The slanted sun slid across the horizon.
Its soft, gentle light, much milder than at midday, painted the calm waves a golden hue.
It was a view I never grew tired of, no matter how often I saw it.
I walked along the shoreline, taking in the scenery.
How long had I walked like that? From afar, the scent of freshly baked bread reached me.
“Must’ve gotten some olives today.”
In this small seaside village, one couldn’t make a living on trade alone.
So most shops made more than they needed for themselves, selling the surplus to tourists to sustain their livelihood.
That’s why someone like me—who only buys things and doesn’t sell—stands out.
“Welcome! Long time no see.”
The bakery owner, placing fresh bread on the display shelf, greeted me warmly.
I returned a shy yet kind smile.
Perhaps he’d tell his family about this during dinner.
That the ‘noble young lady who reappeared after ten days’ bought two loaves of their olive-stuffed bread.
But as they talked, no one would mention how I only ever showed up during sunsets, or how my eyes briefly looked golden in the sunlit sky.
Carrying the wrapped bread the baker had given me, I retraced my steps.
Along the way, I ran into a few more villagers and exchanged casual greetings with them.
As I walked away, I knew they’d begin guessing who I really was.
They found me hard to approach, but they enjoyed talking about me.
It had been a few months since I settled here.
I still hadn’t properly introduced myself to anyone.
I just exchanged polite greetings, like a friendly but distant neighbor.
Eventually, some even started coming to me to ask if the curious rumors they’d heard around town were true.
I never gave a straight answer.
But I made sure not to deny the rumor that I was a runaway noble lady living with a knight.
That one I liked the most.
Except for the fact that Riorem’s status was lower than a knight’s, and mine was higher than a typical noble lady’s, the story wasn’t all that wrong.
The more fiercely I denied it, the more convinced the villagers became.
Even if I rarely stepped outside, they nodded as if it made perfect sense.
These innocent villagers would never suspect that I had planted those assumptions myself.
They’d just keep trying to protect the cleverly fabricated affection between Riorem and me.
Even if someone did realize my eyes were gold not because of the sunset, but by nature, I’d make them doubt their own thoughts.
That’s why I didn’t take this little stroll too seriously.
Only one thing here made me nervous—
If Riorem came home before I did.
“Just like now.”
I saw Riorem running toward me from afar.
I smiled and handed him the bag of bread.
“You’re back earlier than I thought, Riorem. I expected you tomorrow morning.”
His blue eyes stared at me so intensely that it almost stung.
I couldn’t help but smile.
“Of all days, you had to come back today.”
Unlike me, who fled the Kingdom of Arete in a rush, Riorem had left after making careful preparations.
That meant he’d brought enough gold to live in hiding for the rest of our lives.
Even so, Riorem occasionally left for a few days at a time.
Sometimes he worked as a mercenary and brought back money. Other times he bought luxurious items that could only be found in large cities.
He never told me in advance where or why he was going.
Still, I could usually guess how long he’d be gone.
Before he left, Riorem always held me with intense passion—almost excessively.
The more desperate he was, the longer he’d be away.
Two nights ago had been very intense.
Even after soaking the bed, he hadn’t stopped, going twice more in the bathtub.
So I thought he’d be gone for at least a week.
“Which is why I came out so casually today…”
As if reading my mind, Riorem spoke in a firm tone.
“I believe I told you not to go outside alone.”
“You did.”
“You also said you’d go out with me once I returned.”
“Hmm.”
I cut him off with a soft hum.
Then I wrapped my arm around his, like a sweet, ordinary lover.
Riorem looked down at me silently.
Despite his words, he knew I could take care of myself wherever I went.
Even if something happened, I’d find a way out of it.
But… I never hesitated to use any means to achieve my goals.
My recklessness often gave his heart a hard time.
That’s why he’d come to demand,
“Don’t go outside while I’m gone.”
But still…
I wanted to prepare freshly baked bread for Riorem, who would return tomorrow morning.
Of course, the bread we bought at sunset would cool by night, and it would be Riorem who prepared the meal using it.
I tugged on Riorem’s arm playfully.
“Actually, it’s perfect! Freshly baked bread tastes much better than cooled bread anyway.”
“I heard it’s good with just cheese, especially since it’s packed with marinated olives. I wonder if that’s true.”
Riorem looked down at the warm paper bag in his arms.
From it rose the distinct, salty yet refreshing scent of olives.
“Ha.”
Riorem sighed, though his expression had softened.
Soon, he matched my pace as we walked together.
I told Riorem all about what had happened over the past couple of days.
As always, he quietly listened to everything I said.
In the end, he couldn’t even scold me once.
When we arrived home, we went to our usual spots — I sat on the high stool, and Riorem went to fetch water from the well.
Soon, a basin was placed at my feet. When I dipped my feet in, Riorem knelt before me.
His large hands gently took my bare foot and began to wash it.
I thought it felt strangely unfamiliar.
He had done this same task for over ten years — and yet, somehow, it felt entirely different.
‘Maybe his hands just got rougher.’
While I quietly let him tend to my feet, the sun completely dipped below the horizon.
Feeling the soft towel wrap around the soles of my feet, I finally voiced what I had been thinking.
“People in the village still call me ‘milady.’”
“…Is that a problem?”
“No, not a problem. Just… I’ve been wondering if, after living together this long, people would start thinking we’re husband and wife.”
At my words, Riorem’s shoulders tensed.
“It’s been quite a while since we came to this village. And yet, everyone still thinks we’re just lovers who ran away together.”
“Why do you think that is? I think it’s because we don’t wear rings.”
I reached out and cupped the cheek of the man kneeling before me. Riorem’s jaw tensed and twitched.
“And that got me thinking. When are you going to give it to me? Or… are you planning to live like this forever, just serving me?”
Heat shimmered in Riorem’s blue eyes.
After a long pause, he finally spoke in a tight voice, as if choking on the words.
“…At the very least, I thought I should wait until I could buy a house big enough to be called a mansion.”
“Did I ever ask you to do that?”
“…No, I just wanted to.”
Riorem’s brow furrowed deeply.
I gently brushed his brow with my fingers.
“Why would we need such a big house? We spend half the day in bed, and the other half busy making love in every corner of this tiny one.”
Riorem couldn’t argue with that.
Aside from the bedroom, the only other spaces we used regularly were the bathroom and kitchen.
“And besides, can’t we grow wealthy after you become my husband?”
“…I don’t know why you’re bringing this up all of a sudden. We can’t even hold a proper wedding since we don’t have a witness.”
“And living together unmarried is just fine? The order’s already all messed up. We might as well have a wedding — just the two of us — right now.”
“I’m curious about the ring you picked out, too.”
At that, Riorem inhaled sharply.
“When did you find out?”
“When you kept going away for a week, coming back for a day, then leaving again. The only reason you’d save money like that was to give me something better.”
Riorem let out a deep breath.
He moved the basin and towel far aside.
Then slowly, he reached into his coat and pulled out something he always kept close.
It was a ring adorned with a brilliant gemstone that perfectly matched my red hair, encircled by delicate, dazzling diamonds.
I beamed at him.
“You picked it just to my taste.”
“Because it’s for you.”
Riorem, who had momentarily held his breath, finally spoke in a calm voice.
“Will you marry me, Chernea?”
It was a proposal as simple and plain as I had expected.
No elaborate words, no sweet promises of lifelong happiness.
No massive dowry that my father once wanted in exchange for selling me.
But I held out my left hand without hesitation.
Because this man had given his life to be with me — and had given all of it up again for me — that alone was enough.
“Yes. I’ve been waiting for those words.”
The heavy ring slid onto the fourth finger of my left hand.
Even without faking it, a smile tugged at my lips.
My heart felt ticklish.
Without a formal officiant, the man suddenly rose and pulled me into a hug.
And instead of a long wedding vow, I sealed our marriage with a kiss.
Thus ended the wedding of the last Peroan princess, once valued higher than any fortune in the world.
In peace and quiet — things once furthest from my life.