The Duke, who acted as though he missed his deceased wife, brought someone who resembled her and behaved as if he had fulfilled his duty to Leticia. He had no idea that this would only lead to greater misfortune.

Attending Damian Academy had been a long-held dream for Leticia, but it never came to fruition. The official reason was that her health was too frail to attend. That was the excuse given outwardly. In truth, it was because they were worried she might become distracted by romance and neglect her responsibilities to the family.

[You must always conduct yourself properly. You are the one who will give birth to the heir of Rearbon]

They feared Leticia might disrupt the plans he had so carefully laid out. Ironically, however, he sent Leticia to Damian Academy at the suggestion of Isabella Hentke. That was how Leticia ended up going to Damian.

‘Thinking about the past again.’

Lately, she had been reminiscing about the past more frequently. She thought about why everything had fallen apart, how things had come to this point, and replayed it all in her mind until it felt suffocating.

‘Focus on Rearbon.’

Reclaiming Rearbon. That was Leticia’s last remaining duty. After glancing around the lifeless room once more, she returned to her own. The real issue wasn’t this room but the one she had seen on the first day. Although it was late at night, sleep did not come easily. Just as she was finally drifting off near dawn, she heard faint footsteps in the hallway.

The footsteps stopped in front of her door and hesitated for a long time before moving away again. The sound grew distant, further and further, until it disappeared into another bedroom.

During breakfast, the clinking of cutlery occasionally broke the silence. Unless there was something specific to discuss, meals were usually eaten in such quiet.

“I’ll be leaving the castle for a while.”

“…For what reason?”

Should she call it timely? She had thought there might eventually be an opportunity to inspect that room, but she hadn’t expected it to come so soon. Leticia quietly watched his indifferent lips move as he chewed and swallowed his food. After finishing his meal and wiping his mouth with a napkin, he turned his head to look at her. His demeanor was composed, and he spoke as if it were no big deal.

“I’m heading to the border with Penencil. It’s easier to cull them around this time of year.”

She knew that what he referred to as “culling” wasn’t rough grains but people.

“How many days will it take?”

“At most, three days.”

Three days would be enough. Leticia nodded and resumed eating her meal.

“There’s something I’d like you to do while I’m gone.”

“What is it?”

In the past, he had said it was a relief if she could even manage to avoid collapsing. It was unexpected for someone like him to have something he wanted her to do.

“Eat properly.”

“…What?”

Leticia unintentionally responded blankly. His words were unexpected. But he was genuinely scolding her. The wrinkle between his brows was evidence of that.

“If you keep picking at your food like that, will you even remember what you just ate?”

“I’m eating more than ever.”

That was true. She was eating more now than when she had lived in the imperial palace, and even compared to her time at Damian or the Duke of Rearbon’s estate. Perhaps it was because she was dining with someone who ate so much. Despite what she said, he didn’t seem convinced.

“If I come back in three days and see you eating like this again, I’ll start to doubt whether you’re serious about the revenge you want so badly.”

The words she had been about to say crumbled and disappeared without a trace. He wasn’t wrong. With such a frail body, she couldn’t accomplish anything.

“Gain some weight. It’s not like someone’s going to eat you.”

He pushed his chair back noisily and stood up. His previously flawless demeanor was now marred. As if he had said all he needed to, he disappeared in an instant. Nora approached and spoke cautiously.

“I don’t know about the rest, but I agree with him on this, Madam. When I altered your dress last time, your waist was so tiny… This won’t do. From now on, I’ll make sure you have three meals a day plus snacks, day and night.”

Nora spoke as if she had made a firm resolution. Leticia, who found no joy in eating, felt her words were distant.

“Is there any food you particularly like? Or desserts? Believe it or not, I’m quite good at making most things.”

“I’ll think about it, Nora.”

But despite saying she would think about it, no particular food came to mind. Realizing she couldn’t wait for Leticia’s answer, Nora decided to prepare something on her own. Her eyes sparkled with determination.

—

The next morning, when Leticia woke up, Callius had already left the castle. Her deliberation over whether to see him off had been pointless.

“You’ll have breakfast right away, won’t you? Everything is ready, so take your time coming down.”

Hearing Nora’s unusually spirited tone, Leticia slowly washed up and changed her clothes. Throughout the process, her thoughts were consumed by when she might finally inspect that room.

Breakfast was very different from usual. The typically simple table setting had been replaced with a wide variety of dishes.

“I wasn’t sure what you’d like, so I made a little of everything.”

“You’ve worked hard, Nora.”

“Oh, it’s no trouble. As long as you enjoy the food, Madam, I’m happy.”

Moved by Nora’s kind words, Leticia picked up her fork without delay. After finishing her meal, a three-tiered tray filled with desserts was brought out.

“I wasn’t sure what you’d like, so…”

Nora looked a bit sheepish but held her breath every time Leticia tasted something, watching nervously. Leticia had never been fond of sweets and didn’t expect this time to be any different.

“…What’s this made of?”

But this time was different. The flaky crust of the pie was filled with moist, stewed fruit. She usually disliked preserves because they were overly sweet, but this one wasn’t too sugary and had a pleasant texture.

“Do you like it? It’s made from simmered apples and grapes. It seems to suit your taste!”

Nora beamed and quickly pulled out a notebook, jotting something down.

“Great. From now on, I’ll make sure to prepare this for you.”

Nora spoke as if it were her life’s joy. It had been so long since Leticia had experienced such kindness that she unconsciously parted her lips to speak. She had been able to adjust to life at Siscreek entirely thanks to Nora. She considered expressing her gratitude but ultimately closed her mouth. Nora was kind to her because she was Callius’s wife. If Nora ever found out Leticia planned to leave, she would be disappointed. Leticia didn’t want to cause that disappointment just yet.

‘That’s my selfishness.’

But for now, she simply appreciated Nora’s kindness.

“Thank you, Nora.”

—

After noon, the castle staff became busy with their respective tasks. The most idle person in the castle was Leticia. Christine, who stayed by Leticia’s side, also spent her time idly. With Christine around, it would be impossible to inspect the room.

“Christine, why don’t you go for a walk?”

“What about you, Madam?”

“I’ll be fine.”

“Then I’ll stay as well.”

Their conversations always went like this. Unaware of Leticia’s intentions, Christine refused to leave her side. Then, Leticia had an idea.

“Christine, could you go to the village for me?”

“The village?”

“I need you to fetch medicine from the healer we visited before. But if I go, Lord Maxis won’t like it.”

Christine nodded, saying that made sense. Finally, she got up to leave.

“That medicine seems to work well for you.”

Jeremiah had been Leticia’s lifelong physician, so it was only natural. Unaware of this, Christine looked somewhat proud.

“It’s all thanks to you, Christine.”

“…I’ll be back soon, then.”

After confirming Christine had disappeared down the castle road, Leticia finally left her room. Finding that room wasn’t difficult. The door opened without a sound. A faint floral scent lingered in the air. The room was neat and organized, but there were clear signs someone had been staying there. For instance, the stack of papers on the table. They looked like letters, messy as though they had been rewritten multiple times. It was evident how much effort Callius had put into them.

Leticia read the first line of one of the letters.

Hello, my love.

It was a love letter. A love letter written by Callius.