Radilt tried hard to push away thoughts of Pendlore’s past. She struggled not to imagine a frightened boy’s face behind that rigid countenance. I don’t want to develop unnecessary affection for him. I don’t want to soften my heart for a relationship that will pass fleetingly.

All those things would eventually become painful thorns of longing.

Instead, she quickly changed the subject.

“I still need to walk to the workshop tomorrow.”

Radilt deliberately spoke stiffly. She tried to revive her anger about having her skirt lifted and wounds treated without permission, though it had already subsided.

After treating both feet, Pendlore raised his head and looked directly at Radilt.

“I’ll send a carriage on time. Making you walk was my oversight.”

“……Then I’ll accept your help only until my feet heal.”

Radilt turned her eyes away from his direct gaze. Having the Duston family’s crested carriage frequently appearing on her street and in front of her house felt burdensome.

So only until she could walk properly. After her wounds healed, she would travel by her own strength, on these two legs.

Pendlore’s eyebrows rose slightly at Radilt’s near-refusal.

“Walking might still be fine. It’s not a very long distance. But it will soon get hotter. Your thin summer dress will quickly become soaked with sweat and cling to your skin. Mrs. Brill, you seem quite proud of your body—”

“No! I was short-sighted.”

Radilt hastily cut off Pendlore’s words. This man would say things that made her cheeks burn while maintaining an ascetic face. His words embarrassed her to even recall, yet they weren’t wrong. She had experienced firsthand today how a thin dress appears when wet.

“But…… having a carriage come and go constantly still feels burdensome. I also don’t want to increase work for your coachman and servant just for me. If you permit…… I’ll take the public carriage during summer.”

Radilt suggested hesitantly. The public carriage, which traveled fixed routes, wasn’t really suitable for a noble lady. People of both sexes typically crowded together in its narrow space.

Would he refuse again? Would she have to use the Duston family carriage after all?

After a moment of silence amid Radilt’s anxious gaze, Pendlore spoke.

“Do you know how to ride a horse, Mrs. Brill?”

“……A horse? No.”

Radilt shook her head briefly.

“In my maiden days, I rode small, gentle mules a few times. Horses are too big and too expensive.”

Among livestock, horses ranked as the most expensive. Horses proved useful for both riding and work, being fast and strong.

Radilt’s rural childhood home wasn’t poor, but neither was it wealthy. Like a typical farming household, they raised several animals but no horses. They only had a donkey and one mule obtained by breeding the donkey with a horse.

“Then I must teach you.”

Pendlore raised the corner of his lips with apparent enjoyment, seeing the deep confusion on Radilt’s face.

“A noble lady unable to enjoy horseback riding would reflect poorly on me. I’ll prepare a lovely mare suitable for you.”

“……”

Radilt’s hands tightly gripped her dress hem. She hated this idea. Yet she couldn’t voice the refusal filling her mouth. Count Duston’s dignity. Once that term emerged, Radilt had no grounds to reject his proposal.

Horseback riding, out of nowhere. Learning to ride from that man.

Feeling slightly dizzy, Radilt silently swallowed a small sigh.

Pendlore bought Radilt comfortable new shoes. He also chose restaurant seats near the first-floor entrance to minimize walking and naturally supported her by holding her arm throughout. He provided perfect escort with thoughtful consideration everywhere. Not a single flaw could be found.

“Then, madam, I wish you a pleasant evening.”

Radilt stood at her front door, watching the man’s back as he greeted her and boarded the carriage. The vehicle receded down the darkening street. A long, weak breath escaped between her slightly parted lips.

‘……How annoying.’

How could someone stir and rummage through a person’s feelings like that? His ability to then act like a gentleman as if nothing had happened made her roll her eyes.

If he were rough and cold from beginning to end, she wouldn’t harbor unnecessary expectations. Then she could simply draw a cold line and close her eyes to it all.

Only after the carriage completely disappeared did Radilt open the door and enter the house. A faint smell of roasted pork lingered in the air. Her family members must have cooked and eaten the meat she had prepared before leaving in the morning.

“You’re late.”

Her mother-in-law, sitting on the living room sofa, gave her a disapproving look. But surprisingly, she didn’t severely blame Radilt. In the past, sharp words would have flown like arrows—lazy girl, have you taken up with someone, wicked thing making your elderly mother-in-law prepare dinner herself.

“Yes. I’m sorry.”

“Never mind. What use is blaming you? But don’t harbor any vain thoughts.”

Merdea’s gaze swept over Radilt, appraising her from head to toe. A beautifully dressed noblewoman by anyone’s standards. Her eyes, containing cold light, narrowed sharply.

“Nothing will change just because you wear such clothes and ride in carriages for a brief moment.”

“I know that well. I’ll head upstairs now.”

Radilt bowed her head before turning around. There was no need to remind her of this. She, more than anyone, knew best that all this was merely a contract. Just a play she hoped would end as soon as possible—how could she possibly harbor any strange fantasies?

Radilt went up to her room and removed the heavy dress. Sitting on the bed in her petticoat, she freed her feet from the confines of her shoes. The carefully wrapped bandages reflected white in her eyes.

The man’s large hands were shapely and long, but couldn’t be called delicate. Firmly formed calluses and faint traces of old wounds. Strong hands that seemed capable of overpowering someone and taking their life.

Those hands had gently cradled her injured feet and wrapped them with bandages.

“……”

Radilt’s eyes briefly crinkled. Her toes tingled. That ticklish sensation traveled up her instep, ankle, and along her extended leg, circling around her heart.

Her back curved into a hunched position. Tears formed for no apparent reason. They lingered faintly at the corners of her eyes before quickly drying up.

The next morning, a carriage arrived in time for Radilt’s departure. Traveling by carriage allowed her to reach Langfiel’s workshop much earlier than usual. Radilt changed into comfortable clothes in the empty workshop.

‘I should ventilate first.’

Radilt opened the workshop windows wide to let in clean, fresh air. However, she kept the windows near the vegetable garden closed. Spring flowers were in full bloom, and their scents might mix together.

After finishing the ventilation, she was drawing water with the pump when Saldat appeared. He glared at her with a surly face.

“Women have it so easy. Just catch a good man and that’s it.”

Radilt pretended not to hear Saldat’s sarcasm. She had experienced firsthand how harsh the world could be for a woman who lost the protection of a husband. She knew well how easily that line to a “good man” could break, but precisely because of that, she chose not to engage with his provocation.

The moment she parted from Pendlore, Radilt would once again become an unprotected woman. She would become a weakling unable to handle even one unscrupulous apprentice, so it was better to be cautious now.

“I cleaned everything up yesterday, so you do the morning cleaning.”

Saldat, emboldened by Radilt’s docile attitude, blurted out gruffly. But he didn’t seem to intend the same level of tyranny as yesterday.

“Yes, I will.”

Radilt answered quietly. She filled all the water jars and swept away the dust accumulated overnight. Despite everything, Saldat hadn’t neglected his apprentice duties, so there wasn’t much to clean.

There was still plenty of time before Philip and the other two apprentices would return. Looking around the workshop for something else to do, Radilt made a small sound, “Ah.”

‘This season is definitely…’

Recalling her days helping at her husband’s workshop, Radilt began moving busily. After some time, Philip returned. The two apprentices carried loads of goods on their shoulders.

“Welcome, teacher!”

“Welcome.”

“Yes. Ger, Slord. Move quickly. We need to start working while it’s as fresh as possible.”

Philip and the apprentices hurried to the workroom. But soon Philip came back out and shouted.

“Who organized the scent room today!”

“N-not me!”

Saldat quickly denied it, pointing his finger at Radilt.

“It was that woman!”

Philip looked at Saldat with wrinkled eyes while he tried to avoid blame. Tsk tsk, Philip clicked his tongue briefly before asking Radilt.

“Radilt, did you split the paper thinly, spread it out, and prepare distilled water to cool?”

“Yes, Sir Philip.”

Radilt answered with a respectful bow.

“I know most perfume workshops make Sorbella flower essence during this season. The plant stems discarded yesterday were also Sorbella stems. I also overheard you saying that you needed more while passing by the scent room.”

The scent of purple Sorbella flowers dissolved well in water. They placed flowers without gaps on thin paper soaked in pure water, covered them with more paper to extract all the scent, then dried the paper in the shade to make essence paper.

Philip nodded slightly at Radilt’s explanation.

“Yes, you’re right. I bought plenty of Sorbella today too. The distilled water is perfectly clear, and the paper is also finely prepared.”

“It was once familiar work, so I could quickly revive the skill.”

“Hmm, you learned well.”

Philip’s nodding grew more pronounced. The look in his eyes toward Radilt was quite gentle. However, that gaze turned cold the moment it shifted to Saldat.

“You couldn’t even support a junior who just arrived!”

“I-I couldn’t lie to you, teacher……”

“At this rate, the newcomer will enter the workroom before you.”

Saldat bowed his head in embarrassment. Yet his eyes, glancing furtively at Radilt, flashed with hostility.

“You barely do what you’re told, never observing carefully or asking to learn. Don’t just wait to be spoon-fed. One who doesn’t seek and learn on their own will never be able to create new scents.”