Reaching the peak of pleasure and calling his name, I realized something.

I seemed to really like Luden a lot.

I was being swayed by a man who said he’d respect me and actually showed it through his actions.

* * *

A man with black hair and light red eyes bowed his head toward Kajiian.

Not long after Luden left, he entered and was having a private audience with Kajiian.

“I made a marriage proposal to Marquis Charlot.”

At Kajiian’s words, Alsellon was silent for a moment. Kajiian looked at him and spoke with seeming regret.

“If you weren’t married, I would have chosen you as the match.”

“It’s fine.”

Though he said this, Alsellon was dumbfounded. How long ago had he gotten married?

“Did Luden refuse?”

“He did.”

“That’s unexpected.”

He seemed like he’d do anything to keep his position as Marquis.

“He said he was fine now and refused.”

Luden wasn’t yet a complete Marquis. If he made even one mistake before finishing knight training, he could no longer remain Marquis.

But if Luden connected with the imperial family, the story would be different.

Alsellon was silent for a moment. Why was the Emperor stepping in like this now?

“Is the task I assigned you before finished?”

Alsellon was moving under the Emperor’s orders.

“Of course.”

“Report and go.”

Why was the Emperor saying this to him?

He couldn’t understand what Kajiian was thinking.

* * *

After Alsellon left, an attendant entered and served tea.

“It seems Marquis Charlot refused well.”

“Indeed.”

Kajiian recalled Luden firmly refusing. Though he was obsessed with the Marquis position, he wasn’t someone who coveted the power the Charlot Marquis family held.

His hand lifted the teacup, then set it down.

“Your tea always tastes good.”

“Thank you.”

“It’s fortunate Luden refused.”

If Luden had accepted the marriage proposal, he would have received his restraint.

He’d tested Luden’s heart using marriage as bait, but Luden didn’t fall for it. The Charlot Marquis family’s power was already too strong, so he’d done it just in case, but Marquis Charlot had kept his place.

So he felt relieved and subtly let Alsellon know that he acknowledged Marquis Charlot.

Since he was acknowledging that Luden had grown this much, Alsellon would eventually realize his intentions too.

And Annelia Rosaline.

She’d always been a woman without presence, but she’d emerged as high society’s hot topic.

She was a woman who manipulated public opinion appropriately to make it favorable to herself, then attacked her enemies.

He’d watched her drive out Jiton. Everyone sympathized with Annelia’s position and cheered for her.

Hadn’t even the Empress been pleased when she heard that news?

Drawing out such people’s emotions wasn’t easy. She would need to be watched going forward.

* * *

Luden and I were kissing. Right after I said I wanted to be with him, he approached me while I was reading and started kissing me, and I accepted him.

After the kiss ended, he carefully broached the subject.

“How about just moving in early?”

“Here?”

“You’ll need to learn how the household runs too.”

Luden gave various reasons.

They were all perfectly valid, so I couldn’t find grounds to refuse.

“Does Luden want me to live with you in this house?”

I wanted to know his real feelings, not trivial reasons.

Luden made a strange expression, seemingly caught off guard.

“Are you asking while already knowing?”

“What do I know?”

“Hah, the problem is you don’t know.”

He grumbled while binding me with his gaze.

“Isn’t it good to be with one’s wife?”

Wife. Though it was a temporarily assigned position, I still liked it. He was strangely not revealing his true feelings, but that was fine. Because I could be with him.

“Alright.”

I decided to move my belongings to the Charlot Marquis estate before the wedding.

* * *

“I thought you were keeping your distance?”

Andre looked at Luden and grinned.

“You’re noisy.”

“See, I told you to have a talk.”

“So I did.”

Luden said this and looked at Andre.

Originally, he’d planned to keep his distance from Annelia. But through the Emperor’s incident, he decided to keep Annelia by his side. He felt that showing they were getting along well would prevent such things from happening in the future.

“Annelia comes tomorrow.”

“You’re going on a business trip tomorrow.”

“Please take care of things.”

At Luden’s words, Andre nodded.

“Don’t worry.”

Andre grinned.

“Don’t say anything unnecessary.”

Luden warned Andre. But Andre had no intention of listening to those words at all.

* * *

After it was decided I’d move into the Charlot house early, I boarded the carriage with a fluttering heart.

“You did well to live together. This way you can take over the Charlot family, and I can watch you take over high society too, Miss.”

Wait, when did I take over high society? I was slightly dumbfounded. At my look, Lella spoke matter-of-factly.

“You defeated Duke Hanel’s son, so now you just need to conquer high society.”

I wasn’t interested in that. I just needed to not be disrespected like before as Annelia. Luden also said he’d work to ensure I wasn’t disrespected.

I recalled that moment. When he refused the marriage, the strange sensation I felt as my heart raced came back to me.

‘This is troublesome.’

I calmed my racing heart. First, I needed to move my belongings to the Charlot family.

I dozed off in the carriage. Meanwhile, we arrived at the estate, and I got out of the carriage and looked at the man who came out to greet me.

It’s Andre.

“Welcome, my lady.”

Andre was the knight commander, right? But normally knight commanders would wear swords, yet no sword was visible at Andre’s waist. When I found this curious, Andre smiled and said.

“I don’t usually wear a sword at the estate. And we received word that the Marquis will arrive in the evening.”

“Oh my, I see. Then we can have dinner together when Luden arrives.”

Andre’s eyes sparkled and he said quietly, “I’ll arrange that. But was there no opposition to Lady Annelia living here?”

At his words, I tilted my head. Opposition? Ah, did he mean my father’s opposition?

“Yes, my father was a bit disappointed, but I said I needed to go and came.”

It was better to learn the work at the estate in advance. Andre nodded as though understanding.

What, was I not supposed to come? But if that were the case, Luden wouldn’t have even brought it up.

Andre sociably guided me to the main building of the estate. Since I’d been there before, I could guess where he was going.

Arriving at the room traditionally used by the Marquis’s wife, I took out my belongings. Annelia had many dresses and accessories. Of course, half of these were things Luden had bought for me.

“The Marquis asked me to give you this.”

Andre gave me a small flower. A single rose was beautifully wrapped.

Of course, it wasn’t an ordinary rose. Silver lights were softly gathered around the rose. Looking at the small light particles, I touched them with my hand.

<Welcome.>

Words were written in the air. It was Luden’s handwriting.

“What is this?”

“It’s a rose with magic on it.”

“I know that, but did Luden arrange this himself?”

“He prepared it as a substitute since he couldn’t come greet you.”

It couldn’t be helped if he was busy. But Luden must have felt sorry about it.

My heart was stirring again. I worried that unnecessary feelings might grow.

“The maids will organize your belongings, so why don’t you look around the estate, my lady?”

“I’ll do that.”

Actually, I’d looked around a bit before, but hadn’t seen every nook and cranny. I’d only seen the places Luden guided me to, I suppose.

“First, I’ll go greet the former Marquis’s wife.”

“Do you mean Lady Anan?”

“Yes.”

Andre smiled brightly.

“Lady Annelia seems truly considerate. You understand so well what Lord Luden and we hope for.”

“She’s my family now. It’s only natural to greet her.”

Andre quickly guided me to Anan’s room. If she wasn’t feeling well, I planned to just see her face and leave.

The magic circle was still drawn in Anan’s room. Andre rang the bell at the entrance to confirm Anan was awake.

The room was dark. The shadow of death seemed ready to cover this place at any moment. But it wasn’t unfamiliar, so I moved my steps while looking at Anan.

“Welcome, Annelia.”

“Yes, my lady.”

“Call me Anan.”

Anan spoke kindly.