Two days had passed since Ilyin arrived at the mansion, but she had not seen the Duke up close, but she was going to marry him in five days.
No one from the Red Delroses came to greet her, despite the other two families trying to send their people through the Blue North's barricade.
She only saw the Delroses knights around, but they didn't speak to Ilyin either.
They seemed to be thinking the same thing as Den.
‘So what about the Duke?
When will I see him?’ Ilyin felt frustrated.
The Duke didn't stay at the estate much, it seemed like the letter was true.
Ilyin was not allowed to see his face due to his position and they would spend the first night together regardless.
Ilyin calmed down and she grabbed the blue cloth that was fluttering in the strong winds:
“The day is manageable.” she said to herself.
People adjusted to things and Ilyin got used to the cold enough to go outside for a while.
She had to survive here and she wasn't in front of the mansion just to observe the building.
The maids watched her from afar, as she had requested.
"Snow." muttered Ilyin.
‘How much is there?’ Ilyin looked at the piles of snow that the knights had moved to make a path, they were almost as tall as a person and continued to fall at his feet.
She looked around and touched the snow with the shoe that was covered in cotton, the snow was loose and more of it landed softly on the shoes that Blue North had given her.
She thought it would be hard as ice and was pressing down on the snow again when a gust of wind almost lifted her blue cloth and she grabbed it and stumbled after losing her balance.
“Although I didn’t want to disturb you, there are stairs ahead.” A man grabbed his arm and to Ilyin's surprise, he used his other hand to fix the cloth on his face.
She could feel the warmth of his hand and knew that voice.
“Den?” Ilyin didn't know when he had arrived, she was sure no one was near her and she blushed when she felt his breath on her head.
“You will disappear if you are buried in the snow” he said very seriously.
It was Den, and as he held her arm, Ilyin's thin, pale wrist was exposed to the cold air and she felt her skin burn despite the cold wind.
“Let me go” she moaned.
She turned towards him as she tried to pull her arm away, but her feet sank into the soft snow and Den pulled her towards him and Ilyin fell into his arms and not into the snow.
She saw the red tassels dangling in front of her eyes.
"Thank you.
I'm sorry I fell on you."
She quickly brushed her clothes while Den looked at her and asked her a question:
“What are you doing here with the maids?” His eyes were on the building as if he could see the maids hiding there.
“Do you want to disappear before the wedding?”
“No, I just wanted to look at the mansion and get used to the cold.” Ilyin calmed down after there was some distance between them as she was tense.
His blue eyes didn't look as sharp as yesterday.
"Get used to it?
Are you planning on staying here for a long time?" Ilyin nodded, as he could not return:
“Yes.”
“Even if he’s not interested in you?”
Ilyin was surprised at how informally Den addressed the Duke and wondered if he knew him personally, as they were from the same family.
She looked into his questioning eyes:
“If I can stay here safely, then yes.” Ilyin gave up her dreams of a loving marriage before she was ten, so she didn't mind being in a loveless marriage now.
“Even though you can’t see his face before the wedding?” Ilyin answered from behind the blue cloth:
“I will still become your bride.” She spoke with confidence.
Den continued:
“What will you do if the Duke refuses to marry you?”
The wind blew stronger and Ilyin grabbed his cloth, she couldn't read his eyes as he looked at her and it seemed like time had stopped, he seemed to be waiting for her answer.
Ilyin thought she knew the answer because she had been called Ilyin Biflten in her dream and would marry like that.
However, she would not tell such things to a stranger.