TNDHD 11

Chapter: 11

“Just wait until autumn comes. Won’t our lady end up with only a cute little sister? This Mila is already prepared to welcome the ‘Bright Future of Wayriver’.”

At her words, I laughed and burrowed deeper into the blanket. “Bright Future of Wayriver” had apparently become Mila’s new way of referring to Kegan and my future child.

“It’s starting to sound like a prenatal name at this point.”

A baby. I was going to have a baby. I wished I could meet them soon. But if they came slowly, that would also give me time to properly learn how to be a mother before meeting them.

Either way, I could already picture a hopeful future. It hadn’t even been a month since I came to Wayriver, but I already liked Wayriver and Elauono Castle very much. The future ahead, and even the version of myself that would grow a little more, all felt bright and full of hope.

Was it really okay to just be this happy? Was this what marriage was like at first?

“Once Mrs. Harbert returns tomorrow, can I ask to resume lessons right away? I feel restless just lazing around.”

“My lady, really. You’ve barely had a few days of rest. Among the noble ladies I know, there are plenty who only study once a week, if at all.”

“But I’m ignorant. I started late, so I need to catch up diligently.”

In that sense, my strict and duty-driven governess was perfect for me.

The next day, Mrs. Harbert returned. While all the members of the Steinway household saw off Diana with tearful goodbyes as her carriage headed to the Winfris Academy, Mrs. Harbert’s carriage arrived at the castle shortly after, as if taking her place.

“Haah. That was a difficult vacation. I only lazed around for two days at home, and I became so anxious and restless I thought I was getting sick.”

She sighed deeply in response to my greeting asking how her break had been.

“I don’t intend to rush Your Grace, but if there are no major issues, may I resume my duties starting today?”

It was the most welcome thing I had heard in a long time.

“Yes. Please help me catch up on everything I’ve missed, Mrs. Harbert.”

The feeling of being left alone helplessly vanished as if it had never existed.

There were too many things I needed to learn just to behave properly like a noble. Even before officially receiving my duties as a duchess, the things I had to prepare were already piled up like a mountain.

A few days passed quickly. Kegan’s absence was efficiently handled by Ben, who had been acting in his place with a proxy authorization as ducal aide. I kept being shocked and scolded by Mrs. Harbert because I didn’t even know common sense that was obvious in this world, while receiving encouragement from Mila’s endlessly generous affection, and I spent my first five days without my husband.

And on the sixth day.

“My lady! My lady! The Duke has returned!”

On that day, when no one had expected Kegan to return.

The young servant Polly shouted at the top of his lungs as he ran down the outer stairs of the bell tower. His youthful face was lit with a broad smile, and he was waving something like a rag in his hand.

“So soon? What day is it today?”

I, who had been taking a lunchtime walk in the garden with Mila, doubted whether I had misremembered the date and looked toward the castle gate.

It was quiet. There was no sound of a carriage approaching. If the lord’s party had returned to the estate, the guards would have reported it first.

“Where?”

Maybe Polly was mistaken. Even as I thought that, I quickly moved toward the gate.

“There! They’re coming! I saw them from above!”

Polly, who had already run up beside me, pointed toward the birch-lined path in front of the gate.

At that moment, I saw something black in the distance rushing fiercely through the gate and charging along the birch path.

The black mass rapidly approached the estate, gradually taking the shape of an enormous beast. Even the rider on its back, despite being quite large for a human, looked ordinary compared to the sheer size of the creature.

“Isn’t that Ishke?”

It was Kegan’s black horse.

And the identity of the rider, of course, was the duke himself.

But there were no other horses or carriages in sight. No knights accompanying him, not even Dubon. Kegan had returned alone.

In an instant, he arrived right before me, pulled the horse to a stop, and dismounted. Barely acknowledging the greetings from the servants and Mila with a nod, he strode straight toward me, staring intently.

It felt like I was seeing him again after a very long time. I thought I hadn’t really felt his absence much, but now it seemed like I had spent those days in a blur.

“Ruwan.”

Kegan called my name abruptly, as if he had something urgent to say. Then he stopped without adding anything else.

I simply looked at him and waited. In truth, my heart was racing at his breathless voice, and I had momentarily lost my greeting.

I remembered how it had been the first time I heard his voice as well. Back when I rarely spoke with men after living alone and had few occasions to interact with knights.

Kegan’s voice, when he came to propose to me, had felt strangely unfamiliar, as if it resonated directly in my chest. A voice that made my heart beat faster for no reason. Cold yet soft, melting like the white sleet that drifted that day.

“Did you have a good trip?”

In the end, I spoke first, trying to maintain a calm, dignified noble demeanor.

Only after a moment did I notice the faint sweat on his straight forehead. How far had he ridden under the sun?

The midday heat had become intense enough to be uncomfortable if exposed for long. It was weather that called for a carriage, yet he had come on horseback.

Without waiting for his reply, I took a handkerchief from my dress pocket. I tilted my parasol back and raised my arm, gently pressing his forehead and wiping away the sweat. He, who had been watching me seriously with furrowed brows, lowered his head slightly in surprise.

“Did you forget something?”

I teased him lightly. A mischievous feeling arose at the sight of his expression—out of breath, as if he had forgotten what to say.

“Yes.”

He answered immediately.

Could it really be because he left without telling me? Could he have abandoned everything and rushed back alone just because of that? Even as I thought that, I had no choice but to accept it as truth, because his beautiful water-colored eyes kept checking my expression nervously.

“I think I know what you forgot.”

How could he make such a mistake?

“Have you forgiven me?”

My lips had been lifted the whole time, so even if I said I was angry now, it wouldn’t matter.

“Well…”

Still, I pretended to consider whether I should forgive him, carefully wiping his face with a composed air. I passed his healthy cheeks, wiped the sweat near his ear, and let the handkerchief glide along his firm jawline down to his thick neck.

He used to like burying himself against my neck. Would he find this pleasant too…?

At that sudden, embarrassing thought, my hand froze.

I quickly pulled my hand away as if burned. Yet the fingertips that had touched his skin through the handkerchief felt scorching hot.

“More importantly, you must be very tired. Please go inside quickly.”

I cleared my throat awkwardly and turned away in haste, afraid that if I met his eyes, he would see through my improper thoughts.

“Let’s talk after you bathe and eat first.”

Mila and Polly were nowhere to be seen. No doubt Mila had dragged Polly away again, saying something about the atmosphere.

I headed toward the main building, pricking my ears at the heavy footsteps following behind me.

“Welcome back, my lord.”

I instructed the servants who came to greet the returning master to prepare bathwater and a meal. Since I was walking ahead of Kegan, giving instructions naturally fell to me.

“When did you eat last? You must be hungry. Maybe you should bathe later…”

As I was about to climb the stairs, I turned back worried he might be hungry.

And nearly screamed.

What had been hidden beneath the arm holding his suit jacket was shamelessly asserting its presence.

“I’m sorry.”

Kegan said quietly as he adjusted the jacket’s position slightly to cover himself.

“Because you touched me.”

“…Me?”

My voice flipped in shock, and I closed my mouth.

In broad daylight, outdoors, when had I ever touched something like that? I was about to ask in confusion, but suddenly my awareness landed on the handkerchief in my pocket. On the heat of his neck where I had wiped him.

“F-first, you should take a bath. I’ll help you, so you don’t need attendants. You’ll eat after that.”

It was my firm determination to keep him from public view immediately.

I spoke loudly enough for the servants to hear, then grabbed Kegan’s wrist before anyone could see and hurried up the stairs. A man whose wrists were twice the thickness of mine, a body twice my weight, yet he followed me obediently like a small dog.

I definitely didn’t touch him like that.

“Because you touched me. Because you touched me.” His words echoed endlessly in my ears. His casual remark kept distorting into something embarrassingly suggestive in my mind.

That man really has no shame. I’m still not even used to hearing such things in bed. I’ve never seen anything like that happen to thick men’s outdoor clothing… like that…

Does he just show it off to others openly? I felt like screaming.

By the time we reached the bathroom, my mind was still in chaos. The large porcelain tub was still steaming warmly with the bathwater I had prepared.

Even my gaze, staring at the rising steam, must look just as dazed.

“You said you would help me?”

At some point, Kegan had thrown his jacket outside and was already taking off his shirt without hesitation.

“Yes. With your bath.”

I clarified his words, which could easily be misunderstood.

His gaze briefly met my face before dropping away. The faint narrowing of his eyes almost looked like a smile.