Could it have been because I hadn’t fully recovered from the fatigue of traveling? Or perhaps I got too swept up in the festival’s excitement. I had to return to the lodging that evening without fully enjoying the celebration that everyone had prepared. Right after dancing with Ian, holding hands with people, and circling around the bonfire, the pain struck.

In truth, I had wanted to dance with Ian even if it was a stretch. I was just relieved I hadn’t collapsed while dancing with him. Although I took medicine, it barely kept me from fainting. Lying weakly on the bed, I said to Ian,

“Let’s leave tomorrow as planned. Even if I can’t get up, just carry me into the carriage. There’s a bed inside, so I can just lie down.”

“Liv, don’t push yourself. Maybe we should stay a few more days…”

“I just really want to see the main estate soon. I’ve never been there before.”

Ian eventually nodded at my words. Relieved, I drifted into sleep almost as if I were fainting.

I wanted to put on a brave face, but I no longer had the strength. I was starting to realize just how tenuous my magical life force had become. I found myself sleeping more and awake less each day.

Some days, I thought it wouldn’t be so bad to die in my sleep like this; on others, I wanted at least to see the main estate. I found myself rather amusing. Why this desire to finally enter the ancestral seat of the Keppel family now?

“Liv, we’re here.”

With Ian’s support, I managed to sit up with difficulty. In the distance, I saw the imposing castle. The ancient fortress that existed even before Keppel’s family line took the throne came into full view.

“It’s magnificent.”

Ian supported me as if he were embracing me. Leaning against him, I gazed out the carriage window.

At some point, I fell asleep again and woke up in an unfamiliar bedroom. Opening my eyes, I was startled by a taxidermied deer on the mantel.

“Liv, are you all right?”

Ian approached me as I sat up, startled. I pushed aside his hand that was dabbing my cold sweat and asked,

“Where am I?”

“…Home.”

Home. I smiled slightly at his response. So this place is home to Ian. His words sparked a bit of curiosity within me. Rising from the bed and going to the window, I saw the moat and drawbridge before the garden. It hit me—I was truly inside the fortress that had long protected the Keppel family.

“I want to look around.”

“Let’s eat first.”

I nodded obediently. Following his instructions, I sat on the bed, ate a thin porridge, took my medicine, and then, leaning on Ian’s arm, toured the inside of the castle. I wanted to go out to the garden as well, but I didn’t want to trouble Ian too much, so I kept it at that.

The next day, feeling a bit more energized, I met the housekeeper, Mrs. Willow, and some of the servants, and finally explored the garden. I realized Ian hadn’t shown me the entire castle; from outside, the layout differed from what I had seen yesterday. It made me feel a bit excited.

“Does this castle have secret passages?”

“There are some.”

“Wow, that’s so intriguing. Show me!”

Ian looked hesitant, and I asked, disappointed.

“Is it a secret from me too?”

“Not exactly. It’s just… it’s not really a place for you to go.”

Indeed, I understood what he meant. Who would maintain hidden passageways that even the staff weren’t aware of? Once I saw the state of the passage Ian showed me, I quickly gave up on exploring. Moss-covered, tangled with cobwebs, it wasn’t a place fit for anyone to pass through.

“Unless my life were truly at risk, I’d never want to go in there.”

Ian smiled awkwardly. Seeing his expression, I had a sudden thought—maybe he’d used this passage more often than I’d imagined.

“Did you use it a lot?”

“Well, when I was young.”

I wondered what his childhood had been like. I found myself imagining a child who looked like Ian but stopped when I saw him avert his gaze. It probably wasn’t something that held fond memories, and I thought it best not to ask.

“Let’s visit the study now.”

“The study? Why?”

“Well, works must have piled up by now.”

Ian frowned.

“Liv, are you planning to work even here?”

“The inspection tour of the domain got canceled; I may as well at least do some work.”

He looked at me as if I were the strangest workaholic he’d ever seen. I felt a bit unjustified. If anyone shouldn’t be reproaching me for working, it was Ian.

“You could take a few days off. You’re not feeling well…”

“That’s just from traveling in the carriage. I’m in good shape now.”

“Liv, do you know how pale you look right now?”

“I’ve always been quite fair-skinned.”

I responded shamelessly. Ian couldn’t stop me, and I had my own reasons for hurrying.

“You can handle the domain’s affairs now, and I’ll take on the role of the lady of the house.”

“…”

“This castle needs repairs in more than a few places.”

“The interior’s still livable…”

“But the exterior is lacking. How do you get up to the tallest tower? I didn’t see any path leading up there. It looks like it could collapse at any moment.”

Ian didn’t directly argue back, but his expression wasn’t great. I could tell what he was thinking just by looking at him. He was probably thinking, “I won’t be living here for long, so Cade can take care of it.” I tried to persuade him.

“A historic castle this old has value just by existing. We can’t let it fall into disrepair. It should be preserved as a cultural heritage for future generations.”

“We won’t have any descendants anyway…”

“No! I’m talking about the people of Cadia. Who knows? In 200 or 300 years, this castle might become a major tourist attraction.”

Look at countries like Egypt or Greece. I always envied how they thrived off their well-preserved heritage. Unfortunately, the Empire didn’t have many ancient landmarks due to constant wars, so I realized that the Keppel family’s main estate might be one of the oldest structures in Cadia.

“Shall we head to the study, then?”

Ian finally gave up and led me to the study. Besides renovating the castle, there was a lot for the lady of the house to handle. It seemed like a banquet was in order. There had been a lot of complaints piling up, but since I hadn’t been at the main estate, I’d had to ignore them all.

I also intended to set things up so the estate could function well without me. I wanted to create a manual of everything I’d done so far, something Ian or any future successor could refer to. In this world, there was still a lack of understanding about disaster preparedness or preventive medicine, so I wanted to leave behind some useful documentation.

Then, the rainy season began. It rained for days on end, so Ian and I holed up in the study and focused solely on paperwork. At first, Ian was worried I’d overwork myself, but with nothing else to do due to the rain, he ended up staying beside me all day, helping with the work.

“Can I make a copy of this?”

“Sure, I was planning to make several copies in case of loss. But why the sudden interest?”

“I want to give one to Cade.”

Honestly, I still had some resentment toward Cade, but he was Ian’s only friend, so I couldn’t completely hate him.

“All right.”

“Something like this shouldn’t be limited to the authority of a single lord; it needs to become policy.”

…I flinched. I had been drafting the documents with a hint of nagging as if scolding the Keppel family’s heir. Looking down at my work, I realized I had even been using shorter sentences, citing a lack of time. I sighed and said,

“Ian, if this is for His Majesty, I should rewrite it.”

“I’ll revise it myself.”

“All right, then.”

I trusted he’d edit it well. I busied myself with my work. Had I pushed myself too hard? I began to feel dizzy and stood up to take a break, only to sway.

“Liv!”

“I’m fine. Just a little dizzy…”

Strangely, I couldn’t muster any strength in my legs. My heart began to ache, though I hadn’t been startled or shocked by anything. Ian rushed over, more alarmed than I was.

“What’s going on? Is your heart hurting?”

The medicine should help. Out of habit, I pushed open the compartment of my ring, but there was no medicine inside. Startled, I clutched my chest and looked around the desk. The medicine should be in my bag.

“The medicine…”

“In your bag?”

Ian hurriedly opened my bag, and when the bottle rolled out, he quickly opened it and placed a pill in my hand. After taking it, the pain in my heart subsided, though I still felt weak. I expected Ian to help me up, but surprisingly, he remained silent. When I finally managed to stand, I saw him staring blankly at a paper that had fallen from my bag.

“Ian.”

He didn’t seem to hear my voice.

Inside my bag was the sworn affidavit my mother had written for me—the promise to testify on my behalf in the annulment suit. I couldn’t leave it lying around where the staff might see it, so I’d kept it safely in my handbag. Now, it was in Ian’s hands.

“Give it to me.”

I reached out, but Ian only looked back at me, his eyes wavering. I couldn’t understand why he was so shaken. Isn’t this just a necessary measure, one even the emperor couldn’t ignore?

“Your mother wrote this?”

He spoke in a restrained voice, as if suppressing something. Frustrated, I reached to take the affidavit from him. But Ian easily avoided my hand and asked,

“Do you really want to erase our marriage like it never happened?”