*Why does she look like that?*
The light in her eyes was familiar, as if he'd seen it before. Kaian was certain he'd encountered it somewhere. As he searched his memory, he recalled the morning after she'd arrived at the castle, when she'd been standing before her designated tombstone in the castle catacombs.
Claudel seemed deeply moved. She placed her hand over her heart and looked at him with a joyful expression.
"The Duke is a truly wonderful person."
Kaian's eyes widened at the unexpected words.
"Much more than I thought."
"More than you thought?"
He found himself curious about what she'd originally thought of him.
Claudel covered her cheek with her hand as if embarrassed, but answered his question nonetheless.
"I think you already know, Duke. You wouldn't have heard good things about Temnes from the people of Valmonde."
"Hmm."
It was the same way that Rowan couldn't speak well of Vermont. When she stated it so plainly, Kaian had nothing to say.
"But the Duke is a great person."
"Why?"
"You're ruling over such a vast territory."
Claudel's eyes drifted past the low fence of the garden café to scan the bustling shopping district beyond.
"You're only five years older than me. Even when I turn twenty-five, I can't imagine ruling over such a large territory."
"That's because I was trained as a successor."
"Training isn't everything."
It wasn't much of a compliment, yet Kaian felt his ears growing warm. Still, he didn't dislike hearing positive things about himself from her. Not at all.
"It's truly admirable that someone like the Duke would have the will to save anyone, even without reason."
"Is it?"
"Of course. Most nobles exploit the people of their territory without regarding them as fellow human beings."
Claudel added, as if recalling something.
"You might not think highly of him, but the Duke of Vermont is also a rather good lord to his people. During ten years of drought, he collected almost no taxes."
Kaian felt something strange stir within him. He'd been quite upset when Claudel had given him the same answer after she'd saved him and been seriously injured—that she'd done it without any particular reason. However, when he'd childishly thrown that same answer back at her and she'd responded with such unexpected generosity, he felt as though he'd received something precious for nothing.
"Excuse me."
"Yes?"
As she rose from her seat, the café maid took one of the boxes and handed it to Claudel. It seemed she'd carefully selected and ordered something earlier, intending to take it with her.
"I'll help you."
"It's all right. I can manage this."
Claudel looked up at him as she held the box with both hands, adjusting her stride to match his as if she'd noticed his consideration, and smiled brilliantly.
Looking at those lips forming a delicate curve, Kaian felt something urgent stirring within him.
*Did I inhale too much rose scent?*
It felt as though something had gone awry in his head.
---
Upon my return to Rowan Castle, Hannah greeted me enthusiastically.
"My Lady! Did you have a good time?"
"Yes."
Hannah, who'd been wearing Valmonde-style clothing, was now dressed in a cool Rowan-style gown. When the time had come to assemble my wardrobe, Kaian had instructed her to select several outfits for herself as well. She'd diligently attended to her selections, proving herself truly the finest of maids.
"What's this?"
When Hannah asked, my eyes sparkled.
"What do you think? Take a guess."
"If I guess correctly, will you give it to me?"
"Hehe."
Unable to wait for her guess, I quickly untied the ribbon and lifted the box lid.
"Oh! It's beautiful."
Inside, arranged on a tiered wooden tray, were the lovely small desserts I'd enjoyed at the café earlier.
"Where did you buy this?"
"Come here. Let's sit down and eat together."
"I'll fetch the tea right away."
Hannah quickly made her way to the castle kitchen and returned with tea. As she gently steeped the tea leaves in hot water, the room filled with a fragrant, sweet aroma—the scent of brewed tea mingling with cookies dusted with sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla.
Hannah munched on the desserts I'd brought, took a sip of tea, and gave me an enthusiastic thumbs up.
"It's delicious. Mmm. Where did you go today?"
"The Duke bought me jewelry."
"Jewelry?"
Hannah's eyes widened.
"Ha! How wonderful. I must have made an error when loading the luggage—the dress trunk was rather sparse, and there was no jewelry at all. I was worried about whether I should send word to Valmonde."
I concealed my bitter feelings. Hannah didn't know that the Duke of Vermont had sent me to Temnes essentially empty-handed because he'd expected me to die.
Hannah knew I was ill with consumption and that I'd been married off to an enemy family like a sacrificial lamb, but if she discovered I hadn't even been sent with proper wedding gifts, Hannah would be furious. Since it would fall to me to calm and appease Hannah—not the Duke of Vermont, who'd caused this situation—I kept silent.
"But were you at the jewelry shop all that time? Did you buy many things?"
"No... yes. I mean, no."
When I answered vaguely, Hannah tilted her head in confusion. We hadn't been there long, but we'd bought a great deal—and it wasn't only at the jewelry shop, but elsewhere as well.
"We purchased the jewelry quite quickly."
"Was there anything you particularly liked?"
"Yes."
Even thinking about it now, I wanted to bite my tongue for declaring that everything was pretty. I was beginning to understand Kaian's methods. He was so direct that I felt I could never respond half-heartedly when he spoke.
In any case, it was an established fact that my personal finances were now depleted and insufficient to uphold the reputation of the Duchess of Temnes, so I decided to be grateful he cared about my dignity in this way.
The founding Duchess of Temnes had been the flower of Oberon's kingdom—Princess Elise, one of the twin princesses the late King had cherished and adored. The previous Duchess, to whom I might be compared, cast such an enormous shadow that I felt considerable anxiety.
"Have you tried any of it on? Did you select pieces that suit you well?"
In truth, I nearly answered with another confused "yes, no, yes," but I decided to redirect the conversation.
"After buying jewelry, we went to a café. It was called the Garden Café, and it was absolutely beautiful."
"Garden café? Well... I can't quite picture it."
"Right? There were roses everywhere in bloom. They'd arranged tables among the flower bushes in the garden where people could sit and take tea."
"Goodness! That many flowers?"
"Yes."
I spoke excitedly, heartened by this fellow northerner from Valmonde's genuine response.
"Hannah, I wish you could have come with me too."
"Not at all! What are you saying? You should enjoy a private outing with the Lord."
"Outing?"
My eyes widened.
"An outing?"
Looking at my expression, Hannah laughed.
"Isn't it an outing when a gentleman buys a lady gifts, escorts her for a stroll, shares tea, and converses together?"
"Ah...?"
Was that what it was? So we hadn't simply been shopping for jewelry?
I knew what romantic outings were, of course. Hannah had mentioned that the castle maids read about them occasionally, and I'd borrowed a slim volume I'd found intriguing. The story had centered on a young lady fresh from her debut and her romance with a handsome nobleman.
"But don't gentlemen usually ask ladies beforehand when arranging an outing?"
Kaian had made no such request at all.
Hannah swallowed the dessert she'd been chewing.
"Well, you're already married and living in the same household, so there's no need to formally arrange a date and time."
"An outing. It's my first."
The corners of my eyes drooped slightly.
"I didn't realize it was an outing. I must have seemed completely oblivious."
"Not at all! You simply had to avoid any major mistakes. It might have been better not to overthink things for your first outing."
"Do you think so?"
"If you're too self-conscious and nervous, you'll only make errors."
Hannah comforted me warmly.
"The Lord is quite taken with you. He'll escort you to even lovelier places soon."
"Do you really think so?"
"Absolutely."
My heart fluttered.
*What if it wasn't actually an outing?*
Once my heart began racing, I had no idea how to calm it down.
---
The days at Rowan Castle passed swiftly, settling into a comfortable rhythm. My recovery continued steadily, and I regained my former health faster than when I'd first arrived.
But late at night, I lay in bed with my eyes open, unable to sleep.
My illness had worsened to the point of unconsciousness, but after taking the medicine Kaian had used to save me, I'd improved. For a while, I'd eaten and slept well.
However, though my body had recovered enough to allow me to breathe freely, insomnia had now begun plaguing me again.
"It's the third day."
It had been exactly three days since I'd last slept properly. In the past, when I'd been unwell, I'd remained in bed in my nightclothes even during the day. Moreover, before my consumption had been discovered, I'd been injured during the crocodile hunt and forced to recuperate in bed. So even if I couldn't sleep at night, I could at least nap if Hannah comforted me and helped me rest during the day.
However, these days I shared meals with Kaian during the day, consulted with physicians, practiced dancing, and received treatment for my leg all at once—leaving no time for naps. My body, which had been recovering beautifully and gaining weight, felt as though it was beginning to waste away again after several days of poor sleep.
"Ha."
I released a long sigh.
During my sleepless nights, the only thoughts that came to mind were sad and painful memories—the sight of the forest village that had been like a nest comfortably sheltering Hannah and me when we were small, burning as if it had become an enormous bonfire.
*"Mother! Mother!"*
How had I known? Somehow, I'd understood that after the flames died, I would never see my mother again. I'd cried and reached out toward the red-hot inferno, instinctively calling for my mother over and over.
*"Claudel, we have to go."*
*"Father, no! Mother! I have to go to Mother!"*
Evan had picked up the crying Claudel.
*"Your mother isn't here."*
*"She is! She's hiding!"*
*"Mister... my mother, my father, and my little brother too?"*
*"They're gone."*
That was when I'd made eye contact with Hannah, who was being held in Evan's other arm. I'd stretched out my hand and grasped Hannah's tightly.
Just like that, Evan had run down the forest path with the young children in his arms, escaping the forest fire.
Why had he lied? He'd had no choice, of course. Even though ten years had passed, I hadn't forgotten that moment at all. I lay awake all night, reliving the night when the fire had burned—hundreds, perhaps thousands of times. As the days passed, I found it increasingly difficult to bear.
*Clink.*
While eating with Kaian, I dozed off and my fork fell from my hand onto the plate with a loud clatter.
"What's wrong? Where does it hurt?"
When I came to my senses, I was in Kaian's arms. His brows were drawn together as if in anger, and he was gently tapping my cheek.
But I knew now—that man's expression wasn't truly angry. Even if he didn't speak kindly to me, he was paying careful attention to my needs.
"I have a favor to ask."
"What is it?"
The words tumbled out of my mouth suddenly.
"I want to sleep with you every night."
---