* * *

“Cough! Cough, cough!”

“Are you alright?”

Pain wracked my chest as though I were about to cough out my organs.

“Young master!”

“Ack—”

In my flailing, my trembling hand knocked over the cup.

Startled, I opened my eyes wide, expecting the warm milk to scald my hand.

Instead, there was only the sound of glass shattering.

I watched, dumbfounded.

The cup, which should have fallen towards me, rolled in the opposite direction in an unnaturally swift, almost deliberate trajectory.

The milk soaked Klen’s clothes, the cup crashed to the floor, and tiny shards of glass spread at his feet.

“Cough, cough…!”

I wanted to ask what just happened, but my throat was too preoccupied coughing to get the words out.

Klen, flustered, wiped his milk-drenched hand on his clothes before awkwardly patting my back.

‘…What?’

No, “awkward” didn’t feel quite right.

His hand, initially stiff and aimless, began tapping in a steady rhythm, surprisingly effective at calming my breathing.

I slowly regained composure and reached up to wipe the milk dribbling down my lips.

“Are you feeling better now?”

Before I could do so, Klen pressed my hand down, softly wiping the corner of my mouth with a handkerchief handed to him by a servant.

“Ugh… Cough, cough…”

I looked up as his hand retreated, about to thank him—only for the words to stick in my throat.

His actions, so delicate as though handling something fragile, didn’t match the icy light in his gaze.

His face was soft and kind, but the contrast made it all the more unsettling.

The servants hurriedly cleaned the spilled milk and shards of glass.

Klen, noticing the milk-soaked blanket, reached out to inspect it.

He looked like he wanted to strip it off immediately but hesitated, realizing I’d have nothing else to cover myself with.

In the end, he neatly tucked the blanket back in place, patting it gently.

“I’ll have fresh clothes and new bedding brought in.”

“Please do.”

At his word, the servants scurried out of the room.

I watched them leave, knowing how absurd rumors could spread.

It wouldn’t take long for people to whisper that the simple-minded Klen Valuncio had nearly killed his spouse by forcing him to drink milk.

I had started this mess, true.

But how was I supposed to explain the uncanny movements I’d just witnessed?

No one else had noticed, but I had.

His swift, precise reactions.

Even though I had knocked the cup, the way it ended up on the ground made it seem as though it was entirely his doing.

“You seem more settled now.”

Klen stepped back only after confirming my coughing had subsided.

“I was startled when you collapsed at the table.”

“Ah… It must’ve been the noise from the bells.”

“Bells?”

He blinked, tilting his head with an innocent, sheepish smile.

Klen Valuncio… Was this really him?

Or had I been wrong to trust that novel’s depiction?

“Adrian. There were no bells during the ceremony.”

“…Pardon?”

“It was a solemn occasion. Why would bells be ringing?”

I stared at him intently.

It couldn’t be.

I hadn’t misheard it.

There was no way I could have confused that sound with anything else.

Yet, the face before me wore an expression of pure confusion, as if silently asking what I was talking about.

That deafening bell… was it something only I could hear?

“Ugh.”

Suddenly, my vision blurred, and dizziness overcame me.

My stomach churned, and my head throbbed.

“I must’ve been mistaken.”

But I wasn’t.

Still, there was no way Klen would deceive me over something so trivial.

Which meant the sound of the bell had only rung inside my head.

Could it have been due to the stress of the wedding?

Or was it a precursor to the memories I had yet to regain?

‘Wedding… oh?’

Come to think of it, didn’t I collapse midway?

How had the wedding concluded?

“Excuse me…”

“You must be exhausted. Please, get some rest.”

“Wait! Did the wedding end well?”

I called out, almost grabbing him as he started to turn away.

“Hmm?”

“I don’t think I gave the proper response…”

“?”

“I mean, the vow. I don’t think I answered it properly.”

Our marriage was grounded on a sacred vow.

It couldn’t be left incomplete.

It would be mortifying to gather everyone and redo the entire ceremony.

But if it wasn’t done right, I’d endure that humiliation, no matter what.

“…!”

In an instant, Klen’s expression changed.

He smiled, but despite the curve of his lips, his narrowed eyes carried a sharpness, and the amber hue of his irises glimmered coldly.

‘Is this even the same person from a moment ago?’

During the wedding, even when he handed me the milk, his smile had been awkward, almost clumsy, and gentle.

But now, with just a shift in his expression, he seemed like an entirely different man.

‘So, this really is Klen Valuncio…!’

In that chilling smile, I glimpsed the Klen Valuncio described in the novel.

Klen’s hands cupped my cheeks gently.

My body flinched involuntarily, but I managed to stay still, locking eyes with him.

“It seems… my dear spouse is quite confused.”

Even his tone felt different—no longer awkward but now deliberate, each syllable sharp enough to send a shiver down my spine.

I resisted the urge to rub the goosebumps forming along my arms.

“You gave the correct response.”

His thumbs moved in slow, soothing circles against my cheeks.

“The wedding ended perfectly, and we are now married. What remains is…”

His face leaned closer abruptly, and the bed dipped under his weight as he reached out to trace the shell of my ear before lightly pressing and rubbing my earlobe.

“…our consummation.”

His face was so close that the slightest movement would cause our lips to touch.

His low breaths teased against my lips, while I, unlike him, found myself swallowing my own.

“…”

“…”

Frozen, unable to breathe or move, I stared wide-eyed.

Klen, watching me intently, suddenly broke into a soft laugh.

“But since you’re not feeling well today, perhaps we should avoid any strenuous activities.”

His face retreated, his expression softening to a playful smile that seemed almost clumsy again.

If I hadn’t read the book, I might’ve gotten angry, thinking he was joking.

But even now, as his retreat left the air between us lighter, I found myself unable to move.

All I could do was take deep breaths to refill my strained lungs.

Knock, knock—

The open door revealed servants bowing low as they entered.

“We’ve brought a change of clothes and fresh bedding.”

“Prepare it, then.”

“Yes, my lord.”

Klen’s voice was once again light and cheerful, as if the tension from moments ago had been nothing but a dream.

“Then, I’ll leave and return later.”

With that, he planted a light kiss on my hair for everyone to see before walking out.

I remained dazed as the servants swiftly moved around me, helping me change clothes and preparing the bed.

When everything was done, I found myself lying under fresh blankets.

At least he hadn’t forced me into some frilly negligee just because he kept calling me “spouse.”

If he had, I might have bolted without waiting to confirm the sacred vow.

“It’s finished.”

“Call us if you need anything.”

With a final bow, the servants left the room, leaving behind only a small bell for summoning them.

“Phew…”

At least this was preferable.

As my body finally relaxed, exhaustion came crashing over me.

This marriage hadn’t allowed me to bring any servants from my family.

Not even my family members had attended the wedding.

While distance had been a factor, the intent was clear—it was meant to symbolize my complete integration into this household.

This was a common practice between families of equal standing.

Allies in battle could be wary adversaries when it came to merging power.

I sprawled across the oversized bed.

At least the mattress was of superior quality, more luxurious than the one in my room back home.

‘…Wait, was the Countess always a man?’

* * *