As I came out wearing the dress, Evan slowly rose from his seat with a stern face.

But he wasn’t the only man standing up.

“F… Father?”

Recardo was standing there, though I didn’t know when he had arrived.

Dressed in a black uniform, he stared at me intently as if his feet were nailed to the floor.

And then…

“Brother…?”

That familiar sky-blue hair… Jin was standing there too.

How did these two know to come here?

Recardo and Jin were looking at me with expressions as stern as Evan’s.

As if they had seen something serious.

“….”

I stood frozen for a while before remembering that I was wearing a wedding dress.

Ah, how embarrassing.

“Um… Does it suit me…?”

I asked them with an awkward smile.

All three of them remained silent, their lips tightly closed.

‘Is it not good…?’

Just as I was starting to think the dress might not suit me due to their lukewarm reaction.

“…Sasha.”

Recardo’s tightly closed lips finally moved.

“….”

I looked at Recardo with wavering eyes.

Recardo took a couple of steps closer to me.

My father, Recardo, the most handsome and impressive man in the world, was just as he was when I was born.

I could see myself reflected in his green eyes.

Recardo reached out and tucked a stray strand of my hair behind my ear.

Then, with a faint smile on his lips, he spoke.

His low voice flowed into my ears.

“…There could be nothing more beautiful in this world than you.”

It was certainly an expression uncharacteristic of the Dark King Recardo Winchester.

For a man whose highest praise was ‘not bad’ even when seeing the most beautiful sights, or ‘edible’ for the most delicious foods… to say such words.

“….”

At those words, a smile began to spread across my face along with a flush.

I could tell that Recardo’s answer was sincere.

And soon, I bowed my head slightly to him in greeting.

“Thank you for raising me to be happy.”

Recardo’s eyes wavered at my words.

After looking at me for a moment, he nodded.

I could see Evan and Jin standing there.

Jin opened his lips for a moment with a clouded look in his eyes.

“This is surely… to make into a doll…”

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he snapped out of it.

Jin then put his hand on his forehead.

“No, now… I shouldn’t do that. Get a grip.”

I don’t know what this self-talk was about, but I shrugged and asked.

“Does it suit me? What do you think, Brother?”

Jin’s eyes, having lost their clouded look and regained their usual clarity, were bright.

His lips moved a bit heavily.

“I agree with Father’s words.”

“….”

“You’re dazzling.”

I blushed a little.

The dress looked pretty even in the mirror, but it seemed to suit me beyond expectations.

For Jin, who has a stiff personality, though not as much as Father, to use the expression ‘dazzling’.

I turned around once, looking at Evan.

The reason I’m wearing this dress, the person who will become my husband, Evan Taylors.

His cheeks looked a bit redder than usual, and his gaze didn’t leave me.

Even without words, I think I understand Evan’s thoughts.

Smiling brightly, I turned my gaze to Recardo and Jin and asked.

“But how did you know to come here?”

Jin answered.

“The owner of this place is also under Winchester’s protection, so information about what you’re doing naturally comes to us.”

Many of Rosento’s ruffians are often associated with underground forces.

Recardo protected the central shops from ruffians with his power over the underworld.

That job, which Othello used to do mainly, was now being handled by Jin as well.

“And with the wedding approaching…”

Jin’s sharp gaze turned towards Evan.

His disapproving look was embarrassingly intense.

“It seems like family time is decreasing, so we have no choice but to meet often and remind you. That you are a Winchester, Sasha, whether you get married or not.”

Despite Jin’s overtly hostile gaze, Evan seemed used to it.

“Oh, come on, Brother…”

I said to Jin.

“You know I’ve agreed to stay at the mansion even after getting married, right?”

At my words, Jin just twitched his eyebrow but didn’t say anything more.

“It will be the same before and after the wedding, Brother, and Father.”

So Jin’s reason for wanting to meet me often because of the marriage is just an excuse.

Because our family will still see each other plenty, even after the wedding.

I recalled what I had asked Evan on the day he proposed to me.

***

“You know our newlywed home? I’ve been thinking a lot about it…”

At first, I thought it might be too much to ask.

“How about making it in the Square?”

Evan is the head of the Taylors, one of the four great ducal families of the Empire, the Light Taylors.

So it’s natural for him to stay in Taylors.

There must be a lot of work in the territory, and the position of the family head is not easy enough to handle affairs while commuting to Winchester.

It would make sense for me, a duke’s daughter who isn’t even at the level of a family head, to live in the Taylors mansion after marrying him.

However, I didn’t want to leave the Winchester mansion, which is filled with deep memories from my childhood to now.

But if you ask if there’s no way for us to live together as a couple, that’s not the case.

Because we have the ‘Square’.

Currently, we can both freely enter and exit the Square.

No matter how far apart we are, we can meet instantly if we have the Square.

So if we decorate the Square as our newlywed home, we can be in the same house while living apart.

“If that’s what you want, I don’t mind anything. But… are you sure it’s okay?”

“Someday… when I’m ready to leave home, I might return the key and go.”

Maybe such a day will come when Jin gets married and has to return his key, or when my feelings about the Winchester mansion become a little lighter.

“Until then, I want to stay at Winchester.”

Evan nodded.

“Let’s do that. Everyone’s home is special.”

And from that day on, the renovation of the Square began.

We put up new wallpaper and laid new flooring in the Square he had used during countless regressions.

With the help of an interior designer, we turned it into a bedroom no less impressive than any mansion’s.

I took charge of the design and layout, while Evan handled the heavy lifting.

It couldn’t be helped since no one else could enter the Square but us.

But it was quite enjoyable to decorate our newlywed home with our own hands.

Anyway, with our efforts, the Square newlywed home became as splendid and beautiful as any mansion’s bedroom.

“…Then we’ll be taking our leave now.”

As I was thinking about the new home in the Square, I heard Recardo’s voice.

“Ah… it would be nice if you could stay for some tea.”

“We’re busy today, so come visit the office next time.”

“Yes. I’ll bring ginger honey tea and lemon cookies.”

As I replied with a smile, Recardo said,

“It was worth taking time away from work to come here. I got to see… how beautiful my daughter is.”

I feel my face getting a bit hot at his words.

It was really unlike Recardo to speak that way. It’s awkward.

“See you in the evening, Sasha.”

Jin followed Recardo.

“Yes, Brother, and Father.”

I waved my hand.

“Take care on your way back. I’ll see you at home.”

With the sound of a bell, the door closed, and their figures disappeared.

As soon as they completely left the shop, Evan strode towards me.

His face, which had been gradually stiffening and reddening since he first saw me in the dress, was still the same color.

In his cool gaze, only I was reflected in his blue eyes.

He parted his heavy lips.

“I had a lot I wanted to say, but couldn’t.”

“Father and Brother are… a bit overprotective, aren’t they?”

Then Evan slowly put his hand on my shoulder.

“But what did you want to say?”

“…I forgot.”

A bland answer came.

Well, it’s understandable to forget what you wanted to say when Father and Jin suddenly barged in.

As I smiled slightly, Evan continued.

“Even though I’ve forgotten everything, there’s only one thought left in my mind right now.”

“….”

Evan’s low voice was heard.

“I can see your lips.”

His eyebrows were set seriously.

“I want to kiss you.”

My heart was pounding at his honest voice and intensely deep gaze.

Looking at him with wavering eyes, I nodded slightly.

As if he had been waiting for this, his lips touched mine.

A sweet sense of happiness was washing over me.