Chapter 4.1

Rosena squinted at the sunlight streaming through the curtains early in the morning.

“…Ugh.”

As she curled up and tried to burrow under the covers, someone blocked the sunlight. Soon, Rosena’s beautiful brows relaxed.

Just as she was about to fall back asleep, now that the annoying sunlight was gone, a question suddenly crossed Rosena’s mind.

‘Who’s blocking this for me?’

Who else? It had to be Cassian Baltinart, who was in the room with her. As soon as she realized the situation, Rosena’s eyes shot open.

“Did you sleep well?”

Her eyes met Cassian’s, who was lying on his side. He looked neat, suggesting he had been awake for quite some time.

“What are you doing?”

“As you can see, I was helping my wife sleep soundly. I didn’t want to wake you with the sound of drawing the curtains.”

And whose fault is it that she couldn’t sleep last night? Rosena was speechless with disbelief.

Surprisingly, the two returned in a state of cold war on the day of their wedding, without even going on a honeymoon. Yet, they were still strictly following the terms of their contract from day one.

‘…I just want to crack open his head once to see what he’s thinking.’ 

Rosena stared at Cassian with complicated feelings.

Yes, to explain how these two, who were supposed to never wake up in the same bed, ended up in the same room, one had to start from the moment their wedding ended.

It all began when the two boarded the carriage after the wedding. Contrary to everyone’s expectations that they would head to their honeymoon destination, the carriage was heading towards the Baltinart estate. This was because Rosena had called it off.

“Let’s not go on a honeymoon.”

“Usually, people like it when you say you’re going on a trip. Do you dislike that kind of thing?”

“Are we in a mood for that kind of thing right now?”

Try saying no, I dare you. Rosena glared at him, her eyes fierce. Cassian nodded.

“That’s true.”

“…So, you’re really not going?”

“Didn’t you just say you didn’t want to go?”

That’s true, but was he seriously not going? She thought he’d insist on sticking to the schedule for appearances’ sake. Contrary to her expectation of an argument, Cassian immediately ordered the coachman to turn the carriage around.

‘Why is he giving in so easily?’

At that time, Rosena didn’t realize that this was the signal for the beginning of Cassian’s grand plan.

She started to feel that something was off when Cassian came to the room where Rosena had slept alone early in the morning.

“Didn’t you say you’d pick out my clothes for work?”

“…Yes?”

“Didn’t you say you’d do it?”

“I did say that, but…”

What kind of outfit was he expecting her to choose? Still annoyed, Rosena’s mood was thoroughly sour.

In the end, what Rosena chose from the dressing room was a pristine white uniform that would inevitably draw all eyes.

It was famously known as something nobles would never wear out of embarrassment, except for their first day of work at the Imperial Palace.

Cassian silently looked down at the pure white uniform in Rosena’s hand and chuckled.

“Is this what Rosena chose?”

“Yes. Do you dislike it?”

“Why would I dislike it?”

Cassian smiled brightly and readily accepted the uniform. For a moment, Rosena was flustered.

‘What is this? Why isn’t he reacting?’

With no reaction from him, a sense of futility washed over Rosena. She had deliberated for nearly 30 minutes to choose an outfit that she thought Cassian would absolutely hate.

Moreover, when Cassian changed into the uniform, it suited him incredibly well.

‘Ah, I made a mistake.’

She had momentarily overlooked the fact that his face could perfectly pull off even rags.

Seeing Rosena’s distorted expression, Cassian smiled brightly. He even seemed to be enjoying the situation.

And that day, Cassian truly finished preparing for work, wearing the uniform Rosena had picked out. Rosena, who had come out to the mansion’s front gate to see him off, watched Cassian with complex feelings. Should she pick something else for him right now?

Seeing the servants steal glances with shocked eyes, it was obvious everyone could sense the frosty air between the two of them.

‘I don’t know. Let’s just see him off for now.’

Rosena awkwardly smiled and spoke. 

“Then, have a good day, Cassian.”

“Yes, I’ll be back. But Rosena.”

“Yes?”

“You’re not planning on leaving me alone tonight, are you?”

Gasp. She heard gasps from around them. Rosena gritted her teeth, seeing Cassian openly declare that they had been sleeping in separate rooms.

In other words, Cassian had come that morning with this intention.

He had publicly warned Rosena that since he intended to abide by the prenuptial agreement, she should also proceed as planned.

For that reason, Rosena, who ended up using the same bedroom as Cassian, lay awake, staring at the ceiling. She had drawn a line in the middle of the bed and lay down.

“You wicked person.”

“I’m the one who got rejected.”

Cassian must have been a genius. He showed his family that he was a husband with profound love for his wife, while at the same time completely infuriating Rosena. 

Furthermore, he had even managed to keep Rosena, who had insisted on separate rooms, in the same bed. 

What a perfect plan! Of course, Rosena was the one who hadn’t fulfilled the contract first, so she couldn’t claim to be completely blameless, but…

‘Still, did he have to say it like that in front of everyone?’

Rosena, wrapped entirely in the blanket and lying like a caterpillar on the edge of the bed, quietly raised her head in the silent room and looked in Cassian’s direction.

The bed was wide enough for five adults to lie down comfortably, so there was quite a distance between them.

Cassian, lying perfectly straight, looked unmistakably asleep.

‘Someone here is going to be up all night.’

It was past midnight. Rosena narrowed her eyes. She felt annoyed and wronged.

As Rosena squirmed under the covers, unable to sleep, Cassian asked, 

“Still can’t sleep?”

She flinched.

Rosena stiffened. She didn’t know when, but Cassian was looking at her. Could he have been watching her this whole time? 

Rosena’s eyes rolled around in embarrassment.

“Weren’t you sleeping?”

“You kept moving, so I noticed.”

“I’m sorry. Go back to sleep.”

“Are you usually a light sleeper?”

No, she wasn’t.

“I guess it’s because it’s not the room I usually sleep in.”

“Is it uncomfortable?”

“Rather than that, it’s my first time sleeping with someone…”

“…”

Rosena bit her lip, thinking she had messed up. She was openly confessing that she couldn’t sleep because she was conscious of Cassian.

“Oh.”

Cassian, who had been listening to her reason, chuckled when he saw Rosena burrowing her head without moving.

“I think there might be a solution for that.”

“…What is it?”

“If we just get used to each other, it’ll be fine. We’ll be sleeping together from now on anyway. Isn’t it a problem if your husband keeps you from sleeping?”

“…So, what do you suggest we do?”

Rosena asked seriously, intrigued by his words. She couldn’t keep staying up all night like this for days on end.

“The most effective method is probably sleeping while holding each other…”

“Hold each other?!”

“…is what I was going to say, but.”

“…”

“Let’s exclude that.”

Rosena, who had jumped up in surprise, now had a cold expression. She had been played. 

What kind of person is this? Rosena decided she didn’t need to hear any more and immediately turned her back to Cassian.

Her thoughts about not being able to sleep in the future lasted only a moment. Listening to the unfamiliar breathing close by, Rosena’s eyes soon closed.

And now.

The two had greeted the morning together.

* * *

In the morning, after Cassian had left for the Imperial Palace.

“My lady.”

“Hm?”

“The ink is bleeding through the paper.”

Rosena, who had been sitting blankly, snapped out of it at Ted’s call.

‘Ah.’

Rosena looked at the ledger, which was a mess with ink, and quickly lifted the hand holding the pen. Fortunately, the ink had only smudged the edge of the ledger, so it wasn’t a big problem.

“Ah… I’m sorry, Ted. I barely slept last night.”

Currently, Rosena was familiarizing herself with the basic operations of the Baltinart family in the Grand Duchess’s office, which was assigned to the lady of the house.

‘The ledgers are much more complicated than I thought. And the scale of the Grand Duke’s family budget is bigger than I imagined.’

She had helped her father with family affairs during her time in Leilia Barony, so she had an understanding of the basic frameworks. But since the amount of money she was dealing with was different, even minor mistakes would not be tolerated.

Still, one fortunate thing was that despite the long period of absence of a lady in the Baltinart family, the ledgers had been meticulously organized until recently.

Flip.

Rosena couldn’t help but be impressed as she flipped through the ledgers and looked at each item. 

Despite being one of the most powerful noble houses in the Empire, the Baltinart family wasted nothing. Every single item was meticulously recorded, even down to the number of supplies. The quarterly reports were neat, making it easy to understand everything. 

Rosena, seeing the ledgers for the first time, could instantly tell what areas needed her attention.

She was especially impressed by the detailed records of the Baltinart estate management each year. The western part of the Agzent Empire was fertile but prone to disasters. Yet, the Baltinart estate’s damages were always minimal compared to other regions. This kind of consistent preparedness was astonishing. 

Also, as a major trade hub for the Empire, there must have been many diplomatic issues, but everything was handled without a single flaw.

In fact, it seemed true that the smaller the household, the more messy the ledgers were.

“Ted, who has been managing these ledgers until now?” 

“His Grace has always managed them. The former Grand Duke entrusted him with it when he was in the middle of his academy years.”

“Cassian?” 

This meant Cassian had been managing the Grand Duke’s family ledgers since he was a teenager. 

Rosena was surprised and couldn’t believe it. Ted nodded, confirming it.

“His Grace… was harshly trained because, at the time, the former Grand Duke had no direct family members to help him with family affairs if he were to pass away.”

“…My goodness.” 

That meant that while completing the academy course, he also received training as a successor to the Baltinart family.

“The Baltinart family has many enemies, so the former Grand Duke always worried about His Grace being left alone later on.”

“I see.” 

Rosena remembered hearing about the Baltinart Grand Duke and Duchess dying in a carriage accident when Cassian was at the Academy. 

There were many conspiracy theories then, but the investigation concluded it was the coachman’s fault for neglecting carriage maintenance. 

Because of this, the former Grand Duke, Dierre Baltinart, who had retired early, returned to lead the family. Rosena vividly remembered the stir it caused in the Agzent Empire.

As the atmosphere in the office grew heavy, Ted smiled gently. 

“But now, you are His Grace’s family, aren’t you, my lady?”

“…Oh, yes. That’s right.” 

Rosena found it hard to answer. She felt like she had just heard something she shouldn’t have. On the other hand, she now understood why Cassian didn’t trust people easily. Even under the protection of the former Grand Duke Dierre Baltinart, Cassian must have felt like he had nowhere to truly belong.

“He’s really amazing.”

But something felt strange.

Cassian, who managed the ledgers so meticulously… 

‘…Why is the payment due date different from last month’s record?’ 

All payments that were usually made on the 10th of each month were marked as delayed this month. 

It was as if a blocked stream of funds had suddenly opened up all at once. 

‘Did they change suppliers?’

When Rosena stopped turning the pages of the ledger, Ted noticed. 

“My lady, if you’re stuck on anything, I can explain.”

“…Oh, it’s nothing.” 

She figured it was probably nothing. 

Sometimes, the Leilia Barony experienced similar delays, especially when they had many events. 

It was likely that the Baltinart family had been busy, causing the schedule to be delayed. After all, with the former Grand Duke’s passing and Cassian inheriting the title, managing the Baltinart estate and other businesses must have been overwhelming. Thinking about it this way, Cassian really seemed like a monster. He had been handling this schedule all by himself.

‘…He’s annoying, but…’ 

Still, she felt she should help him diligently.

“By the way, Ted, comparing this to last year’s ledger, it seems like the family holds a party every autumn. What is that?”

“Oh. That’s an annual event where the Baltinat family invites those they sponsor. The Grand Ducal family sponsors talented individuals attending the Agzent Capital Academy and the Magic Tower.”

“Oh… so they do that.”

“Yes. The Baltinart family always welcomes talented individuals. Their social status doesn’t matter if they are capable.”

“…Really?” 

That was a bit surprising. 

Rosena’s eyes widened in surprise. Cassian, who barely interacted with other nobles at the academy, didn’t care about social status when hiring talented people.

Meanwhile, Ted watched Rosena with satisfaction, pleased that she was picking up her duties as the lady of the house so well. 

It seemed true that she often helped Baron Leilia. He had been worried because she graduated last in her class at the Academy, but Rosena was surprisingly good at business. 

‘Studying academics and managing family affairs are different, so that must be it. Still, she’s adapting much more skillfully than I expected.’ 

Ted would gladly serve such a lady of the house. Compared to discussing work with the cold Cassian before Rosena arrived, this was heaven.

And so, Ted let his guard down.

“Yes, His Grace keeps competent people by his side. There are quite a few people who work in the family who are from the commoners”

“I see.”

“Yes. Incompetent individuals cannot enter here. He only keeps capable people by his side. Everyone takes pride in their abilities. Even if you don’t understand something and ask a subordinate to handle it…”

Gasp.

“What’s wrong?” 

Rosena, who had been listening casually, tilted her head when Ted suddenly stopped speaking. Ted’s face had gone pale, and he was anxiously watching Rosena’s reaction.

“Ted?” 

When Rosna called out again, Ted cleared his throat and straightened up as if nothing had happened.

“…Oh, it’s nothing. Anyway, as you mentioned, the banquet will be held soon, so we can start preparing for that schedule.”

Why is he acting so strange all of a sudden?

It was obvious he was trying to change the subject quickly, which made Rosena feel uneasy. She watched Ted closely and remembered what he had said before his reaction.

‘Did he say Cassian only keeps capable people by his side?’

In other words, Rosena, who graduated last in her class at the academy, technically should never have become his wife. 

It seemed Ted also knew that Cassian was looking for a foolish wife.

Ted was flustered, embarrassed by his own slip-up even though no one had said anything. It seemed he knew about Rosena’s academic performance during her time at the academy. 

And for a butler with family pride like Ted to welcome Rosena, who had a reputation for being foolish during her school days…

‘That’s it. That’s the reason.’ 

Rosena’s grip tightened on the ledger. In other words… 

‘Cassian didn’t rush this marriage for personal reasons, but a family matter. So much so that even Ted cooperated to rush the marriage?’

Rosena felt like she had stumbled upon a huge clue. What kind of problem would be a family matter? 

Rosena wasn’t usually interested in Cassian’s personal affairs, but the situation had changed. She felt she needed to have an equal weakness against him to feel at ease.

‘It must be something really serious.’

Especially if even Ted, who should prioritize the family’s welfare, had cooperated in finding someone to act as Cassian’s wife.

Rosena’s blue eyes fell back to the ledger. The payment due date she had initially overlooked now seemed very suspicious.

“Um, by the way, Ted?”

“Yes, my lady.”

“About this month’s payment due date. I was actually wondering about this earlier… Why is the date different only for this day?”

“Let me see…” 

Ted looked at the spot Rosena pointed to and answered casually. 

“Oh, there were many family events, so it was slightly delayed.”

A lie. 

Rosena’s blue eyes narrowed. Then, she smiled as if she had expected it. 

“I see! I thought it was because they were short on money, like Leilia Barony. Of course, something like that would never happen to the Baltinart Grand Ducal family, right?”

“Of course not, my lady. How could that happen?”

A lie. 

Rosena smiled sweetly.

“Ah, I should have asked you earlier, Ted. I nearly worried myself over nothing.”

“Of course. If you have any questions, you can ask anything. That’s what I’m here for, isn’t it?”

“Thank you, Ted. It’s been a bit difficult adapting to the mansion. And Cassian goes to the Imperial Palace for work, and at night…” 

Rosena trailed off, implying they weren’t close enough to share details about their evenings, even though he probably already knew.

As Rosena left the sentence hanging, information started flowing freely from Ted. 

“His Grace is very sensitive. He suffers from severe insomnia, so we had originally planned separate rooms for him…”

“Insomnia?”

“Yes. He’s very sensitive, so he can’t sleep well. Even the slightest movement nearby wakes him.”

“…Really?” 

Rosena’s eyebrows twitched in confusion. He has such severe insomnia that he can’t sleep if someone is next to him? 

And yet this same man said in front of the whole family that she shouldn’t leave him alone at night?

Rosena was so stunned she was speechless.

If Ted’s words were true, then that would mean Cassian had been awake all night.