Tatiana considered telling this story to Gideon to show she wouldn’t die easily, but decided against it. She knew well that her husband wasn’t always gentle, and she was afraid of the aftermath. 

 She now also knows that her parents, who had been furiously angry, later cried because they were so upset. 

 Instead of telling unnecessary old stories, she burrowed into the bed and tightly hugged Gideon’s arm. 

 Gideon quietly laughed while brushing back her flowing purple hair. 

 “You look happy. I heard the event went well.” 

 “Yes, I made lots of money today.” 

 Though it was all money that had places to be spent, Tatiana boasted like a child with full pockets. Gideon played along even while knowing full well the money would all go back out. 

 “That’s nice, my wife. Becoming rich.” 

 “Yes, so you need to stay on my good side from now on.” 

 “Then what do I get?” 

 “Hmm, I’ll share a little bit of bean powder with you.” 

 “A little?” 

 “Yes, a really tiny bit.” 

 Though Gideon didn’t say it out loud, his eyes showed how adorable he found her. He kept smiling while nodding in agreement. And he pulled the blanket up to her shoulders. 

 “You worked hard. You must be tired, let’s sleep. I won’t torment you tonight.” 

 “……That’s not tormenting though.” 

 Tatiana, who once asked him to be gentle during night activities because she had weak endurance, now knows that it isn’t a one-sided and merciless act. 

 Of course, she had known that much from hearsay before, but the feeling after experiencing it directly was different.

Which comes first, physical pleasure or mental pleasure? What is the fundamental pursuit in bed, which domain is superior? That much is unknown.

However, one thing is certain—there is definitely a world opened by this contradictory act of fiercely desiring yet preciously cherishing each other’s bodies.

Tatiana was someone who responded extremely sensitively to those physical sensations and pathways. And after Tatiana boldly tested the waters and carefully gauged the atmosphere, Gideon laughed and asked.

“I suppose that means…… you want to do it?”

“Mm.”

Probably so?

She rolled her eyes around before nodding, and Gideon finally let slip the words he’d been holding in his heart all along. “Cute,” he said. 

 It was a perfect day. An ideal night.

The meticulously planned event ended successfully, and thanks to her capable and competent assistant, the next procedures were expected to go smoothly.

Last night, Gideon was both gentle and passionate.

His handsome lips poured out words rarely heard normally. Finding it increasingly amusing, he even laughed saying, ‘But why do you give me so little when you earn so much? I can give you everything. It’s unfair.’

However, even after spending such a flawless day, Tatiana’s heart felt heavy somewhere. It was because of Duke Muller.

She wore a complicated expression as she made her way to the quarters where the Duke was staying.

When someone is injured, it’s customary to wish them a speedy recovery. If the relationship is closer, one might even consider visiting them. Moreover, if that person is one’s adoptive father, there’s no need to say more.

Her visiting the Duke was a natural flow of thought and, in some ways, a matter of duty.

Yet somehow, whenever Tatiana thought about facing her adoptive father, she felt suffocated, as if her airways were constricted. Perhaps it was because their conversations kept circling around the past and making her think of her biological father.

Of course, Tatiana liked reminiscing about her biological father.

She often shared those memories with Gideon too. During those times, she could indulge in memories without any painful corners in her heart, thinking ‘Ah yes, that happened too.’

But being human, she had her shadows too. When thinking about Dad, there were many times when feelings of resentment and grief preceded pleasant smiles. 

 But when Duke Muller would occasionally touch and stimulate those painful emotions. At such times, it made her realize that the wounds hadn’t fully healed yet.

Simply put, when someone expresses dark and difficult emotions, Tatiana finds it difficult to listen.

How can a barely twenty-year-old child handle an adult’s mental anguish? Especially when she’s the biological daughter of the person involved in that incident.

When Tatiana heaved a deep sigh, Kay, who was following beside her, stared at her intently. Then he quietly asked.

“Your Highness, are you going to the Royal Guard Commander’s quarters?”

“Yes. Just going to check if he’s alright. Wait for me briefly.”

Kay didn’t respond to that. Just as her thoughts were about to drift elsewhere due to his prolonged silence, he carefully asked.

“May I accompany you inside?”

Tatiana shook her head. When there’s a listener, the content of conversations tends to change.

Perhaps that might be better, but her adoptive father was in a position where he had to bow to her in public. She was worried Kay might notice the liquor bottle somewhere in his office, and it felt awkwardly embarrassing.

Kay seemed to nod silently, but something still appeared to bother him as he added:

“Then I’ll position myself near the window where I can enter immediately. I’m telling you in advance since you’ll probably notice anyway.”

Tatiana looked at Kay with a slightly different gaze than before. She wondered why he was so serious about guarding. She wanted to ask if he thought she was heading into a high-crime area.

“I know your skills. But you also know mine.”

“……”

“If it’s a situation where you need to intervene, that means I’ve already been subdued, right? Even if you come to help against an opponent of that caliber, it would be too late anyway.”

“That’s why I want to go in together.”

“Oh? I meant there’s no one of that skill level in this castle.”

While one person was being serious and the other was joking around, Tatiana, having reached near the quarters, witnessed a peculiar sight.

A man with whom she had a close yet distant relationship was coming out of Duke Muller’s office. It was Prince Vaikal, her husband’s half-brother and the young master.

“Sister-in-law, what brings you here……”

That’s what she wanted to ask.

Though Vaikal was someone who had built walls against swordsmanship, he was still royalty. Someone like him wouldn’t casually visit the military quarters out of boredom like her, without any purpose.

“I heard Father isn’t feeling well. I just stopped by while passing. What about Your Highness?”

“Ah, well, similar reasons.”

Tatiana nodded, but she couldn’t help feeling this situation was somewhat strange.

Vaikal, seemingly reading her suspicious look, appeared troubled. After hesitating for a moment, he spoke as if making an excuse.

“You needn’t worry too much about what Mother recently proposed to Duke Muller. That’s what I came to say today.”

“……A proposal?”

“About the knight’s oath.”

Tatiana raised her eyes upward, thought for a moment, then pressed her lips firmly together. That expression might have looked like anger.

Of course, she wasn’t really angry when she closed her mouth. She simply couldn’t respond because she didn’t know what he was talking about.

But Vaikal seemed to misinterpret that expression, speaking with an even more troubled look:

“Though you and my brother might not believe it, I don’t want this. Really.”

“……”

“……So you don’t believe me after all.”

No, that’s not it, I just don’t understand what you’re talking about.

But Tatiana couldn’t bring herself to ask directly. She worried that if she made a slip of the tongue here, it might escalate into another problem.

In that sense, Vaikal’s words about her not believing him were correct.

Vaikal made a somewhat bitter expression before bowing to Tatiana. And when she hurriedly returned his greeting, he showed a faint smile. But that smile still carried dark clouds.

Tatiana tilted her head as she watched Vaikal’s retreating figure heading out of the barracks.

She had only learned about someone being injured yesterday, and now there were other things she didn’t know about. What was everyone doing since yesterday, excluding just her?

Tatiana frowned as she knocked on the office door. When a familiar voice granted permission to enter, she stepped inside.

And not long after, she realized she was somewhat agitated due to her conversation with Prince Vaikal. The person before her made it blatantly obvious.

“What has Your Highness come to question me about this time.”

“……”

“Surely you haven’t come to see how badly your father is injured.”

She felt embarrassed before she could even say anything.

When Tatiana appeared sheepish, the Duke laughed lowly and gestured with his chin toward a chair.

A question about whether to serve tea followed, but she declined with a shake of her head.

“Yesterday’s party seems to have been quite enjoyable. Your mother came by and couldn’t stop bragging about it.”

“Did she?” 

 “Yes, she was delighted saying that Her Majesty the Queen praised your swordsmanship, that she seems to be keeping an eye on you.”

“……Well, Her Majesty probably just said it as a courtesy. It’s the only talent I have anyway.”

Whenever people ask Tatiana about her married life, she counts on her fingers while staring into the distance.