Fernan, who had fallen asleep after taking sleeping pills, woke up when Julia pressed his forehead.
For some reason, I couldn't open my eyes, even while the soft hand wandered around my face for a long time.
At dawn, when the sun rose, Julia was asleep, leaning in his arms.
I had thought about it before, but Yulia seemed to fall asleep quickly when she leaned her head back.
Fernan suddenly stroked the back of her hair. Her soft hair was messed up in her big hands.
Looking down at her sleeping while leaning on me gave me a sense of satisfaction as if something was being filled at this moment.
It was a strange feeling, but it wasn't bad.
'… Fernan.'
A gentle voice calling out his name continued to knock on his ear.
It felt like all the boundaries were being broken down by just that soft voice.
The fact was funny, so he made a small self-help, and then stared at the ceiling. The time that Julia had set for her to run away again became a little futile.
Without realizing it, Fernando raised his lips slightly and closed his eyes slowly.
That night, both of them were able to sleep peacefully.
* * *
The seemingly peaceful days continued for some time.
Around that time, Fernando bit the knights that had been built around Julia. Her chasing after her wherever she goes, they'd make her uncomfortable.
Of course, the escort was not completely eliminated. They were going to keep Julia secretly out of sight.
The peace that had lasted for such a short time was broken when his aide came to the Grand Siege.
An urgent telegram was sent from the border.
"majesty!"
Lloyd ran into the office and reported, panting.
"It is the news that a monster has appeared at the border."
Fernando, who was reviewing the documents, heard Lloyd's words and got up immediately.
It was news that the monsters that had been struggling with the border guards for the past few months had reappeared.
Even more troublesome was that the enemy soldiers also joined.
"How big is it?"
As Fernando stepped forward and asked, Lloyd's serious voice followed.
"It is said that it is difficult to grasp the scale. It seems that the knights are not able to move easily because they cannot accurately determine their base."
Fernan lightly clicked his tongue. It was troublesome for the demons to appear in hordes, but if the enemy army was also added, the situation would be quite complicated.
Apparently, the remnants of the enemy, Renef Kingdom, seemed to move on a larger scale than expected.
"Perhaps there are some who wield demons among the enemy army."
Fernando got on the horse without delay. The reporter pulled the reins, and his horse began to run at great speed.
And at that moment, Fernando looked around the castle for a moment.
In the end, after not long enough, Fernando stopped talking and turned around again.
"majesty? Why?"
So, when Lloyd stopped and looked at him curiously, Fernando nodded as if to go first, and then headed back to the castle.
Fernando got off his horse and quickly entered the lobby.
Yulia, who was going down the stairs just in time, noticed him and tilted her head.
"majesty?"
Fernan, who stopped in front of Julia, hesitated a little, which was not like it. Suddenly, an anxious voice came from somewhere.
"I will be away for a while. It might take a little while."
Since it was Fernan who had never explained my absence, Yulia looked up at him with a slightly startled look.
"What happened?"
"Something happened at the border, so we have to go quickly."
Yulia, who had blinked her eyes without saying a word, answered with a worried expression on her face.
"Go and be careful."
Despite the simple answer, Fernando stood still, as if stuck in place.
It was because Han o'clock was busy, but when I saw her, I couldn't hardly walk.
If I left the castle today, I wasn't sure when I would be back.
We will do our best to get things done as quickly as possible, but depending on the size of the enemy forces, the timing may vary.
During his absence, he wasn't sure if Julia would stay still in the castle.
Of course, a few knights would secretly guard her surroundings, but nevertheless, she was not easily relieved.
Julia looked at him puzzledly, who didn't say anything, and then smiled softly.
"I'll be waiting for you."
In the clear eyes that looked up at me, his image was contained.
Is it sincere? I wish you were sincere. Those transparent eyes looking at me couldn't have been sincere.
Suddenly I remembered her from last night. The image of her calling my name in a quiet and gentle voice.
Fernan, who was standing still, feeling like an idiot, looked down at her little face.
"… okay."
I had a lot of things I wanted to say, but I didn't have the time or space to spit them all out.
Fernan immediately took the heavy step and turned away from her. And he slowly let go of the anxiety that had been weighing on her the whole time.
I just decided to believe. Her transparent eyes and her quiet voice were all sincere.
That was his mistake.
* * *
Fernando went on an expedition.
Renef Kingdom, one of the defeated countries in the last imperial war. Their remnants invaded the border in cooperation with other countries.
When Fernando led the knights to the border, there was a rather quiet atmosphere in the castle.
After he left, Yulia, who had not come out of the bedroom for half a day, showed up in the afternoon.
Continuing through the hallway, she headed to the front of a large door engraved with a delicately crafted pattern.
This was a bedroom made for the Grand Duke and his wife to share.
Julia opened the door and went inside, looking around the bedroom.
A luxuriously decorated bedroom. However, the interior, which had never been used, had an atmosphere of silence.
Julia looked at the bed with a dry gaze for a while, then took a step back.
She had crossed the bedroom and stopped in front of the door leading to the adjacent room. It was a place where wedding gifts, including wedding gifts, were kept.
Only Fernan and her were the keys to unlock this door, so no one was allowed to enter.
Suddenly, the door opened, revealing the inside.
Julia approached one of the showcases and opened the dusty jewelry box.
Two rings were neatly placed inside. It was their wedding ring.
Julia took out the ring and put it on her ring finger.
The ring didn't fit snugly into her hand, but it wasn't loose enough to fall out.
"Your Majesty, you are here."
With the ring on, she came out again and Melissa was standing there.
Julia looked at Melissa with a somewhat complicated face.
She had spoken to the maid the other day and had given Melissa a few days off.
It was because he was afraid that Melissa would harm him after he ran away.
"This is the first time I have been on vacation this long. It's nice to have such special privileges working alongside His Majesty Rain."
Melissa laughed playfully. Yulia raised her mouth slightly with an effort.
Thinking that today was the last day with Melissa, my heart ached even though I tried to put up with it.
"Goodbye, Melissa."
Julia, who held Melissa's hand tightly, did not let go for a long time with regret.
Melissa tilted her head and patted the back of her hand affectionately.
"I will go. His Excellency should not stay in the room too much, eat well, and go out for a walk."
"Yes, I will."
After seeing Melissa out of the castle, she watched the carriage go away until the end.
The warm warmth that remained in my hands made my heart feel empty.
Yulia, who struggled with her numb breasts, returned to her bedroom and began to pack her things.
Speaking of luggage, it was only extra clothes, so it wasn't very noticeable.
I decided to leave the other stuff as it is. Everything in this castle belonged to Fernando.
Finally, Julia gently touched the ring on her ring finger.
Still, I was thinking of taking this ring with me.
It wasn't because of his resentment towards Fernan. Rather, after Yulia had brushed off even the smallest regrets, she wanted to leave.
So I was thinking of selling this ring, which symbolized my marriage to Fernando.
After all, this ring was a kind of alimony for her.
'It's only now.'
I don't know why, but Fernando had been bitten by all the knights that had been standing around her a few days ago.
So, the only chance to escape was now Fernando's absence.
As she approached the window, she looked at her son-in-law, who was slowly starting to set.
Yulia was planning to leave this castle tomorrow morning.