‘…He better not cause any trouble.’

Having arrived in front of the office, he’d already repeated the same words ten times without being able to enter.

His worries wouldn’t subside.

Even though quite some time had passed since the Crown Prince, who’d arrived like a storm, disappeared from sight, he couldn’t easily take a step.

“Master, what are you doing here?”

At the question, he turned his head slightly to see the butler slowly approaching.

“You need to leave soon.”

“Leave?”

“Didn’t you decide to go to the bakery?”

“Ah, right. I was going to buy a gift…”

He’d been so focused on his conversation with the Crown Prince that he’d completely forgotten.

“You know the bakery closes early, don’t you?”

“Was that bakery that famous?”

At the question, the butler let out a deep sigh. Though the master had never been interested in others or the territory, he hadn’t realized it was to this extent.

“I told you that people from other regions form crowds from morning to buy that bakery’s bread and pastries.”

“Did you?”

He’d forgotten since he had no interest in snacks. The butler, who easily saw through his thoughts, replied with his eyes slightly closed.

“It’s not that you’re uninterested in snacks—you’re uninterested in the territory, so you didn’t know. Anyway, the carriage is prepared, so you can leave right away.”

“Thanks. Please organize the house while I’m gone.”

Thea would surely be very tired when she returned to the estate. She wasn’t someone accustomed to carriage travel.

“She might want to rest as soon as she arrives.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve already taken care of the place my lady will use.”

“Right, you’re much better at this than me.”

“You say too much.”

Leaving the butler bowing politely behind, he passed through the lobby and came to the entrance where a carriage sat.

In front of it, the coachman was looking at the sky, saying what nice weather it was.

As he climbed onto the carriage, he quietly opened his mouth to the coachman gazing at distant mountains, like telling him to wake from his reverie.

“Hey there.”

“Ah, you’re here, master.”

The coachman hurriedly got up and ran toward the carriage.

“Go to the most famous bakery in the territory.”

“Right now?”

“If not now, when? Is there a better time?”

“No, sir.”

At those words, the coachman shook his head and hurriedly sat in the driver’s seat, beginning to lead the horses.

Feeling the carriage immediately start rattling, he clicked his tongue at having exchanged pointless words.

Then he crossed one leg and pulled out the watch from his pocket.

When the monotonous ticking sound rang repeatedly in his ears.

They must have been at a nearby location. It didn’t take long before he heard they’d arrived.

“The bakery is just ahead. But master, are you planning to stay long?”

At the coachman’s question, he said they’d arrived earlier than expected and stared through the window at the bakery bustling with people.

‘Coming out right away will be difficult.’

Not only was the shop packed full, but there was even a line outside.

He didn’t particularly like crowded places, so some hesitation came, but the answer was already decided.

The reason he came here was to buy snacks for her.

The option of returning couldn’t even enter his mind.

“It’ll take a while.”

“Then I’ll be at the carriage parking area.”

“Do that.”

With his consent, he stepped outside and approached the bakery, where the smell of freshly baked bread and people’s laughter could be heard intermittently, and unusually sunny weather hung in the sky.

With a premonition that everything would go well, he opened the bakery door and entered, and the jingling entrance bell rang above his head.

‘Quite the crowd.’

Even from outside he’d thought there were many people, but coming inside, the crowd was thick enough to choke.

Just when he thought it would be difficult to meet the owner right away with all these people, he was lucky.

Someone who appeared to be the owner spotted him and greeted him warmly.

“Aren’t you the lord? What brings you here?”

At the question, Acel glanced at the owner before him. He looked quite elderly, and the flour spotted here and there indicated he’d been in the kitchen until just moments ago.

He must make the bread himself. Then it seemed fine to state his reason directly.

“My wife used to frequently buy bread here.”

“The cake Lady Winter likes is over here.”

Following the owner’s guidance, they arrived at pound cakes and scones without special decorations.

The appearance seemed somewhat different from the cake he’d seen before, so he tilted his head and drew a square in the air with his finger.

“The bread my wife liked… seemed bigger than this.”

“Pardon? If it’s not this but a bigger size… it would be castella, but we’re sold out now. It’s such a popular bread that it usually sells out shortly after morning.”

“Hmm, my wife really likes that snack and wants to eat it badly—can’t you do something? She always smiled when she saw that bread.”

The snack remaining in his memory was plain yet large. The face that had been delighted while pressing down the fluffy bread with a fork wouldn’t disappear from his sight.

It would be perfect to comfort her, tired from a long journey.

So when he stared like he needed it somehow, the owner lightly clapped his hands, which had flour spotted here and there, and said:

“Then could you wait? It’ll take quite a while since I need to make it fresh.”

“How long will it take?”

“Since I’m making it from scratch, it’ll take at least thirty more minutes.”

“Then should I send a servant here around that time?”

“Yes, then I’ll finish packaging and send it to the estate through the servant.”

“Please do.”

With the light conversation over, he left the returning owner behind and looked around inside—he’d heard she frequently stayed here.

It was a shabby, modest, plain place for a noble to frequent, and he couldn’t understand why she came often.

Yet he couldn’t immediately leave and looked around thoroughly, probably because the atmosphere suited her so well.

Small flower pots and the window where sunlight gently entered captured his attention. The owner, who’d been watching that scene, approached.

“Do you like it, my lord? My lady was also very fond of this spot.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, she always sat in that wooden chair over there and gazed outside endlessly before leaving.”

“My wife… sat there and looked outside.”

“She said sitting in that spot made her feel like an ordinary person. She said she could blankly watch the birds, sky, and people.”

At the owner’s words, his mouth snapped shut. He felt like he was secretly peering at traces of her he didn’t know.

His fingers twitched at the words about feeling like an ordinary person.

He wondered if she regretted marrying him.

‘She might.’

She was someone who loved freedom, but he’d bound her ankles tightly, so she had reason to be depressed.

The moment he thought he should give her more freedom when she returned from Utro.

The owner carefully spoke to him, whose expression was unusual.

“Would you like to sit once? That exact position is where you can see the entire village.”

At the suggestion, he stared fiercely at the old wooden chair, then withdrew his extended hand.

He didn’t yet have the courage to share the place she’d looked at. He wondered what right he had to look at the same place in the first place.

Just learning a secret she didn’t want revealed was already a huge thing. So he shook his head, saying he shouldn’t open more secrets.

“No need. I’ll send a servant around when the bread is baked.”

“Yes, understood.”

“Oh right, besides that, I’d like you to generously include the cakes my wife liked too.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll select various types and send them.”

Having received a promise that they’d handle it well, he finally felt relieved and decided to head to the coachman who’d be waiting for him with lightened steps.

* * *

At the time preparations to welcome Thea at House Winter were in full swing.

Thea stood at the entrance of House Yut wearing a large-brimmed hat. Beside her sat as many as four heavy bags.

She’d thought she hadn’t stayed long, but apparently that wasn’t the case. The luggage had already grown this much.

She wondered what faces the household members of House Winter would make seeing how much luggage she’d accumulated when leaving, having come alone with nothing.

‘Will they laugh? Or cry?’

Thinking either way would be ridiculous, she lightly dusted her hands and gently rubbed the dry ground with her shoes, realizing preparations to leave were now complete.

‘Now I should tell the servants to load the luggage.’

But she couldn’t move as intended. The moment she turned her head toward the servants, her mother, who’d rushed out of the estate, looked at Thea with a pale face.

“Are you really leaving now? So suddenly?”

What an unexpected obstacle.

Anyone would think she was running away from home. She was just going from her family home to her house.

“Of course. How many times do I have to repeat that I’m leaving around this evening?”

This situation where the person who told her to leave was now blocking her from going was utterly absurd.

She wondered when the person who said to leave would now hold her back.

In a situation that only made her sigh, when she could neither do this nor that, the nanny unusually extended a weak helping hand to Thea.

“My lady, you still have a lot to handle today… is it okay to waste time like this?”

“Oh my, come to think of it, the dress fitting isn’t finished yet, is it?”

“Right, so please let the young miss go and go do your dress fitting. You have to wear it at tomorrow’s ball. Even if you fit it now, it’ll be tight, won’t it?”

“Oh my, look at me! You’re right, I should do that. I’ll go ahead, so nanny, please see our Thea off in my place.”

“Understood. Hurry inside. The seamstress must be waiting desperately.”

When she pushed the Countess’s back telling her to hurry inside, she pretended to be defeated and scurried into the estate. As Thea stared helplessly at the Countess’s lightly fluttering dress hem, the nanny said casually:

“Travel safely, miss. And please take care of the item I requested. I’ve told the servants to load the luggage. They’ll probably organize it right away.”

“Thanks. And don’t worry. I’ll send it right after I arrive.”

“Since you’re sending it anyway, please send plenty. There are many maids besides me who’ll use it.”

Saying everyone would be looking forward to it, she began gently pushing Thea’s back this time. Like if not now, she wouldn’t be able to leave.

At that touch, Thea climbed onto the carriage like she’d been pushed out.

Soon she pulled back the neatly drawn curtain and looked outside the window.

By now, the nanny and the household members of House Yut stood in a line, bidding her farewell.