"Yes?"
Selena looked puzzled.
"Even if you get a certificate of infertility, why are you suddenly trying to get infertility medication?"
Karina originally planned to move to an inn after declaring her divorce and slowly asking for fertility drugs. She planned to take fertility drugs and receive treatment when the doctor from the palace came to confirm whether Karina was truly infertile. However, the plan she had thought of leisurely became impatient. Since she had been ordered to have sex, she had to pretend to have sex with Jeremiah. Karina's father, Marquis Millainer, would find it very strange that they had sex every day but still not have a child. Furthermore, he might have doubted whether she was properly having sex. She had to prevent such a situation as much as possible. The best way to do this was to first confirm that she was infertile and would never be able to have a child.
Karina briefly explained the reason to Selena.
"The royal family and my father would only give up if I were infertile and couldn't get pregnant. But the royal family wouldn't believe me just because I had an infertility certificate."
"..."
"To get a divorce for sure, I have to prepare for the moment when the royal family asks to confirm whether my infertility is true."
Selena, who had been quietly listening to Karina's words, suddenly opened her eyes wide in surprise.
"Huh? Are you saying that you really want to take fertility drugs now?"
"If necessary."
"No, Your Highness! Fertility drugs are not the kind of drugs that only work when you take them. If you take them, they can be extremely hard on your body, and if you do it wrong, you could actually become permanently unable to get pregnant."
"I don't care."
Karina's final answer was light-hearted, a contrast to Selena's heavy voice.
"Your Highness!"
"Divorce is more important to me. And I don't plan on having children."
Selena calmly collected her emotions and began to try hard to persuade Karina.
"Your Highness, think about it again. You seem to be thinking too much about the immediate problem. You may meet someone else later and remarry, and then you may change your mind."
But it wasn't enough to change Karina's mind.
"No, that's not true."
Despite Selena's appeal, Karina firmly denied it.
'Am I crazy enough to do something this horrible again?'
Karina's eyes turned cold. Karina had no regrets about children. She had once dreamed of a happy family, but to her, it was all an illusion and a luxury. It was an ordinary dream that everyone would wish for at least once, but that dream had long since crumbled like dust in the past. Karina realized through her hellish time that it was too much for her, even if it was not for others.
"I'm serious. Save me from everything I say. If you don't save me, I'll go somewhere else to save me."
Karina spoke with the dark side run by Perso in mind.
"...All right."
Selena eventually had to take a step back and say, "Okay," to Karina's stubborn attitude. She thought it would be much better for Karina to get the medicine from her rather than getting it from someone else whose source and ingredients she didn't know.
***
"I heard you went to the ossuary."
When they returned to the mansion, Jeremiah was waiting for Karina.
Xxxxmother."
"I see."
Jeremiah, who had been looking at Karina with sunken eyes, opened his mouth again.
"I heard that His Highness the Crown Prince came today."
'Also.'
It seemed like everything that happened inside the mansion was reported to him even though Karina didn't say anything.
"That's right. He said he came to see Your Highness the Grand Duke."
"Me? For what purpose?"
"He didn't say that. He said he'd be back soon, so you two should meet and talk."
Karina only said that. Jeremiah didn't like it and the Crown Prince was also uncomfortable.
'I don't want to worry about other people's business at all.'
It was Karina's honest wish that the two of them would meet and figure things out on their own.
"I see."
Jeremiah furrowed his eyebrows slightly as if Karina's answer was somewhat lacking. However, he did not say anything else. Karina, who had no intention of having a long conversation with Jeremiah, brought up the topic she had to ask to end it quickly.
"Did you tell His Majesty that you would follow his orders?"
"Yes."
"So what should I do from now on?"
"They say that from now on, servants will come out of the palace once a week. And they say they will check to see if we are truly united."
"How do they get that confirmation?"
"...."
When asked a specific question, Jeremiah let out a small sigh and answered.
"I think it would be better to hear a more detailed explanation together later."
"Shall we listen together later?"
Karina looked puzzled at his unknown answer.
"The servants said they would come tonight to confirm the merger."
"What did you say?"
Karina was surprised.
It was only a day ago that the merger order was received.
'But starting today?"
Karina's eyes grew as big as lanterns.
"No!"
Karina was still not ready for what to do. Her mind was becoming anxious.
"Don't worry. I already told the head maid, Leila."
"The maid?"
If she was the head maid of the capital mansion, Karina had seen her on her first day at the capital mansion. She looked to be in her 60s, and her first impression was that she was quite old-fashioned and strict. She had come to Karina, saying that she would be in charge of taking care of her while she was staying in the capital. Of course, Karina immediately declined, saying that she was not needed.
"She was my mother's dedicated maid. She speaks her mind and is good at her job, so you can trust her."
As expected, she was one of those who were highly loyal to the Grand Duchess. Among the servants of the capital mansion, the older ones who seemed to have a special affection for the Grand Duchess were polite but businesslike to Karina. They served her perfectly without showing their feelings and without any fault, but there was a subtle feeling that was hidden. Karina, who was used to being hated, quickly noticed from the beginning that they were not interested in her.
It was obvious why they were not interested in her. She was from the Margrave Millainer family, which was hostile to the Grand Duke of Colesberg. Since they were in the capital, they would hear directly about the movements and news of the Margrave Millainer, so it was natural that they would not easily accept her even if she became the Grand Duchess.
'But is it better than those stupid Northern manor servants who only trusted Caroline and harmed me?'
Karina raised one corner of her mouth and sneered. She didn't care what they thought of her. At least they didn't harm her or annoy her, so that was enough.
"She will give you proper advice on this matter."
Jeremiah's voice broke through Karina's thoughts.
"Isn't it more correct to say that this Isn't exactly a merger, but rather 'pretending to be a merger'?"
Karina repeated with force and emphasis in her voice.
"...Yes."
Jeremiah answered a little late as if he was not pleased.
"Then let's listen."
Karina was in no position to be picky right now. After a while, the head maid, Leila, came to visit the two who had moved to Jeremiah's office. And as if she had already heard the whole story, she got straight to the point.
"Usually, when confirming the union, it is common to check the silhouette of the couple on the bed. Thin silk curtains are placed around the bed and candles are lit inside the room. Then, the shadows of the couple can be seen on the other side. The servants who confirm the union check the couple's appearance by the bedside and make sure that the first night is going well."
Karina snorted as she listened to Leila's explanation.
'Really. It's not like I'm managing a breeding operation for livestock or anything!'
"Was there originally such a thing as confirmation of the union? This is the first time I've heard of it."
Leila's explanation followed Karina's sarcastic question that popped out in self-mockery.
"The confirmation of the union is an old custom that existed in the Kingdom of Ferdin, not the Empire. It is one of the methods that came about when the Crown Prince was very young and had no experience with the first night so that his confidants could advise and help him on the day to make it a good night."
"What...?"
Karina was very offended by the fact that the Emperor had brought in and imposed upon her the customs of other kingdoms that had not even existed in the empire.
"So you're saying this didn't exist in the empire?"
"It was never used in the imperial family, but it was used in some noble families whose heads died young."
"..."
"But not only in the noble houses but also in the kingdom, there has never been a case where a couple of this age would be confirmed to have their union. Furthermore, the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess have no need for advice on their first night..."
The more Karina heard the explanation, the more she realized that this situation was much more humiliating and shameful than she had imagined.
"It won't be right next to the bed, but it will be enough to open the door and check from outside the room. Tell the servants to wait outside the door and leave after the candles are blown out. Then, the next morning, before the palace servants check the bedroom, I will leave a trail first."
Karina and Jeremiah decided to do as Leila said.
"And since you never know where the word will go, it would be best if as few people as possible know about this. If word gets out by mistake that the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess don't normally live together, it would be a big deal. It would be best if the two of you share a bedroom for three months so that it looks like you are living together in the eyes of the mansion staff."
Karina also agreed with Leila's words.
'There's no harm in being careful.'
A question suddenly appeared in Karina's mind as she nodded.
'But what should I do on the bed?'
It was not that she did not know how to spend the first night between a married couple. However, since it was just a pretense of having sex, she had no idea how far she should go.
Karina, who had doubts, glanced at Jeremiah. However, Jeremiah just silently listened to Leila's explanation with an expression that made it impossible to know what he was thinking. In the end, after hesitating several times, Karina asked what she should do on the bed.
"Even if you pretend, it won't be easy to fool the servants from the palace. You'll have to act like you're really getting your body together to some extent. If you just do it roughly, they'll find out right away. Take off your clothes and as if it were your first night, Your Highness the Grand Duke caressed Your Highness the Grand Duchess... The Grand Duchess..."
"..."
As she listened to Leila's explanation, Karina's expression became increasingly stiff. Even just hearing it made her hate it. Just imagining it made her feel disgusted and creepy. But she couldn't avoid it.
"I will watch from inside the room and give you advice by hand signals. Then, when I feel it is sufficient, I will blow out the candle. When the candle goes out, I will also leave the room secretly, so you can think of it as the end and go to sleep."
"Yes."
Karina steeled herself once again.
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