The mansion was in an uproar.
All the uninvited guests bowed when they saw the cloak embroidered with the Delrose crest, as they knew it was worn only by the head of the Biflten family.
They bowed more out of fear than respect.
Although they could not see the Duke's face, his masculine chin and thin lips were memorable to everyone.
“This way,” Idith was the only one to speak and all the guests whispered about how the knights could act so freely like that.
The sixth floor was the same, as Idith warned the guests at the front of the room, before the Duke arrived, saying:
“He’s passing through.”
The Blue North maids seemed surprised to see the Duke, as he normally disappears for a few days after the elders place a woman in his room, so they thought the woman would spend the night alone when they made the preparations.
However, he had spent the night and had now returned.
“Is that because she’s from the Empire?” Idith heard a maid whisper as the women walked away.
She stared at them coldly.
Although the Duke had also heard them, he ignored the comment and went to knock on the door.
Just as he was about to open it, the doctor came out and gaped in surprise, bowing down immediately.
He knew Aden well, as he worked for the Delrose Knights.
“Why do you look so shocked?” Aden asked the doctor.
“I didn’t expect to see you.” The doctor cleared his throat and looked back to report like a professional:
“She has muscle pain all over and the fever isn’t going down.”
Aden raised an eyebrow and Idith turned her gaze to him as well.
However, the doctor waved his hand realizing what they must be thinking:
"It's not because of last night.
Although it may have been a small factor, the main reason..."
“What?” Aden interrupted, impatient.
The doctor's voice was careful.
“The Blue North maids gave him baby to ease his pain.” Nened was an effective herb with no side effects and was even used on battlefields.
“It seems to have the opposite effect on someone from the Empire.”
***
“My father was someone who looked forward to summer,” a familiar voice spoke.
The snow had scattered and more snow was falling, two people were sitting in a pile.
Ilyin looked around at the familiar surroundings and saw the mobile she had seen in her dreams of the future before.
So this is a dream.
She looked at the two people and saw that they were from Delrose and one of them was the leader, Den.
Her face was revealed in this dream while she was sitting on Blue North's blue cloth instead of wearing it over her head.
“Although he was pleased to show the Bright Elo to my mother, that wasn’t real sunlight,” Den’s voice was calm as he continued.
“The summer that had disappeared from Biflten a long time ago didn’t seem like that at all.” He was smiling and his eyes looked kind.
“You would know better than me,” she replied, feeling a little unsure about the conversation.
He was silent for a moment and then spoke firmly:
“I’m going to bring summer back.”
It seemed like a great feat for him and Ilyin, who was watching the two closely, widened his eyes, wondering if it was possible.
"As?" His dream self¹ asked, and Den opened his lips to respond, but the dream ended abruptly.
***
“Are you there?” Den called.
Ilyin opened his eyes, feeling his body sweaty and sore.
She blinked quickly and saw that she was still in Aden's room and then turned to look at the door being opened, squinting through the thin curtains of the four-poster bed.
“Who is it?” she asked weakly.
“It’s Den, from Red Delroses.”
Ilyin blinked at the inexplicable situation and looked around to see that the mobile was missing.
This wasn't a dream.
But if it wasn't a dream, why was Den here?
The maids should have taken care of this as another man should not visit her.
However, the maids were not here despite having stayed with her all day when she repeatedly woke up from her fever.
"What happened?" Ilyin's voice was soft, but Den somehow heard it.
“I heard you’re not well.”
This was not an acceptable reason for him to be here and Ilyin covered himself up to his neck with the blanket.
“His Grace asked me to check on you.”
She listened to Den without responding.
Although she was grateful that the Duke was worried, she was still surprised.
‘Why did he send the leader of the knights when he could have sent a maid Delrose?’ Ilyin was confused and wondered if this was normal in Biflten.²
¹ | Dreamlike is something that is not part of reality.
In this case, Ilyin from the dream.
² | It is extremely disrespectful for a man to go to a married woman's room, especially after the wedding night and if she is alone.