120. A Troublemaker Appears in the North

“Miss, there’s a knight here looking for you.”

At the innkeeper’s pleased voice, Caitlyn finally realized she had forgotten all dignity and had already devoured two bowls of northern-style stew.

‘Hot!’

Caitlyn hurriedly wiped her mouth with a handkerchief.

‘No, no one saw that, right?’

To think that she, who would become the crown prince’s bride in a few months, had lost her composure over mere inn food and practically buried her nose in the bowl.

‘Did they perhaps put some drug in this food?’

Caitlyn glared at the innocent innkeeper.

“Who did you say was looking for me?”

“A knight from the castle, miss. I think he’s here to escort you.”

“My, my. Word travels so fast.”

Caitlyn’s unexpected luck continued afterward.

The knight who came to greet her was none other than Lucion.

“Miss Caitlyn Pochet?”

Gleaming silver armor.

Long golden hair fluttered gently. A halo seemed to flow from his handsome face.

“I apologize for not knowing about your visit in advance. I am Lucion, the knight commander of Castle Inkheart. I heard that Lady Anette’s younger sister was visiting, so I rushed here to escort you.”

If it had been Daniel, who had accompanied Darius to the Pochet family, he would have known there was absolutely no need to treat the Pochet family well.

Unfortunately, however, Lucion didn’t know much about Anette’s family situation and had come to meet Caitlyn out of respect for Anette while on his regular patrol of the North after hearing the news from a soldier.

It was only natural to show respect to Anette’s family.

‘Oh my goodness!’

Caitlyn quickly looked Lucion up and down and swallowed hard. Even without the gleaming armor, Lucion was a splendid man with a well-toned body from countless training sessions.

‘I thought Grand Duke Inkheart had a handsome face when I saw his true face, but are all northern men this handsome?’

He was so handsome that if she weren’t about to become the crown prince’s bride, she would have been tempted to play with fire!

“Ahem, you might not know since I came here without notice due to urgent matters. Though it’s a sudden visit, I think this much isn’t rude between sisters.”

“Of course, you must have your reasons for visiting like this.”

The woman who had sent her half-sister to marry to the opposite side of the country and never once cared to inquire about her spoke shamelessly.

If Rose had been present, she would have immediately seen through Caitlyn’s character and scolded her oblivious brother thoroughly, but the literally oblivious Lucion strictly maintained the etiquette of treating a lady when dealing with Caitlyn.

With the handsome man’s proper reception, the corners of Caitlyn’s mouth rose to the sky.

“I will safely escort you to the castle, miss.”

“Hohoho, with you here, Sir Knight, I feel truly at ease!”

* * *

“Achoo!”

Could I be catching a cold? Somehow, I shivered as an unpleasant energy seemed to sweep through my entire body.

“Are you alright?”

I smiled reassuringly at the worried Darius and focused again on the painting before me.

This was the gallery where Grand Duke Inkheart family’s relics were organized.

On one side hung a portrait of the first Grand Duke Inkheart, but it was damaged beyond recognition by the traces of time.

‘Since we’re not unrelated, I should restore it.’

“For this portrait, just paint it exactly like Darius’s face. He’s a descendant anyway.”

“Exactly like my face?”

Darius grimaced.

“Future generations will curse me for it. They’ll say I was an ancestor who dared to compare myself to the most respected forefather in the family.”

“Huh, who would curse you? Bring them here. I’ll scold all those who don’t know any better.”

Though I didn’t say it, the first Inkheart looked exactly like the current Darius.

And while I was here to see the ancestors, I also took a moment to pay my respects to my parents-in-law’s portraits. Right next to them was the portrait of the previous Grand Duke, Darius’s grandfather.

“Marius Inkheart. The Inkheart that North people hate the most.”

The decline of Inkheart, once renowned as the leader of the North, began with the war started by Marius Inkheart.

“Originally, they had good relations with the South. They had to. Southern cotton was essential in the North.”

Darius spoke matter-of-factly.

Having read the Inkheart history books, I knew what came next.

They say Marius Inkheart one day felt the desire to steal the South’s treasure. In other words, Marius, who resented paying for cotton every year, started a war against the South.

“But we lost the war, and our Inkheart, having caused innocent territory people to lose their lives, lost the trust of the northern people.”

Not only Count Spinel’s family, who still couldn’t forget this war and had been hostile to Inkheart until recently, but even the Temeri family, who had been entirely loyal to the Grand Duke’s family, had harsh evaluations of Grand Duke Marius.

The previous Grand Duke, Marius, had brought nothing but decline to the North.

“I’m grateful to him.”

If they hadn’t declined like this, Darius wouldn’t have had to endure the humiliation of a political marriage with a marquis family.

“Really?”

But after saying it, I realized it sounded too selfish and hung my head.

“Actually, I think I can now let go of some of the resentment I felt toward him.”

What did that mean?

Could it be the same meaning as mine?

“It’s cold.”

Darius pulled me into his arms.

“Trying to endure the northern cold alone is indeed too much.”

The man who had lived in the North all his life made that excuse and leaned against me. Feeling oddly shy, I barely managed to say:

“Summer comes here too.”

What excuse would he use to stick close to me when summer arrives?

“Hmm…… then I’ll have to come up with another reason by then.”

His serious expression while saying this was so cute that I kept smiling.

“Stay with me.”

“We’re already together.”

“In the future too. When the first snow falls in Inkheart, or when the festival returns with fireworks. Every year, with every change of season, be by my side in all those moments.”

He looked into my eyes.

“Let’s live like that.”

At this moment, how wonderful would it be if time could stop?

The everyday life he painted was so peaceful and sweet that my heart ached on its own.

“Yes, let’s live like that.”

His blue-gray eyes were more beautiful than any jewel. Those beautiful eyes curved gently as warmth covered my lips.

* * *

Thanks to having no interruptions, I spent a long time playing with Darius in the old gallery, wearing his outer coat and fooling around.

“The sleeves are too long.”

“Just the sleeves? Look, if I do this…”

When I hunched my body, pop, my shoulders emerged through the neck part. Darius burst into laughter, saying, “Anette is really small.”

“What should I do with someone this cute? What if someone really takes you away?”

Then he hugged me tightly.

“Our Anette is so cute, I worry someone might steal you away.”

The feeling of Darius’s handsome nose bridge pressing against the back of my neck was ticklish. As I trembled slightly, he subtly pressed his body against mine.

“Ah…… I really might lock you away somewhere and hide you from others’ eyes.”

His voice, tinged with laughter, had no small amount of possessiveness mixed in. To this, I raised my arms that had gone weak and hurriedly made an X sign.

“No?”

“No.”

“I don’t like how quick your answer is.”

He grumbled while pressing his body even closer. He showed no signs of letting go.

“If you took time to think slowly, you might come up with a different answer.”

“Even if I think about it billions of times, no means no.”

In response, instead of an answer, ten fingers gently intertwined with mine, joint by joint. What does this mean?

When I glared at him primly, Darius just stared back at me with an enigmatic smile.

He really seems determined not to let go until he gets an answer. But wait, if I answer yes, I’m headed straight for imprisonment, right?

“Anette, Anette.”

He urged for an answer, acting uncharacteristically childish.

“Think about it once more. I’ll treat you well, okay?”

“What does treating well have to do with imprisonment.”

Hehe, even while making unreasonable demands, he kept laughing.

Are you happy? I’m feeling threatened, okay. I’m not happy right now.

“I’m never wearing Darius’s clothes again.”

This was the extent of my threat to escape this situation.

“Then I’ll never see such a cute Anette again.”

I threatened him by waving my arm that emerged only after rolling up the sleeve three times.

“If I lock you up, I can dress you however I want, can’t I?”

Gasp. I hadn’t thought of that.

Having failed at threatening, I felt defeated. To this, Darius rubbed his body against mine as if claiming the victor’s rights. It felt somewhat like a carnivore marking its territory on prey.

The problem is, I’m neither a herbivore nor Darius’s prey. This won’t do. I need to say something—anything—to divert Darius’s attention!

“I heard you’re collecting something these days? What was it, pink jewels and pink items?”

After visiting the De Beers Trading Company, Darius had developed an interest in jewels and started collecting them as a hobby. Collecting jewels is an expensive hobby, but thanks to the diamond business, I could support my husband’s hobby. A truly fortunate thing.

“You asked me before what color I’d like, is that why?”

There was no other reason for him to suddenly collect only pink items.

“Well, I said pink then, but I also like blue and green. I don’t particularly dislike any color, so keep that in mind. And don’t forget to be grateful that my beauty is so exceptional that it doesn’t discriminate against colors.”

Ahem, I raised my nose.

“Still, pink is best. I was thinking of preparing other colors because pink is hard to find. But I can’t give it up. It has a special meaning.”

“What?”

“Just a little longer until then. I won’t accept refusal.”

A brief kiss landed on my forehead.

Then, as if he hadn’t been holding me without letting go, he released me from his arms without any lingering attachment.

“My Anette.”

Since when? My ears turned bright red at the sound of him languidly whispering my name.

I can only hope that the darkness that has fallen in the gallery by now is enough to hide my reddened face.