“Are you saying I must wear this?”

Mikhail asked with a troubled expression.

This was because there was a knight’s uniform inside the box that Karina had said she had something to give and told him to open.

She held out the clothes and said,

“It will make it easier for you to do what I tell you to.”

As soon as Mikhail became her escort, Karina immediately called for a tailor.

It was unlikely that others would care about an escort assigned to her when she didn’t even have a dedicated maid.

‘Since I hired him, I should take care of him.’

The uniform she ordered was only delivered to the Grand Duke’s residence early this morning.

“…”

Mikhail glared at the clothes with a displeased expression.

“Isn’t there anything else besides this outfit? No matter how I look at it, it’s not my style.”

Mikhail shook his head and furrowed one eyebrow.

“A tie that unnecessarily chokes the neck, a cumbersome vest and jacket to wear… A collar that goes up to the end of the neck. And what’s this? I have to wear two belts?”

“It looks fine to me. What’s the problem?”

“If I put all this on, I’ll be so sluggish I’ll have trouble even lifting an arm.”

Mikhail pouted with a dissatisfied expression.

“It’ll be fine. Knights move around just fine even in armor much heavier than that, you know?”

“I’m not a knight, I’m a mage. I don’t need to wear this kind of uniform.”

Karina did not accept his complaints.

“You’re the Grand Duchess’s escort now. I can’t have you wearing shabby robes.”

“What’s wrong with being shabby? As long as I escort well, that’s all that matters. A shabby but proper escort is better than a well-dressed but useless one…”

Karina cut off his words that were about to continue.

“Enough. You’re now the Grand Duchess’s escort. There are procedures and customs here. Escorts must wear uniforms. So I’d like you to follow my words.”

“Sigh. If you put it that way, I have no choice. Alright.”

Mikhail let out a deep sigh, took off his hood, and started unbuttoning his top.

“…What are you doing?”

Karina was flustered at the sight of Mikhail starting to undress without hesitation in front of her.

“You told me to change clothes, so I’m changing.”

“Why are you changing here? Go to your room and change, then come back.”

“But I’m the Grand Duchess’s escort, aren’t I?”

Mikhail replied without stopping his hands from unbuttoning.

“Isn’t an escort supposed to always stay by the side of the person they’re escorting?”

Karina tried to hide her embarrassment and pretended to be nonchalant as she averted her gaze.

“Then, go into that small room over there and change.”

Karina pointed to the small dressing room attached to the room.

“But then I won’t be able to see the Grand Duchess in my line of sight?”

Mikhail, having unbuttoned all the buttons, took off his top.

Just then, sunlight from the window illuminated Mikhail’s figure.

His ruby-red eyes and lips stood out prominently against his transparently glowing skin.

The smooth neckline that flowed gently below his naturally raised corners of the mouth and sharp jawline.

His upper body, which had well-placed, taut muscles unlike a typical mage, was fully visible.

Karina’s face reddened, startled by the sudden situation.

This was the first time Karina had seen a man’s bare body so close.

Even after marrying Jeremiah, she had never spent a night with him.

Karina turned her head to the side and said urgently,

“That’s enough, quickly…”

She was about to tell him to go into the small room quickly, but Mikhail approached Karina.

“Grand Duchess. Aren’t you going to tell me how to wear this?”

As he came closer, Karina unconsciously looked up at Mikhail.

Due to the closer proximity, Mikhail’s upper body was even more clearly visible.

“…!”

Karina, her face even redder now, fumbled around, unable to find a place to rest her eyes.

“I… I don’t know either.”

“…?”

Hearing her stammering voice, Mikhail examined Karina’s face.

“Grand Duchess?”

The corners of Mikhail’s mouth lifted as he noticed that Karina was feeling embarrassed.

“Why can’t you look at me straight? Didn’t you order me to change clothes?”

Mikhail leaned his head towards Karina and whispered in her ear.

“I’m the one undressing, but you seem to be more embarrassed, Grand Duchess.”

Hearing those words, Karina’s face flushed even more, to the point it couldn’t get any redder.

“That’s…”

Karina was at a loss, not knowing what to do.

Mikhail, looking down at Karina’s tensed-up figure, laughed playfully.

“You act like you don’t know men at all.”

“…!”

Hearing those words, Karina’s expression instantly hardened.

“Ah…”

At that moment, Mikhail realized he had made a mistake.

From her stiffened reaction, he had inadvertently noticed the private matter that Karina had not spent her wedding night with the Grand Duke.

His expression showed a sense of dismay.

Mikhail quickly opened his mouth.

“Grand Duchess, just now I…”

As he was about to say he had made a mistake, Karina interrupted, pretending to have a calm expression.

“It’s okay. It’s true after all. I don’t particularly mind.”

The end of Karina’s words trembled slightly as she said this.

Karina bit her lower lip and turned her head.

The fact that she had never been loved by Jeremiah even once felt like her private shame had been exposed.

She couldn’t bear to face Mikhail at all.

“It might be better this way. Since I’m going to get divorced anyway.”

“…Divorced?”

Mikhail’s expression showed a bit of surprise at the sudden mention of divorce.

“Yes. If I get divorced, I might be able to remarry later. Then it might be better that I didn’t spend the wedding night.”

Although she didn’t have even a speck of thought about actually remarrying, Karina made up excuses as best she could, wanting to get past this situation as quickly as possible.

“…”

Mikhail stared intently at Karina, as if asking if it was true.

Feeling his gaze, Karina smiled weakly.

“You already saw everything in the garden. What my situation is like.”

‘Right. He must have already noticed. What’s the big deal about this.’

Having barely regained her composure, Karina continued calmly.

“There isn’t even a minimal relationship of trust between Jeremiah and me to maintain even a superficial married life.”

“…”

“The Grand Duke doesn’t trust me. He’d rather believe a beggar on the street than my words.”

Mikhail frowned one eyebrow at Karina’s words as she shrugged her shoulders.

“Isn’t that too much? You’re still married after all.”

“Only on the surface. In reality, we’re less than strangers. And I have no reason or will to continue this troublesome situation.”

“…Do you really have no feelings at all for the Grand Duke?”

“None at all. If anything, it would be full of negative emotions. I really…”

Karina emphasized the last words with a strong tone.

“Really dislike him.”

It was a firm voice without a trace of hesitation or reluctance.

“Ah…”

Mikhail had a strange expression, as if dumbfounded.

‘How did we end up talking about this?’

Karina also felt awkward at his ambiguous reaction.

“Too much time has passed. Hurry up and get dressed.”

“…Yes.”

Mikhail answered a bit slower than usual.

He gazed at Karina with a meaningful look.

But Karina, turning her head away in embarrassment, didn’t notice that gaze.

When she looked at Mikhail again, his expression had already returned to normal.

“I’ll get dressed and come out, so please wait a moment.”

As Karina nodded, Mikhail entered the small room.

‘Phew.’

As Mikhail disappeared from sight, Karina let out a silent sigh.

‘Why was I flustered? It’s not a big deal.’

Karina thought her panicked reaction was pathetic.

She had already thought about divorce, and if she actually got divorced, everyone in the empire would know what her married life with Jeremiah was like.

‘It will become gossip in high society, and they’ll talk about it excitedly. After the divorce, everyone’s interest will be focused on Jeremiah’s remarriage.’

It was a fact she already knew from past experience.

She was confident that she wouldn’t even blink an eye, having been hardened by all sorts of rumors.

Karina smiled self-mockingly.

‘Get a grip. You can’t become weak. There’s no need to get hurt by every little thing like this.’

Karina admonished herself.

[This is the timeline separator]

“Haa.”

Mikhail, who had entered the small room, let out a deep sigh.

‘Like a fool…’

Mikhail frowned, blaming himself.

Karina’s surprised and flustered reaction to seeing him undress was cute.

He was curious about what expression she would make if she became a little more embarrassed.

That was all.

But contrary to his playful intentions, the situation went in a completely different direction.

The hurt was clearly visible on Karina’s face as she stared at him, frozen in an instant.

Right after that, seeing her unable to even meet his eyes and hearing her trembling voice made his heart sink.

Her actions of pretending to be calm while trying hard to appear nonchalant were too pitiful.

‘Damn it! I didn’t mean to make her make that kind of expression…’

He felt angry at himself for seeming to have stirred up her wounds.

At the same time, the words Karina had said came to mind one after another.

‘She’s getting a divorce?’

Her determination about the divorce seemed firm.

The fact that she even mentioned remarriage made it seem like the decision to divorce had been made long ago.

Now he understood why Karina didn’t take any action despite receiving unfair and unsatisfactory treatment.

‘She didn’t need to seek authority since she was planning to divorce and leave anyway.’

Mikhail smiled wryly.

‘Should I call it bold?’

Originally, in cases of political marriages made for contracts between families, even if there were mutual dissatisfactions, divorces were extremely rare.

But Karina didn’t seem to care about such customs at all.

‘I could feel how much she hates the Grand Duke.’

When he heard her say she had not even a speck of feeling for the Grand Duke, his heart raced for no reason.

‘Right. There’s no need to stay beside someone like the Grand Duke.’

He didn’t look kindly upon Jeremiah, who had hurt and coldly treated Karina, leaving her alone until she came to the conclusion of divorce by herself.

Mikhail’s eyes sank deeply.

‘I think I can help her.’

If he helps her while staying by her side, she could become free much faster.

Then he too would no longer need to be tied to the North to look after her.

‘Should I ask her to come to the Magic Tower with me after the divorce?’

He felt that if he suggested going to the Magic Tower for a change of mood after the divorce, she would gladly agree.

‘It would be fun.’

Mikhail smiled at the corners of his mouth.