"The day has come when Vermont sets foot in my castle."
Kaian's eyes were full of undisguised disgust.
"And as my guest, no less."
When I saw that expression, my back automatically went cold. I'd seen those eyes before.
*"Whether you become Claudel Quinn Temnes depends on your efforts tonight. I hope you try."*
Our wedding night. The last time I'd seen Kaian before the candle illuminating the room went out—that was exactly the look on his face.
I'd thought I was getting along better with him these days. I wasn't as scared or afraid of him as I used to be. Even though he had a cold expression, I'd believed the man who looked at me didn't harbor such ill feelings in his heart.
But at this moment, seeing Kaian look at Irena with raised eyebrows as if he'd met his mortal enemy, I didn't know what to do. I felt like I was being cast out—not Irena—to the point where my hopes of winning his heart felt fleeting.
Every word he said seemed to replay, one by one, the memories I'd experienced when I first came to Rowan Castle.
"Ah..."
Irena—with her red hair hanging down, her golden eyes trembling aimlessly, making small sounds, pale—looked exactly like my former self.
I was angry.
*If it's going to be like this, I should have told Irena not to come.*
No matter how much she was my sister, if he couldn't hide his antipathy like this, he should have refused her visit from the beginning.
*He didn't say anything then, but does he have to shock Irena by displaying such hostility?*
I was resentful of Kaian.
Over the past two days, when Irena had casually made comments that seemed to ignore or belittle Rowan Castle or Temnes, the atmosphere in the castle around me had grown strange. The word "Vermont"—which I hadn't heard in a while—passed softly through my ears again.
Irena, who'd grown up in Castle Valmonde, never held back what she wanted to say or do, nor did she watch for others' reactions. She didn't pay attention to the servants' responses. The unwelcome reactions of those around her didn't seem to reach or concern her.
Meanwhile, I—the Lord's wife from Vermont—could only tremble with nervousness, fearing that the servants who were now treating Hannah and me favorably would revert to their former attitude with Irena's visit.
It was a challenge that couldn't tip to one side—to calm the dissatisfaction of Temnes's faithful while also caring for Irena. I'd been managing well these days thanks to the butler's sincere and meticulous hospitality.
My husband, who'd returned earlier than expected, was now properly scattering the ashes I'd been trying to contain.
Kaian casually removed his cloak and gloves, handing them to the butler.
"Still, I'll dine with the guest so as not to be rude to someone who's come such a long way."
"Yes, my Lord."
I was dismayed by Kaian's words.
*He's already being rude.*
He casually ascended to this floor, and once Kaian was out of sight, Irena stumbled. Startled, I helped her up.
"Sister, are you all right?"
"Yes... ha... I'm just... a little surprised."
Irena's hand holding mine was cold. I took her with me to the drawing room. As cool water was poured into a glass, color returned to Irena's face. She took a sip and drew a deep breath.
"Oh my God! I've never seen a man so frightening and rude!"
As soon as she regained her composure, Irena's eyes widened as she delivered a harsh assessment of Kaian.
"I didn't come here to fight the Duke. I came to visit you as a Duchess. How can he be so uncouth?"
*That's because here, the Duke of Temnes holds a position comparable to the Duke of Vermont in Valmonde.*
*Uncle's words and actions are just as cutting as Kaian's. Perhaps the Duke of Vermont is even worse, sister.*
Meanwhile, without realizing it, I was defending Kaian in my heart.
It was a widely known opinion that while the Temnes were brutish people who only wielded swords, the Vermonters could kill with their tongues—a curse on family enemies that knew no gender distinction.
If one could be rude with words alone, Vermont would probably win. But now, the priority was calming the shaken Irena.
"I'm sorry, sister."
"What do you have to be sorry about?"
Irena hugged me with a pitying expression and rubbed my back.
"How can you live with such a frightening man? Oh, my poor little sister—what am I to do for you?"
"I'm all right."
"Everyone's so happy that your marriage to Temnes solved the food problem, but they're making it so hard on you."
Irena's eyes grew moist.
"I'll go back and tell Father everything."
"Please don't do that."
"How can I pretend not to know that you live with a husband so rude and lacking in basic courtesy?"
"This marriage is by royal decree. I can't divorce without the King's permission anyway."
It was said that arranged marriages were binding and didn't end even after death—but on top of that, this was a marriage by royal command.
"That's true."
"Please don't let Uncle deepen his grudge against Temnes for no reason. Please..."
"All right."
Irena let out a sigh.
"He's glaring at me and acting so cold."
She shook her head as if she'd witnessed something unbearable.
---
The dining room of Rowan Castle was brilliantly lit. The chandelier hanging from the high ceiling sparkled with crystals strung together like grapes. Five such chandeliers hung over a long table that could seat about thirty people.
At the head of the table sat Kaian, the family head. Claudel sat to his left, and Irena sat across from Claudel in the guest's seat.
"Does the food suit your taste?"
"Yes, it's delicious."
When Irena answered, Kaian raised his glass and sneered.
"Compared to Valmonde's dried-out cooking, it must be the difference between heaven and earth. Please return home after enjoying the abundance of Rowan, fostered by heaven's blessings."
I felt like what I was eating might come back up, so I chewed my food much more slowly than usual. After forcing myself to swallow what was in my mouth, I reached for water.
*Why tell her to enjoy more if it suits her taste, then tell her to go home?*
I couldn't even interpret Kaian's words for Irena. I lamented inwardly.
But what I'd overlooked was that Irena, who'd been raised as nobility, had no reason to tolerate Kaian's attitude.
"The Duke is truly remarkable."
"What do you mean?"
"I heard you received quite strict etiquette education. I suppose you're weak in practical application."
"Practical application?"
Irena haughtily lowered her eyes and squared her shoulders.
"Because I don't believe you place much value on avoiding rude words and behavior toward a lady."
"These are rude words and actions?"
As Kaian raised his eyebrows with his signature stern frown, Irena's bravado from moments ago vanished and she looked frightened.
*Wait—that means he's intrigued.*
If you looked closely at his eyes, he wasn't angry. Until now, he'd been somewhat irritated at being treated as an unwelcome guest, but his interest seemed piqued by Irena's words.
*"How can you live with such a frightening man? Oh, my poor little sister—what am I to do for you?"*
I wondered if Irena—who'd criticized Kaian so harshly—would understand if I told her that.
"Courtesy only applies when it's reciprocated appropriately. I, who was planning to raze all of Valmonde within the year, am already being courteous to Vermont. Expecting more seems unreasonable."
When Irena fell silent at Kaian's words, he added coldly, "Well, if my Lady's words lead to resuming the territorial war, I'd be delighted."
"No, you're joking like that, Duke."
I smiled awkwardly to lighten the mood. The territorial war comment must have been Kaian's idea of a joke, but judging by Irena's fork and knife suspended in midair, it was clear she didn't take it as one.
"It's a joke, right?"
"I meant it as a joke. Smile, Princess Irena."
Judging by my sister's wide-eyed expression, she didn't understand Kaian's humor at all.
"Anyway, why aren't you eating?"
Kaian's attention returned to me sitting beside him.
*Yes, please stop talking to my sister.*
I looked down at my plate and saw more than half the food remained.
"Don't you like your meal?"
"No, I was slow because I was trying to eat while conversing."
"Hmm."
Before I realized it, Kaian had finished the plate before him.
"Ah..."
When he speared food with a fork and brought it to my mouth, I reflexively accepted it.
Kaian narrowed his eyes and watched with satisfaction as I took and ate what he offered—though of course, only his eyes showed pleasure.
"I really do need to feed you. Troublesome."
At the same time, he carefully tucked the hair near my ears behind them so it wouldn't fall into my mouth.
"I'll eat on my own."
"Why?"
*Why is this person acting like this in front of Irena?*
It was when I was troubled by this that Irena stood, the sound of cutlery being placed on china ringing out.
"Please excuse me for a moment."
*Oh no, that's done it.*
I was embarrassed seeing her flee her seat.
---
Kaian felt thoroughly irritated. The reasons were complex, and it all started with Valquiterre.
He'd forced Kaian to go to Fromhunt when he didn't want to go. And Valquiterre wasn't there.
He'd summoned Kaian in the King's name and deceived him.
*"Where is the King?"*
*"Well, we don't know that either, Duke."*
Absurdly, he'd been driven away, with only the lieutenants and guard knights who'd accompanied Valquiterre remaining.
*"His Majesty is the King of the Kingdom of Oberon. What were you doing that allowed the King to disappear? Incompetent fools."*
*"We're sorry."*
*"If anything unpleasant happens to His Majesty, none of you will survive, so be prepared."*
All the royal guard knights who'd been subjected to Kaian's fury looked as pale as if they'd already been struck by his sword.
He wasn't genuinely worried something would happen to Valquiterre while making such stern threats—because Valquiterre possessed swordsmanship skills equal to Kaian's own.
He'd traveled a great distance for a full day only to return empty-handed like this. When he'd returned to Rowan Castle with his head full of frustration, he'd found something else to infuriate him.
*"Oh, Duke—this is my sister, Irena."*
*Duke?*
When had she started calling him by what she'd heard from his enemy?
*"I know I can't sleep without you. Don't go."*
Apparently, on the day he'd set off for the hunting grounds, his wife—who'd clung to him warmly and happily—now greeted him with trembling.
And when he'd seen the red-haired Vermont woman, he'd felt an instinctive aversion to facing his enemy.
*She's Vermont's daughter and looks just like that old fox.*
It seemed the reason Claudel was so lovely was because she wasn't related by blood to the fox-like Duke of Vermont.
"You're being excessive."
"What's excessive?"
Claudel looked at him reproachfully.
"She came all this way. Did you really have to say that?"
"You're acting as if I did something wrong."
"So do you think you handled that well? What's my position? If this reaches the Duke of Vermont's ears..."
He was so dumbfounded he perversely lifted one corner of his mouth.
"Your position? Which one of us is thinking incorrectly now?"
"What?"
Kaian held Claudel's chin firmly with one hand and made her look at him.
"Listen carefully. The only thing you need to worry about is me."
Her golden eyes, which had been wavering the entire time, gleamed beautifully in the chandelier's light.
"Is that the only greeting you have for your husband, whom you haven't seen in two days—'Duke'?"
As he spoke sarcastically, she seemed about to say something but closed her mouth.
"I missed you, Claudel."
Kaian pushed his tongue deep between Claudel's lips to claim the words she'd been trying to say.
---