“Idiot. I hate…”

Rishe protested in a whisper.

“I hate it when you’re nice to me like that…”

Arnold was mean sometimes.

In order to hide his true feelings, he would deliberately speak as if pushing her away. But now, He was concerned about her.

In other words, deep down, he really thought that Rishe might be afraid of marrying him.

“I can’t possibly be afraid of becoming your bride.”

Rishe was really reluctant to hold Arnold’s gaze, but if she didn’t, that would look even more pathetic.

Thus, Rishe continued, with her eyebrows furrowed, but still with an upward glance.

“Besides…”

She tightened her grip on the back of Arnold’s hand.

“It is my own decision to accept this marriage.”

It was as if she was pressing his hand against her cheek.

She wanted to wrap her arms around him, but she could only lay her fingers around his large, masculine hand above.

“I’m not going to hate you for anything…Saying that you don’t care how much I’ll hate you was unnecessary.”

“Rishe.”

Arnold called Rishe’s name, prompting a stronger tingle in her chest.

She was partly conscious when she rubbed her cheek against his shapely, muscular hand.

She was reluctant to show him her face as much as she didn’t want to let go of his hand. She couldn’t straighten out her emotions quite well.

“For our marriage…”

She was afraid of what he would say, but couldn’t figure out why she was afraid.

Driving that fear away, she looked up in trepidation and looked Arnold straight in the eye and continued.

“Do you feel indebted to me?”

“…”

Then Arnold lowered his eyes.

The shadows cast by his long eyelashes were reflected in his eyes. His eyes, which were always filled with a sharp glint, appeared somewhat fathomless.

“I, at that time…”

Arnold started quietly.

“I would have done anything to make you my wife.”

“…”

He was probably referring to the time of his proposal, right after they met.

It was only two months ago, but it seems like a distant day…

Perhaps it was the same for Arnold.

He spoke calmly, his voice softer than usual.“I am the one who asked you to do something, and you are the one who judges it.”

Arnold’s thumb slowly stroked Rishe’s cheek.

“At that point, you and I are not equals…Do you understand?”

“…”

There was no reason for that, so Rishe shook her head.

She couldn’t tell if he was trying to comfort her like a child.

“I am…”

Rishe countered tremulously coupled with a pained feeling.

“As much as I’ve been selfish with you, I want to fulfill your wishes as well.”

She didn’t want to just receive. She wanted to return as well.

“If our marriage is based on a contract between countries, there should be something beneficial for both parties, right? And yet, in this marriage, I am always the one who receives. If you are saying that this is a political marriage, then it must be too distorted.”

Rishe grabbed Arnold’s hand, which was caressing her cheek, and gently intertwined their fingers.

“The wish you want from me…”

Despite speaking to him, the tingle in her chest didn’t abate a bit.

“I want to give you a lot…”

She felt like crying, but she probably couldn’t shed a tear.

The sadness that had nowhere else to go melted into a gooey mess in my chest. The fever in her heart seemed to rise with every beat of it.

“So please.”

Rishe intently gazed into his blue eyes, earnestly appealing.

“Your Highness Arnold…”

“…”

For some reason, a harrowing loneliness struck her when she uttered his name.

In all her lives, she’d never called anyone with such a feeling.

She exhaled softly, as if almost praying.

“Rishe…”

Arnold held her gaze.

He continued gently, “I’m not marrying you for political reasons.”

“―― ……”

Arnold bent down and brought his lips to Rishe’s ear.

He was so close that he could almost kiss the edges of her ear, making her gasp from the tickle.

The sound of his muffled voice shook Rishe’s eardrums.

“So I don’t want anything from you, even if you beg me for it.”

“…!!!”

In that instant, Rishe felt a twinge in her chest.

Arnold distanced himself from Rishe and laughed, keeping his gaze straight on her.It was a self-mocking smile with a dark gleam in his eyes. He stayed put and mimicked the words that Rishe had uttered earlier.

“…Hate it?”

Arnold’s thumb gently traced her lips.

He squeezed it tenderly, as if he wanted Rishe to say the word.

Rishe hated it when he told her he didn’t want anything, and he knew it. So although she wanted to nod, she found herself unable to do so.

She was at a loss for where to turn.

Your Highness always does something nasty on purpose to hide your thoughts…

Rishe was well aware of that.

It was for this reason that she always believed in the sincerity of deeds rather than deceitful words.

But what Arnold had just said to her unmistakably bore his true intentions.

I know that Your Highness’s denial stems from your kindness…

This was why his kindness was much more painful than his usual meanness.

[――No matter how much you’ll hate me because of this marriage.]

Deep down, Arnold sincerely resigned himself to being hated by Rishe.

You told me that I don’t have to be prepared to be your wife…

She could still remember how her vision blurred when he told her that before.

I can’t…

She refused to look any more miserable than she already did.

However, she didn’t want to give up on the topic. She pondered round and round, then turned and gently moved her hand.

“………………”

She slowly raised her hand and cupped his face.

“What are you doing?”

Arnold’s dubious question came down from above, and that was after he took a deep breath.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness.”

Rishe knew that what she was about to do was a terrible idea.

She no longer wanted to escape what she should face. Although she wasn’t sure if she could do it well, she decided to take it up.

“With all due respect…”

She raised her head and started.

“…I now declare this to be our ‘first marital spat’!!!”

“…………”

Arnold was dumbstruck, and after several seconds of appearing as if he had seen something never seen before, he questioned back.

“What did you just say?”

“I said this is our first marital spat.”

They weren’t actually married yet, but there was no other appropriate way to call it.

Rishe was feeling down, but she stared at her fiancé and replied spiritedly.