This kind young lady probably doesn’t know with what feelings I’ve been looking at her. Janet felt a slight guilt in her heart.

“By the way, sister, you said you married the duke because you loved each other, right?”

Selize asked in a murmuring voice. A hint of bitterness crossed her face as she contemplated something.

Love, at that word, Janet hesitated. But since they had agreed to say publicly that they had married because they liked each other, Janet simply nodded.

“Yes.”

“I’m so envious…”

“……”

“Ah… I said something unnecessary! It’s just, I think it’s wonderful.”

Selize laughed awkwardly and looked ahead. Understanding what she meant, Janet’s expression turned bitter.

Somehow, she even felt like she had taken the girl’s place. A sense of duty welled up to tell her that she would be leaving.

But… is there really a need to say it? For now, she didn’t know how things would turn out with Rihanel. And for now, to the outside world, they needed to appear as if they liked each other.

Repeatedly rationalizing like this internally, Janet ultimately didn’t open her mouth.

“About the competition we’re going to see now. Actually, it’s not really my taste, but it’s quite a popular spectacle among southern people. Umm… I was taught that cultures should be respected. But it’s my first time accompanying the duke, so I think he wants to show you southern culture.”

“What are we going to see…”

“Selize! What are you talking about that’s so interesting?”

Before the question was finished, they joined Panianna and Rihanel, who had stopped. Rihanel gestured with his chin toward where a crowd was gathering.

“It seems to be happening over there.”

What’s going on? Numerous people were surrounding one place in a circle. Is it a soccer match? A small interest flickered in Janet’s eyes.

“Do you have any cash?”

Rihanel handed cash to Panianna.

Panianna beckoned to a man wearing a red hat. When the man approached, she held out the money.

Then he guided them to one side.

“VIPs, VIPs!”

“Oh my…”

“Eh…”

As the man waved his hands through the crowd while shouting, people grumbled but made way. Janet followed Panianna’s footsteps through the gap.

It seemed that the rule here was that you could go to the front seats with a good view of the competition if you paid money.

At the destination, there was a fence separating the area from the arena. Was it set up to prevent balls from flying in?

“What kind of competition is this?”

Janet asked Rihanel, who was standing beside her with his arms crossed. Rihanel glanced at her and answered like this,

“Dog fighting.”

“What?”

“Dog fighting, I said.”

She thought he was using a metaphor. But soon, two fighting dogs appeared in the arena. The fierce-looking dogs barked at each other.

“Uh…”

Janet, who had frozen in place, involuntarily let out an uncomfortable groan.

And Rihanel was more concerned with Janet’s reaction beside him than the competition in front of him.

This competition wasn’t hosted by Rihanel, and to be honest, he was seeing it for the first time today too.

He was curious because it was famous. He wanted to see it. But he couldn’t go.

Because blood would be everywhere.

But this time, for some reason, he felt like he could watch. He had inflicted wounds on Janet and seen blood several times. But nothing happened.

So this time… perhaps he too could enjoy this Reynes culture.

That was the thought with which he had come to this place.

But now that he was here, he was annoyed that Janet’s reaction concerned him more than his interest in the competition.

Despite it being his first time seeing the competition too, he felt like he was showcasing it on behalf of the Reynes territory just because it was popular there.

Moreover, this was certainly a competition more popular among commoners than nobles. Meaning it didn’t suit the tastes of the refined.

Rihanel knew that while many people enjoyed fights behind closed doors, they considered such openly violent competitions in broad daylight to be vulgar.

But the un-aristocratic part of him was curious about this competition, and he hoped Janet’s reaction wouldn’t differ from his own.

“Then we’ll begin!”

With the announcer’s shout, the two dogs rushed at each other with frightening speed.

Bark, bark, bark!

Kill, kill!

The sound of dogs barking and cheers filled the arena.

Janet’s eyes trembled. She touched her right ring finger and took a slight step back. Cold sweat ran down.

“What.”

Rihanel grabbed Janet’s shoulder. It was to prevent her from going further back.

Whine, whine…

Just then, a sharp dog’s whimper was heard. One had bitten near the neck of the other.

Janet’s body stiffened completely. Rihanel’s hand, which was holding her, tensed.

While the whimpering sound echoed, people shouted randomly.

Janet finally couldn’t hold back and opened her mouth.

“Um… that…”

She didn’t know what to say. With her mind blank, Janet managed to convey her thoughts while only sputtering fragments like “that…”

“How about we go see something else? It’s a festival, so there must be plenty to see…”

“Not to your taste?”

“Yes. I simply can’t…”

“I thought so.”

Rihanel released his arm from around her shoulder. He raised his eyebrows as if he hadn’t expected anything else. But his voice contained disappointment and dismissal.

“Refined people don’t like this. They say it’s disorderly and uncultured.”

“That’s not it, it’s just… it doesn’t suit me.”

“Right. You prefer wholesome sports. What could I expect from you, Janet.”

“Yes. I can’t do this, Rihanel.”

When Janet acknowledged it without further argument, Rihanel hesitated.

Does she hate it that much? Her eyes seemed to contain not just displeasure but disgust. Since it felt directed at him, his mood soured as well.

“This isn’t as entertaining as I thought. Let’s go see something else.”

Rihanel said to Panianna and Selize standing a little distance away.

“Ah, yes!”

“Hmm? Since we’re already here, shouldn’t we stay until the end… hmm, no. Actually, I don’t really like these competitions either.”

Panianna didn’t understand why they were leaving just when things were getting interesting, but she expressed agreement for the sake of maintaining her image. Unlike the others who turned away without regret, she looked back several times with lingering disappointment.

They moved through the crowd. Even as they walked, loud cheers and curses continued to resonate around them.

Ohhh! Yes, kill it!

At that moment, perhaps due to an important scene in the competition, people moved chaotically and pushed against each other.

“……!”

Caught in the surge, Janet and Selize fell down.

Janet felt a stinging pain in her hand as it hit the ground. Paradoxically, her pounding heart calmed a little. Then concern for Selize, who had fallen with her, welled up.

“Ow, ow, ow…”

Selize’s eyes held both the pain of falling and fear of the crowd still pressing in around them.

But Rihanel must have seen this too, so he would quickly help Selize up.

However, after that brief moment, Janet found herself already standing.

“Are you alright?”

Janet stared blankly at the man in front of her. Rihanel was looking at her with a terribly distorted face.

“Why did you help me up first?”

“What?”

Janet immediately helped Selize beside her to her feet. Selize’s eyes were filled with tears of distress.

“Sister…”

“Are you okay?”

“No…”

“Oh my, Selize! What should we do! Move aside, move aside! How outrageous. How dare you push people? Ugh, disgusting, get away!”

Panianna, who had followed, anxiously examined Selize after she stood up, then struck the people standing nearby with her fan.

They quickly escaped from the crowd.

“Selize, let me see. Are you hurt?”

“Here…”

Selize, her face covered in tears, removed her glove. Fortunately, the glove had protected her, and she only had a slight scratch.

But Panianna looked at Janet with a startled expression.

“Good heavens! Hey, Janet! Couldn’t you have helped the child?”

“Janet fell too, Aunt.”

“R-Really? Oh my, are you alright? Are you hurt?”

Panianna was about to get angry but lowered her tail after seeing Rihanel’s reaction.

Janet shook her head. There was no change in her complexion.

“I’m fine. We should go back and treat Selize.”

“Yes, let’s hurry.”

They quickly walked to where the carriage was waiting.

Panianna and Selize walked in front, with Rihanel and Janet behind.

Janet turned to Rihanel and somewhat impulsively asked a question that blamed him,

“Why did you help me up first?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You should have helped Selize first.”

“And why is that?”

Because she’s a woman who likes you. And because she’s more precious and important than me. She was about to say that… but stopped.

She didn’t want to say it out loud.

So she gave another reason.

“…She’s a guest.”

“Think logically, Janet. What kind of idiot husband would help another woman before his fallen wife?”

“…You’re right.”

Janet readily admitted it.

Rihanel was right about this. A normal husband would naturally help his wife first. Rihanel wasn’t helping Janet specifically; he was being faithful to the situation where a husband helps his wife.

Rather, Janet had been too immersed in her emotions and overthought things.

“I’m sorry for getting angry.”

Rihanel looked with displeasure at Janet as she apologized.

Janet had clearly fallen too. So surely… Rihanel grabbed Janet’s arm.

He frowned deeply.

“You’re hurt.”

“It’s nothing.”

Janet’s hand, not wearing gloves today, was scratched much worse than Selize’s. But Janet pulled her arm away as if his grip was rude.

Anger surged up. Rihanel’s expression contorted as he grabbed Janet’s hand again.

“This counts as the fifth time. Instead…”

Janet’s eyes wavered. Rihanel rubbed his fingers over her wound.

“……!”

Janet bit her lip and frowned at the stinging pain from the pressed wound.

***

“So Janet, you must get married.”

Rihanel opened his eyes at the unfamiliar woman’s voice. In front of him, sitting somewhere, an unfamiliar scene unfolded as strange as the woman’s voice.

It was dark, perhaps night. The interior was barely visible thanks to the moonlight coming through a small window.

Hard walls of dark gray. A narrow space with a somewhat low ceiling. A dirty floor where dust rolled.

And the top bunk of a triple bunk bed.

“But Mellin failed, didn’t she?”

Janet Wilton, wearing a black prison uniform, looking down.