I Taught You Carefully, So Why Are You Obsessed?

The accommodations were prepared not far from where we had arrived. They said the residence was specially arranged by Elisia through a request to the imperial family of the Nomos Empire, and perhaps that’s why it looked so luxurious from the outside.

The mansion, situated on a low hill, was a bit removed from the bustling center of the capital, giving it a wide-open view of the city from within. It was all good—everything was perfect. Except for one thing…

“Why… is there… only one bedroom again?”

The one issue was that, once again, Ian and I had not been provided separate bedrooms. Unlike the last time at the secondary palace, the room prepared for the two of us was decorated with flowers and draped fabrics, creating an oddly extravagant and romantic atmosphere.

‘I should’ve known when Elisia said she paid special attention to the details.’

While I stood there stiff, Ian casually unbuttoned his cuffs and responded with composure.

“Because we’re married.”

“No, but…”

“You can’t say you didn’t expect this.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but the words that came to mind left me with a complicated expression instead.

‘Oh, how about you stay here for about ten days and use it as an excuse to take a little vacation? You’ve both been so busy that you didn’t even have time for a honeymoon.’

“…Sigh.”

That honeymoon again. It was clear now that the emperor was determined to give us some private time together. I could understand his intentions, but it was still an awkward situation for me.

After all, this wasn’t supposed to be a honeymoon, and I had my own reasons for following him all the way here. My goal was to make sure that during our stay in the Nomos Empire, Ian and Diana wouldn’t meet face-to-face as much as possible.

‘And in the meantime, I need to deliver the things I’ve prepared to Diana…’

Unconsciously, I tightly grasped the pendant of the necklace around my neck.

It was a shapeshifting charm necklace that Kyle had given me, just in case of an unexpected situation.

‘I really have to keep myself in check this time. Just because Ian’s been treating me well lately doesn’t mean I should let myself be swayed.’

Arriving in the Nomos Empire brought back a flood of thoughts that I had momentarily forgotten.

I steeled my resolve once more, glancing between the bedroom and the living room with a heavy heart.

‘What am I going to do this time?’

There was no way I could shamelessly make Ian sleep on the sofa again, especially with a ten-day itinerary ahead and swordsmanship lectures for several days.

‘It would make more sense for me, the lighter one, to sleep on the sofa…’

I sneaked a glance toward the living room, where a burgundy-colored sofa was sitting.

It was technically a sofa, but it was wide enough to be the size of a small single bed, so it didn’t seem too bad for me to sleep there alone.

After all, I had slept in tighter spaces back in my old apartment.

As I made up my mind, Ian, who had been watching me from the terrace, entered the bedroom and closed the door leading to the living room behind him.

He had already undone a couple of buttons, looking more relaxed than before.

“I’m not sure that’s such a great idea.”

“What?”

“You’ve been staring intently at the living room sofa.”

He gestured toward the closed door with his chin.

“Oh, well. I was just thinking, since you slept on the sofa last time, maybe it’s only fair that I sleep there this time. I’m smaller, so I don’t think it’ll be as uncomfortable for me as it was for you…”

“It is uncomfortable. I know because I’ve tried it.”

His words had a subtle edge to them.

Was he holding a grudge because I actually made him sleep on the sofa at the secondary palace?

“…Well, either way, we can’t sleep in the same bed.”

“Why not?”

“Huh?”

I looked up at him, confused, at his question that interrupted me mid-sentence.

“I asked why we can’t sleep in the same bed.”

What is he even saying right now?

“…Why? We’ve always had separate rooms, haven’t we?”

Ian and Eloise never shared a bed after they got married, after all.

Despite my baffled question, Ian remained composed.

“That was at the mansion, but here there’s only one room.”

“No, I…”

I found myself at a loss for words.

He glanced over my shoulder toward the bed and shrugged.

“In case you’ve forgotten, I’ll remind you—traditionally, married couples do share the same bed.”

He took a step closer.

What, what is this!

Now he was so close that I could practically feel the warmth radiating from him.

Startled by the sudden situation, I instinctively closed my eyes tightly.

…

But after one second passed, then two, nothing happened.

When I cautiously opened my eyes, Ian was reaching behind me to pick up a spare shirt that had been lying on the bed.

“…Ian?”

I stared at him blankly, and he gave me a sidelong glance as he held up the shirt.

“I was just about to change, but if you’d like to watch, I won’t stop you.”

He shook the shirt playfully, causing my face to flush instantly.

“…I’m leaving!”

“Yes, see you later.”

As I stormed out, his lips twitched slightly in amusement.

…Wait, did he just tease me?

After Ian and I finished our light meal, we changed into clothes suitable for visiting the academy and made the final adjustments to our outfits.

Vivi took a step back after pinning the badge on my left chest that identified me as a delegate from the Levant Empire.

“As expected, Madam’s face does all the work,”

In the mirror, I appeared more elegant and refined than usual. Madame Jed, perhaps still feeling remorseful over the shockingly tacky outfit she had made for our visit to Marisen, seemed to have poured all her effort into making this dress as luxurious as possible.

“Are we done now?”

“Ah, just a moment. There’s one thing left,” Vivi replied as she turned and rummaged through the jewelry box, pulling something out.

“Hm?”

It was the brooch I had gifted Ian for the Duchess of Brilluze’s season party. What was that doing here…?

“Why are you bringing that brooch out all of a sudden?”

To my surprise, Vivi widened her eyes in response.

“Oh, the master said to make sure to bring it. Didn’t you know, Madam?”

“…This? Ian said that?”

“Yes.”

Vivi happily fastened the brooch at the center of my neckline, just where the lace started.

‘He suddenly told her to bring this?’

I stood there in bewilderment, but only for a moment, as Ian, who had finished changing in the other room, knocked and entered.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes, just finished,”

“Perfect timing,”

He said as he approached and extended his hand toward me.

I looked at him for a moment before asking, “You told Vivi to bring the brooch I gave you?”

“Yes, I did.”

Ian briefly glanced at the brooch on my neck, then gestured toward his cravat with his chin. There, pinned to his cravat, was the exact same brooch as mine.

“You said you’d never have a reason to wear it again…”

What had caused this sudden change of heart?

“Why the brooch, all of a sudden?”

I asked, unable to decipher his intention.

His expression was as unreadable as ever as he replied, his voice calm and measured, as usual.

“I thought I’d make a bit of a fuss.”

“What?”

“I said, I wanted to make a bit of a fuss. Since I’ll be escorting you. Is there a problem?”

I was momentarily at a loss for words, caught off guard by his seemingly innocent, yet not-so-innocent question.

Seeing me dumbfounded, he added,

“You seem to have forgotten again, but most of the students at Biblos Academy are in their early to mid-twenties. Most of them are around your age, with the biggest age gap being five or six years.”

“Yes… and?”

“You’ll be touring the academy while I give a special lecture to the swordsmanship department.”

Even though he had worded it subtly, the meaning behind his words was clear.

‘He’s trying to make a statement, isn’t he?’

Everyone already knows I’m the Grand Duchess—why go this far to show it off?

This was something straight out of an old-school romance comic, like a gang leader marking his territory on his girlfriend.

Ian reached out and adjusted the brooch Vivi had just pinned, as if to double-check its placement.

The seriousness in his demeanor was so out of character, I almost laughed.

‘This kind of thing doesn’t suit Ian Cloud at all.’

I was about to chuckle, but then, a thought crossed my mind, making me freeze.

“Ian…”

His hand, which had been lingering near my neck, paused, and he lifted his deep blue eyes to meet mine.

♧♧♧

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