“We will push forward with the wedding arrangements for my daughter and Your Excellency. This is adequate collateral for limiting my actions in the business we conduct with Your Excellency.”
“Go ahead.”
It was a marriage by name, but it was merely an extension to the business under the guise of marriage.
Kaywhin had no expectations or interest towards the person who was to be his wife and business collateral. Thus, when there was a sudden request to switch brides just days before the appointed wedding date, he easily consented.
After all, since the bride only had value as business collateral, it didn’t particularly matter who it was.
The new bride met the conditions for the collateral.
And then came the wedding day.
Kaywhin went up to the capital. When he saw his wife-to-be for the first time at the wedding hall, Kaywhin thought of a certain animal without realizing.
‘Rabbit.’
Fair, silver hair and pink eyes.
Compared to Kaywhin, she was much smaller. Her build led him to associate her with a rabbit.
It was the first time he looked at someone and was reminded of an animal. Perhaps that’s why he kept looking at her, but that was only for a brief amount of time.
During their carriage ride back to the fief after the ceremony, Kaywhin no longer had any personal thoughts about his bride.
As a husband, Kaywhin was considerate of his wife and offered her a welcome befitting the now-madam of the castle.
But that was all.
He had his own business to attend to and paid no further interest to his wife who was only his spouse as a formality.
He thought that was what she wanted as well.
Then, one day.
“Duke, the Madam…”
He received news that his wife punished two of the castle maids. Soon after, she burst through the door of his study.
Up until that point, Kaywhin was only a little startled, but not flustered.
He thought his wife was simply being fickle.
But then she closed the space between them without hesitation and touched his hand and soon afterward, his face.
“…Ah, I’m sorry. For touching you all of a sudden.”
For the first time in a very long time, Kaywhin was so flustered that his body flinched.
“May I touch?” His wife very belatedly asked for permission, after already touching him. She carefully traced the patches on his face.
Kaywhin stared at his wife, whose actions were almost eccentric, with confused eyes.
Her actions were too extreme to be considered fickle.
All his life, he had never met anyone who had touched the patches on his face with such ease.
“I usually don’t have the hobby of sleeping alone. If you understand, then I’ll be waiting today.”
Kaywhin’s wife left after commanding him to go to her bedroom at night as her husband.
After she left, it took quite some time for Kaywhin to get back to his work.
The warm and soft touch of her hands on his face lingered on his skin for a long time.
***
The more he got to know his wife, the harder it was to figure her out.
She wasn’t pretending; she really didn’t mind the patches on his face or the rumors that surrounded him.
And she really wanted an heir.
That was the part Kaywhin had the most difficulty understanding.
‘Why?’
It was easy to tell that her purpose in approaching him was for a child. It wasn’t hard to figure that out.
But no matter how many times he tried thinking of a reason, he couldn’t figure out why she wanted a child.
Did she want to give birth to the next duke?
Although he had only observed her for a short amount of time, his wife didn’t seem to be very greedy.
It was like a riddle.
Kaywhin left the unsolvable riddle alone for a while.
Then, one day.
“Yelena, your wrist.”
“…”
“Please.”
He was bothered by the bruise that had formed on her wrist.
“– I’ve been listening to you since the beginning, and do you know who the monster is? You’re the monster!”
“– Wife… now…”
“– Don’t call me wife, you scumbag! The only one who can call me that is my husband!”
That night, Kaywhin heard the sincerity in his wife’s voice in the video sphere.
“– He’s not a monster. He’s my husband! Do you understand?”
Regardless of what the reason she wanted a child with him was, the rage in her voice was real.
Kaywhin first made sure Incan paid the appropriate price for bruising his wife’s wrist. Then, he thought long and hard for several days.
The answer to his question became clear.
“Among all the gardens of the castle, I like the eastern garden the most.”
He had seen his wife speak her true feelings.
And so, he decided he would convey his own true feelings.
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