At that unexpected declaration, Grand Duke Richard's head whipped toward young Lord Spencer.
Aiden merely smiled as though nothing were out of the ordinary.
"Then I'll take the carriage. You don't mind, do you?"
"Do as you please."
For some reason, Benedict sounded less than pleased.
"Then, if you'll excuse me, my lady."
The moment the Grand Duke gave his answer, Aiden promptly climbed into the carriage I was supposed to ride in.
The journey to the Kingdom of Grace was a long one. Finding myself unexpectedly seated across from Aiden, with no one else in the carriage, I initially tried striking up a conversation.
"Lord Spencer, what should I invest in if I want to make a fortune?"
"Pardon?"
"Come on, share some of your money-making secrets."
Apparently, Aiden found my questions hilarious, because he kept laughing.
When I finally gave him a displeased look, he seemed to collect himself and offered a few tips in a considerably more serious tone.
Unfortunately, every last one was the sort of generic advice you'd expect from someone who said, "If you want to get into a prestigious university, just study hard and pay attention in class."
My interest in him promptly fizzled out.
In the end, I resorted to rummaging through the stack of books Aiden had brought along to pass the time.
"The Temptation of My Friend's Wife, Forbidden Love Rides in a Carriage... Ugh."
I groaned as I surveyed a collection consisting entirely of scandalous romance novels.
Aiden looked up from the book he was reading, rested his chin on one hand, and tilted his head at me.
"Not much of a fan of romance novels, I take it?"
"No. Love doesn't put food on the table."
I had no interest in love stories that wouldn't earn me a penny.
After delivering that indifferent reply, I turned my attention back to the books.
Aiden chuckled again, though what he found so amusing was beyond me.
"In that case, try this one. The paintings featured in it start at over five hundred million gold at auction."
Masters of World Art, huh...?
The book he recommended was filled with reproductions of various artworks.
I began flipping through it, figuring I might as well enjoy looking at some paintings.
Just then—
THUD!
The carriage lurched to a halt with a tremendous jolt.
My body pitched sideways, and I lost my balance, tipping toward Aiden.
"Eek!"
"Are you all right, my lady?"
Aiden reacted instantly, catching me before I could fall.
"...!"
My eyes widened in surprise at the firm muscles of the arm supporting me.
He'd said he preferred carriages to horseback riding, and he apparently enjoyed romance novels. I'd assumed he was something of a delicate gentleman.
Surprisingly, though, Aiden had a remarkably muscular build.
"Oh, thank you."
Feeling inexplicably embarrassed, I avoided his eyes and started gently pushing away the arm wrapped around me.
At that exact moment, the carriage door flew open with a bang.
"...!"
Standing in the doorway was Grand Duke Richard.
He stopped dead, staring without blinking at the awkward position in which Aiden and I were still entangled.
"Uh... This is..."
For some reason, I began stammering like someone caught doing something wrong.
Should I tell him it's a misunderstanding? Wait, why would I need to? Aiden just caught me when I was falling!
All I had to do was casually get up, brush myself off, and explain that Aiden had steadied me when the carriage stopped suddenly.
Yet somehow, I was so flustered that my mind went completely blank.
It wasn't as though Benedict and I were even a real married couple.
"The carriage stopped rather abruptly, and your wife nearly fell. Fortunately, I was able to catch her. Is something wrong outside?"
In the end, Aiden provided the explanation for me.
"..."
Grand Duke Richard remained silent, his brows drawn together in a deep scowl.
Apparently finding the silence unbearable, Aiden glanced outside and nodded to himself.
"Ah, the road is in poor condition. It looks like they're clearing an obstruction. Is that what you came to tell us?"
"No. I'm here for something else."
Only then did Benedict respond, his voice stiff.
His gaze fell on the books scattered across the carriage floor by the sudden jolt, and his expression twisted into a frightening scowl.
I cautiously addressed him.
"Something else? What would that be...?"
"I'm riding in the carriage from now on."
"...?"
I blinked at the completely unexpected announcement.
Before I could respond, Grand Duke Richard abruptly barged inside.
His enormous frame pushed Aiden, who had been sitting opposite me, unceremoniously into the corner.
"Urgh!"
Benedict ignored Aiden's pained grunt.
In the blink of an eye, he had claimed the seat directly across from me and settled into it with his arms folded.
"Let's get moving."
At his command, delivered as though nothing unusual had happened, the carriage rattled back into motion.
"Your Grace! What about your horse?! You can't just leave it—! What am I supposed to—?!"
I thought I heard something resembling Victor's desperate cries from outside.
Unfortunately, the clattering carriage wheels were so loud that I couldn't make out what he was saying.
*******
Although we'd set out quite early in the morning, it was already pitch-dark by the time we crossed the border into the Kingdom of Grace.
Consequently, I was utterly exhausted when we finally arrived at our reserved hotel.
My relief at the prospect of finally lying down was short-lived.
We soon found ourselves in a rather awkward predicament.
Once everyone had been assigned their rooms, I realized that Grand Duke Richard and I would have to share one.
After all, the official purpose of this trip was our honeymoon.
It would be absurd for a newlywed couple on their honeymoon to request separate rooms. If word got out, it could cause trouble.
"Your room is this way."
An impeccably groomed hotel manager led the way.
The Grand Duke and I followed him, neither of us quite knowing what to do.
"I'll see you both in the morning..."
Five steps down the hallway, Aiden offered a brief farewell with a somewhat strained smile and disappeared into his room.
"Please call me anytime if you need anything, my lady!"
Twelve steps farther along, my maid bowed and turned the handle of her own door.
"Have a wonderful night!"
Finally, Victor, looking as though he'd been put through the wringer, saw us off with a beaming smile.
Apparently, he'd been forced to lead two horses simultaneously for roughly the latter half of the journey, leaving him utterly exhausted.
Nevertheless, his loyalty to the Grand Duke remained unwavering.
With a knowing wink, he gave us an emphatic thumbs-up.
At last, the door to our assigned room opened, and the manager gestured proudly inside.
"This is the most beautiful room in our hotel. We're fully booked tonight, but we set this one aside especially for you two newlyweds."
"...!"
My jaw dropped at the sight of the bedroom.
Beautiful was one word for it.
Excessive was another.
The canopy over the bed was made of sheer fabric in a rather suggestive shade, and a giant heart had been arranged out of rose petals on the pristine white comforter.
"Do you like it? Sir Genoa specifically requested these arrangements when he made the reservation. We've prepared the same special treatment in the bathroom as well."
The manager looked at us expectantly, his face flushed with excitement, as though hoping for praise.
It was exactly the same expression Victor had worn when he saw us off a moment earlier.
A short while later, the manager departed with a dejected expression, having received none of the praise he'd hoped for.
And just like that, we were alone.
"W-would you like to bathe first?"
I tore my eyes away from the bathtub overflowing with bubbles and rose petals and offered an awkward smile.
Perhaps it was because of the dozens of candles decorating every corner of the room, but a reddish glow seemed to flicker across the Grand Duke's face.
"I-I don't need a bath!"
Benedict suddenly snapped at me, then hurriedly opened the door and fled.
"Is he less hygienic than I thought...?"
I scratched my cheek, recalling how he'd repeatedly refused to bathe lately.
Well, whatever the reason, it worked out nicely for me.
At least I could enjoy a relaxing bath while he was gone.
"Ah, that feels better."
After bathing, I felt considerably refreshed.
The Grand Duke still hadn't returned.
Narrowing my eyes, I examined the enormous bed occupying the center of the room.
"I suppose I should sleep on the floor."
Even in my previous life, I'd been a lawyer who understood the importance of good client service.
No matter the circumstances, the client came first.
In other words, my motto wasn't "ladies first."
It was "clients first."
With an indifferent expression, I brushed the rose petals off the bed.
Then I took a spare blanket provided by the hotel and spread it neatly across the floor.
I was just about to stretch my exhausted body out on it when—
"...!"
My eyes met those of the Grand Duke as he entered the room.
His hair was soaking wet. Where on earth had he managed to take a bath?
Looking up at him, I flashed my most professional smile.
"I was just about to go to sleep. Please, Your Grace, make yourself comfortable in the bed."
"What...?"
Benedict's brow twitched before drawing into a frown.
Wisps of steam rose from his freshly washed body.
"Ha... You really are..."
He pressed a hand to his forehead, looking deeply troubled, then gazed down at me with a complicated expression.
"Whatever else I may be, I'm not such a scoundrel that I'd make a woman sleep on the floor. You take the bed."
His tone was brusque.
He strode toward me, snatched the blanket from my hands, and promptly lay down on the floor without a second thought.
"What? You can't do that!"
I cried out in horror before I could stop myself.
How could I possibly sleep comfortably in a bed while my client lay on the floor?
"Just sleep in the bed!"
"I understand that you want to sacrifice yourself for my sake, but I won't allow you to sleep on the floor."
My eyebrows drooped at his response.
It wasn't nearly significant enough to warrant the word sacrifice.
Still, I couldn't very well let him sleep on the floor, so I suggested a compromise.
"Then we can just sleep in the bed together!"
"...!"
The hand gripping the blanket twitched.
Benedict hesitantly pulled the blanket higher over his body.
"Don't tell me... This was what you were after all along..."
"...?"
What on earth did he think I was after?
I frowned faintly, trying to make sense of his words, when I noticed the blanket bunched up in his hands.
Ah, I understood.
I raised both palms in a reassuring gesture.
"If you're talking about the blanket, you can have it, Your Grace. The comforter is more than enough for me."
"..."
Benedict remained silent, apparently still unwilling to agree.
"If you keep insisting, then I'll sleep on the floor too."
Since he refused to budge, I finally plopped down beside him.
A moment later, I heard a deep sigh.
Then Benedict abruptly rose to his feet, looking as though he'd made a momentous decision.
"Fine. If that's what you really want, I trust you're prepared for the consequences."
"...?"
Prepared for what?
Still sitting on the plush carpet, I merely tilted my head back to look up at him.
His lips were pressed tightly together, and his expression was so grave that he looked as though he were preparing himself for battle.
Click!
"W-what are you doing...?!"
I stared up at him, my eyes widening in shock.
Before I knew it, the Grand Duke had begun unfastening the buckle of his belt.