“Yes. Such accidents happen once or twice a year. Moreover, dresses become very cumbersome in water, making it dangerous.”

Radilt smiled gratefully at their concerns.

“Thank you. I’ll go slowly and carefully.”

Radilt swiftly mounted the saddle and gently pulled the reins. Following her signal, Serena changed direction.

The mansion employees anxiously watched Radilt’s back as she rode toward the main gate.

Though she had suddenly appeared as the master’s lover, they didn’t feel negatively toward her. Though they hadn’t spent much time with her, Radilt was humble, kind, and knew how to maintain proper boundaries. Above all.

The poor widow Mrs. Brill would never become the mistress of House Duston.

Everyone knew this fact well, which was why the Count’s household treated Radilt even more kindly. She wasn’t a stone that had rolled in to stay, but a polite guest who would soon leave. There was no need to treat her badly or be wary of her.

Clop, clop, the cheerful sound of hooves rang rhythmically. Radilt cast a leisurely gaze from beneath the brim of her wide hat.

The early morning sun wasn’t too hot, and the breeze was pleasantly cool. Riding alone into the street gave her the feeling of a light, enjoyable stroll rather than a commute.

“Serena. I want to return all the possessions I received from Sir Duston on that final day, but I can’t do that with you.”

Radilt whispered to the mare in a small voice.

“Above all, you’re not just a simple gift but my friend.”

Serena perked her ears up as though listening to her voice. Following the well-maintained road, Radilt let out a faint sigh.

‘What a moody man.’

This morning he had been kind again.

Her green eyes frowned slightly. The breakfast setting had been perfect. Radilt had even exchanged a few rather affectionate conversations with Pendlore in the atmosphere of being carefully attended to. Pendlore had been consistently polite and hadn’t shown any behavior or speech that violated etiquette.

‘Last night too…… he was more considerate of my comfort.’

After filling her stomach with a light late meal, Pendlore had said that since they were known as a loving couple, they couldn’t use separate bedrooms. While Radilt was wondering if she should spread bedding on the floor, he had offered to sleep on the sofa.

‘I thought he would calmly suggest we lie in bed together.’

Considering his previous rude attitudes, she had expected at least that much. But no. Despite Radilt’s objections, Pendlore had silently gone to the sofa. Saying he had more documents to review, he told her to sleep first and even dimmed the lights.

‘……He’s kind when I don’t go against his wishes, but.’

But forcing someone to unconditionally follow his will was itself a roughness far from kindness.

Radilt pouted her lips slightly. Sir Duston still couldn’t be called a good person. However.

‘Considering his position, he’s not completely bad.’

He didn’t try to deceive Radilt, exploit her unreasonably, or trample her inhumanely. Despite being in a position where he could manipulate and discard a poor widowed commoner without any problems, he maintained minimal boundaries.

For Radilt, who had grown accustomed to being treated as insignificant by others, the mere fact that conversation was possible made her value Pendlore highly. No one had listened to her words before. Just having someone genuinely listen made her heart waver.

But nevertheless.

‘……I want to end this quickly.’

She wished she could make a big mistake in social circles and be naturally cast out, as they had discussed yesterday. Her mother-in-law and sister-in-law would make a fuss, but she could endure that briefly by closing her eyes and covering her ears. After that, stable days would follow.

Philip, the master at Langfiel’s workshop, already liked Radilt enough that he wouldn’t throw her out even if she broke up with Pendlore. By working hard, learning, and saving money, she might be able to open a small workshop of her own by the time she became a middle-aged woman.

The workshop appeared before her eyes. The long, distant road she had walked with painful feet felt short today.

Radilt dismounted and led the horse by its reins toward the stable.

“Stay here quietly and rest.”

After putting Serena in the stall and removing her reins, she fetched clean water. She stroked the horse as it brought its head close, then entered the workshop.

Today too, Saldat was late. Recently, he had been dumping all the morning cleaning on Radilt and typically showed up just before Philip and his group arrived. Rather than working harder to catch up after Radilt had gained Philip’s favor, he had become even lazier.

I might not see him soon. While thinking this, Radilt also felt some concern. She worried whether Saldat might try to take revenge with his nasty temperament.

“If you’re born a woman, you should just clean your man’s house.”

Just as she was finishing the cleaning, Saldat walked in slowly with a grumpy voice. He inspected the workshop as though he owned it, running his finger over the windowsill to check for dust.

“You’ll just get married and that’s it, but you crawl in here and muddy the waters.”

Radilt let his usual complaints go in one ear and out the other. But today she couldn’t completely ignore Saldat.

Radilt approached Saldat while wiping her hands on her apron. From continuously practicing proper posture while horseback riding, her back remained straight even under the saddle, and she carried herself tall as though looking down.

Seeing Radilt walking toward him with direct eye contact and a much more confident demeanor than before, Saldat instinctively shrank back.

“Wh-what is it?”

“There’s a mare with bright brown fur and a black mane in the stable. Though I rode her here, she belongs to House Duston.”

Worried that this petty man might harm Serena, Radilt coldly opened her eyes and lowered her voice sternly as she continued.

“She’s a beautiful mare with an exceptionally fine bloodline. So if even a single hair is harmed, House Duston will hold someone responsible.”

Saldat stepped back in confusion at Radilt’s words.

“Why are you telling me this!”

“It’s merely a caution out of concern for my senior.”

Haven’t you already made a big mistake? Didn’t you try to lay hands on Count Duston’s woman?

Feeling as though the green eyes staring at him were making such accusations, Saldat avoided her gaze and muttered curses under his breath.

“……Stop talking nonsense and do your work!”

“I’ve already finished cleaning. Now I need to tend to the plants in the greenhouse.”

“What?”

Saldat’s expression turned hostile at the mention of the greenhouse.

“Why are you going in there! There are so many precious plants in the greenhouse!”

Even Saldat, who had worked as Philip’s apprentice for over a year, hadn’t yet been allowed in the greenhouse. The reason was that he might damage the rare plants. Yet this woman who had barely been here two weeks…

“Master Philip said I’m meticulous enough to at least water the plants.”

Radilt answered and turned away as if she found it bothersome to deal with him further. Watching her small retreating back, Saldat gritted his teeth in anger.

The day at the workshop passed peacefully. One protruding nail like Saldat was less painful and threatening compared to other troubles in her life. The workshop was the most peaceful part of Radilt’s recent life.

After finishing all the cleanup, Radilt thanked Serena for waiting so patiently and headed home. When she entered the familiar street, she felt glances turning toward her.

What a beautiful horse, Count Duston must have given her another magnificent gift. She could easily guess the whispers of people without even listening.

Radilt dismounted in front of the house with the contracted stable from House Duston and knocked on the door. The door opened immediately, and an elderly man with a warm appearance greeted her.

“Good day, Mrs. Brill.”

“Hello, Mr. Peshu. I heard that starting today, you’ll be taking care of my—no, Sir Duston’s horse.”

“Yes, yes, that’s right. Is that the mare? She’s very pretty.”

Radilt smiled brightly at the compliment for Serena.

“Yes. Her name is Serena. I’ll be counting on you from now on.”

“Hello, Serena. Nice to meet you. Now, this way please. The stable is behind the house.”

Old Peshu led her to the backyard. In the backyard surrounded by high walls stood a small stable large enough for two or three horses. People sent from House Duston had demolished the existing one and built a completely new one that was sturdy and clean. The yard in front was large enough for a horse to turn around and exercise lightly. They had also laid new sand and planted a living hedge.

“This should be comfortable enough. However, horses are social animals, so you shouldn’t leave her alone for too long. Please visit House Duston’s stable grounds occasionally.”

“Ah, yes.”

A slight shadow crossed Radilt’s face at Peshu’s words.

She would have to frequent House Duston for a while, but what about after that? While thinking she should look for another horse farm in advance, a black cat appeared in the open window above the stable. It climbed onto the stable roof, skillfully jumped down onto the hay bales and water trough, then approached the mare with interest. Serena also seemed curious, bringing her head closer to the cat.

“This is an old cat named Hati. She likes horses and has often socialized with them, so she’ll quickly become friends with Serena.”