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Chapter 10
“Then I’ll start with a question. How old are you, milady? Judging by how you keep calling yourself an adult, I’d think you’re much older.”
At Ares’ first proper question, Herina jumped up in surprise.
“What?! You don’t even know my age yet? And what do you mean ‘much older’ by looking at my face? I’m not that old! People often say I look young.”
Herina shouted, clearly exasperated. Ares adjusted his glasses with a tired gesture and responded nonchalantly.
“So, how old are you? You should at least know your wife’s age.”
“Twenty-two. Just the prime of life. Beautiful as ever, and even more so this year.”
She flipped her hair back, showing off, but Ares’ face remained expressionless.
“I’ve said it many times, you’re not to my taste. Let the servants worry about cleaning if hair falls out, so just leave it be.”
“How rude.”
“Your behavior remains impolite as well.”
Their gazes collided in the air, tension so thick it was hard to believe they were newlyweds.
The first to look away was Ares. He put down his glasses with a weary gesture and spoke.
“Let’s stop this. I don’t want to waste energy on trivial matters. Aside from lamb, is there anything you cannot eat? Anything you particularly like or dislike?”
Herina, feeling triumphant from winning the little power struggle, paused to think. Did she have any particular likes or dislikes?
“I eat everything except lamb. Likes… money? Dislikes… having none?”
Ares frowned slightly at her blunt answer, moving his head from side to side.
“Why that face?”
“I don’t mean to say this, but for someone your age, you’re remarkably honest. Usually, people would avoid such materialistic answers for the sake of appearances.”
So he’s a noble through and through, she thought, mocking him silently.
“Is there anyone who doesn’t like money? Money and power—without them, we wouldn’t have even managed our wedding yesterday. Strength comes from capital. Nobles who tried to protect only their pride went bankrupt. What happened? They lost the honor they tried to preserve and ended up begging for their lives. You must’ve seen it plenty.”
Despite her sarcastic tone, Ares shook his head firmly.
“No. Those people would have lost their honor even if they had money. If they had convictions, they wouldn’t have fallen that far.”
Her curiosity piqued. What could a seventeen-year-old duke, so untainted by the world, consider truly important?
“Then what is it that you value so highly?”
Ares asked, as if it were obvious.
“People. The people I must protect. They support me and keep me upright. That’s how I’ve been taught, and that will never change. I know you like money, but now that you sit in the duchess’ position, I hope you also consider those who rely on us.”
A childish stubbornness, she muttered to herself, yet she was secretly impressed.
Whether he became this way because of upbringing or innate temperament, this wasn’t the kind of thinking an ordinary seventeen-year-old would have.
Herina, at twenty-four, never had the luxury to ponder such feelings, but facing this naïve seventeen-year-old duke, she recognized the difference in magnitude.
“So, did you choose me because of my money?”
Ares asked indifferently, but Herina couldn’t accept it. Somehow, she felt it would be wrong to answer honestly, even as a joke. Not out of fear her plan would be exposed, but out of some vague discomfort.
“It’s one of the reasons I love you, but not the only one.”
Even a partly false answer left her feeling uneasy in the pit of her stomach. Standing before such a straightforward child, she realized she couldn’t help it.
“Ah! Stop calling me ‘milady.’ If you keep using that in front of others, it will arouse suspicion. Besides, Ares never called me that either.”
Herina, wanting to escape the feeling, hurriedly changed the subject. Fortunately, it was a necessary question.
“Then what should I call you? Wife? You did call me that earlier.”
Ugh. Somehow, it made her feel like a refined middle-aged lady, and she shivered.
“Just call me by my name. Ares did, so I’ll handle it the same way. The way we’ve always called each other.”
Ares nodded quietly.
“Then may I ask my questions now?”
Ares looked surprised, as if he expected her to comply immediately.
“Milady—no, Herina—do you have questions for me? You know everything about me, don’t you? Even in our passionate love, is there something you don’t know?”
Herina flinched at the piercing question. In truth, she didn’t know much about Ares as a person. She had studied him only to seduce the duke, and after their orchestrated coincidences became fate, she never felt curious about him. Usually, he accommodated her preferences, so she didn’t even know what he truly wanted.
“Well… you said I wasn’t to your taste, but the future Ares liked me! So a lot must have changed in the meantime. I didn’t even touch vegetables at seventeen, but now I eat them! Even small preferences change a lot over time!”
Even her flimsy excuse made Ares nod in understanding.
“Indeed. If I think about it now, you were never my type. Personally, I doubt that would have changed in ten years. But if it did… then, as you said, much must have changed.”
Though he spoke without intent, Ares’ indifferent, confident expression annoyed her.
“Yes, yes. Now may I ask? Any food you avoid?”
The initial questions were trivial. Ares answered diligently, and Herina was gradually surprised each time.
“You can’t eat peaches?”
Ares nodded, replying calmly.
“It’s not a matter of preference. I almost got poisoned by a peach dessert as a child, so I can’t touch them. A kind of trauma. Have I overcome this trauma at twenty-four?”
Finally, a scene flashed in her mind.
Ares, who bought peaches across the estate just to satisfy her summer obsession. Ares, who found ways to preserve them so she could eat them even after the weather cooled. Ares, who cut them himself late at night when he couldn’t summon the servants.
“I definitely ate them…”
Even if her heart wasn’t in it, she had gladly accepted a piece he gave her, impressed by his care.
“Why ask? Did I overcome it at twenty-four?”
No. Surely not. Ares probably never overcame it. He would never touch a peach except for the piece he offered. Even when asked if he wanted another bite, he would hide his care behind a casual ‘eat more’ to the one he liked.
“You’re thorough,” Herina muttered, watching the young Ares, still bearing his boyishness.
