He sent people to the location Laila had told him about.

Surprisingly, mithril poured out of the mine over the course of two weeks. Having suddenly become rich in mithril, Vincent received an abundance of the Emperor’s favor, which he had not wanted. He felt little particular reaction to it. After that, the wedding proceeded in an instant.

‘What kind of wedding gets handled this quickly.’

Vincent’s feelings were strange. He looked down at the small crown of Laila Nelasidad’s head, soon to be his bride, hidden beneath a veil.

Once in the Emperor’s audience chamber, once in the drawing room, and then the third time they met was for the dress fitting, was it? After those three meetings, the wedding had taken place at breakneck speed.

‘…When I think about it.’

He laughed in disbelief. He had never in his wildest dreams imagined he would be marrying a woman with whom he had not had a romance, let alone touched her body, not even held her hand. Even if he detested playing at being lovers, this was something even the great Vincent had not anticipated.

“…….”

He glanced at Laila. He himself felt nothing in particular, but he found himself curious about how she, a noble young lady, might be feeling.

‘Well, that is none of my concern.’

He shrugged and loosened the necktie fastened up to his throat. If she could not handle his personality, she would break away on her own soon enough.

After the wedding ceremony, a reception was held.

Vincent looked with an annoyed expression at the dark-haired man approaching them. The slickly smiling face irritated him greatly. Right now, everything in Vincent’s eyes looked disagreeable.

“I greet Your Highness, the First Prince.”

Vincent greeted the approaching Frederick with a perfunctory bow.

“I was named Crown Prince a month ago, you know.”

Frederick said with a sly smile. The wedding guests watching the exchange were anxious, worried a political controversy might arise.

It had not been long since the fierce battle between the First and Second Prince had ended. In that situation, addressing the Crown Prince as the First Prince could inadvertently signal a refusal to acknowledge him.

“…….”

Just then, Frederick’s gaze, which had been smiling serenely, shifted to Laila. The lingering look was, at a glance, rather blatant. Enough to make even Vincent find it curious.

“Why, Your Highnessm does my wife catch your eye? This is quite a situation, I can hardly offer her as a concubine.”

Vincent said with a crude joke and laughed. The wedding guests gasped and held their breath. Laila’s expression did not change in the slightest at her husband’s mockery, heard on the very day of their wedding. If anything, it was Crown Prince Frederick who grimaced.

“That’s enough. Now that you’re married, put an end to such filthy talk.”

Frederick wiped the smile clean from his face and shifted his gaze to Laila.

“My apologies. I am Crown Prince Frederick.”

Among nobles, they knew each other’s information in advance. But as Frederick introduced himself, she completed her greeting in return.

“I am… Laila.”

“Laila…… Though now, I suppose you are Lady Loardy. Congratulations on your marriage.”

At the Crown Prince’s words, she gave a subtle smile. It was an expression from which no emotion could be read.

***

Laila moved into the ducal estate.

From her family home, her longtime maid Becky accompanied her.

“I will help you bathe!”

“Thank you.”

The servants bustled about, preparing for the first night of marriage. Laila soaked in a bath scented with rose oils. The maids swiftly adorned her. Before long, the butler who had received word that she was ready called for Vincent.

“My Lord, the young lady is in the bridal chamber.”

“…I know, I know.”

Under the servants’ sharp and watchful gazes, Vincent frowned.

They clearly feared he might reject Laila Nelasidad outright.

‘Always worrying over nothing.’

Vincent folded the newspaper he had been reading and rose from the couch. For nobility, and especially for women, the duty of the first night was of great importance. Vincent was not unaware of that. He moved his steps with an annoyed expression.

She was, after all, the only woman he could be with for the month ahead.

His damned Majesty the Emperor had issued a prohibition on approaching all women, so there had to be a one-month grace period before Vincent could go out to parties again. Something about giving him time to be devoted to the household.

Thanks to that, Vincent had been banned from late-night social gatherings as well.

When Vincent entered the bridal chamber, he saw her seated on the bed.

Bathed in moonlight filtering through the window, her violet hair rippled softly like silk.

He paused when he noticed the sheer fabric she was wearing.

“You came.”

Her calm voice pulled him back to himself.

“I thought you would not come.”

He came to his senses at the sound of her voice, soon speaking calmly.

“Of course I would.”

Vincent lightly shrugged his shoulders. He had, of course, thought about it. But he knew when to speak and when not to.

“When you have prepared like this for me, there is no particular reason to decline.”

“…Is that so.”

Her expression became strange. Vincent thought for a moment that he might have said something open to misunderstanding and added.

“As long as it wears a skirt, I’m not picky.”

The moment the words left him, he crossed the room with long strides and stopped in front of her.

A bottle of red wine sat on the nearby table. Half of it was already gone. His brow lifted.

‘Is she nervous?’

Once the wedding night was done, his obligation would be fulfilled. He stepped closer and tilted her chin upward.

Her lips, glossy and red, caught his eye.

Perhaps because of the close distance, a pleasant scent brushed past him. Naturally, his hand slipped the strap of her nightdress down her shoulder.

“Just… do it.”

Laila said, twisting her body.

“Just…… do it?”

Vincent furrowed his brow. He utterly detested women who mistreated their own bodies. He put his weight on and climbed over her.

Laila’s body fell back, and between her disheveled hair, her delicate neckline was revealed. He lowered his lips to her earlobe. When his hot breath touched her, she flinched.

“The night is long. And I have my own principles.”

He said, toying with Laila’s earlobe. He breathed softly into her ear and loosened his tightly knotted necktie.

“I prefer women who cry well.”

The aching in his lower abdomen was bothersome. Vincent calmed what was stirring below and buried his face in her infuriatingly slender nape.

When the sweet scent of her skin reached him, veins rose on his firm arms. He pressed his lips down on her white skin and began to explore her body. Soon the night bloomed into pleasure.

***

“What am I supposed to do now?”

By the time the pale full moon had faded and a new morning arrived, Vincent was already awake.

Then he froze at the voice behind him. Laila was asking, her body covered with the blanket.

“Nothing.”

Vincent let the words go as if it were a bother.

“Just don’t be a nuisance.”

It was a cold tone for someone to use after spending a night together. Vincent roughly combed his ash-gray hair back with his hand and turned to look at her. His gaze met her violet eyes, and he twisted his lips.

“…….”

He swore he had never thought he would end up married.

Of course, he knew that as the head of a noble family, he would have to at some point. But he had absolutely not known it would be handled like this, pushed from behind, slipping past like a snake over a wall.

“Ha.”

On top of that, he was Vincent Loardy. His moods rose and fell without warning.

Now that it was done, she felt like baggage tied to him.

‘How irritating, how am I supposed to endure 3 years.’

He furrowed his brow and clenched his hand. His chest feeling stifled, he irritably ripped open his shirt buttons. Then he shifted his gaze again to Laila Nelasidad.

“……You.”

He looked at her, who had now become his wife.

“I want nothing from you.”

“…….”

“If you want to play at marriage, go ahead. But do not interfere with my private life.”

She remained silent, staring at him steadily. Her calm eyes were composed and seemed strangely mature at a glance. Vincent, feeling inexplicably pricked, spoke faster.

“Don’t ignore what I say, take it to heart. Don’t go around acting like you are something.”

He said coldly. It was not the thing to say after a first night together, but Vincent missed his lost freedom more than anything. He ripped open his shirt buttons against the surging irritation. It felt like he could breathe again.

Vincent dressed himself in the silence. A dark navy necktie over a white shirt, trousers, and then he put on his blue uniform and looked out the window.

It was still before dawn and he was tired, but now that he was awake, he thought he might as well go to the imperial palace for work rather than sit around like this. He was slowly pinning on the epaulette that marked him as ‘Commander of the Blue Knights’ when —

“Vincent.”

Laila called his name. Vincent faltered and tilted his head back. When he turned around, her slight and slender figure was looking at him.

“…Are you going to work?”

Laila, having come close without him noticing, straightened his high collar neatly. Vincent felt a strange discomfort in that moment. His gaze passed over her strangely stiffened eye corners and stopped at her lips, smiling gently.

‘Am I imagining things?’

He swallowed with a puzzled expression. While their gazes crossed, Laila looked up at him with an unreadable look. With that indecipherable gaze, something caught in Vincent’s throat. As he kept facing her composed expression, his stomach churned strangely.

Unable to bear the look in her eyes that seemed to draw something up from within him, Vincent kicked the door open and walked out.

“Vincent!”

He heard a voice calling his name. Vincent ignored it and mounted his black horse. He brought the reins down hard and his beloved horse began to gallop fiercely.

“Women are all the same…”

Vincent muttered fiercely and urged the horse faster. It was the first time he had felt weighed down after being with a woman. His stomach churned the entire way to the imperial palace. She was a strange woman.

He was fairly certain he had not felt this way the first time he saw her.