‘He never had any intention of listening in the first place.’

Even the marble sculpture at the entrance of the Winter estate would listen better than him. In other words, this man was worse than a statue.

“Honey. All we have left is debt and hatred, isn’t it?”

“…No.”

“I wonder where the man who said he didn’t like me went.”

“That was just something I said. Are you still holding onto it?”

At the word ‘still,’ Thea’s gaze dropped to the ground.

Pale blades of grass swayed gently in the breeze. Unable to resist the force of the wind, they were dragged this way and that—just like her.

Because she kept swaying endlessly at his words. When the subtle emotion rose to her throat and then subsided, she realized she didn’t even have the strength left to be angry.

“You were the one who first said we should separate.”

You started it, not me.

The painful memories of those repeated days seemed to sting as she bit her lip and raised her head again, slowly looking him over from head to toe.

“You started it, not me. And yet… you say ‘still’?”

The fire he’d set had never once died down. Thinking he’d gotten the wrong address, she examined him more closely with indifference, noticing he looked somewhat thinner than a week ago, with a haggard face and rough skin.

‘He hasn’t been comfortable this past week.’

If even Thea, who wasn’t particularly perceptive, could tell, then those who served him must have noticed even more.

‘But what does that matter to me?’

Thea stared coldly at him as he stood there rigidly, wondering what his pitiful appearance had to do with her.

“So what business brings you to House Yut? Someone who’s been so busy running around outside. You didn’t come just to talk about what happened moments ago, did you?”

“Can’t I visit my wife’s family?”

“Sure, you can visit. I could understand if it were anyone else, but not you. Acel, if you had any conscience, you wouldn’t have even set foot here.”

Wasn’t he the one who left Thea alone in the dark, gloomy Winter estate while he wandered around seeking pleasure?

Coming now to go on about ‘wife’ this and that didn’t make her happy at all. There’s a reason for the saying that you should treat people well while you have them.

“A fierce storm is supposed to hit today. Let me arrange a carriage to take you back to the estate.”

“I plan to stay here for a while.”

“With whose permission?”

“Count Yut sent me a letter telling me to rest comfortably. He said he would inform you separately, but it seems you didn’t hear.”

Thea wasn’t impressed that he’d come through proper channels legitimately, but not wanting to escalate into an argument, she pulled her slightly slipped shawl tighter and walked past him.

As she went, she didn’t forget to leave a small warning.

“Stay quietly and then leave. House Yut isn’t as quiet or tight-lipped as you think.”

That was the advice Thea could offer him. Even though he was her husband in name, she didn’t want to see him get torn apart by gossip in this humble household.

Leaving Acel behind, she crossed the path and approached the mansion just as the storm seemed to be arriving.

One drop, two drops of rain began to fall lightly above her head. Soon, when she was about ten steps from reaching the mansion—

Swoooosh—

It poured down hard. Thea didn’t avoid the rain but took it head-on. He must be getting drenched on that hill too.

She shuddered at the colder temperature than expected. Could she have even imagined the rain would be this cold?

She hoped she wouldn’t catch a cold.

Getting a fever would be troublesome. She had far too much to do, and she knew being sick meant suffering.

“So…”

She hoped he wouldn’t get sick either. He was just as susceptible to rain.

* * *

A night passed after Acel’s visit, and it was almost time to head to the cafeteria.

She was going to meet the Grand Duchess, so she needed to prepare, but her body felt chilly—perhaps because of the rain she’d been caught in yesterday.

To catch a cold from just a few minutes in the rain.

While wondering if her body had become this weak, she also thought it remarkable that she’d held up so well without getting sick until now. Even though she’d lived like she was wearing ill-fitting clothes since her marriage, she hadn’t had a single ailment.

Thinking about it, she deserved more than a pat on the back for doing so well.

‘Good job, Thea. Thea Yut.’

At the very moment she was consoling herself for enduring better than anyone, there existed an Acel feeling dizzy from cold symptoms.

In the lavish room House Yut had provided, he accepted the hot herbal water a servant offered him. The color of the liquid in his hand was absolutely terrible—it looked like century-old mud mixed with poison.

Wrinkling his nose, he asked the expressionless servant standing there.

“Do I really have to drink this?”

“Yes, Count Winter. If you drink it, your fever will drop immediately and your cough will stop.”

“Is there really no other medicine?”

“That’s correct. The appearance and taste are unpleasant, but it’s very effective.”

At the servant’s insistence that he must drink it, Acel squeezed his eyes shut and downed the herbal water in one gulp. Contrary to his expectations, it was drinkable.

“Not bad.”

“Actually, in about 10 minutes, your stomach will twist and you’ll break out in cold sweats all over.”

“What kind of cold medicine does that? This isn’t medicine, it’s poison.”

At Acel’s protest, the servant said with a completely unfazed expression:

“No, sir. Those two symptoms must occur for the cold to disappear immediately. Come to think of it, Count. Countess Yut has sent some nutritious food for your health. May I bring it in right away?”

“Countess Yut sent food?”

“Yes, she said she hopes you’ll finish it all.”

At that, Acel nodded reluctantly, though he wasn’t particularly hungry.

With his consent given, the servant left the room and returned carrying a small tray. It was arranged with nourishing food suitable for a patient, though it seemed a bit much for a single meal.

“I’m supposed to eat all this by myself?”

“Yes.”

“…Please tell the Countess I’m grateful.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be sure to tell her.”

With the servant’s final words, Acel had no choice but to start tasting the food on the tray.

“The taste isn’t bad.”

“The chef will be pleased to hear that.”

“Yes, please tell the chef I enjoyed it.”

“Understood. But Count Winter, how do you plan to handle today’s schedule?”

At the question, Acel fell into thought, but only briefly. Soon he looked at the servant and spoke.

“I’m scheduled to meet the Grand Duchess at the cafeteria this afternoon. After that, I’m planning to meet with young nobles and go hunting.”

“What about the evening?”

“In the evening, I expect I’ll enjoy dinner with them. They all said they’d catch a big wild boar and hold a barbecue party.”

Saying it would be a simple day, Acel turned his eyes from the servant and began tasting the food in front of him again.

The weather after the rain passed was exceptionally clear. Having finished getting ready, Thea had just entered the cafeteria at the appointed location when she let out a faint gasp.

It was far too luxurious to be called just a cafeteria.

Anyone could tell the Grand Duchess’s influence was at work here.

Thea stood motionless, hesitating to step further inside as the manager approached her.  

“Welcome. Under what name is the reservation?”

Thea presented her invitation in response to the question. The manager recognized that the Grand Duchess had invited her.

“Lady Winter, welcome. We welcome you to the cafeteria.”

“Thank you for the welcome.”

Thea replied politely and looked around the cafeteria more. Then she spotted a display case with first-aid supplies.

Her gaze stopped at the digestive medicine.

“Madam, is there something you need?”

At the question, Thea raised her hand and pointed to the digestive medicine.

“Could I purchase one?”

“Oh, madam. We provide these to our customers free of charge. Shall I give you one digestive tablet?”

“Yes, that would be nice.”

It was then, as Thea and the manager were conversing.

Someone who appeared to be the Grand Duchess’s subordinate approached Thea.

“Lady Winter, welcome. The Grand Duchess is waiting.”

“Thank you for the invitation. Please show me the way quickly.”

“This way, please.”

Before leaving, she put the digestive medicine the manager had prepared into her clutch. Then she moved according to the guidance and soon arrived at a balcony shrouded in silence.

At the end of the balcony stood the Grand Duchess in a splendid empire dress, surrounded by newly risen nobles lined up to flatter her.

She recognized a few familiar faces among them—people who had visited the Winter estate. They’d flattered her too, and here they were doing the same thing.

At that scene, Thea raised the corners of her mouth slightly and headed toward the Grand Duchess.

Then, when she drew close:

“You called for me, Your Highness.”

“Welcome, Lady Winter. I heard you came to this area to rest, so I called you. But didn’t Count Winter come with you?”

“The Count has some pressing business, so he didn’t come with me.”

“Really? That’s disappointing. I invited the Count too. So I thought you’d both come together.”

The Grand Duchess clicked her tongue like she was truly disappointed, then dismissed the flatterers to one side and guided Thea to an empty seat at a rose-tinted table.

“This is a table I brought from the Eastern Empire the day before yesterday. It cost a full twelve hundred gold coins.”

“That’s a remarkable piece. It seems to be from an ancient dynasty.”

“Lady Winter truly has a good eye. That’s right. They say it’s the table the Empress used when the Eastern Empire was first founded. For something that’s been around so long, there isn’t a speck of dust on it, so I’m quite pleased with it.”

The Grand Duchess’s eyes curved like a bow as she said she planned to collect antiques for a while. It was a message conveyed secretly to Thea.

It also meant: pay the price since I brought you antiques. At the Grand Duchess’s blatant attitude, Thea slowly surveyed her surroundings before speaking.

“Your Highness, I have something to tell you privately. Could you dismiss those around us?”

“Of course. Gladly. Having a conversation with Lady Winter would be far more enjoyable than talking with those small fries.”

“Thank you for agreeing so readily.”

“Not at all. Now, everyone seems to have done enough, so go about your business.”

When the Grand Duchess clapped her hands lightly, the newly risen nobles glared at Thea briefly before dispersing in small groups. There would be gossip circulating for a while.

Exhausted by the situation, she let out a deep sigh, and the Grand Duchess picked up the teapot in front of her and poured into an empty cup.

Every time her snow-white fingertips touched the teapot, a strange feeling arose.

She couldn’t understand why she felt this way.

She didn’t think she’d done anything the Grand Duchess could hold against her.

Unable to shake off the strange sense of déjà vu, she shook her head a few times, then gave an ambiguous smile to the Grand Duchess, who was looking at her as if asking what was wrong.

“No, it’s just… the weather is so nice.”

“You’re right. It’s especially clear today. Perhaps it’s because Lady Winter is here?”

Even as they laughed—haha, hoho—the sense of déjà vu persisted. If she had to make an excuse, it would be because the geometric pattern on the cup caught her eye.