Luka couldn’t understand Vivienne well; he wanted to ask her the reason for her visit, but each time he hinted at it, she would skirt the topic or talk about something else.

Eventually, breakfast came to an end, with the maids slowly removing the empty plates and bowls, leaving a small chilled pitcher of ale for them to drink.

He glanced at the sweet, dark red liquid and smiled, taking a small sip, the fruity, acidic taste spreading through his mouth. At this time, water was too dangerous to drink without sterilisation and boiling it enough to drink took far too long.

"So, are you going to keep ignoring my question. Lady Vivienne?"

"Oh, please~ call me Vivi, stop being so distant when we’re engaged, Luka."

Luka leaned back while taking a swig of his ale with closed eyes.

’The thing with Galatea seems to have really upset her...’

Though he hadn’t said what happened outright, after sending a normal maid to attend to her, it appeared Vivienne guessed where she slept and what happened.

Or perhaps she knew from the beginning.

Vivienne rested her cheek against the back of her fingers, smiling with the same flawless sweetness as before. Yet the fingers of her other hand lightly tapped the table, once, then twice, then again.

The sound created a soft melody as she stared at him with narrowed eyes.

"Vivi."

She stopped tapping as her lips curved upward slightly. "Yes, dear husband?"

"Why did you come?"

"I already told you. I heard troubling news about Amol, your honoured father’s passing, and your sudden expedition. How could I remain still in Ironhold while my future husband risked his life?"

He shook his head.

"We both know what I mean... This isn’t with your father’s permission, so how did you react so fast, and what is your goal?"

Vivienne’s smile twitched a fraction before she glanced up at Vaun with sharp eyes. Vaun stood behind him without moving, though Luka noticed her shoulders stiffen. The Ironhold maids had already withdrawn to the side of the hall, leaving only Vivienne’s silver-haired maid near the door.

There was a moment of silence as Vivienne lifted her cup and took a small sip of ale.

"Must a lady always hold a second motive when she comes to aid the man she is promised to?"

"No."

Luka placed his cup down.

"But you do."

Her eyes curved with pleasure.

"My, how sharp you have become."

"Vivienne."

"I told you to call me Vivi~"

"Don’t dodge my question, and just answer... or I’ll have to send you away."

For a moment, something in her face changed.

The playful noble mask remained, but a colder, more mature woman looked through it. Not hostile. Not afraid. Merely measuring how much truth she could reveal without cutting herself.

"I came because I heard you had moved."

"Huh? How did I move?"

"You did... you suddenly moved from your sickbed and rode into battle, how could I accept that kind of report? Then there’s suddenly a fast horse sent by my father announcing your father’s death as if waiting... but alas, you retook Amol, basically returning a hero and accepted the royal decree made for a corpse!"

Her voice softened.

"The Luka I knew would never have done such a thing."

Luka’s fingers remained still on the table.

That line could have been dangerous.

Instead, Vivienne’s gaze lowered to his hand, and her smile returned with a strange tenderness.

"So I thought perhaps my wish had finally been granted."

"Your wish?"

"That you would be able to stand, to fight and breathe freely without pain. That you would become just selfish enough to take what belongs to you... and fulfil our promise."

She leaned closer, her dark eyes shining.

"And if that happened, then I could no longer stay away. Even... even if it meant disobeying my father and causing a huge problem for him."

Luka watched her quietly as she spoke, "Huge problem?"

Her eyes beamed as she chugged more of her ale down, no longer acting like a prim and proper lady.

"You know my father hated you and your father... that he didn’t plan to uphold our marriage promise. He’d arranged a noble from the central alliance, someone loyal to the queen, for me... over the past month, he’s tried to force me to meet him. But I refused...!"

"And the supplies?"

"Mine."

"Not Ironhold’s?"

"Mine. Don’t you remember? You once told me that everything starts with food and supplies... if a strong army lacks food, then its strength will wane and wither, while a weak populace with abundant food and resources can become strong!"

Vivienne smiled, but her fingers tightened around her cup.

"I purchased the grain using my allowance, the medicine drawn in from stores I had authority to move. I managed to hire the knights and healers by selling countless gems and needless gifts I’ve received over the years... luckily, I managed to pay their wages in advance."

’This girl...’

Luka couldn’t believe that Vivienne would go so far for the sickly boy who had passed away, though he wanted to tell her.

He swore, deep down, never to reveal this secret.

"Does Duke Aldebaran know the full amount you brought?"

Her smile became delicate.

"My father thinks that I am a dutiful daughter who came to cancel our honoured and old engagement... I wonder what he will think when It’s the opposite."

"Is that why you tried to get me to sleep with you?"

"W-What?!"

For the first time that morning, Vivienne’s noble composure cracked.

The cup in her hand almost slipped, and her pale cheeks turned a deep, violent red. The reaction was so sharp that even her silver-haired maid glanced away, pretending not to hear while Vaun stood behind Luka with her head lowered in absolute silence.

Luka watched her without blinking.

"Did I say something wrong?"

"You said something indecent at breakfast!"

"You licked my cheek in the courtyard."

"T-That was different... I needed to create the right atmosphere..."

"You mentioned entering my bedroom."

"That was also..."

"Hmmm, all of it just a play to keep people around us in doubt? What a shame, I was quite looking forward to it."

Vivienne’s fingers pressed against the table, almost turning white as she stared into Luka’s eyes, her dark purple orbs shimmering as she swallowed, her lips trembling.

"D-Do you mean that...?"

[You have absorbed part of Vivienne Aldebaran’s Lust and Greed]

Luka peeked at the system message before staring at Vivienne.

For a brief moment, the corner of his mouth twitched.

Vivienne noticed and immediately lifted her chin, trying to recover the dignity she had lost.

"A noble lady does not scheme so crudely, Luka."

"No?"

"Of course not."

Vivienne lifted her cup with both hands and drank slowly, using the motion to calm herself. Yet the redness across her cheeks had not faded, and the faint tremble in her fingers betrayed far more than her perfect posture could hide.

"If I wished to force the matter, I would not throw myself at you like some tavern girl. I would prepare witnesses, summon a priest, then hold a grand ceremony for all the land to see and know that Vivienne Aldebaran is the wife of Luka de Babylon!"

"So you did think about it."

"...A wise lady considers all roads before choosing one."

"I’ll take that as a yes."

Luka almost laughed at her change, from the flirtatious vixen he met the night before, Vivienne now clearly showed a more delicate side.

She was troublesome, but he found her quite amusing. Beneath the sweet words, possessiveness and strange obsession, there was a woman who had already weighed all the possible outcomes and made her choice.

The flirtation and affection were genuine, but they also served a purpose. She wanted people to see her clinging to him. She wanted the servants to talk. She wanted Ironhold’s escort to return with rumours.

It wasn’t her aim to shame him; rather, she wanted to create a path for the two of them to walk together without issues. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

’Once everyone has accepted it, she could fight back against her father’s orders...’

Luka placed his cup down.

"Then let me ask clearly. Do you want me, or do you need me?"

Vivienne’s smile stopped, and behind him, he felt Vaun’s body shift as if almost falling.

When he glanced back, he didn’t notice any change. However, the tips of her elven ears were stained deep red. The next moment, Vivienne’s voice came from the opposite side, stealing his attention.

"What a cruel question."

"It is an important one, though. Give me the answer so I can help you."

She struggled to maintain her gaze with faintly darting eyes that slipped to the side of the room and back. "It’s... both..."

"I want you, Luka. I have wanted you since we were children. You were weak, sickly and far too gentle for the world around you, but I liked that. I thought you were cute and something that could become mine."

Her gaze lowered slightly as if a little ashamed of her words.

"And yes, I need you too. If you abandon me, my father will use me as he pleases."

Luka remained silent, listening to her words.

"Vivi."

Her eyes lifted at once, just the call of her name, and her body became tightly wound.

"If you need my help, I will offer it, but the return will be grave. We both know what kind of man your father is."

"But I will not send you away either."

Her lips parted as she watched him leaning back on the chair.

"Babylon accepts your aid. I accept that you came here by your own will, not Ironhold’s. As for the engagement," he paused for a moment, slowly scanning her face for its reaction. Then he continued. "From this moment, I will consider you my woman. Whether that ends up working out for us... Let’s see where fate takes us."

Vivienne’s dark eyes trembled before her smile bloomed, sweet enough to look almost painful.

She didn’t mention Galatea, but made a sly comment.

"My dear Luka really has become greedy... well, I shall entrust my fate to you, my dear husband."

Before Luka could answer, the dining hall doors opened, and Levi’s old voice cut through the warmth. "My Lord... Sir Cedric has vanished from the guest wing and is searching for Dame Galatea..."