Hailey didn’t expect the Grand Duke to be so openly unpleasant.

When she accepted the marriage, she was in such a hurry that she didn’t think about anything else, but now that they had come to Winchester, Hailey felt embarrassed on Axel’s behalf, realizing how absurd and cunning this plan had been.

Whether Hailey felt a secondhand shame or not, Axel was feeling very proud.

He once again thought that people should use their heads well.

“Anyway, now that you two are married and have come here, you must follow the rules of this place. In Winchester, the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess have equal authority. Basically, the Grand Duke is in charge of the affairs of the entire territory, and the Grand Duchess is responsible for the internal affairs of the castle, but when a major problem arises in the territory, the Grand Duchess has the duty to help solve that problem together. It’s a very weighty role.”

The Grand Duke continued to burden Hailey, as if telling her to listen.

Usually, the mistress of a noble house only had to take care of the household. Of course, some of those duties were sometimes shared with the head maid or butler. For most noble ladies in mainland Zenovia, holding tea parties or giving birth to sons were the most important duties.

But it was different in Winchester. The role of the Grand Duchess was this important?

Not only was it just giving a position, but in fact, past Grand Duchesses of Winchester had created new policies for the territory, and when the Grand Duke had to leave the Grand Duchy unavoidably, they had to take responsibility for everything.

“Therefore, I will provide separate offices for the lord and lady. Also, since this year’s budget execution is all finished, you will each be given the same budget from the reserve funds. Additional execution is difficult, so use it sparingly.”

“The Eligos Knight Order needs a separate budget, though?”

“Handle that from the budget given to you. Didn’t you bring them on your own? Take responsibility for it yourself. Whether you dig the ground or whatever, figure out how to fill the budget you lack.”

“That’s absurd—”

“I’ll share from my reserve funds. The Eligos Knight Order is also my benefactor and family.”

Hailey quickly mediated before Axel’s mouth could provoke more anger.

The Grand Duke, who was about to snap back, softened his stance at Hailey’s response.

Hailey was faithfully carrying out Khalid’s request.

If Khalid had been watching, he might have bowed deeply to Hailey with tears streaming down his face.

Although Hailey mediated, Axel smiled slyly with a triumphant expression.

‘Why you…?’

The Grand Duke was dumbfounded. He couldn’t understand why that guy was making an expression that said, ‘See? This is my wife.’ There should be a limit to human shamelessness.

Anyway, the Grand Duke decided to let it slide. If Axel had said one more word, he was going to cut even the reserve funds he had given.

“What I’m about to say isn’t mandatory, but according to Winchester’s custom, the grand ducal couple usually shares one bedroom. Winchester is a family where hands are precious, so we don’t have separate bedrooms. Although you’ll live separately in all other aspects, it’s customary to share the bedroom.”

“Yes. I understand. If it’s a custom, we should follow it.”

Axel answered as soon as the Grand Duke finished speaking.

‘What does he mean he understands on his own?!’

He wasn’t originally the type to answer so readily.

Hailey was so surprised she almost jumped out of her seat.

‘One bedroom?! Does that mean one bedroom with one bed?!’

They hadn’t told her anything about this. This was fraud.

Having reacted calmly until now, Hailey, half losing her reason, quickly raised her hand.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, but if it’s not a rule, is it possible to decline this part?”

Decline? As soon as Hailey finished speaking, Axel frowned.

From now on, both Axel and Hailey would have a lot to do here. They would be so busy that they might not even see each other’s faces, so shouldn’t it be okay to at least share a bedroom?

In fact, this was all an excuse, and there were more sly reasons, but Axel was excellent at self-justification.

The Grand Duke found the relationship between the two interesting.

Until he saw them directly, he thought the lady might be the more desperate one. From what he heard, she was the second daughter of a humble family, had many circumstances, and even received a lot of help from Axel.

But now that he saw them, the relationship between the two seemed a bit different from what he had imagined.

The lady was blushing to her ears with a strong look of refusal, and his grandson seemed disappointed by the lady’s attitude.

“It’s possible, to refuse but didn’t you two marry because your hearts matched? Surely you didn’t make some very impertinent contract or backdoor deal behind my back?”

Hailey was so surprised by the Grand Duke’s sharp words that she almost hiccupped. She couldn’t easily answer because the Grand Duke’s words were true.

Of course, the Grand Duke had already guessed as much. Although it was vexing, he intended to watch over them.

Axel opened his mouth in place of the flustered Hailey, as if he had been waiting for this.

“Ha! A backdoor deal? I’m not that petty. She’s probably just shy.”

He was indeed petty. Petty to the bone.

But Axel didn’t want to miss this opportunity.

Oh? The Grand Duke was at a loss for words.

‘Now that I look at it, did Herne III pass this shameless guy onto me?’

Somehow, he felt like he was being slightly scammed.

Hailey, fidgeting with the hem of her dress, answered hesitantly.

“I, I think it will be difficult because I need to sleep with the child, Your Grace.”

“In Winchester, children can sleep alone from the age of two. Now that he’s officially a child of the Winchester family and will receive the education for an heir, how can he not sleep alone? This is a good opportunity to have him sleep separately.”

“…But due to an unfortunate incident in the past, the child was kidnapped while sleeping alone. Because of that incident, it’s still difficult for both the child and me to have him sleep alone, Your Grace.”

At Hailey’s firm response, Axel finally quietly lowered his hand and gently held Theo’s small hand once.

Theo looked up at Axel blankly. When Axel gave him a look, Theo nodded. Unfortunately, Hailey didn’t see this scene.

In fact, before coming to Winchester, Axel had already heard about Winchester’s customs and related content from Queen Madeleine.

At first, he didn’t even know such a custom existed, but thinking it was an unexpected windfall, Axel decided to scheme in advance after much consideration.

“Theo’s okay!”

“Wh-what are you saying? How can Theo sleep alone? He said he was scared.”

Why is this child suddenly acting like this?

The flustered Hailey hurriedly wrapped her arms around Theo’s small shoulders. But Theo didn’t stop.

After pretending to think deeply, he put down the completely emptied cocoa cup and pointed at the Grand Duke with his small finger.

“I can sleep with the old man!”

“Wh-what??”

“Theo is scared to sleep alone, so I’ll sleep with the old man.”

Axel had merely tempted Theo by saying that if he slept with his grandfather and became close, his grandfather could give him candies and puddings piled higher than Axel’s height.

‘Old man, he says.’

Axel, who didn’t expect him to be able to apply it like this, laughed outright with a ‘heh.’ Indeed, he was clever.

The Grand Duke, who had been looking down at the innocent five-year-old child, speechless with astonishment, realized that this was all his grandson’s scheme and laughed in disbelief.

Hailey was so flustered that she tried to make a shushing gesture, indicating that it shouldn’t be done, but Theo tilted his head and said,

“Why not? Daddy Axel called him that earlier?”

Theo instinctively felt that this grandfather was the highest-ranking person here. As in the palace, good things always happened when he became close to important people.

Seeing the casual conversation between Daddy Axel and him, although he didn’t understand the meaning, he thought ‘old man’ was a nickname and decided he should call him that too.

Hailey clenched her fists. That’s why she insisted so strongly not to speak carelessly in front of the child!

Hailey hurriedly apologized to the Grand Duke.

“I apologize on his behalf, Your Grace. The child is still unfamiliar with etiquette and made a mistake. Please understand generously.”

“It’s fine. It’s all that guy’s fault. I’ve heard about what happened in the capital. If that’s the case, until you adjust here, ahem, I can share the same bed to that extent.”

“……I’m truly sorry.”

In the end, feeling that further resistance would be tactless, Hailey reluctantly became roommates with Axel, and Theo, caught up in the situation, became roommates with the Grand Duke.

Hailey resolved that while it couldn’t be helped at this moment, she would somehow restore the situation so that Theo and herself could share a room again, depending on how things unfolded in the near future.

The Grand Duke, too, had reluctantly agreed, but honestly, he felt awkward about it.

It had been over twenty years since he’d slept alone after his wife’s passing. Moreover, he had never shared a bedroom even with his own daughter.

To think he’d be sleeping with such a small child.

Glancing at the child, he saw him smiling innocently with cocoa mustache all over his mouth.