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After Edgar and Ariel underwent their coming-of-age ceremony, there were two scheduled events.

One was Ariel’s inheritance as the head of the family.

The other was the subjugation contract between Edgar and Ariel.

Originally, they planned to quickly handle the first matter and then the latter afterward, but a slight snag arose in the process.

The snag was that Yulken had to temporarily leave due to a recent incident involving a clash with foreign tribes in Whitewood.

“Dear, do you really have to go? This matter could be handed over to Sir Elpelt…”

Even Helene, who usually refrained from meddling in Yulken’s affairs, showed skepticism regarding this matter.

It wasn’t a huge issue yet, and she believed there was no reason for him to step in.

Elpelt was more than capable, and it was the consensus among the vassals within the castle that he could manage with the soldiers at his disposal.

Above all, what wife wouldn’t feel uneasy at the thought of her only husband heading to the battlefield?

Until now, she had kept her mouth shut, thinking it was his duty, but with Ariel’s inheritance coming up, she thought she had a reason to urge him to stay.

“I wanted to, but things have escalated… I’m sorry, but please take care of the castle for a bit.”

However, even in the face of his wife’s protests, Yulken stood firm.

His trusted vassals and soldiers were currently fighting at the front lines.

Of course, he didn’t doubt their victory, but waiting stuck in a castle wasn’t his style.

“Ha… Do you really have to go? Now that Ariel will inherit as the head, isn’t it also important to teach that child her duties?”

“It won’t be too late to do that after I return. Besides, even aside from Ariel, that friend of hers still needs time before he can handle public affairs for her.”

“Those excuses are quite…”

Frustratingly fitting, Helene felt unable to counter his reasoning.

While she thought herself to be quite stubborn, her husband simply outmatched her in that regard, making it impossible for her to persuade him at this point.

Ultimately, as he decided to leave, Helene rose from the bed and gently kissed his lips.

“Please travel safely and take care of yourself. Don’t worry about the castle. You plan to leave tomorrow, right?”

“I should, yes. I’ll leave instructive messages for the two of them, so don’t worry.”

Just before his departure, Yulken displayed his consideration by trying to alleviate his wife’s burden as much as possible, but Helene merely saw it as a shallow attempt to avoid blame.

“I understand. Honestly… I had hoped that after the inheritance matter was over, we could have some quality time alone together, but this is so inconsiderate of a woman’s feelings.”

While the matters were indeed important, sometimes she wished he would listen to her stubbornness as a woman.

She wasn’t asking for much, just to have him by her side, yet he seemed burdened with a lot of responsibilities, making even that hard to achieve.

“It’s the same now as it was then.”

“It’s disappointing that it hasn’t changed in times like this.”

Recalling her first encounter with him when she was a maiden, Helene smiled softly.

In battle, he ruthlessly slayed enemies, but in everyday life, he was simply clueless; whenever she approached, he became flustered and tongue-tied.

Because of that, he could hardly say things that a woman would like to hear, and he was so ruggedly sincere that honestly, she wasn’t all that impressed at first.

However, as they spent more time together and she got to know him better, she discovered the gentleness hidden beneath his stout nature and his deep consideration for his family, making her fall for him.

At some point, he started to muster enough courage to compliment her looks or say that she dressed well, which also played a part.

Yet, the fact that such ruggedness remained even over time meant that while her love for him persisted, his frequent prioritization of duty sometimes struck her as a bit irrational.

“You once said my consistency reminded you of an unchanging pine tree. I see that was just empty praise.”

“I do find it appealing. But sometimes, wouldn’t it be okay to bend a little?”

“What can I do after living like this for so long? I can’t change now.”

As Yulken flashed a sly grin unlike himself and spoke with a lighter tone, Helene let out a short sigh and nodded.

As he said, even if it annoyed her, she couldn’t change it.

It wasn’t that she couldn’t shatter this relationship, but rather, at times when those petty feelings surfaced, she couldn’t help but realize that she still loved him.

Whenever she reconsidered how this was the essence of their marital relationship, Helene would inadvertently stifle a smirk.

“By the way, where did you learn to speak like that? Surely it wasn’t from Edgar, was it?”

Hearing a familiar tone and catching a glimpse of a similar expression, Helene asked curiously, to which Yulken’s eyes widened, and he burst into laughter.

“How did you know? A few days ago, the three of us were talking, and that friend said something like that to Ariel. I thought it might come in handy, so I memorized it… It doesn’t seem bad at all.”

“Oh dear.”

Helene muttered, “No wonder.” and shook her head in disbelief.

It made sense now why he had spoken and acted strangely.

Unlike Yulken, who often seemed clueless, Edgar was quite composed and had a knack for handling women, thanks to his long friendship with Ariel. He could deliver such lines smoothly.

As Yulken grew closer to him, taking in various actions and expressions, he must have naturally picked them up.

“Should I be glad about this?”

For a woman, it was delightful for her husband to understand women’s hearts and emotions.

The concern, however, was that if he got too accustomed to such nuances, would he end up treating her like Ariel?

“Though she’s my daughter, she’s often too tightly wound…”

To the casual observer, it might seem as though Ariel effortlessly wielded control over Edgar, but for someone like Helene, who had been married for long, it didn’t appear so at all.

Edgar merely responded charmingly without provoking Ariel’s ire, making her feel as if she was the one taking charge.

It wasn’t that he was toying with her; rather, he managed her emotions while maintaining his own authority adeptly.

And if Yulken were to master this completely?

Then Helene was certain she wouldn’t be able to take control at all.

She, who would blush just from him casually saying he loved her, didn’t believe she could handle such a charming Yulken.

“I really wish you would stay the same.”

“Suddenly, that sounds serious. Is there a reason?”

“I… I don’t know!”

At times like these, he would abruptly probe without awareness, causing Helene to raise her voice and turn away in a huff.

Afterward, when Yulken embraced her from behind, reassuring her that he would return without incident, her anger quickly subsided.

Like mother, like daughter; it was evident that both women had a simplistic way of resolving their tantrums.

* * * * * * *

The next day, the expressions of Ariel and Edgar, upon learning the circumstances, turned quite serious.

However, this wasn’t because of the inheritance or the contract between them; rather, it was their concern over the degree of the conflict that had unfolded in Whitewood.

“To what extent does it require His Highness to leave?”

Yulken shook his head with a wry smile at Edgar’s tone filled with worry.

“It’s not something to be worried about. However, having spent half my life on the battlefield, if I don’t step up in times like this, I’ll just feel thorny, you know?”

“But didn’t your mother dissuade you? And according to Dulius a short time ago, isn’t there really no need for you to go?”

Ariel had taken part in the meetings with the vassals alongside Yulken recently and was already aware of most concerns pertaining to them.

This meant she understood that the issue in Whitewood wasn’t significant enough for Yulken to take personal action.

Still, she couldn’t help but wonder why he insisted on taking unnecessary steps.

“Daughter, while you and Dulius are correct, sometimes things don’t always flow rationally.”

“But this is the battlefield. It’s not that I don’t trust you, but I regard the battlefield as a place of immense danger.”

If it were anything trivial, Ariel might have welcomed and respected Yulken’s dedication to his duty, but this case was different.

While it was part of his responsibilities, it wasn’t an absolute necessity, and the stakes involved could frankly be quite severe.

This wasn’t simply a matter of a casual city inspection with no burdens; it meant risking one’s life.

Ariel wanted to stop her father from leaving on what she thought was essentially a fool’s errand.

“Don’t worry and just wait. The reason I’m going is that there are things I want to see with my own eyes.”

“Is it something that needs direct confirmation?”

“Yes. If that’s indeed the case, I might have something to tell you when I return.”

Without clearly stating what it was, Yulken stood up from his seat after giving somewhat vague assurances.

The carriage and entourage set to depart for Whitewood had already been prepared, so he had to leave the castle promptly.

“While I’m away, I ask you to look after my daughter and wife. It won’t take long, so don’t worry.”

“Yes, Your Highness. I wish you good fortune.”

“Thank you. It’s reassuring to have you beside my daughter.”

As Yulken turned his gaze towards the reception room’s door, his expression rapidly transformed into that of a warrior’s.

He quickly exited the room, stating that he didn’t need any farewells, and made his way to the carriage waiting outside the castle.

The ruler of the North, having never suffered a defeat, was compelled to set out on his journey today, burdened with the weight of his duties.