“Ah….. But the gift……”

“We can deliver the gift later.”

Just then, as if on cue, Hestina appeared.

“No, I want to receive it now.”

That lively voice froze Bellota’s heart, which she had just managed to calm. When she turned her head, she saw a woman’s face glowing like sunlight, even in the deep night.

“Saintess, it’s been so long.”

A pure and joyful smile spread across Hestina’s face as she offered her warm greeting. That smile sent a sharp pang through Bellota’s heart.

“And Sir, it’s been a while. I heard about the source point. What an amazing couple you are.”

Seiden greeted her formally as if he was meeting Hestina for the first time. He acted composed and brazen, as if their secret meeting earlier had never happened.

Seiden was acting in front of her. At this obvious fact, Bellota felt as if the ground beneath her feet was falling away.

“I’ve missed you both so much.”

Not a trace of impurity mixed in Hestina’s smile as she said these words. Seeing that smile made Bellota’s uncomfortable feelings seem almost sinful. She unconsciously clutched her skirt and pressed her lips together.

Though she tried to think there must be some circumstance between them, strange emotions that were hard to handle kept surging up, making Bellota’s throat sting.

“Give me my present, quickly.”

Seiden handed the gift he had brought from the carriage to Bellota. The meaning was clear — she should present it herself since she had prepared it.

Bellota moved her stiffened hands to take the gift and awkwardly held it out.

“It’s nothing special, but I prepared it for Your Highness.”

Bellota smiled calmly. The gentle voice that escaped her lips felt like it belonged to someone else.

“Thank you! May I open it?”

“Of course.”

Hestina excitedly opened her gift right away. Inside the luxurious box was a bracelet imbued with Bellota’s holy power.

“I heard Your Highness will participate in the hunting festival. Though magical items are forbidden at the hunting festival, this bracelet contains only refined holy power and blessings, unrelated to magic. It will protect Your Highness from dangerous things.”

“Oh my……”

Emotion flooded Hestina’s eyes at Bellota’s explanation.

“It’s so beautiful…… And……”

Hestina grabbed Bellota’s hands as if overcome with emotion.

“To think you would worry about me participating in the hunting festival……”

Seeing Hestina’s teary eyes, truly moved, something deep in Bellota’s stomach began to sting unbearably. What emotions was she feeling toward a woman who could be so touched by such a simple gift?

“I want to offer a blessing to the Saintess as well.”

Hestina called over a passing servant and took two wine glasses from the tray. She held one out to Bellota.

“A blessing to the wonderful Saintess who defeated the source point, and to the excellent Holy Knight Commander!”

Everyone around raised their glasses in agreement. Hestina drained her glass in one go and looked at Bellota with sparkling eyes.

When the startled Bellota hesitated, Seiden reached for her glass as if to drink it in her place. However, at that moment, Bellota avoided his hand.

“……?”

At this clearly intentional gesture, Seiden’s hand stopped awkwardly in mid-air. Taken aback, he instinctively checked Bellota’s expression. Bellota was stubbornly staring at her wine glass. Stubbornness. Seiden immediately recognized this unfamiliar emotion in her usually benevolent eyes.

Seiden had seen those eyes before. Long ago, when Bellota was distributing holy water to the Holy Knight Order. That day, Bellota had deliberately ignored his hand.

Back then, things weren’t good between Bellota and him. More precisely, Bellota had been angry at his forceful attitude. But why now….. Was it his imagination?

Before Seiden’s doubts could subside, Bellota squeezed her eyes shut and downed her glass just as Hestina had done. As the wine that had filled the glass disappeared in an instant, Seiden’s breath stopped. Hestina was delighted and hugged Bellota tightly while cheering.

“Amazing, Saintess!”

Bellota, bewildered in the Princess’s embrace, managed an awkward smile.

That’s when it happened. As the tingling sensation flowed from her throat down to her stomach, the stinging pain in Bellota’s heart suddenly stopped. Surprised, Bellota looked at her empty glass with wide eyes.

It was truly amazing. As the alcohol entered her body, her blood vessels warmed up, and her heart no longer constricted when she looked at Hestina. She felt nothing when Hestina hugged her like a close friend and smiled brightly. No, rather, she felt like joining in the joy.

Alcohol. Bellota realized that alcohol was the answer. Having gained this rare insight, Bellota determinedly picked up another glass, causing Seiden’s eyebrows to rise as he watched.

As far as he knew, Bellota couldn’t drink at all. During their honeymoon travels across the continent, she had become so drunk she could barely stand after just three sips, and had substituted all drinks with fruit juice since then. Yet now, not satisfied with one glass but two, just what……

“Bellota. That’s enough……”

But before he could stop her, Bellota had already downed another glass.

“Ooh……”

This time even Hestina blinked in surprise. Bellota, who had emptied another glass in one go, flashed a satisfied smile at her surprised face. And it happened in an instant. Bellota’s alcohol-affected body swayed uncontrollably.

“Oh no……! Saintess!”

Seiden, who had been watching her anxiously, caught her body like lightning, as if he had anticipated everything.

As Hestina let out a startled cry, darkness fell over Bellota’s eyes.

* * *

Seiden carried the heavily intoxicated, stumbling Bellota out of the banquet hall.

It was truly an absurd turn of events. To think they would return home early because Bellota was drunk. He had never imagined such a thing. Seiden was bewildered. Not only had Bellota suddenly consumed two glasses of alcohol she normally wouldn’t even touch, but she kept……

“Mmnh……”

She kept trying to push him away.

Even though she was so drunk she could barely hold herself up in the carriage, Bellota was struggling with all her might not to lean on Seiden. Every time her slight frame threatened to fall forward without support, Seiden patiently caught her. This behavior was clearly related to how she had avoided his hand earlier when he tried to take her wine glass.

But why? Seiden was bewildered, unable to understand the reason.

Since when? Since when…… As he pondered, Prince Derent’s words suddenly flashed through Seiden’s mind.

“Nothing in particular. But I would like to tell you this one thing. A man who is too possessive loses his charm, Sir. Women grow tired of such men.”

Remembering that irritating voice, Seiden’s breath caught for a moment. Grow tired?

The stiffened Seiden watched Bellota as she continued trying to distance herself from him. Nonsense.

As Seiden tried to shake off that unpleasant voice, Bellota’s words from before brushed past his ears.

“If you trust me, you shouldn’t have such anxiety.”

Unfortunately, just as the ominous prince had said, Bellota had once warned him about his possessiveness. Seiden anxiously tried to recall if he had been too rude to Prince Derent earlier. Though he had maintained a stiff expression out of necessity, surely it wasn’t because of that?

No, that couldn’t be it. Bellota wouldn’t grow tired of him over something so trivial. Barely holding onto his reason and trying to stay calm, Seiden swallowed dryly.

Besides, he had accompanied Bellota today because Hestina had sent invitations to both of them. Unlike what Derent suggested, he hadn’t forcibly tagged along just because it was somewhere Bellota was going.

Of course, he wouldn’t deny that he had firmly resolved to prevent Derent from approaching Bellota, having anticipated the prince would be there. But that had been his private thought — how could Bellota have known about it?

“Bellota, we’ve arrived.”

“I can…… walk by myself……”

When Bellota, who had been stubbornly refusing his help, nearly fell over in the carriage, Seiden was truly at his wit’s end. He lifted the persistently stubborn Bellota and headed into the mansion.

Leaving the anxious servants behind, Seiden went straight to the bedroom and placed Bellota, who was struggling to get down from his arms, onto the bed.

“Bellota.”

Flushed all over from the alcohol, Bellota pressed her lips together and didn’t answer his call. Growing anxious, Seiden finally pulled out his hidden card.

“Honey.”

However, even at this embarrassing endearment, Bellota only flinched slightly but wouldn’t look at him. His heart sank. But Seiden, who never knew when to give up, continued his pitiful attempts.

“Should I have water brought?”

Even at this tender question, Bellota only slightly shook her head while avoiding his gaze. Her behavior made Seiden anxious.

His mouth grew parched, wondering if Bellota had really grown tired of his persistence.

“Very well, then. We should go to bed early.”

Seiden climbed onto the bed and reached out to help undress Bellota, who still couldn’t properly control her body. However, at that moment, Bellota once again avoided his touch and turned her head away.

His hand froze in shock at her action. Bellota had never once rejected his touch before.

“……Bellota.”

Though Seiden called out desperately, no answer came. He realized that Bellota didn’t want to be with him. Bellota not wanting to be with him… Seiden couldn’t believe it, but he could do whatever Bellota wanted. Whatever it might be.

Finally, as he quietly got off the bed and was about to leave the room, Seiden couldn’t hold back and walked heavily back to the bed, approaching Bellota’s side.

“What is it. Have you really grown tired of me?”

At those words, Bellota’s shoulders, which had been trembling with her back turned, stiffened.

“Even so…… Even so, I can’t. Even if you’re completely tired of me, I can’t let you go. I can’t. Never.”

Seiden issued his threat in a devastated voice.

Him saying that he could do whatever Bellota wanted was a petty lie. Now, he could never let Bellota go. Even if it meant dying again.

At this, Bellota rose from the bed and turned to face Seiden. Bewilderment settled on her flushed face.

“Tired of you……? Who said that……?”

At this baffling question, Seiden’s constricted breath was released. But then why?

Seiden sat beside Bellota and held her delicate shoulders to prevent her from turning away again, pressing her with an earnest interrogation.

“Then why are you avoiding me?”

At this, Bellota pressed her lips together again. Her already flushed cheeks grew even redder. It was a face that seemed embarrassed and ashamed of something. Clearly, something he didn’t know about had happened. Seiden couldn’t stand it. To have something about Bellota that he didn’t know.

“There should be no secrets between husband and wife.”