"Ah... It's been about a month since the last time we visited your castle, Captain," Sasha said as she walked following Levi to his castle with the rest of Levi's squad.

"Sure, it was right before Captain sent us to the southern frontier," Jean said sarcastically.

"The meeting in Sina Capital turned out to be much more tiring than having to practice for a day." it was Connie's complaint as he yawned.

Levi opened the castle door. He glanced at the inside and found no one there. He already said that his team was coming but didn't say exactly when. It wasn't very surprising if he couldn't find her right away. He didn't exactly know what she was doing at the castle, while he was working on Trost. Today, Levi and his squad have just returned from Sina Capital, and Levi had decided to return to the castle and invited his squad before they would be giving him another headache of their whining all day, asking him to introduce his wife to them.

Wife.

The word still felt weird everytime the word appeared on his mind. Whenever Hanji or Kenny kept reminding him to come home more often that the fact he actually had one, had a wife that waiting for his arrival. He doubted it though, the thought of Mikasa Ackerman had waited on his arrival every weekend was weird and simply unthinkable, there was no way she could have waited him. She had declared that she was quiet content with being alone at the castle. To think they had never spent their weekend together, more like avoiding each other. The women seemed to despise him. He couldn't blame her for it, though.

It wasn't that he completely forgot about her existence, he was the one that tried to bury it down so he didn't have to think about it. But he remembered every moment of it. Every moment that included Mikasa Ackerman on it. The day the second time he'd visited her with Kenny, the day of their wedding and how convincing they exchanged the rings, the vow, the kiss . The moment the priest had announced them as a husband and wife. And how the guests cheered on their union. He thought that it would be over right after he settled on his normal daily work life. But whenever he didn't have anything to think or do, the memories came slowly to his mind as if reminding him solely of the fact that he was married now.

It was between the time when he casually had a launch on the Head Quarters, the picture of them had their breakfast for the first time after they got married popped out of nowhere, he thought it was almost 2 months ago they had a meal together. Or when there were any occasions when the people of Trost invited them to their house just for a meal, and the wife was wearing a blue dress like the last time Mikasa had worn it. He shook his head immediately.

It was odd and annoying.

He would just have to get used to it, he supposed. More like accepting the reality that he has an exasperating wife that they didn't share anything in common. And additionally, she probably hated him.

The picture of Mikasa Ackerman on her white wedding dress, her expressionless, sort of somber face that she always had throughout he'd ever known her, and her presence on his castle even though he didn't have much memories of it, was all clear in his mind.

It was almost a month since the last time he saw her before his departure to Sina Capital. He wasn't expecting a warm welcome or anything from her to greet his team mates, but the least thing he could've hoped for was an amicable manner from her.

Levi's squad chatter was too noisy, it was all blamed to Connie the dramatic boy complained all day that he was hungry and grumpy. It seemed like Mikasa Ackerman noticed the group of people down there. He noticed she was peeking from upstairs and immediately came down to greet them gracefully. They exchanged their glances for a moment before Mikasa gave them a little polite smile, the smile you would find when you visit a doctor. And she didn't greet him at all.

All eyes were on her.

Jean Kirstein was already gaping wide with his red face and Connie Springer's eyes rounded in shock and Sasha Braus smiled from ear-to-ear with excitement, her eyes sparkling as if she was just seeing a boiled potato in front of her.

Mikasa greeted them gracefully with her simple light blue dress and bowed politely to welcome their arrival, "You must be Levi's squad, I've heard a lot." she greeted politely as she glanced deliberately at him, while he was examining her presence. She was quite well, he was glad.

She stood there, motionlessly and momentarily stared at him, without any smile or a word to greet her husband, but only with her bored face. The tension was weird. It was painfully awkward, they obviously weren't good at putting on an act as a happy marriage couple. And it wasn't helped by his squad presence, staring at them and waiting for them to do or say anything to break off the tension.

"These people are my squad. This is Connie - " Levi's speech was cut off as Connie instantly shook Mikasa's hand and gave her a light kiss on the back of her hand.

"Springer. You must know my mom, she works on Captain Levi's farm. You're really as beautiful as my mom said," Connie said, smiling from ear to ear.

"And this is... Jean Kirstein," Levi said. Jean's face reddened, he took a step forward and did the same thing with Connie. "Jean, people call me Jean," he smiled nervously like a teenager going through puberty. The smile on his face was stupid. Levi inwardly winced at the sight.

"And lastly... Sasha Bra-"

"Right from this moment, I can tell that we're gonna be best friends!" Sasha said with excitement, her eyes sparkling so bright, similar whenever the girl saw any meat and shook Mikasa's hand and welcomed her with a warm hug.

Levi noticed her being overwhelmed by Sasha's affable manner, or Jean and Connie's excitement. But the woman recovered from her shock immediately and put on a smile on her bored face.

"We're here to clean the well," Levi stated. "And lunch," he added.

"Well, well - Mikasa you have such a unique name, now we have to do what the girls need to do and let them clean the well, let me show you the kitchen. It feels good to have a female partner to cook with. I used to use the kitchen alone to feed them but I'm happy we're partners now," Sasha said, quickly abducting Mikasa, taking Mikasa's arm and bringing her into the kitchen,

"Are we?" Mikasa murmured in confusion, she turned her head towards Levi before she completely disappeared into the kitchen with Sasha.

Right. Levi almost forgot that Sasha was an eccentric girl when she got overexcited.

It was the first time for Mikasa met someone with such a high enthusiasm for food, especially meat. Throughout the cooking, Sasha incessantly led the conversation about the food she liked, the meat and boiled potatoes, with her thick accent, enough to keep Mikasa entertained as well at the same time, overwhelmed.

She had never met a woman on her age, and acted so… intimate to her? As if they were a friend already. Mikasa never had a female friend the same age as her before that she could talk with. The Yaeger used to forbid her from hanging out with anyone outside the household.

And Mikasa listened attentively to every word Sasha said, indirectly she was fascinated by how fast Sasha talked to her.

"Ah... Am I talking too fast?" Sasha asked as if she could read Mikasa's mind.

"I'm sorry. I'm also still adapting to this new side of me. Believe it or not, I used to be a weird girl and had no friends at all. My father sent me to the military so I could be friends with other people, I couldn't talk to anyone except my family before. I grew up in Dauper village, in the middle of the forest. The forest is my friend and I grew up as a hunter." she smiled, and handed her a bowl.

"What about you, Mikasa? I heard from Captain Levi you're from Shiganshina. It must be pretty hard to live there... I just came back after guarding the southern frontier. It was horrible. It was very close to Marley's Colony outside Maria."

Mikasa rounded her eyes, slightly surprised at a sudden question. "I grew up in the Southern mountainous area of Maria, the nearest district is... Shiganshina District." Mikasa said doubtfully, whether she should tell this to someone she had just met. "And then I moved to Shiganshina."

"I think it's quite difficult to live in Maria. I'm from Dauper. Our village used to be a death village until Captain Levi moved into this castle and helped my village. I think I was lucky enough to be chosen by Captain Levi as his new squad. Captain Levi is a highly respected in Sina Capital, I'm so glad Captain Levi has a farm which means he always has meat for us!"

"Does your village struggle to live as well?" Mikasa asked carefully, stirring the pot of potato soup.

"Well, honestly the whole region and district other than Sina Capital is a difficult area to live in, isn't it? Maria was an area where the majority of the people had to supply the meat and food to Sina and Rose as well to Marley's demand. That's why we were starving. No one really cares about Maria and Rose. The King had not been able to prosper Maria and Rose like he did with Sina." Sasha shrugged, "But we're lucky we have Captain Levi here."

"How come?"

"My village used to be very poor. Most of us were hunters. We're running out of luck, it's not everyday that we get something. And then Captain Levi came. He was hated by the people of my village at first."

"Why?"

"Because he'd tried to change the way we live by opening the farm and he taught us how to live by not depending on hunting the animals. He'd taught us how to grow a corn and a plant and manage a farm until we're not starving anymore and we can make income and most importantly we're not dead when the winter comes, and our lives have become much better."

Sasha poured the soup carefully and gave it to Mikasa. "So, have you visited the village? The women are very eager to meet you, you know."

"Women?" Mikasa asked indifferently.

"Ah.. you should keep an eye on Captain Levi or women would come after him, you know he's quite popular among women."

"I… didn't know that." she murmured. Sasha sensed her wavering, she's a hunter, her sense came better than most people. She also noticed Mikasa's disinterest in her husband and her monosyllables question of her husband.

"Jean said your marriage was an arranged marriage, wasn't it?"

Mikasa blinked, "Yes."

"That explains your odd behavior when you greeted us."

"Was it obvious?" she nonchalantly asked, setting the table with a bowl of soup and plate.

"Well, most married people greeted their couples by I don't know… and embraced? Kiss? But the way you just stood there, stiffly as if you just saw someone that apparently you don't wish for." she commented casually, and stopped momentarily, "Wait, do you?" she added.

Mikasa didn't reply. What Sasha said was the truth, eventually. She wasn't delighted seeing her husband after she got used without having her husband around, not after the last displeased conversation they had. Not after she found him concluded that she was a spoiled little brat when she wasn't. Not after he didn't even try to listen to her explaination. And he acted like he was an arrogant, superior husband that it was so obvious that he didn't even appreciate her presence. And most importantly he showed up out of nowhere and married her, dragged her here away from her family and left her. And he acted like she didn't exist at all.

"I understand you. You think he was cocky and harsh." Sasha clarified. Mikasa looked up to her.

"We thought that way before knowing him. He was ruthless as a captain, he often said bad words, he cursed a lot and straightforward when it comes to his intention. But I think it's the way he is, you know?"

No, I don't know.

"It's only rumors between soldiers, it said that Captain Levi used to come from an Underground City. I've never been to Underground City before, but I heard it was a horrible place to live. He was a feared thug down there until Commander Erwin had recruited him in the Survey Corps. And then Captain Levi moved to this castle after Military Officials assigned him to the Trost District. If he was a bad man, he wouldn't help and build my village or help Connie's family."

Mikasa listened carefully. "I figure you've met Connie's mom." Sasha guessed dryly.

"Mrs. Springer." Mikasa said.

"Connie's dad died long ago. Mrs. Springer has been raising all her 7 kids alone. And Connie has a sick little brother. It wasn't enough to work at the farm and medicines are expensive. It was all Captain Levi's help the family a long time ago since he came here. Mrs. Springer felt bad for being such a burden to him. So she offered herself to help at the castle even though Captain Levi dislikes it but he respects her and he didn't want her to feel that she owes him."

Mikasa raised her eyebrows. "Dislikes?"

Sasha shrugged and chuckled, "It's a common thing to know that Levi has a habit of cleaning his house or stuff alone. He's a clean-freak that sometimes can be troublesome."

Mikasa stayed silent, absorbing all the information, and contemplating what he did before and what she did. How he'd defend Mrs. Springer and he'd refused her selfish request right away. She couldn't help to feel bad with Mrs. Springer and him as well.

"He isn't a man with courtesy." Sasha said briefly, "But he's quite a liable figure and he cares for us, I think that's all matter."

Mikasa listened to all those words carefully. "...I see." she said shortly, peeling more potatoes.

"The point is... we're lucky to have him here!" Sasha smiled brightly. "I heard that Shiganshina was frequently invaded by Marley's colony when he was a child. Armin rarely told me about himself, but I think he told me that one." she continued.

Mikasa stopped cutting potatoes when she heard the name, "Armin?"

Sasha nodded, "Yes. Armin." Sasha with her rounded eyes in surprise, "Oh.." she gasped, "Do you possibly know him? He said he knew everyone in Shiganshina district."

"Armin Arlert?" Mikasa asked right away.

"Yes, that's right. Ah, you haven't met him yet. What about I call Captain Levi and the others for lunch? I'm sure Armin has already joined them in the backyard."

Mikasa nodded and made sure the food she made with Sasha had been served well at the dinner table.

Levi could only notice Jean and Connie constantly complaining and whining. Indeed, his new squad was too noisy and too young and sometimes acted like a brat. Fortunately, they were still capable of getting serious when they needed to.

The Captain of Trost District had decided he should add more physical training of Armin Arlert, the corn-yellow-headed man has the smallest body posture among the others was the latest to arrived but he gets exhausted hastily, many times Armin sat with gasps as if he could die right away.

"Captain! Lunch is ready, come in please!" Sasha shouted from the back door of the castle waving at them. Jean and Connie cried in joy and ran towards the castle with Armin walking behind them breathlessly.

"Tch... Armin you should train your physical more," Levi said as he walked beside Armin towards the castle. "You wouldn't win the war with a weak body."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry Captain, I'll work even harder," Armin said determinedly.

"Armin?" Mikasa's calm voice entered his ears as soon as they arrived in the dining room, she found Mikasa Ackerman standing with a worried and shocked expression, with Armin's surprised face as well.

"Mikasa?!" Armin stuttered, "H-how?"

Regardless of the astonished look of the others, Mikasa walked towards Armin and hugged him tightly as if they had not met for a long time, Mikasa did not care about her blue dress becoming dirty from Armin's clothes with mud. They embraced each other tightly.

"Mikasa, what are you doing here?" Armin asked, the next second Armin saw Captain Levi still standing next to her. The yellow-haired boy seemed to remember that the Captain had married a woman from Shiganshina. The woman appeared to be Mikasa Ackerman.

"Don't tell me - the man you said in your letter is Captain Levi?! Oh, for the sake of titan, I can't believe this!"

"Do you know Mikasa?" Levi asked.

Armin nodded, "Of course, she's my childhood friend. The last time I met her was about 8 years ago before I joined the military. This is a very surprising coincidence."

"Armin, are you okay? Do you hurt?" Mikasa asked worriedly, her somber expression now changed as she looked worried while she held Armin's hands. Levi noticed her gesture that she was comfortable with each other's presence made Levi conclude the two had a very close relationship.

"Okay, I'm actually very touched by this, but can I eat first?" Sasha asked, followed by a voice coming from her stomach.

Lunch was quite fun and noisy as usual.

Levi indistinctly watched how her wife seemed almost…. pleased with his new squad. Still, her face was still somber as ever but he noticed her glimpses of excitement in her usual dull eyes attentively listening to them during launch. Moreover, she seemed unflustered by how Sasha acted with her. She gave a calm respond with Connie's lame jokes and undisrupted by Jean's incessantly stealing a glance at her with his stupid red face. Mikasa seemed to be a calm and cooperative person this time.

"Armin... Did you hear anything from him?"

"No, Mikasa. I didn't receive any letters or news from him."

"He didn't come to my wedding. I waited all night. He disappeared."

"What?"

"Armin... He left me."

It was the first time he heard her so desperate.

Levi didn't mean to eavesdrop the moment he passed the kitchen, but he accidentally overheard as he intended to go back to the backyard and heard Mikasa and Armin Arlert's conversation in the kitchen. Levi concluded that the person they were talking about was the same person that she waited on their wedding day. Levi decides it's not his right to eavesdrop so he continued his steps into the backyard to keep an eye on his subordinate.

"Mikasa... Eren didn't leave you," Armin said, trying to calm Mikasa down.

"I'm afraid Eren went to Marley."

"No way. Why did he go to Marley?"

Mikasa shook her head, "I don't know. Eren always said he didn't want to be a doctor and wanted to see the outside of the wall."

"You know the guard at the frontier was incredibly very strict and Marley also won't let any Eldians come into their territory. Mikasa, you don't have to worry about Eren. You have to worry about yourself. How are you doing? I'm sorry I haven't been able to visit you, my military service is still two years away until I can have my right to come home. But it's so unexpected that you married Captain Levi. How could it be?"

"My father arranged this. My real father. You know Kenny Ackerman? When I was a child... Kenny Ackerman oftenly visited my father. Captain Levi seemed like his nephew."

Armin was surprised, "Really? So you two are Ackerman and related to Kenny the Ripper?"

"Kenny Ackerman's predecessor was the leader of the Clan, they settled in Sina, while my family were branches of the family in Maria. Our ancestors are very far apart."

"And you accepted it? Gladly? How come Doctor Yaeger didn't say anything?"

Mikasa let out a deep sigh. "It's only a matter of time Doctor Yaeger finds me a suitable husband. I've been putting this on hold for three years and Doctor Yaeger seems to know Kenny Ackerman as well. I can't do anything."

Armin sighed in disbelief, "What about Eren?"

Mikasa pondered for a moment recalling her conversation with Eren.

"Eren, what are you going to do? " Mikasa asked to see Eren packed his belongings in a bag.

"I'm leaving."

"Take me with you. We can run away together, I will - " Mikasa's word was instantly cut off by Eren.

"You know I can't. " Eren turned to her, his emerald gaze was hard to read. But it was a determination.

The next second the realization hit her, until suddenly she felt light-headed, she held her breath.

He was really leaving her.

"What am I supposed to do? " she said desperately.

"You know what you have to do," Eren said, emphasizing his tone.

"What about our dreams?"

"It's my dream. It has never been yours in the first place. Stop using my dream as an excuse to run away."

Mikasa looked at him in disbelief, "You're leaving me." she choked out.

"There are things I need to do. I have to run away, and you... You need to do what you have to do."

The tears almost fell down to her cheeks, she knew Eren saw it too but he didn't stop. She hated being hopeless in front of him.

"I was forced to marry a stranger, and you said this was the thing I have to do? "

Eren didn't answer, nor did he look at her. Mikasa tried to ignore the pain in her chest, but the pain will never fade away.

"Oh, for god sake, he's not a stranger. Isn't he your distant cousin or something?"

"He left me," Mikasa repeated herself.

"You don't have to worry about it. I'm going to find Eren. The most important thing is, what about you?"

"I think I'm doing fine." she sighed.

"Are you... sure about this?" Armin said carefully. "Is Captain Levi..." he doubted himself and sighed, "Oh... forget it I don't know how to ask it properly," he blushed awkwardly.

"He let me sleep in one of the bedrooms. We use a seperate rooms."

"Does he ever ask to anything?"

Mikasa shook her head, "He's out oftenly. And... he ignores me like I wasn't even here."

"He may look cold but he's a reliable figure in the Survey Corps."

"I didn't know why he came all of a sudden and married me."

Armin stayed silent for a moment, then he seemed to remember something important.

"There were rumors in the Military, Frieda Reiss, oldest daughter of Rod Reiss, will be betrothed to Captain Levi and that was at King Uris Reiss's request. That's because the King was very fond of Captain Levi who managed to win the southern port from Marley's colony. But many say Captain Levi married someone else instead, who turns out to be you, Mikasa!"

"Does he avoid marrying the royals?"

"I'm not sure. It's so hard to read what's on his mind. But one thing I'm sure, I think you'll be fine. I might only know him not for long, so I don't know him very well personally and I doubt that I will. Although he didn't say much and was being cold, he couldn't possibly mistreat a woman. I'm sure it's because he respects all his colleagues and subordinates," Armin said.

Mikasa let her gaze out the window, towards Captain Levi who just gave Jean a glass of water.

Levi glanced at Armin and Mikasa who began to join towards them. It was late afternoon, their work to clean the well was perfectly done. Sasha noticed her and Armin, she immediately approached her and held her arm warmly like they were best friend already as Sasha's chattered about how how today was.

"Oi... oi.. Armin, how could you have a good time talking to Mikasa and we're out here getting your work done?" Jean asked as if jealous of Armin's instant closeness to Mikasa.

"I'm sorry, guys." Armin grinned awkwardly.

"Captain Levi, let's go to the river to clean up!" Connie said excitedly and ran towards the hills and fields away from the castle, followed by Jean, Sasha and Armin who were indeed, dirty by mud on their clothes.

"Tch." Levi almost complained about how childish his subordinates were that he was sure that they'd intended to play with water and splash here and there in the river for sure, but Levi felt they deserved it after all it was a hot day.

Levi caught from the corner of his eyes that Mikasa was seemingly about to join Sasha's running toward the hills, but she seemed to consider something and undid her intentions then decided to walk a little behind Levi. While the others had disappeared running towards the hill.

"You can do it," Levi said as flatly as possible and was careful not to offend her.

"... what?" she said slowly.

"Running with them if you want. I won't criticize you."

"I wish I could…" she replied shortly, "But I wear a dress and women's slippers," Mikasa said tonelessly.

Levi stayed silent as he looked at Mikasa's dress and a woman's slippers with a heels.

"You probably could stay and I'm going to stay to..."

"No, please. I want to come with," she said quickly, he almost noticed her slight desperation, " - If that's okay." she says flatly.

"Alright."

They walked slowly with the breeze stroking their faces, splitting vast grass fields, with the sky starting to get orange above them.

He thought about her all day, he hated to admit it.

He noticed that she looked content today and they didn't despise or avoid each other. Their suffocating tension didn't exist today. At least he was glad she didn't do that infront of his team. And she was almost… happy whenever she was around with Sasha.

"You appeared quite pleased today." he commented.

"I have to. Or your team mates would find it odd." she replied. "And Sasha's already noticed how we… loathed each other."

Levi nodded in agreement. "Sasha's is a hunter. She has a great senses."

They went silent after that. It was not a pevensive silences that usually shrouded them.

"Where's the river Connie's talked about?" she asked dryly. Levi raised his brows. It was the first time she was interested in… something particular.

"It's behind the two hills you will find after the apple farm is not far from here."

Shortly after walking, at the north there was a large farm with cows mooing while eating grass that caught Mikasa's attention.

"Is that your farm over there?"

"Yes, if you continue to walk to north after the farm you will find Dauper village. After one hill you'll pass to the south there is Ragako Village. The distance between the two is quite far and you should ride a horse. And to the southeast after two hills and a river, four more hills you will find the border of Trost District."

While the terrain was starting to ascend, Mikasa struggled to climb a slightly steep road and a grass with her slippery shoes. Levi reached out his hand to help her and she grasped it without any hesitation. But Levi stopped shortly as Mikasa stopped beside him.

"Ah..." Mikasa seemed to be upset. Levi approached Mikasa while she removed her women's slippers.

"Is there a problem?" he asked, watching her.

"Yes. My shoes are no longer I can use," Mikasa said, now barefoot and toting her shoes in her hands. She sighed, almost like happily.

"... We'd better go back." Levi said, looking at Mikasa's current foot. Mikasa shook her head.

"That's unnecessary. If you think I'm uncomfortable, you're wrong. I still want to know about this area."

"Are you sure you're barefooted?" Levi asked, he'd never found an honorable woman barefooted, while Mikasa nodded assuredly, "I've always wanted to do it." Levi noticed Mikasa who didn't hesitate to walk on the grass without her shoes, which strangely, she looked completely fine with. He offered him his hand to help her walk on the uphills, and she accepted it.

"It's my first time going out of the castle, I hope you let me." she said flatly, walking beside him.

He couldn't help but surprised to hear her confession.

"What? You're saying you're staying at the castle and never going out while I'm away?" he asked.

She nodded quietly. "You never allowed me."

"I've never forbidden you."

Mikasa shrugged, turned away, anywhere except him. "You never said anything about it."

Levi frowned, what was she thinking? "You don't need my permission to go out." he said resolutely.

" I don't ? Do you truly mean that?" she asked, surprised to hear him granted that.

"Of course. It will be stupid to think that way." he said, he couldn't help the words came out just like that.

"I thought you're like any other man to think that their wife should be at home."

"I'm not a man like you're thinking."

"And I'm not a woman like you're thinking." she repeated, turned to look at him.

They stopped and stared at each other.

"We don't know each other," he said.

"Because you'd said we don't have to." she reprimanded him.

He cursed himself. It was true. He felt like there wasn't need any obligation to know each other, since their marriage wasn't built with nothing but a sake of necessity and formality. But if they ended up thinking erroneously and he disliked the idea of them being misled with each other. They should've at least… comfortable with each other's presence. He was getting sick of his own feeling of thinking that she despised him so he avoided going back to the castle, his own home. The castle was the last thing he had and went to, when the Head Quarters didn't make any sense anymore. It was his comfort place. And he hated to admit it but he missed being at home peacefully, unreluctantly without having a thought that there was a particular woman in his home that was apparently his wife and resent him

He was sick of witnessing how she avoided him, how she used that tone to him whenever she talked to him, how she looked at him. He didn't wish that. The least thing he'd wish for was that he lived his life in normal as usual. He'd wished this marriage didn't affect anything particular.

He felt awfully lowered than the dirt of his own shoes whenever she talked or looked at him. It was the first time after the longest time he had someone that think of him so low.

So Levi decided that perhaps building a decent relationship with her was the best option. And conveying his apology for what he'd said to her was the first thing he thought he should do.

He maybe had thought wrongly about her, and she did too.

"I'll consider your request about Mrs. Springer. I should've listened to your reason." was the closest thing he could offer as an apology.

Mikasa shook, "No. Please, don't. It was my selfish request. Mrs. Springer has been doing nothing but offering her kindness." she sheepishly confessed.

He appreciated her honesty.

"I heard from Sasha. I should've not requested such a thing. It was purely my selfish request."

"Can I listen to your reason, now?" he asked carefully.

Mikasa looked away, "I... I spent my life alone at the Yaeger's house. Doctor Yaeger and..." she took her breath.

" - his son Eren always traveled to Sina to help the Lords. They often leave me alone there. Ever since Carla's death, Grisha didn't know how to raise me so it was the servant. If you think I was raised in spoiled by them… you're wrong." she said quietly.

"I was raised strictly. They always treated me like... someone that is unable to have a choice in her life, I guess."

Levi caught Mikasa's long sighed, "The servant and the maid always watched me strictly, they wouldn't let me out without any permission, told me to put on a hat and cover my face with a fan when I'm outside. You weren't the first person that had came to the Yaeger's house with the intention of marrying me. There were plenty of men had came, most of them were sick old men, and I can clearly see that I was only the subject to fulfill their desire, they'd offered their bunch of money as if they wanted to buy me. I know I'm different, they said I'm exotic. And I was told that men… are very eager to escort me solely because of my beauty. That was the reason the servant prevented me from going out without any permission." she said.

"Marrying with you… and moving here made me realize I was just moving to a bigger... prison but the difference was without the servant watching me. At least I hope for a little freedom this time, it was suffocating to live the life you never had a freedom with, you never understand that. And I didn't wish any servant around to watch me every second this time. That was the reason I requested you to send Mrs. Springer to the farm, I earned for a freedom that I never have. But now I completely understand that Mrs. Springer wasn't the same servant I used to have."

Levi grimaced to hear the word prison, "Why... prison?"

Mikasa tightenen her grip on Levi as they passed the first hills.

Mikasa smiled bitterly. "I don't know. Maybe I was given a second chance to live, saved by... Eren, but my life has never been mine from the start. They let me live only to make me hide, didn't they? Including you."

Levi stopped his steps, "...what?"

"Isn't that so? Men like you... are expecting us to stay home without doing anything. Keep us to yourself. Look, I don't know what your purpose was to marry me, but all I know is that I have to live in hiding again, right? I've just moved out to another prison... This time happens to be bigger and safer from people, and you think I should be grateful for this? Absolutely not," Mikasa said wryly.

She looked at the empty hills that were far away. Her voice sounds so far away as if her mind wasn't there either. Levi frowned, thinking that the reason for Mikasa's unpleasant attitude of the other day was because she thought this way.

"... You're wrong," Levi said, Mikasa turning to him, waiting for him to continue his sentence. Levi was not a very vocal person who expresses his sentences that speak in good word, he just spoke his thought bluntly, but this time he fell silent for a moment to choose the right words.

"I've never considered you as my prisoner in this castle. You are free to live in this castle and I will not resist the will that you desire."

Mikasa snorted in disbelief, as if to slur his words, which Levi subconsciously sounded like a lie.

"When I married you... this whole place... the castle, farm, garden and the hills, and my money is yours too, straightly and right away. I don't marry a random women. You're an Ackerman, which I am too. We, Ackerman, are connected to each other, and all I know is that we don't treat our relationships like prisoners, but as families. My uncle Kenny, treat your family like his precious family before, and he entrusted you to me."

"..."

Mikasa looked at him for a moment, "Can I really trust those words?"

Levi rolled his eyes, "I don't know. I can't make you trust me in one second, trust are built within the time. They didn't come in any second."

Mikasa huffed. "I know,"

"And I don't care about your cold and gloomy attitude every time I talk to you, but I expect someone who is rational enough for me to work with, at least when I'm in the castle. I don't give a damn time with childish behavior or someone who chooses to be a brat and wittingly unprincipled only to annoyed me or, but I greatly respect someone that appreciate me too."

"...I understand, and I apologize for my attitude the other days, I'll try to be more... considerate. I've never really had someone in my life before," Mikasa said hesitantly.

Levi nodded. He quietly agreed to Mikasa's last sentence. He also never really had anyone in his life, they always left and never stayed.

"Let's forget what happened in the past. It was our misjudgement with each other. How about, start over? This time, in a pleasant way, shall we?" she asked, offering her hands.

"And you need to stop how you look at me when you talk to me, I'm so sick of it. We've reached a compromise. I agree," he replied and Levi decided not to take long to greet that cold hand.

"Let's continue to walk if you still want to see the river, it's getting dark and I don't want to walk home in the dark," Levi said, with Mikasa again flanking her arm to him. Through the now-down hills, the river was right in front of them, with Levi's team splashing in laughter from the river.

"It's beautiful," Mikasa commented quietly, walking alongside Levi.

"I have a question," Mikasa said, Levi glancing at her slightly. "Go on,"

"In the corner of the 2nd floor... There is a locked door that leads to the tower of the castle. What is inside of it?"

"It's the library tower of Utgard Ackerman, hence the name of this castle by him."

Levi caught her response quickly, as if she was attracted to a certain word that came out of his mouth.

"Library? But you already have a library in the reading room. Mrs. Springer never told me about the tower before,"

"Because I never allowed her."

"Why?"

Levi shrugged his shoulders, "I'm not sure why. I rarely visit the library either."

"May I enter it?" asked Mikasa, her voice sounded interested even though that beautiful face remained monotonous and always looked bored.

Levi nodded, "Sure, the castle is yours as well."

Mikasa chuckled, sounded like a mockery to him but remained categorized as laughing, and it was the first time Levi saw Mikasa Ackerman laugh.

"To be honest I still think that I don't have a single thing, you said that to convince me that you're not what I'm thinking, right?"

"Why would you say that?"

"Tell me, Levi," she said. Mikasa stopped her steps.

"Why did you marry me? Why me ?" she asked.

Levi frowned, the question sounded rhetorical which both Mikasa and Levi knew exactly the reason is. "I think we both know why. Your father and Kenny- "

"I heard you're going to be betrothed to Frieda Reiss," she cut him off.

"Why did you marry me, not her?"

Levi cleared his throat. "I don't deal with the royals."

"It's right, isn't it? I was used. When the time comes, I should do what women should do? I mean to be nothing but as a substitute subject to avoid you from marriage with the royals, and as a replacement for Frieda Reiss. You probably wouldn't have come to Yaeger's house to marry me if the king did not intend to bethored his beloved niece. That's the reason why you married me."

What Mikasa said was true and it made Levi angry as well as guilty. It is true that he married her because he should marry someone other than Frieda Reiss, and Mikasa happened to be the best choice which Kenny suggested and she is also an Ackerman. And he should protect her. It was the best choice and it was not like they have any option left.

"Then what if that's true? Would you do something about it? Do you wish me to marry you for the sake of love? If you think so, let me tell you that you're completely a nonsensical and a hyprocite person. You should be grateful that I saved you, that I was the one that married you, not some kind of random sick man out there."

She looked at him dumbfoundedly, "I should be grateful?" she snorted, "I never asked for this. I never asked to be saved." To his surprise, he noticed how angry she was, her clenched fists and now she was shaking with anger, and her dull bored eyes flashed in rage.

"I can't change what you think of me. And I don't care about that at all." he said impatiently. "But if you think I married you because of that, I'll let you think that way. But what can you do? It won't change anything, the fact that you're married to me. We're stuck with each other. Congratulations." he replied with sarcasm.

Mikasa looked at him in disbelief, "That's enough to explain everything. I guess you're right. Trust was built within the time." she snorted, "And clearly, with a person that is sane enough to at least appreciate someone that happened to be his wife." she brushed off his arm harshly and walked ahead of Levi alone in annoyance while Levi himself was still processing what just happened. Levi felt a wave of his anger also appeared to see her walk away just to provoke him such unnecessary things.

Mikasa stopped her steps, she turned around, "You are no different like men out there, don't you realize it?" she said quietly, but Levi heard it all. "They always think that women are nothing more than someone that should be grateful, obedient and obey what you said just because you have so much money to offer. I'm so sick of you."

Levi stopped his footsteps, he was watching Mikasa from a distance as she now reached the river while Jean sheepishly approached her, strangely, he felt even more annoyed to see that Kirstein's face smiling and blushing like an idiot to his wife.

I really appreciate review and I wish to know what you're thinking about this hopeless fict lol. My apologize for taking so long to update (so random) so please kindly give any review and I read them all!