TNDHD 15

Chapter 15

I let out a small laugh in disbelief the moment I saw him. It was the first time I had ever seen my husband asleep in my bed. It made sense. Aristocratic couples basically slept in separate rooms, and even my own parents, who were unusually close for nobles, had done the same as far as I could remember.

How did he end up sleeping here? I remembered him last night saying he would put me to bed and gently stroking my back. Did he fall asleep beside me out of exhaustion?

I slowly reached out to move his arm, which felt like a block of stone. Then, suddenly, a vein twitched in his forearm as if it had tensed, and his hand reached straight toward my head.

“K-Kay—”

A large hand covered the back of my head and pulled me toward him. A warm, almost intoxicating masculine scent washed over me, making my head spin.

With my face pressed against his chest, I held my breath and listened carefully. Was he awake? Or talking in his sleep? Only a steady heartbeat echoed in my ears.

What should I do? It was almost time to get up, but I didn’t want to wake him deliberately. Yet being held so tightly without moving made me restless.

Was he awake? Or not?

Then, after a moment—

“…I’m awake, my lady.”

A drowsy murmur vibrated low above my head. The strength in the arm that had been holding me tight eased slightly.

How considerate.

I giggled softly and pressed myself even closer into his embrace. I didn’t dislike the languid feeling that seemed to spread to me as if his sleepiness were contagious.

We had been apart for several days. He must have been as sleep-deprived as I was. Taking a little extra sleep today wouldn’t get him scolded.

“After stopping by the central cathedral, I plan to look around Akno Square.”

Kagan spoke while casually touching his freshly cleaned hands. It was just as I was cutting a piece of salmon from the appetizer with my fork.

“Today?” I asked.

“Yes. I heard there will be a small festival in the square. It’s a one-day event the merchant guild organizes every year for the townspeople, but this year it will be held for three days under the patronage of Count Velia.”

Perhaps trying to make up for not informing me of his schedule last time, he was now reporting his plans in advance.

“I see. You’re heading straight back into work right after returning from your trip. Is there anything I can help with?”

Honestly, I had thought he would rest for a day or two. If things had gone as planned, he should have still been in Dubon, so his rushed return should have left some free time. But that wasn’t the case.

Still, could he even feel at ease while resting?

On one hand, I felt sorry for how busy my husband was, and on the other, I hoped I could finally be of help. Up until now, whenever I offered to assist, he always politely refused. But now that we were officially married, I could no longer remain a guest being treated delicately.

Whether I was clumsy or not, it was time for me to learn through experience.

But Kagan hesitated before answering.

“It’s not exactly work-related. Just a light outing to get some fresh air…”

So did that mean there was still no room for me to help again?

As a small disappointment made my shoulders droop—

“Would you like to come with me?”

He added an unexpected invitation. The suggestion sounded sweeter than apple wine before a meal, and I perked up.

“I heard from Ben that the peach blossoms are in full bloom.”

“Peach blossoms…?”

Why flowers all of a sudden? Was this really not a work schedule?

“Yes. So, if you happen to be interested in peach blossoms, my lady…”

Kagan lowered his gaze awkwardly toward his plate. His throat moved as if swallowing something, even though he hadn’t eaten anything.

Flowers. It felt almost like—

“What a coincidence.”

It sounds like a date invitation.

“I was just becoming very interested in them. Lately I’ve been so curious about peach blossoms that I was even thinking of looking them up in a botany book.”

I nodded seriously, unable to hide my smile as I looked at him.

“I really want to see them.”

“I didn’t realize you were so interested in peach blossoms. That’s good.”

Of course, it was also true that I was interested in beautifully blooming peach blossoms.

“So you’ll take me with you?”

“What interests me most right now is you, Kagan.”

“Of course. I would be delighted if it does not trouble you, my lady.”

“It’s my first outing in a while, so I’m actually looking forward to it. We should dress more formally if we’re going to the cathedral, right? I shouldn’t eat too much at lunch.”

Our first outing together as a married couple. It was meant to be a simple excursion, but even that made my heart feel light and excited. I had lived in Weiriver for over a month and never once gone outside the castle with my husband.

“Oh my, are you going on a date?”

After the meal, I asked Mila to help me get ready. She seemed even more excited than I was and bustled around energetically. Watching her—so much larger than me—dart around like a sparrow made me laugh.

“A springtime first date where the couple’s affection grows like sprouting seedlings! Oh, how lovely. I must make our lady the most beautiful she can be.”

A new dress for me was brought in carefully. It was a design blending soft cream tones with subtle apricot, pale green, and gold. It was a wedding gift from a designer who had long made dresses for noblewomen of the Steinway family.

“Look, there’s a peach blossom right here too!”

After quickly finishing my hair into a natural updo, Mila placed me in front of the mirror and exclaimed as if admiring her masterpiece like a craftsman.

“Now, when you stand under the flowering trees later, ask the duke which is the peach blossom and which is the lady. He won’t be able to tell them apart.”

“Mila really can’t be stopped.”

“Please trust me, my lady.”

Finally, Mila placed a small lace parasol into my hand and clenched her fist as if cheering on a knight heading into battle.

“Are you sending us on a date or a duel? Haha.”

“How about a date so intense you end up sweating like it’s hand-to-hand combat?”

“O-okay, I should leave now.”

With the energetic farewell of my battle-ready maid, I stepped out into the warm spring sunlight.

The scenery in Ellauno’s garden was peaceful beyond words. The vivid green that filled my vision was dazzling, mixed with countless colors. A gentle blue sky seeped over all the beauty of the land.

Kagan, who had been walking ahead toward the carriage, suddenly turned back to look at me. I, who had been waving my parasol like a child, quickly stopped at his gaze.

His arm.

Without saying a word, Kagan extended his right arm toward me. I waited for him to say something in his pleasant voice, but he only tilted his head as if asking why.

“Thank you.”

I placed my hand on his arm and smiled as gracefully as I could.

A soft breeze made the hair near my ears dance. My cheeks tingled. As I stepped onto the carriage footrest, he held the hem of my long, slim dress from behind so it wouldn’t get caught.

His hand brushing casually against my thigh made me hyper-aware, and I ended up staring off into the distance.

It had been a long time since I had ridden in a carriage, and I took a deep breath. The still carriage felt like it might float into the air at any moment.

The carriage leaving the castle soon entered the narrow mountain slope I had passed on my first day arriving in Weiriver. The road was just wide enough for a single carriage.

On both sides, short trees and thick vines grew densely, forming a tunnel cut off from the outside world. Between the vines, reflected light shimmered like crystal chandeliers.

It wasn’t even a time when dew would form, nor had it rained, yet transparent droplets clung to leaves everywhere.

It felt like something inhuman might suddenly appear and demand permission from me, the owner of this land, before passing through.

“This place really looks like a fairy tale forest. Like the ones where little fairies flutter around.”

There used to be fairies in the northern forest of Ellauno Castle as well. I wondered if Kagan would scoff the way Mila said knights did if I asked him what he thought.

“Hmm.”

Kagan scanned the scenery with an indifferent gaze.

That serious look—like he was conducting a search. It was as if he would ruthlessly interrogate any fairy caught wandering without a permit issued under the Duke of Weiriver’s name.

“There were stories like that in the fairy tales I read as a child. About people accidentally discovering passages to another world ruled by non-human beings, and then going on adventures in unknown realms.”

Thinking about it now, those adventure stories were probably variations of myths from the Iresia continent. They were common folk tales any child without parents to tell stories would have encountered.

“I know a similar story. It was a hypothesis that anywhere there is a misty forest, crossing its boundary leads to another world.”

I nodded.

He was probably more familiar with stories of monsters than fairies.

“Since you mentioned monsters, this suddenly feels more realistic. I’ve never actually seen one though.”

Creatures that are neither human nor beast.

Beings with unknown powers that humans cannot unravel.

They lived divided across the same world as us, but no one knew when or where they originated. In Viashera, their origin was believed to be Norska, while every country on the Iresia continent claimed a different origin of their own.

“Yes, monsters are real. I’m not sure about fairies.”

Kagan answered, saying he “did not know.” I liked his caution—he did not dismiss fairies as mere fiction just because he had never seen them.

“Mila believes in fairies. But people in Ellauno Castle say fairy tales came from misidentifying insects.”

At my words, Kagan tilted his head as if thinking.

“Come to think of it, some of them are small and fly around.”

And then, as if something had just come to mind, he continued.