Waves of light surged as the distant sky brightened. It seemed like it was time for the sun to rise.
All was quiet till an unexpected visitor showed up and caused a ruckus at Marquis Morgana's estate.
What time is it? 5am? 6am?
I stifled a yawn, my eyes not opening completely. It wasn't time for me to wake, yet I forced myself to get up and make my way to the common area.
But since the person sitting across from me didn't seem to be aware of my situation, I kindly explained to them,
"I'm sleepy."
Waking up before nine made me act like a strange person. This was the case even before I was born as Maevia Morgana. It didn't matter how long I'd slept; the rule was always to only wake up after nine. Whenever I woke up early, I ended up feeling blank and irritated for the whole day.
Because of this, my body creaked like an uncharged machine, similar to how I was during my school days.
Even though I looked at him with a sour expression, Aedis still smiled in a pleased manner.
"Your nightgown is cute."
What nightgown was I wearing again?
I think I just grabbed whatever I saw first because my feet ached and I felt tired yesterday.
It was too annoying to look down and check. Instead, I just opted to watch Aedis stack the round cherries Sarah had brought for me like a tower.
It would've been an amazing sight if I had seen it while I was in my right mind.
"I didn't expect your excellency to be such a simple person."
"Drop the formalities."
"Go home, I'm gonna sleep."
Aedis laughed, his eyes bending beautifully.
I'm not a funny person.
Noticing my expression, he knocked over his cherry tower with his finger.
He was dressed in a dark suit that matched his hair. Even though the material was light, intended to be used during summer, his shirt was unbuttoned, revealing his strong collarbone.
I wonder if it's because he's from the north. No scars, immaculate muscles… I'm getting drowsy.
He reasoned with me,
"We need to discuss the details, Eve."
He was even using my nickname now. He had an obvious merry look on his face.
He must've known I liked to sleep a lot in the morning and was trying to mess up my sleep schedule.
I pushed away the documents Aedis had brought out. Instead, I gave the worn-out contract that had been through many hands to him. With a bored look in his eyes, he picked up the crisp paper.
I hadn't even signed it yet but the marriage contract already had the Emperor's seal on it.
"Did you go to the Imperial Palace yesterday for this?"
"Yeah."
"I'm comfortable with speaking formally."
"Why?"
"Usually I have a foul mouth, but now I have to speak gently."
It was the complete truth. If you weren't my husband, I'd be thinking you were speaking bullshit.
Aedis laughed languidly before getting to the point.
"Then, I'm willing to marry you. Though, I'd rather not get married just to get divorced."
Huuuh. The words that followed right after surprised me. Though, he didn't speak in a formal and stiff tone so I assume he meant it in a friendly way.
Was he always such a considerate person?
"I'm not thinking of getting divorced either."
What's good is good. Slowly, I closed my eyes once again.
I want to sleep. There was nothing I wished for more than to lie down in a cozy bed with a soft aroma and have a nice, sweet sleep; a sleep so sweet that honey couldn't even compare.
"Would you be willing to live the rest of your life with a man you only met yesterday?"
"If it doesn't bother you."
My drowsy murmurs were well understood by Aedis.
"Sounds fun."
I rubbed my eyes, thinking how I'd rather be sleeping during a night with a white moon than stay awake during a wild morning like today. A deep, bored tone followed,
"It'll be difficult to have a child. There's a small problem when it comes to my constitution."
"I'll remember that."
Silence ensued for a moment.
"...I'll try to follow those conditions to the best of my abilities. Are there any other questions?"
I wasn't in my right mind because of how sleepy I was. I forced my heavy eyelids open and asked him a simple and adequate question.
"How old are you?"
"Much older than my beloved wife."
"I already know that."
Even the ignorant people of the capital and the north knew that Aedis Kallakis had lived too long.
Since they didn't know his exact age, everyone just assumed he was an old man.
The knowledge I gathered from the novel was of no use to me. All I knew was that Gilbert died and Aedis was the most secretive out of all the characters.
Hearing my complaint, he added to his answer,
"I've met the first head of the Kallakis family. Though he wasn't a Grand Duke at the time, just some brainless guy wandering around exploring dangerous areas."
"You have a baby face. It wouldn't be strange if your child had a child, who had a child, who had a child, also had a child."
"I don't have any biological children."
"Any lovers?"
"None."
"I think you're just a lone wolf."
Aedis laughed again. This time, he had an incredible smile.
"Eve, aren't you curious about why I've lived for so long?"
"I'm more interested in your relationships with other people."
"I'm sorry I didn't meet your expectations. I have none."
His eyes shone a deep sea blue as he rested his chin on his hand. His ebony hair swayed along with his movements. My fingers impulsively twitched, feeling the need to tidy up his messy hair.
Hey, don't do anything unnecessary, Maevia. Just make him leave right away and go back to sleep.
"I have one condition. Due to the fact that I'll be settling down in unfamiliar territory with my trusty maid, I'll need appropriate compensation if I were to ever get hurt", I said with a low sigh.
Aedis nodded, it seemed like he was willing to hear me out until the end.
"Continue."
I recited my thoughts one after another in a bored tone.
"One bruise equals a million marka[1]. A stab wound equals ten million marka. A burn equals fifty million marka. Fractures and amputations cost more than a hundred million marka but less than two hundred million, and my life doesn't have a cost in particular."
[1] Their currency
Obviously it was a ridiculous condition. What kind of grand duchess would get hurt in the grand duke's territory? I bet I'd have a tight-security escort.
However, there were two problems.
First of all, Gilbert Kallkis was also scheduled to travel up to the North. Second of all, Aedis was taking him way too lightly.
No, it'd be strange if he didn't look down on him. He wasn't even as strong as Aedis' fist, but Gilbert had his own strength, and he wanted to beat me up.
Regrettably, there was no guarantee that I'd have a sweeping victory over Gilbert even if I used tricks, so it'd be less depressing if I were to get paid even if I landed one hundred hits on him and only received one in return.
"What the hell do you know about my territory?"
He didn't sound angry, it seemed more like he thought my statement was ridiculous.
For the first time today, I smiled brightly.
"Please think of it as a measure of safety. No one would welcome a stranger – whose face they don't even know – as your wife."
"Do you think I'll just act as a bystander?"
His tone sounded dark.
"If you don't wish to get robbed then you'll protect me, is that correct?"
I imitated Raven and tilted my head.
"If you're that scared, bring an escort with you. Even if you bring all of the marquis' men with you, I won't say a thing", he spoke without a smile.
"Why waste so much manpower when I have a husband who's second to none?"
"I don't believe I have the vibe of a 'husband who's second to none'."
The smile on his face had subsided and a bored look replaced it instead. Knowing that, I spoke of banal things,
"This is already the second time we've met."
Huh?
Suddenly, even if it was just for a short moment, I woke up from my daze with a bam. That was because when I indiscreetly stared into Aedis' eyes, I realized something unexpected. I couldn't avert my attention from the strange colour in his eyes.
In the novel, Aedis Kallakis was described to have black hair as dark as the sea and deep blue eyes the colour of icebergs.
But something has been bothering me ever since yesterday's dance. This man.
"What old-fashioned words for someone who proposed to me previously. I thought you were overflowing with confidence, but it turns out you have none?"
I impulsively stood up. My usual noble-like manners weren't present and I heard the chair being pushed back.
Before I knew it, my face pushed closer to his.
My pink hair brushed past his cheek and our breaths dispersed.
"Aedis."
"..."
"You, you have some purple in your eyes?"
In those deep eyes of his, I found fragments of purple. It was never referenced in the novel, like a valuable secret no one but me knew.
"...What's with your sudden unnecessary words."
Though he clenched his jaw, I laughed proudly at my anticipated harvest.
I've already made a new discovery. It's only a matter of time before I unrail all of Aedis' secrets.
Aedis, who was quick when it came to gathering information, already knew a lot about Maevia Morgana. But inside, it discouraged me knowing I didn't know all about him.
It was an equal relationship between husband and wife.
As expected, he was amazing. I had a sharp eye when it came to people.
"Did you know? At times, it's a pale colour but it does change every once in a while."
With how things were going, I bit my lip before I ended up laughing too much. Aedis raised his hand.
Poke.
His long, pale fingers poked my cheek gently, so that it wouldn't hurt.
"What?"
He didn't even pinch me; it was just a poke.
He mumbled with a pensive look on his face,
"Amazing."
What's amazing?
"Is my skin that good?"
He took a soft breath in.
"What a unique scent. It's sweet, yet seems peculiarly familiar."