<p>&ldquo;It seems the Duke loves the Lady so much! I&rsquo;ve never seen him show such an expression before!&rdquo; Kaiden&hellip; loves me? No, that doesn&rsquo;t make sense. We&rsquo;re just a contract couple, nothing more. &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t you notice he&rsquo;s been coming back earlier these days because of you, my Lady?&rdquo; &ldquo;Honestly, I completely understand him! Who could bear to dawdle in returning to the palace when his sweet, rabbit-like wife is waiting for him there? He must be rushing back with all his energy!&rdquo; Their words stemmed from ignorance of the true nature of our relationship. We had made an agreement: I, to break free from the Emperor&rsquo;s grasp, and he, to protect the North. I thought he was only acting courteous toward his wife in front of others. &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t just stare at it, eat something! It doesn&rsquo;t look like you&rsquo;ve even finished half your food yet.&rdquo; &ldquo;You need to gain some weight; you&rsquo;re far too thin.&rdquo; &ldquo;Stop chattering and say: Ah. And don&rsquo;t even think about moving away from my side until you&rsquo;ve finished all of this.&rdquo; But&hellip; why do I feel like he&rsquo;s only gentle with me?</p>