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His eyelids trembled as he looked down.

I clenched my fists, looked at him and said, “Don’t move. Wait here.” Then I moved to a place where I could be alone.

I wanted to organize my thoughts. However, I could not think freely in front of Grand Duke Kapmen.

When I reached a place where there was no one, I sighed as the tension dissipated. Then, I took a deep breath for a moment to calm my nerves.

I was still angry that he made Heinley take that potion. Heinley suffered a lot because of it. Even now, he was looking into my eyes with a forlorn expression.

However, Grand Duke Kapmen’s expression when he told me about his weakness reminded me of Heinley’s expression when I found out about the bird-headed tribe.

But... leaving aside his fear-tinged expression... his ability was really awkward.

I couldn’t believe he was able to read people’s minds.

Occasionally, really very occasionally, I would think of Heinley in the fountain, or in bed moaning.

Grand Duke Kapmen knew it too.

“....”

After reflecting for a while, I organized my thoughts and went back to see Grand Duke Kapmen.

He was still standing there, clutching something that looked like a small locket.

Once I got closer Grand Duke Kapmen immediately concealed what he was holding and made an expressionless face as if he would accept whatever I said.

At that moment, I opened my mouth,

“What you did affected not only me, but also Heinley, and could have led to an international conflict.”

“... I know.”

Kapmen calmly acknowledged.

I stared at him and mentioned the condition for reaching an agreement.

“For trade between Rwibt and the Western Empire to be possible, you must allow three clauses favorable to us to be included.”

Kapmen raised his downcast eyes to stare at me, as if he didn’t expect me to come out with this.

I looked at his face casually, repeating in my mind, ‘I mean it, I mean it, I mean it.’

I had thought a lot about what to do about it.

Should I let it become a state affair, end the trade, send him back...?

However, the distance between Rwibt and the Western Empire was too great for it to become a state affair.

Moreover, both countries were on different continents with little interaction with each other.

Only a few adventurous merchants came and went, and rarely at that.

If Rwibt were also on the Wol Continent a mediator could be found, or have this country handle the affair. However, with Rwibt located on another continent, that was impossible.

So, I considered it would be best to get a clear benefit from this deal.

Of course, I needed Heinley’s consent on this part.

“How favorable would those clauses be...?”

Kapmen asked with narrowed eyes.

“Demands will be made within common sense. Absurd demands could cause Imona and Imot to refuse to trade.”

TL/N: Imona and Imot are the names for the Kings and Queens of Rwibt.

Grand Duke Kapmen nodded.

“Even your clever tricks are like an angelic melody... it’s fine.”

I bit my lower lip in shame at his nonsense.

Come to think of it, it was strange. Even though Heinley drank the potion late at night, he claimed that the effects wore off at dawn. Why did the Grand Duke of Kapmen remain the same after so many months?

Our eyes met again. Grand Duke Kapmen must have heard my thoughts, but he didn’t answer.

“Do you know the reason?”

Once I asked him directly, he was forced to answer,

“It’s because I love you. No, this is nonsense. It’s my own potion, so apparently it’s stronger in me.”

“Why wasn’t it the same with Rashta?”

Judging by Rashta’s behavior, he also reacted toward her, although only temporarily.

“It’s because you were the first person.”

Kapmen replied calmly and lowered his gaze. His dark eyes disappeared under his silver lashes.

I stared at him for a moment, but I didn’t have the ability to read people’s minds. Naturally, I didn’t know if that remark was true or not. In any case, Grand Duke Kapmen still loved me....

I stopped thinking and spoke,

“There is one more thing I want you to do.”

Grand Duke Kapmen raised his eyes to look at me once more.

“What is it?”

However, his expression immediately became rigid, as if he had just read my mind. Sorry, but I had no plans to change my mind.

Although Grand Duke Kapmen had a terrifying ability, it was still very useful. Judging from the difference in attitude between this morning and now, he felt guilty for the great harm he had done to us, at least towards me. So he would definitely do me a favor.

It doesn’t matter that he knows that I was trying to take advantage of his guilt and love potion to benefit from his ability.

Grand Duke Kapmen kept his mouth shut, stared at me for a long time, and eventually answered.

“I will.”

“... Thank you.”

After that, we were silent.

There seemed to be no more to say, so I awkwardly pointed behind me with one finger.

“I’ll go now.”

Then, Kapmen called out to me as I turned around.

“Your Majesty.”

He walked slowly toward me, and said weakly, like a person who had been starving for a week.

“I love you. I really do.”

“!”

He’s getting carried away with the potion’s effects again, right?

As I looked at him in surprise, he continued slowly.

“I mean your husband does.”

* * *

After returning to my room, I paced around for a while with mixed emotions.

Heinley... did he really love me?

Heinley?

My first thought was, ‘Why?’

Of course, Heinley himself had told me he loved me.

I don’t think Kapmen, who could read other people’s minds, was going to lie now that he felt guilty...

However, I couldn’t understand why Heinley loved me.

When did he start loving me?

In the past, there were times when I wondered if that was the case... Has he loved me since then?

Or did he fall in love after we got married?

If not... He had liked our whole wedding night. It couldn’t have been then, right?

Heinley wasn’t a real playboy, but he was a popular man in high society.

I didn’t mean it was bad. I just didn’t understand why he would fall in love with me despite meeting so many attractive women.

I wasn’t trying to put myself down, it’s just that I wasn’t an interesting person to hang out with.

In conversations I tended to listen more than I spoke, and although I liked jokes, very few people understood mine.

Although I didn’t hate hanging out with other people, I preferred to stay in my room reading books and documents.

I had a very boring personality. Moreover, this uninteresting personality was not uncommon.

We were both young among the nobility. But we had different tastes.

However, did Heinley really love such a boring person like me?

Even my ex-husband, Sovieshu, left me and looked the other way.

Did Heinley really love me?

Suddenly, I heard a loud thumping of my heart.

I was so startled that I came to my senses and realized it wasn’t coming from my heart, but from the shared bedroom.

When I opened the door, I found Heinley lying on the bed hugging my pillow.

Upon seeing me, Heinley quickly sat up and made an excuse,

“I wasn’t smelling it. Absolutely not.”

His embarrassed figure was so adorable that I impulsively approached him and hugged his head.

“My Queen?”

After a moment, Heinley called out to me in bewilderment.

“My Queen... This position... is a little shameful.”

I continued to hold his head in my arms, pretending not to know.

I smelled a familiar scent, the scent of my Queen.

This man loved me.

I felt my heart shudder at the unexpected truth.

But the fear was even greater. As if holding a bouquet of flowers on the edge of a cliff.

Love. Love was a feeling that seemed sweet and beautiful, but was it really so?

That feeling had driven the cold Grand Duke Kapmen into confusion, made him impulsive, and made the rational Sovieshu foolish and impulsive as well.

And how did it end? I don’t know what would happen in the future with Grand Duke Kapmen because of the potion, but look at Sovieshu...

He loved Rashta enough to cover up all her faults. He bragged as if it was the love story of the century, but not long after he asked me to return to his side.

He threw me out to make Rashta the Empress. Yet now he wanted me back as the Empress.

That’s what love was. That was all.

If Heinley loved me, then could he have married me not out of necessity, but out of love?

How long will love last? And what will happen when he stops loving me. That was what I feared.

While deep in thought, Heinley muttered in a barely audible voice.

“I love you.”

“...”

“You don’t have to answer right now. We’re married anyhow, so I’ll be by your side forever waiting for your answer.”

Heinley dropped the pillow he was holding, then wrapped his arms around my waist and closed his eyes.

For a moment the words disappeared from our world.