Outside, people of the North were carrying bricks while warming their frozen hands. They were building walls in preparation for monsters entering the territory.

However, Gideon reached a conclusion that would seem bleak to the Northern people.

“You probably already know, but I’ll tell you once more.”

“……”

“The North won’t survive this winter.”

The information Gideon’s spies had obtained at the risk of their lives from monster habitats, the North’s available combat personnel, and the harsher than usual climate. All these factors pointed to one conclusion.

Grand Duke Rigor seemed well aware of this too, wearing a heavy expression.

Gideon moved closer to him and said.

“Actually, all I have to do is wait.”

“……”

“Right now it might be a matter of whether to bow to the royal family or maintain pride, but things will change when winter comes. Then it will be a matter of life and death.”

There’s nothing easier than negotiating with a desperate and urgent opponent. When that time comes, the royal family can impose even heavier burdens on the cornered North.

However, Gideon came here before the North became completely incapacitated. Taking on considerable political burden amid unstable politics where succession wasn’t confirmed.

“When I return to the castle, I’ll start advocating to dispatch troops to the North.”

“……”

“To the North that has repeatedly rebelled against the royal family and communicated like rats with the Kingdom of Fullman during wartime. Obviously, there will be considerable opposition from the nobles, right? What does the Grand Duke think?”

“……Your Highness.”

“Then I should get something in return, don’t you think?”

Gideon lit blue flames in his ice-cold eyes. And urged the Grand Duke.

“Make your decision, Rigor.”

Hurry. If you reach a different conclusion than I expect, I’ll have to make another plan. There’s no time to waste.

However, as if suggesting that no matter what choice he made, he wouldn’t have the upper hand in this negotiation, Gideon’s smile remained infinitely relaxed and arrogant. 

 * * *

 Tatiana proceeded with meeting her friends, which Gideon had told her to postpone.

Perhaps it was just a joke from him. He probably wasn’t the type of man who would try to control every single relationship and drive people crazy.

Her evaluation of her husband was trending upward without any clear evidence.

This is something that could easily happen in the early stages of marriage. After all, no one wants their marriage to be a mistake from the beginning.

And the habit of thinking positively often brings better results than hopeless pessimism. If only we can maintain that tone consistently.

Tatiana invited two of her friends, excluding one who had already left for travel.

Though they were all from prestigious families, the castle was bound to be an interesting place for young ladies. Their eyes sparkled like children.

“Thanks to Your Highness, we get to visit the Prince’s Palace. We must have made a good friend.”

“Indeed. Somehow I wanted to talk to you from the first time I saw you.”

The two chatted and asked Tatiana.

“By the way, is His Highness Gideon not in the castle?”

“He went somewhere far.”

“Ah, really?”

“Well, did you come to see me or did you come to see His Highness?”

The friends playfully hit each other’s arms and said with a laugh.

“Oh, come on, Your Highness.”

“Obviously, it’s His Highness Gideon.” 

 Tatiana let out a small laugh even as she found it ridiculous.

No matter how much killing intent Gideon tried to emit, he couldn’t cloud people’s eyes. Good looks aren’t so easily hidden.

Moreover, strangely enough, Gideon was discussed more frequently among women after marriage than when he was single. People were deeply impressed by how the consistently cold prince would only smile gently at his wife.

Sometimes it was scary how he seemed to switch personalities in front of his wife, but a man who treats his wife well is inherently charming.

Tatiana had heard from her maids that positive reviews about Gideon were increasing among the noble ladies lately.

She welcomed this, thinking it was quite a favorable phenomenon.

Even if one is a prince, even if one is a king, they cannot discuss state affairs with just a few people they like.

Having more people support the First Prince could only be beneficial, never harmful.

But Tatiana’s friends seemed curious about something else besides the whereabouts of the increasingly popular Gideon.

“Your Highness, how’s married life?”

“Hmm.”

“There must be pros and cons, right?” 

 Should you marry or not? Don’t do it?

This was the forty-first time Tatiana had heard this question. The reason she was keeping count was that if she ever engaged in writing activities like her mother someday, she wanted to write about her married life in retrospect.

This number would be used as reference material when writing the early part, the newlywed section.

“Honestly, I don’t really know the cons yet. It hasn’t been long. If I felt those already, wouldn’t that mean it’s failed?”

“Is that so? Then what about the pros?”

Tatiana’s response was different from usual since her friends had asked. She frowned and thought seriously, then gave quite a sincere answer.

“How should I put it… It feels like one more pattern has been added to my daily life.”

“Pattern?”

“Yes. His Highness always comes to the room when he finishes work, even if it’s late. He’s never missed once.”

Each time, they would casually chat about whether anything special happened that day. They always did this even though they knew well there weren’t any special incidents.

“And in the morning, I usually wake up first. If His Highness is sleeping, I end up just quietly watching him. Then when I think ‘Ah, he’s sleeping well,’ I go out to exercise.”

“……”

“Well, that’s about it.”

“……What? Is that really the end?”

Her friends asked, seemingly disappointed, and Tatiana briefly answered ‘Yeah, that’s it’ before continuing.

“But you know what… Even though it seems like nothing special, somehow it feels…… comfortable.”

Tatiana was talking about stability now. It’s something married people often talk about.

When two people consistently share time and space, the other’s existence settles into daily life with a certain weight. When there’s discomfort with this, they become sensitive and fights occur.

On the other hand, once it becomes familiar, it becomes incredibly cozy and warm, like being wrapped in a blanket. Then when the other person isn’t there, it feels very empty. Just like having your blanket taken away.

Tatiana started expressing this from her own perspective. Through constancy and regularity.

“I feel very uncomfortable if I skip my usual morning exercise. I feel the same if my exercise equipment and sword aren’t in their place. That’s my daily pattern.”

“What are you saying, Tati…… Your Highness.” 

 “Something’s missing from my day now. So I feel a bit concerned and empty.”

It felt like her daily routine wasn’t complete without the person who visited her room every night, who hadn’t shown his face for several days now. Sometimes she would think of Gideon, and some days she would wait for him. Perhaps the psychological impact from the Scarlet and her husband had been too great.

There was only one option at times like this. To either exercise vigorously or become busier.

After sending her friends away, Tatiana pondered what to do next.

She decided to visit the barracks to meet her adoptive father. 

 * * *

 The Deputy Commander of the Royal Guard, Samuel Samson, had the honor of receiving the Princess Consort after a long time. But he didn’t look honored at all.

‘Sigh, she’s here again……’ he muttered, openly showing an expression of headache.

“If you make such an obvious face, I might come every day.”

When Tatiana threatened him, Sir Samson suddenly made a gesture with his chin. It meant he wanted her to tactfully dismiss her maids because it was burdensome to speak.

Tatiana told Isabelle and Connie to take a walk and rest, then plopped down on the grass.

Sir Samson sat down beside her and asked. 

 “But why did you come? Are you here to look for someone useful?”

It wasn’t uncommon for royalty to personally select their guards. Though that wasn’t exactly why she came, Tatiana still scanned the area before her.

“……”

But Tatiana couldn’t easily find anyone at her level in this barracks. They were mostly people she knew, and there weren’t any new faces that particularly sparked her interest.

Sensing a lot from her lukewarm reaction, Sir Samson sighed. It was both a lament as the Deputy Commander of the Royal Guard and a kind of responsibility. 

 “Even you can see there’s no fresh talent. Ah, this is really serious.”

“What is?”

“Kids these days have no guts at all. They all have eyes like rotten fish.”

“Hey, mister. If you talk like that carelessly, you’ll get criticized by those ‘kids these days.'” 

 No matter how heartfelt the advice is, nowadays young people have an all-purpose shield of calling you an old fogy.

But Tatiana was also one of those young people.

She frowned while laughing, then belatedly brought up her business.

“What is Father doing?”

“The Commander? Well, same as always. He’s in the official residence.”

“Could you call him for me? Or should I just go in?”

At this, Sir Samson grimaced and rolled his eyes. He shook his head as if looking at a naive child who didn’t know the ways of the world.