Prologue

As we looked down over Le Pied, bathed in the glow of the sunset, Mr. Fisalis dropped one hell of a... Er, a doozy of a confession on me.

To break it down: he was sorry to all the servants for how he’d acted up until now. He was going to repent for what he’d done, and he was going to take his position as Duke seriously from now on and actually do his best.

And...

He promised to love me for his whole life.

I was totally unprepared for him to whip out a line like that here, so I’d gone straight into a shocked daze.

I mean yeah, he’d been pretty sweet to me since he broke up with his girlfriend, and sometimes he spouted things like “I want to become a real married couple” and “my precious wife” and nonsense like that. But he’d never said anything like that directly to me, so I hadn’t thought much about any of it.

But then he went and threw me a total curveball. I’m just a romance rookie, here! I can’t handle rapid developments like this!

While I stood there perplexed, he told me, “Your answer can wait until your feelings catch up.”

Mr. Fisalis, actually caring about my feelings! Oh, how you’ve grown! ...Whoops, excuse that condescending tone. I mean, he’s becoming nicer. Before, he wouldn’t have thought about how I felt—he’d just have done his own thing. He really has changed.

“I like that about you,” I let slip, much to my own shock.

Waaaah, what the heck am I saying!? I can feel my face heating up!

“Did you say something?”

“Nope, absolutely nothing.”

Luckily for me, I’d whispered it quietly enough that my words were lost in the wind, so Mr. Fisalis hadn’t heard me. The ruddy glow of the sunset masked my blush, too.

Anyway, no matter what sort of refreshing smile you shoot at me, I’m not gonna repeat myself!

All this after I’d managed to avoid feeling anything for him... Ah, jeez, I don’t even understand myself right now.

“It’s getting dark already. Let’s get back to the villa before we catch a chill,” Mr. Fisalis said, bringing me back to reality.

“Ah, okay!”

“I wonder what’s for dinner tonight? I’m starving after all that’s happened today.”

“Yeah, it’s been a busy day. Are you really alright, Mr. Fisalis? You sure you aren’t hurt?”

“I’m completely unharmed. Want to give me a full-body check-up?”

“Of course not! Geez...”

“Ahahaha!”

Where did the serious mood go?

After that, we walked back to the villa while chatting as if nothing had happened (while holding hands, of course!), the servants ushered us in like normal (where did their panic go!?), and after eating a lavish meal of local cuisine (authentic food just tastes different!), we had our usual pre-sleep dispute (it’s obligatory now!). Finally, our day had ended.

Hm? Isn’t this kinda... too soon? Once I settled down in my spot and pulled the blanket over me, I started wondering. I snuck a glance at Mr. Fisalis lying beside me, but he was already asleep—probably exhausted from the scuffle earlier. Maybe he’d made our night as short and normal as possible so I wouldn’t feel rushed?

Yeah, that sounds about right, actually... Looking at his beautiful sleeping face, it all started to make sense. It kinda made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside to think that Mr. Fisalis would worry about me like that.

Aaah, I’m beat. Thinking’s never really been my thing, so of course it’d wear me out. Zzz...

—

Not wanting to wake Viola after she was worn out by her run-in with those lowlifes the day before, I quietly got out of bed, dressed quickly, and headed to the living room downstairs by myself.

“Good morning, Master,” Rohtas greeted me.

“Ah, morning. Viola probably over-exerted herself yesterday, so please don’t wake her yet.”

“As you wish.”

Rohtas was already up and waiting, so I just gave him my instructions.

What’d happened yesterday really shocked me. That feeling I’d gotten was probably what people mean when they say their “blood ran cold.” Viola had nearly been kidnapped by hooligans!

Though our customary territory-tour-slash-honeymoon had been delayed until now instead of happening right after our wedding due to... er, various circumstances, I’d never thought something like that could possibly happen.

“I’d like you to begin getting Viola’s community watch idea going.”

“Arrangements are already being made.”

Seriously, this soon!? I’m shocked at how fast he does things. Or, well, it’s Rohtas, so of course he’s already started.

While I was being impressed at his efficiency, Rohtas spoke up, slightly hesitantly.

“...I gathered from your discussion with the Captain that the public order in Le Pied has declined, but were there any specific incidents that prompted your actions?”

Oh, that’s right. I hadn’t told any of the servants, including Rohtas, what had happened in town the day before. I gave him a summary of the events. When he heard that Viola had almost been carried off by thugs, his face took on a slightly dangerous cast.

“I see. I will make sure that the Captain is advised to restore peace as soon as possible.”

“Thanks. But... Viola really does say some things that none of us could have possibly come up with, huh?”

“Yes, she does. Madam is very clever,” Rohtas said with a smile. All of our servants really do love Viola so much. If both she and I were hanging off the edge of a cliff, just one slip away from death, the servants would save her in a heartbeat... which is good! When she was abducted, it was like my vision just went dark.

In the beginning, my show wife could have been anyone. I’d come to hate the heavy responsibilities of the duchy and aristocratic life. Now that I think back on it, I was only resisting because I thought the status quo was too boring. I always wanted to just throw everything away and run. That was why I picked Viola as my show wife.

But then I saw how that same show wife began to live a carefree and fun life within that same restrictive world that had always made me feel trapped. She didn’t actually like going out in public, but she did it. On top of that, she even helped to improve our reputation.

And what did I do for her in return? Nothing! But every time I spoke with her, saw her, felt touched by her vitality—every time, I realized I couldn’t stay as I was.

And Calendula, the only woman who’d never cared about my face or my rank—whom I’d thought was the love of my life—was overshadowed by Viola’s very existence.

Viola had probably lived happily out of the public eye her whole life, and I’d pulled her out into the aristocratic world through my own selfishness. The Fisalis name wasn’t just for show. By marrying into one of the three most influential families in the kingdom, Viola had been thrust straight into the spotlight as a Duchess, whether she liked it or not. But seeing her properly act the part without complaint made me realize that I shouldn’t have been running from my role as Duke.

I loved Viola, and knew that she was someone I needed to protect, but the incident the day before made it clear. My world would go dark without her.

And that’s why I told her how I felt, with no lies.

...Although my wife is so dense that she didn’t get it until I came straight out and said it! “I need to be more serious about protecting Viola,” I said to myself, reaffirming my resolution.

“What are you on about, Master?” And of course, Rohtas was always ready to talk back.

“No matter how clever she is, Viola is still young—younger than me. She’s probably struggling, being pushed into situations that she’s never faced before. And sometimes, she pulls adorable little stunts.”

She was praised by the aristocracy for her elegance, but had gotten so upset over breaking a single vase in the manor. That duality was so cute, though.

“Ah...” Rohtas must have realized what I was talking about, and smiled bitterly. But he didn’t let me leave it at that, giving me a look that said, “And?”

I hesitated, but finally decided to tell him. “...I told Viola how I felt last night.”

“It took you this long?”

“Don’t say ‘this long’! That’s how long it took me to get this out!”

“That’s wonderful. Madam is slow on that front, after all,” he said with a smile.

“That’s a good one... Anyway, that’s what happened.”

“I see. Do be more diligent from now on. Ah, please have a look through these reports on Le Pied’s public order that we’ve just recently received. Also, these concern our agricultural income, while these are research reports on the mineral processing techniques from the mines—” Rohtas said, stacking a heap of paperwork in front of me.

Hey! Don’t shove all this work at me with a smile like you were just waiting for the opportunity... Grr!

“...” I glared silently at the mountain range of documents.

“Weren’t you going to do all you could for Madam’s sake, Master? I will help, so do your best.”

Smiiiile.

I can never win against the power in that smile.

That’s right, I’ve gotta do my best for Viola! I’ve completely turned over a new leaf!

...I just kind of regret announcing that in front of Rohtas.