"You're ruining my castle."
Rowan Castle, which Valquiterre always missed, was an elegant and noble castle. At the back of the castle, there was a lake connected to the river, and the castle with the moat rising in the background had the dignity of the first royal castle of the Kingdom of Oberon.
What kind of hideous thing was this in such a place?
"Did you abandon your aesthetic sense on the battlefield?"
While he sat on his high horse looking at the baby crocodile over the crowd and feeling displeased, Kaian came out to meet him. Only then did the crowd look behind them and spot the King and his party, and the commotion died down.
*Woooooo—*
A long horn sounded and at the castle entrance, Kaian began leading his soldiers across the drawbridge.
Those who'd been quiet for a moment after seeing Valquiterre saw the Lord they worshiped and started whispering excitedly.
Kaian, who came through the middle of the chaos, truly had the dignity of a renowned Lord of Rowan. Looking down at him clearly from his horse, Valquiterre felt his heart freeze.
This was the first time Kaian had greeted him as the owner of Rowan Castle.
"Your Majesty the King, welcome to Rowan."
When the Lord, dressed in full formal robes, approached in accordance with etiquette and bowed his head, Valquiterre finally dismounted.
"Thank you for your hospitality."
"Please come inside."
Valquiterre looked back and made his escorts and attendants take a few steps back.
As he walked on the drawbridge, he could see even more clearly the people surrounding the moat having fun throwing food at the monster below. There was no way a beast lacking intelligence would completely eat what was given to it, so there were chewed fruits and things strewn about, which made him frown.
Unable to bear it any longer, Valquiterre asked Kaian softly.
"What the hell is that?"
"I couldn't help it. Because we caught them alive, they broke the cage and scared the other livestock."
"Why did you catch such a hideous thing in the first place?"
"Emergency medicine."
Kaian said casually.
Except for the fact that the moat's elegance was missing and the heavy breathing of howling animals could be heard occasionally, the closer he got to the castle walls, the more Rowan Castle matched his memories.
*The Lord of the castle has changed.*
When he'd come before, Valquiterre had been with Queen Silvia, and the person who'd welcomed them at the Lord's seat was the previous Duke of Temnes.
Although he knew Kaian was ruling the territory well, Valquiterre was offended when he saw him greeting him as the family head without any flaws.
Expecting him to be in a rush, they'd had the advance party arrive only when they entered the Rowan territory and allowed only about three days to spare.
*I came suddenly on purpose.*
Valquiterre also didn't like Kaian's attitude—greeting him too calmly. However, those feelings subsided in an instant when he saw a woman standing at the end of the drawbridge, inside the castle gate, with her hands folded in front of her navel, greeting him.
"It's an honor for you to visit Rowan Castle, Your Majesty the King."
The woman, with her red, luscious hair neatly pulled up and secured with a hairpin, still looked fresh and innocent.
Claudel, who hadn't yet acquired the sophistication typical of older noblewomen, may have wanted to look like the wife of a castle Lord. But the fact that she wore a neat, classic dress that capital women wouldn't wear at that age, with her hair up, made her even more eye-catching.
He felt as if he were seeing a Princess playfully lifting the Queen's crown, or a Prince reaching for his father's sword. Somehow, compared to her solemn outfit, he felt her immaturity was more endearing.
*This is what I've been avoiding. This is what I thought as soon as I saw her. There's no solution.*
Only when Valquiterre greeted Claudel was he able to shake off the uncomfortable feeling inside and truly smile.
"Seeing the beautiful Duchess again makes the long journey worthwhile."
As he responded, Claudel was seen tightening her clasped hands.
"Oberon's greatest pillar and God's most beloved King—I hope you can rest your weary steps in Rowan, a blessed land surrounded by the sun's warmth."
Claudel's eyes glanced at Kaian, who stood next to Valquiterre, as she recited a series of awkward phrases.
"Heh."
Valquiterre heard a small laugh like wind passing by next to him. And at that moment, surprisingly, Claudel's golden eyes grew slightly larger, as if flowers were blooming.
Soon she too was seen relaxing and smiling with a relieved expression. Valquiterre's judgment was clouded when he saw the two people exchanging glances for a moment, leaving him standing there.
"I'm tired. Hurry and lead the way."
"Yes, Your Majesty the King."
Valquiterre walked inside with long strides. The castle was so clean he didn't really need guidance, but since it was his first visit to Rowan after ascending to the throne, he went out of his way to be polite.
When Valquiterre was ushered into the parlor, tea was immediately served by the butler who'd been preparing it in advance.
"Your Majesty the King, I send greetings."
"Baron Colon, it's been a while since I've seen you."
The last time the butler and Valquiterre had seen each other was when the butler had gone to the capital from the Rowan estate to transport the Duke and Duchess of Temnes to the royal castle.
"You've worked hard. It would be rare to find a master as difficult to serve as Kaian. How about it? Won't you accept a place in the royal castle?"
Kaian raised his eyebrows at the battle for talent taking place right before his eyes.
"I think it would be best to discuss that in a place where my eyes can't reach."
"If it's done in a place where the Duke's eyes cannot reach, I think I'll sincerely want to take you to the royal castle."
The butler's eyes were slightly red as if he was moved to see Kaian and Valquiterre—who'd once been as tall as his waist—sitting facing each other.
"I am serving the next master in honor of the legacy left behind by the deceased Duke. Please stop this talk."
"I still see that jokes don't work on you. The taste of the tea is the same."
As Valquiterre grinned and raised his teacup, the atmosphere of subtle competition subsided.
When the butler left, Kaian removed the heavily decorated outer robe he'd been forced to wear despite the heat.
"What happened all of a sudden?"
Kaian's tone as he asked was filled with irritation that couldn't be hidden.
Valquiterre casually leaned back on the sofa.
"Nothing."
"You've never done this before."
"I didn't have any peace of mind at that time."
Kaian's red eyes shone even more vividly in the parlor, where the curtains were half-drawn to block the bright Rowan sun.
"Speak properly instead of deflecting. Is something happening?"
Valquiterre looked at the red eyes that seemed to have drawn in Rowan's heat with his cold blue eyes.
Valquiterre maintained composure as he watched Kaian, who was instinctively wary that he might have some kind of plot in mind due to his dislike of unclear or unknown variables.
"I said I would take a break, so I can't come to my home as I please?"
When he called Rowan Castle "my home," Kaian's eyebrows relaxed and his eyes softened. Kaian was vulnerable to the fact that they were of the same bloodline because they had twin mothers.
"It's been just over three years since you returned from the battlefield. I have no interest in visiting castles when the owner is away."
However, when he spoke as if he knew full well that the owner of this castle was Kaian, the other man sighed.
"I never thought I'd see you this often."
"Are you dissatisfied?"
"No way. Welcome, Valquiterre."
The man, who seemed to have appeared under the sun's blessing, smiled as he looked at Kaian, who'd completely lowered his guard.
"Thank you for welcoming me."
*Actually, I came to see your wife.*
Kaian would never know that fact.
Valquiterre had a dark expression on his face beneath his dazzlingly bright demeanor.
---
Because of the young King of Oberon, who'd sent an advance party with only three days' notice, Rowan Castle was so lively it seemed about to explode.
"Ugh, Rowan's heat is so bad, I'm going to die from exhaustion."
"How long has it been since the castle was decorated like this?"
The maids who'd worked at the castle for a long time said they were struggling and stuck out their tongues.
The royal family's journeys were never decided suddenly. As this was a visit of the highest dignity in the kingdom, it was usual to prepare in advance to ensure sufficient protocol and courtesy were provided with care.
This was something that should have been prepared with at least three months to spare.
At least in the Rowan territory, it seemed everyone had gotten used to these sudden major events. After the funeral of the previous Duke and his wife, the family head leaves for the battlefield, a sudden marriage by royal order, taking a hostess, and even a sudden visit from the King.
When something happens, don't you somehow handle it? Everyone in Rowan Castle was of one mind like a wheel turning steadily.
In the midst of it all, I was also busy walking back and forth and directing the maids in their work.
"Take out everything that's old."
For a while, the carefully maintained hostess's quarters had been empty, leaving stained old curtains and bedding scattered throughout the castle. I planned to throw away what needed discarding this time and buy something new. Seeing sweat beading on my forehead, the butler approached me and tried to stop me.
"My Lady, just take a break."
"I am the hostess. His Majesty is here, so how can I rest alone?"
I couldn't forget the look on Kaian's face after hearing the King's command recited by the messenger sent by Valquiterre.
*Did you look like that when you were told to marry me?*
I was on the verge of having such thoughts.
I wasn't the type of person shameless enough to relax alone while there was so much commotion inside and outside the castle.
*I guess it's stabilized now and my morning sickness has disappeared.*
What the doctor had said was true. I'd been feeling better and my physical condition had been improving for the past few days, since the day after Kaian and I'd gotten into a heated argument in the middle of the night in the bathroom. When my headaches and nausea disappeared, I felt light, as if I'd been reborn.
"I'm fine, so just go."
At that moment, an arm suddenly stretched out from behind me and wrapped around my waist.
"If you tell them, they won't listen."
---