After thinking carefully, she replied:
“Come in.”
This situation may not be wrong in Biflten, as the lands were governed differently.
If so, scolding Den might be an impolite thing to do.
Ilyin's words meant that Den should enter if he thought it appropriate.
“But just for a minute,” she quickly added, still feeling unsure about allowing him into the room.
The door opened and the man with black hair entered.
While his hair was done, he appeared to have dressed hastily.
She saw his white shirt while his jacket was unbuttoned and Ilyin looked away as he reminded her of the duke she had partially seen yesterday.
“Are you uncomfortable?” he gently asked.
Suddenly, she remembered her dream from yesterday, as her dream self had been very friendly towards him.
Ilyin shook her head, as she shouldn't have dreamed of such a thing after her first night with her husband.
"Are you well?"
“Yes, I am,” Ilyin's response was sudden and she grabbed the blanket that was still up to her neck.
“Is this acceptable in Biflten?” she had to ask him the question as the dream made her more cautious.
"What?" Den tilted his head and looked genuinely surprised.
“If this were the Empire, you entering this room would be considered a serious crime,” Ilyin spoke as calmly as he could; Den hesitated as if he knew what she wanted to say now.
“It’s acceptable here.” Ilyin sighed, but he still felt uncomfortable.
She would have to get used to cultural differences, but the dream still bothered her.
She wondered what would happen if this situation was illicit.
“I heard the medicine made you feel bad.”
"Remedy?" Ilyin came to his senses.
Although she didn't remember much, she still remembered the doctor who came to see her because she was surprised that he was also a man.
“Nened doesn’t fit in with Imperial personnel, so we’re bringing medicine through Ecid, which will arrive soon.”
“Thank you,” she said, feeling grateful.
Den left abruptly, as he seemed to realize that his presence made her uncomfortable.
Ilyin sighed in relief, but she knew he was just doing his job.
She had heard that the Duke was not at the estate often and thought that he would not ignore her illness.
He had been so kind to her last night.
She smiled as she took a deep breath and relived the night in her mind.
***
“Sir, this goes against tradition!” Lidan said sternly.
Lidan from Blue North visited the knight mansion often and Aden looked at the old man with narrowed eyes before turning to look at the clock.
It was late for a visitor:
“Why are you so dissatisfied?”
“It’s about the madam’s maids.”
Aden tilted his head as he remembered the order of things:
“Is this about moving everyone to the Delroses?”
“Yes, since the Blue North has taken care of the bride for generations,” Lidan was saying that Aden had been overtaken and the Duke did not hide his annoyance.
“We serve Lady Elena…”
“Not when I was young,” Aden cut the older one.
Lady Elena was the Duke's mother.
“I couldn’t find a Blue North employee after she got sick.”
Lidan hesitated for a long time before responding:
“That was because Lady Elena preferred the Delrose maids.”
“No, it was because Blue North didn’t take good care of her!” Aden looked at him coldly.
“I am aware that Blue North serves the bride.”
That was why Ilyin took the path of Delrose's carriage, which was the fastest of all the routes to the Empire and Aden thought back to when he first met Ilyin.
Ilyin was a small and delicate creature, but only one knight from the Blue North accompanied her here.
Aden had thought that the Blue North wouldn't welcome someone from the Empire and couldn't hide a sneer.
The Red Delroses chose practicality over luxury even though they were the main family.
On the other hand, the Blue North possessed the plains that had been the most beautiful in all the lands when Biflten was still summer.
This is why the duchesses stayed there longer, and now that the plains were covered in snow, the beautiful buildings and traditions remained.
Aden knew that Blue North served the bride.
“It’s when you take enough care of your bride, but it seems like the Blue North doesn’t know how to take care of someone from the sunny lands.” Aden picked up a dark green nened leaf, common everywhere in the knight's mansion, and looked at it closely.
“That goes for your knight as well.” Lidan's face went rigid as Aden crushed the sheet in front of him.