So, resuming my summary of volume 4, after the dance of coming of age, the next day there is a hunting contest. Tia sees that her saddle has been cut (so she could have fallen and died), then that her horse's leg is wounded so she goes on foot. Rube finds her and takes her back on his horse (Tia sits in front of him). They dismount to get some rest. Ruve compliments Tia on her riding outfit, and Tia gets shy. Ruve then mentions the silver flowers in the royal garden. Tia gets overly excited and pours down questions on him "what about the flowers? did they bloom? did they?!" and Ruve laughs for the first time ever, before and after the regression. He says "I knew you were interested in these flowers, but not to this point. Had I known I would have talked about them sooner. They haven't bloomed yet, but I will let you know when they do. " Ruve tells Tia that a bud broke out on the night they spent together in the garden. (The tree seems to magically reflect the love between Tia and Ruve, don't you think?). They are by a lake and she feels Ruve touching her hair. She draws back and blushes when she sees he removed a fallen leave from her hair. Ruve grabs Tia's hand to lead her back to his horse so that they can go home, and Tia's heart beats like crazy. End of chapter 3.

In chapter 4 of volume 4 of AE novel, after the hunting party Jieun pays a visit to Tia and they have a VERY interesting conversation. Jieun reveals what happened in the past after Tia's death so that Tia knows that even if Ruve says he loves her now, he's someone selfish and uncapable of love. It took him only 4 years before turning cold towards Jieun. And that he only missed Tia because she was someone hardworking and competent, not because he loved her. Tia says Ruve has changed. Things have changed. But Jieun disagrees and say people don't change. And if Tia really thought Ruve had changed then she wouldn't try to escape him. Jieun leaves very angry.

Soooo next episode is when Tia takes the knight tests. She's wounded, then healed by the high priest who pays her a visit of courtesy and reveal to her a secret. Tia learns that you could exchange your divine powers against the granting of a wish by Vita.

She passes the tests and the knighting ceremony arrives. She swears her oath and becomes a knight.

But just after her knighting, she doesn't step back. She stays where she is and pledges the Monique's oath : the lifetime loyalty of the Monique clan to the emperor. Ruve is shocked, and try to stop her several times. He says to Tia that he won't listen and tries to stop her from speaking. In exchange of her lifetime loyalty, Ruve must grant a wish of Tia in return. And Tia asks to become the heir of her family (which means that Tia renounces any link to the royal family, and won't be able to marry Ruve). Ruve is infuriated. And shouts that he rejects her oath. Which cannot be done. It never happened in millenia, so everyone is shocked, especially Tia. But Ruve says that he will NEVER accept her oath and leaves the hall, furious.

So Tia runs over the castle to find Ruve to try to convince him to accept her oath. But she's suddenly dragged behind a pillar by Ruve. He comes closer to her and says "Aristia... I love you..." Tia says "Your majesty..." Ruve repeats "I love you" and he slowly presses his body against hers, Tia gets weak and he kisses her. And girls... That is a HOT French kiss.

Ruve also grabs Tia's hairpin, let down Tia's hair and caresses her face amorously. Tia's legs give up and she holds herself on his shoulders and neck. Then he squeezes her but says "Aristia, I'm sorry. I pledged I wouldn't do anything you didn't want to do but I've lost my mind for a while. Forgive me. But Aristia I'm serious about what I've just said to you. I want you as a loving woman, not as a loyal servant. Will you not be by my side? Instead of being the Monique Marquis, can you not be my only companion?"

Then he says that he's afraid to lose her because when he steps back a little, she runs away from him. He asks why she rejects him so forcefully. She even uses the most extreme methods to get rid of him and he doesn't understand what he's done to her and why she acts like this.

He says "Aristia, I know it's premature. You don't care about me. I will not push you, I will not ask you to come to me, but please just don't run away." Then they hear Daddy coming and Ruve says to Tia "If you swear your oath again, I will shut your mouth like I did a while ago" (with a kiss). Then he goes out to greet Daddy while Tia strokes her lips. (She seemed very much into the kiss and very consenting... Obviously he's a good kisser, she seems completely dazed.)

End of chapter 5 volume 4 : Ruve sends a bodyguard to Tia (because, you know, she's his treasure ^^). As well as a box with seven love letters he wrote when she was nearly dying, professing his undying love and protection if only she would wake up.

(We don't see it but Ruve started writing to Tia a long time ago. Many beautiful and passionate love letters. But he never sent the letters because he knows Tia is afraid of him (this time at the estate traumatized him, poor soul) so he kept the habit of writing to her whenever he wants to speak to her but never sends her the letters because he is kind of afraid she will find it strange. After their marriage, Tia went to her office and discovered a lot of letters with her name on it stacked on his desk. So she start reading it, thinking it's for her but Ruve came in the office and is endlessly embarrassed but Tia tell him she finds it cute and continu to read the letters in Ruve's arms and she even tease him a little bit (very kindly, you know Tia).)

Tia can't recognise Ruve. He's so passionate and open about his feelings. He makes her heart pounds. This is everything she’s ever dreamed of.

Then there is a meeting with Jieun while Ruve and Tia are discussing the organisation of the second squad. Ruve tells Jieun that if she wanted privacy she should have asked it, and therefore tells her Tia will stay. Jieun only offers Ruve some roses for tea then takes her leave. Tia and Ruve resume their work but suddenly Ruve faints. He's extremely pale and Tia panics. She sends for a priest/healer from the temple but puts on a pleasant face so that to not alarm anyone.

But once she is alone with Ruve she cries. Then healer arrives and wakes up Ruve. Ruve sees Aristia crying and dries her tears. Then the healer asks if Ruve has mood swings and extreme anger bursts because he seems to have been poisoned. Tia is horrified and is charged to investigate the matter.

Later on she sees Ruve's bodyguards who thank her because three days before Ruve was in an excellent mood thanks to her and told them to take some time off. Tia realises that three days before Ruve kissed her, and that the knights saw them and are rooting for her. She's embarrassed to no end. She falls asleep on the sound of the music box Ruve gave her, her heart excited and pounding, but thinking "I might lose him."

In chapter 1 of volume 5 we can see that Tia is starting to fall for Ruve. The volume opens on Ruve dying of poisoning, whispering "Tia" and Tia being powerless when his breathing and heart stops. So she begs Vita to do anything to save him. She will accept anything even resuming her first fate. Then she wakes up : it was a nightmare. But she's badly shaken. And spends the chapter looking for the poisoners and how to catch them, and worrying for Ruve.

Oh! And Allen's brother died as well. So the Veritas family cannot help them a lot anymore as they mourn.

Tia starts to warm up to his courtship (and his passionate kisses) but she's poisoned and declared infertile. Duke Jenna also says she is not of pure blood. That only draws Ruve to Tia even more (because he also has commoner blood remember his mother).