"My Lord, His Majesty's messenger has arrived."
"What? A messenger from His Majesty the King?"
There was urgency in the voice coming from beyond the door.
"The advance team has arrived and is waiting in front of the drawbridge. Please give orders."
When Kaian saw me in his arms, he lifted me up and carefully set me down.
"...Advance team?"
The man's face creased as he pondered what he'd just heard. The advance team was sent ahead before the main unit moved—sent to check if there were any problems with the route or to obtain cooperation from the territory or village they'd pass through.
This meant that if the King's advance party had arrived, then of course the person who followed behind was also the King.
*What does that mean?*
I also blinked as I looked at Kaian's expression.
*This will be a problem whether the King comes or not.*
Was someone impersonating the King's messenger? It was a serious matter, and it was no ordinary task to have to welcome such an important guest without any preparation.
"I'm going now."
Kaian responded almost shouting, then lightly hugged me and patted my back.
"You go and rest."
"His Majesty the King is coming?"
The words "So suddenly?" were left unspoken. Kaian didn't seem to have any intention of explaining immediately since it had also happened suddenly for him.
"It's no big deal. Don't worry, just relax."
I held up the paper he'd just stamped.
"How could I not care? We need to rework our budget right now."
Kaian let out a small groaning sound and soon returned to his original stern expression.
"Ask the butler for help. You rest."
When he opened the office door, the butler and the head of the guard in charge of Rowan Castle's drawbridge were waiting in front of him, with four of their men in tow.
"Butler, please escort Claudel."
"Yes, my Lord."
I stood still for a moment and watched Kaian walking quickly toward the first floor.
*Something feels disappointing.*
I'd been planning to talk to Kaian properly, but the opportunity had slipped away. The doctor had told me that once I reached a stable point, my mood swings and fluctuating symptoms would improve—that my old, steady, calm personality would return.
However, I couldn't remember what the doctor said my original personality had been like, and I felt like a colt running wild inside me with its tail on fire.
It was like an extension of last night's intensity, but today had been so peaceful—as if the burning flames had been blown out all at once.
*I wish I had told him today.*
As each day passed, the unborn baby would become more and more firmly rooted in my womb. The doctor had even said I might as well tell him when I started showing.
As soon as I'd given myself space to wonder if it would be okay, my mouth had been itching to speak. I couldn't help but wonder what he'd say if he found out I was going to have a baby that was half him and half me.
*We'll have to talk soon.*
It suddenly occurred to me that Valquiterre was the baby's uncle. Kaian was like family to both him and me, and he was someone I trusted.
*If His Majesty the King comes to Rowan, we could celebrate together. It might be better that way.*
Because Valquiterre was the one who'd arranged our marriage. If a baby were born between me and Kaian, it would literally be proof of reconciliation. If it was possible to bring harmony between enemies, the King's mediation couldn't have shown a clearer result than this.
As I collected my thoughts, the butler urged me on.
"I will escort you, my Lady."
"Please."
The butler led the way toward my room.
"By the way, what brought this on so suddenly?"
"They must have come for refuge."
"Refuge?"
In Valmonde, which existed in frozen land for half the year, there was no concept of refuge—because Valmonde's cold was inescapable.
The snow piled up to heights exceeding a person's stature and was pressed down by its own weight, making the bottom as hard as rock. When snow began to fall on the frozen ground in earnest, it wasn't until early spring in the kingdom's calendar that it became green enough to travel the roads. Before that, it was easy to freeze to death if you ventured out of the castle.
"The capital is warm."
The butler, who understood my words, laughed heartily.
"Isn't Castle Valmonde famous for its frozen winters? There is no colder place on the entire continent."
"It wasn't cold in the capital."
The butler nodded, though his eyes held no smile.
"I suppose you might feel that way. The refuge of previous Kings was for rest rather than to avoid cold."
I felt pride in him—he'd been a powerful figure in Rowan Castle for a long time.
"Her Majesty Silvia came to Rowan for refuge because Madame Elise was here, so I suppose she used that as an excuse."
"Right. But the Duke went to war almost immediately after inheriting his title. No one's heard of the King coming to Rowan for refuge before."
The fact that the seat next to the young, unmarried King was empty had caused a stir in the social circles of the Oberon Kingdom. It was an activity that cost considerable money and time, so there were many people who wanted an appropriate excuse not to attend the capital's social season because they felt burdened. But if a family had a daughter of marriageable age, there was no way not to bring both mother and daughter.
"If the King had come to Rowan for refuge, all the noble ladies in the kingdom would have flocked here."
The King's whereabouts were very important and sensitive information, but I'd never heard of such a rumor.
I knew very well that in the current kingdom, a noble male marriage partner with excellent character and virtue was valuable. The Duke of Vermont had tried to find a new husband for Irena in the capital through Madame Arnanti, but it hadn't been easy. Irena had been unable to attend her husband's funeral—her son-in-law.
How carefully had the Duke of Vermont chosen his son-in-law? There weren't many noble families that could match Vermont, the King of the North.
However, when his son-in-law—who'd returned from the battlefield and taken the Marquis's surname as his second middle name after signing the marriage contract—had returned to his own family instead of taking the Valmonde name and been buried in the Marquis's family cemetery, the Duke had been furious.
In the capital's social circles, the Vermonters had been so criticized as a barbaric family—rude, crude, and lacking basic morals—that from then on, only suitors unworthy of the Duke of Vermont's consideration had shown interest in the position of son-in-law.
Those who openly showed interest in Vermont's power and money were inelegant. So Irena's search for a husband was still ongoing.
Even with Vermont's wealth and power, that was difficult enough. How coveted would be the position of a monarch with no flaws in appearance, power, or honor?
The butler answered my question.
"Yes, this is the first time. Last year was the first time the Lord accepted an invitation to the royal palace after becoming family head."
"I see."
The Oberon Kingdom was now in a state of peace. The rewards from the victorious war had been so sweet that the young King's critics—for unreasonably sending families' young men to the battlefield—had been silenced.
As territory was expanded and spoils divided, those who'd criticized the King, saying it was a foolish decision to start a war over treasures that could be seized, had fallen silent.
"Anyway, you must help me. Please come in."
"Here you are, my Lady."
As I entered my room, Hannah greeted me.
"I have to review the budget right now, Hannah. The butler will join me, so please prepare tea for two."
"Yes, my Lady."
The butler sat across from me at the table, took a piece of paper folded in half from the inside pocket of his jacket, and held it out to me.
"Just in case, I've summarized the expenses incurred when Her Majesty Silvia came to visit."
"Thank you. Now that we've discussed the budget, tell me more about what happened during the refuge."
Thanks to the capable butler, I was able to listen to the old stories he told with peace of mind.
---
Irena sat on the terrace and watched people busily walking up and down the street.
"A winter without snow."
Although it was a bitterly cold winter as she'd celebrated the New Year, it was very sunny and pleasant for Irena. As long as it didn't snow, she could do as many outdoor activities as she liked.
The more she saw the liveliness of the capital city, the more she liked it. Castle Valmonde had been noisy with people all winter, but the activities of those who were confined were different from those who moved freely outside.
"Just as flowers grown in a greenhouse are different from flowers that bloom outside."
The flowers Irena knew were those that bloomed as if light-colored petals had been forcibly squeezed from thin, slim stems. A smile came to her face when she thought of the large flower clusters during her time in Rowan—heavy with layer upon layer of petals as if holding a stone.
"I hope Claudel is well."
She looked at the southern sky, thinking of her younger sister, who was now a proper lady.
At that moment, the glass door leading to the terrace burst open and her maid looked shocked.
"Miss, why are you out here again?"
"I was about to go in."
"Ugh, aren't you cold in those thin clothes?"
The maid, wearing an apron over her thin quilted dress, fussed at the sight of Irena—out on the terrace wearing only a thin blouse and shawl, her shoulders hunched as if cold.
"Madame Arnanti is coming this afternoon, so you need to prepare."
"My father?"
"Yes, the Duke of Vermont said he would personally greet guests in the parlor."
It felt like a heavy burden was placed on Irena's chest.
*It's another confrontation.*
The maid who tossed firewood into the fireplace wiped her hands.
"Oh! A letter has arrived addressed to you."
"A letter?"
The maid's expression brightened as she handed over the letter from the pocket of her apron.
"What could it be?"
---