His unease only grew stronger when he received a letter from Dare, who had gone to investigate the Levant region.
[…While investigating the southern Levant, one of the accompanying mages detected an unusual surge of magical energy near the Lux Gorge.
According to him, there appears to be a significant amount of mana stones buried in the vicinity.
I will provide a detailed report once the investigation is complete. – Sir Dare.]
Not only the bereaved families but also the knights, including Lowell, were both surprised and overjoyed at this unexpected fortune.
Ashid, watching their reactions, realized that his judgment about this matter had been wrong. Furthermore, the fact that the person who had suggested this solution was none other than Daniela left him feeling unsettled.
When he had proposed marriage, he had already sensed from her reaction that she wasn’t just a foolish and greedy woman, as society claimed. But he hadn’t expected her to be this capable.
‘Looking at the results, I have no choice but to acknowledge it.’
At least this time, Daniela’s judgment had been correct. Her boldness in opposing him had ultimately led to the most desirable outcome.
Ashid had no choice but to admit that fact.
That afternoon.
Determining that matters in Greenhorn had largely settled, Ashid returned to the capital with his knights.
Upon entering the main estate, the head butler and attendants who had been waiting for him greeted him with respectful bows. Ashid acknowledged them with a brief glance before heading straight to his chambers.
Once inside, he removed his uniform and sank into the warm bath that the attendants had prepared. As the butler assisted him, he spoke in a composed tone.
“It’s a relief that everything has been resolved safely, Your Highness.”
“Yes.”
Ashid gave a curt response, leaning back against the tub. His broad shoulders and muscular arms were covered in scars, both fresh and healing. The butler carefully poured herbal-infused water over them, continuing the conversation.
“Will you be staying in the capital for a while?”
“Yes. The social season is approaching, isn’t it? I’ll be stuck here for at least a few months.”
“Then it seems you’ll be spending your first night with the Grand Duchess here in the capital.”
“…!”
At those words, Ashid involuntarily flinched.
He had been so preoccupied with work that he had completely forgotten about it. Now, faced with reality, he was overcome by an unfamiliar sensation.
Setting aside their recent heated argument, the fact that Daniela’s judgment had been proven correct made facing her all the more complicated.
Unaware of Ashid’s inner turmoil, the butler continued in a casual tone.
“I understand that Your Highness has been busy, but you cannot keep postponing the first night with your new bride.”
“…”
“Only by making her truly your wife can you gain access to the ‘Duke Enchanto’s Records’ that you’ve long desired.”
The butler was right. The sooner he consummated the marriage, the better.
Only then would he legally become Daniela’s husband, granting him the authority to handle the possessions left by Duke Enchanto as he pleased.
His own and Daniela’s feelings on the matter were irrelevant. With a cold expression, Ashid nodded.
“Understood. I’ll take care of it as soon as possible.”
“Since you’ve made up your mind, why not do it tonight? Even the head lady-in-waiting seemed to be hoping for it.”
He hesitated briefly at the mention of tonight but soon gave a curt reply. The butler smiled faintly and discreetly stepped away, signaling that it was time to finish the bath.
After parting ways with Gray in the drawing room, Daniela returned to her bedroom and began drafting a simple business plan.
Though she called it a business plan, it was more of a rough outline—just random thoughts scribbled onto paper. Setting aside the messy document, she took a sip of her now-cooled tea.
For some reason, Mela, who had been fidgeting restlessly, suddenly blurted out,
“My lady, have you heard the news? About what’s been happening in Greenhorn recently?”
“…Ah, yes. Everything went well, didn’t it? The Crown Prince of Lesinia accepted His Highness’s proposal, and the destroyed castles and buildings are being rebuilt.”
“Yes! And it turns out that a massive mana stone mine was discovered in the Levant region, which was taken as war reparations! Ah, this is all thanks to you, my lady! If you hadn’t stopped His Highness back then, none of this would’ve happened!”
“Well… I suppose so.”
Daniela smiled meaningfully and nodded.
She had anticipated this outcome, but she was still pleased. Saving lives that didn’t have to be lost filled her with a sense of fulfillment. And now, the Duke had secured ownership of a mana stone mine in Levant.
‘In the original novel, it was Marchioness Camelot—who lost her child in the Lesinia massacre—who discovered this mine. She used the fortune she made from it to fund Ashid’s enemies.’
Which meant that, this time, Ashid had avoided taking his first step into villainy. He had also prevented his rival from amassing a vast amount of wealth.
‘Once the mining starts, I’ll have to make sure I get my fair share.’
Considering the role she had played in making this happen, it was only fair to expect some compensation.
As Daniela was lost in thought, Mela spoke in an excited voice.
“Perhaps because of all this, His Highness has returned to the capital earlier than expected. The head butler said he’s willing to proceed with it as soon as tonight!”
“…Huh? Proceed with what?”
Daniela took another sip of tea as she asked, only for Mela to give her a knowing smile.
“What else? Your first night together, of course.”
“…Cough!”
Daniela immediately choked, sputtering tea all over herself. Coughing violently, her face turned bright red.
Startled, Mela rushed to pat her back.
“Oh my goodness! Was that really such a shocking revelation?”
“…That… that wasn’t a joke? It’s really happening tonight?”
“Of course! If we keep delaying, what if His Highness gets called away on another campaign? It’s best to get it over with quickly!”
‘Get it over with?!’
Daniela screamed internally, her face still burning.
She had barely survived their previous encounter, nearly dying of nervousness and embarrassment. And now she had to go through it again? Just the thought made her sigh.
Stammering, she asked,
“C-can’t we postpone it? Does it have to be tonight?”
“Of course not! There’s no reason to delay any longer! Now, come on, my lady! There’s no time to waste!”
With Mela’s relentless urging, Daniela had no choice but to stand up.
The waiting maids immediately entered, and before she knew it, she was being ushered toward the bath, her face a picture of distress.
Not long after, freshly bathed, Daniela sat on the bed in a dazzling white nightgown.
‘What do I do? Seriously!’
She clutched her head, internally screaming.
What if Ashid actually tried something? Should she break the window and escape? The very thought made her brain feel like it was going to explode.
A faint groan escaped her lips.
“Ugh…”
At that moment, Ashid stood outside her bedroom door.
Dressed simply in a black pair of trousers and a loosely tied bathrobe, he frowned slightly at the strange sound coming from within.
‘What the hell is that noise?’
He hadn’t heard anything about her being sick.
Gripping the doorknob, he pushed the door open and entered.
“…!”
Their eyes met instantly.
Daniela froze. Her gaze unconsciously drifted downward, tracing the line of his neck, then his bare chest and sculpted abs. The sight was captivating.
She stared, completely entranced.
‘Hah.’
In contrast, Ashid smirked at her dumbfounded expression and the way she was clutching her own hair.
What was with that ridiculous look? And those hands?
She acted as if she had just encountered some kind of monster.
Feeling a sudden surge of irritation, he drawled,
“What are you staring at? Haven’t you ever seen a person before?”
At that, Daniela felt her face grow even hotter.
She had been so blatant in her staring that even he had noticed.
Flustered, she quickly averted her gaze and stammered,
“S-sorry! I’ve just never seen a body that well-built before, so I was fascinated.”
“…What?”
