Hyacinth Hener… no, Hyacinth Erentis entered Bremlin to a warm welcome. Though all the residents of the castle had nightmares about a woman with red hair, Hyacinth Erentis was so beautiful that she made them forget those nightmares.

The morale of the residents soared when the lord’s wife was noble and beautiful.

People were excitedly gossiping about how beautiful the Duchess was, saying she was as lovely as a summer fairy. Some even boasted to merchants who happened to be visiting Bremlin.

“The power of beauty is great.”

Ethan muttered, half-sarcastically.

“Of course, Your Highness. People are naturally weak to it.”

The old man on the watchtower chuckled, pointing to his eyes with two fingers. Despite being over fifty, he still boasted impressive eyesight and remained active.

“If you’re captivated by what you see, that’s it.”

“Huh.”

“Still, it is surprising.”

The old man squinted his already wrinkled face and glanced down. At the end of his gaze, Hyacinth Erentis was running around, holding the hem of her bliaut.

“I never thought I’d see red hair roaming around Bremlin again in my lifetime.”

“Neither did I.”

“Of course, Your Highness. So, how is the Duchess?”

“What about her?”

“Well, since she’s here, how is she… at night…”

Reading Ethan’s expression, the old man shut his mouth. He scratched his forehead with his nails and yawned slightly.

No matter what, discussing the Duchess’s nightly affairs was inappropriate.

Ethan restrained himself from hitting the old man on the back of the head. If he fell and broke his nose, it would be a loss for Bremlin.

Below, Hyacinth was still bustling around energetically. She had been so active since morning that Ethan imagined her as a flower running through the grass.

…What a bizarre scene.

His wife was better as a human than as a flower.

He had spitefully thought she might be depressed or cry from missing her hometown after leaving Tyche, but she adapted so smoothly that the King and Queen would feel betrayed if they knew the truth.

‘She is an amiable person.’

The butler’s opinion.

‘She is kind. She is not picky, so she is easy to serve. And she is doing her best in her role as the lady of the house.’

The head maid’s report.

‘Of course… her appearance is, well, not entirely unburdened.’
‘The past is the past. We are doing our best not to let it show.’

Hearing the words of the household staff, Ethan could only agree.

‘She is a woman of the royal family.’
‘Yes, Your Highness.’
‘Do not act rudely. Tell others to be respectful as well.’
‘I understand.’

Having instructed the butler and head maid, she must be living comfortably.

Ethan stared at the red hair fluttering in the sunlight for a long time. Until Hyacinth sensed his gaze and looked up sharply.

Ethan quickly ducked out of sight.

* * *

Hyacinth shaded her eyes with her hand and looked up at the castle wall again. Strange. She tilted her head, pondering. No one was visible on the wall, but her instincts rang alarm bells.

Someone had definitely been watching her.

“Madam. Duchess.”

Hyacinth quickly lowered her head.

Nanny Seina, having finished talking with the head maid, was hurrying over. As she approached, she suddenly pulled Hyacinth to a corner with an unusually serious expression.

“Why, what’s wrong, Nanny?”

“Madam. I…”

“Yes?”

Seina looked around to make sure no one was listening. Her cautious behavior was so unusual that Hyacinth widened her eyes.

Nanny, what’s going on…? Are you a spy or something…?

“Madam. I apologize for bringing this up outside the inner chambers, but I am in a hurry.”

“What is it?”

“Have you shared a bed with His Highness recently?”

Hyacinth’s face turned red. She felt her earlobes burning. Nanny, really. Why bring this up suddenly?

She wished to drop the subject, but Seina was unusually persistent.

“Have you?”

“I find it more comfortable to sleep alone… so no…”

“You need to have an heir.”

“I know… I don’t like seeing blood.”

What if Ethan pricked his finger with a knife again? She didn’t want to see that again. Seina took a deep breath and whispered as if comforting a seven-year-old.

“You won’t see it the second time, Madam. It won’t hurt anymore. His Highness will be gentle…”

Why would I be in pain?

What needs to be gentle for?

Hyacinth couldn’t hide her confusion.

Seeing her blank expression, Seina’s face showed blatant embarrassment. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but Hyacinth, pretending to wait, slowly sidestepped.

“Can we talk about this later?”

This isn’t a topic to discuss here… Why is the nanny, who’s stricter about etiquette than I am, acting like this?

Expressing a strong desire to escape, Seina sighed deeply. She closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead, the prelude to a scolding.

Oh no, I can’t stay here any longer.

Hyacinth hopped away as fast as etiquette allowed.

* * *

However, once a question arises, it grows endlessly. Just as the mothers of humanity couldn’t resist curiosity and opened the box, Hyacinth kept pondering her conversation with the nanny.

While having breakfast. While talking with the northern ladies after lunch. While taking a walk after dinner.

Nanny Seina had dropped several hints about the ‘first night.’

‘You won’t be in pain anymore, Madam.’

According to Seina, the one who should be in pain wasn’t Ethan but her.

‘It might hurt.’

Ethan had pricked his finger to draw blood. She clearly remembered the red drops falling onto the white sheets.

Was the ‘act of drawing blood,’ not the ‘act of pricking the finger,’ what the first night was about? Was that blood… supposed to be hers, not Ethan’s?

The curiosity gnawed at her mind, driving her to distraction. Hyacinth bit her lip and paced back and forth. Why did there have to be blood?

They weren’t fighting with fists.

Hyacinth seriously considered sneaking into the library to look up forbidden books. It seemed a more peaceful and moderate approach than asking Nanny Seina directly.

The problem was she might get caught.

I’ll have to give up.

Hyacinth reluctantly abandoned the idea. She was still the young Duchess who had just arrived at Bremlin. She needed to manage her reputation and didn’t want to do anything that might make her unpopular.

If I get caught reading such books as a newlywed…

Not only could it lead to bad rumors about her, but also about Ethan. She shouldn’t push him into a difficult situation instead of protecting him as his wife.

I’ll have to talk to Seina later. Hyacinth vowed solemnly as she turned the corner of the garden.

Currently, she was strolling through the vast garden of Bremlin, exploring it. It was a habit. In Tyche, she always enjoyed a walk after dinner. The spring evenings in Tyche often showed rainbows, and the autumn evenings serenaded her with the quiet songs of insects, making it a perfect hobby.

Meanwhile, the garden in Bremlin felt slightly larger than the one in Tyche. And it had a completely different atmosphere.

If Tyche was always splendid, Bremlin was serene and lonely.

There were hardly any flowers. Only plants that could withstand heavy snow and severe cold gathered together. Evergreen conifers that seemed to stay green all year round. Thornbushes with dry leaves and desolate-looking stone sculptures.

It would probably look the same in any season.

Hyacinth guessed correctly. Unlike her nanny, who expressed discomfort at the overly bleak atmosphere, she liked this garden as well. The surroundings were mostly monochrome. It was the color her husband possessed.

Just then, a pebble rolled to her feet.

Is it the wind? Hyacinth thought casually and tapped the pebble with the tip of her shoe. The smooth stone clattered here and there with her kick.

A clear and cheerful sound.

Hyacinth lightly lifted the hem of her bliaut and kicked the pebble hard. It flew off and disappeared into a lake with remarkably clear water.

Plop.

The sound of the water droplets bouncing on the surface was cheerful. As Hyacinth watched the ripples on the surface, a second pebble rolled toward her. Only then did Hyacinth look up to find the source of the stone.

“Oh my!”

Startled, she placed her hand on her chest,

“Hello.”

Her husband, who hadn’t shown even a glimpse of his shoe for days, greeted her. Hyacinth raised her eyebrows sharply at the weightless greeting.

What have you been hiding from until now…?

The recluse of Tyche Castle was also a recluse in his hometown of Bremlin. Even Hyacinth, who roamed around and peeked into every corner, couldn’t find him.

He certainly had a talent for finding good hiding spots.

“Aren’t you going to greet me?”

“…Where have you been?”

“In Bremlin.”

“…”

“Under the same sky as you?”

Hyacinth frowned at his sly answer.

Indeed, Ethan Erentis was a man so difficult to understand that she couldn’t even guess his intentions.

Cold yet polite, sly yet firm.

Would she ever be able to cross the many walls he built around himself? Would there be an end if she crossed them one by one? Hyacinth felt momentarily overwhelmed but quickly urged herself on.

I mustn’t weaken.

Time is powerful. No matter how much Ethan Erentis seemed like a living enigma now, there would come a time in life when he would be honest with her.

“I missed you.”