Lost in thought all day, the evening sky had already turned red with sunset.

“It’s already this late….”

When she turned on the lamp on the table, a soft light surrounded the living room terrace.

Roina opened a hardcover book she had borrowed from the capital library.

There was no better way to escape distracting thoughts than reading when her mind was restless.

《Cruel Fantasy Märchen》, which she had been reading occasionally, was reaching its final volume.

‘Quite some time has passed since I started living here.’

The fact that nearly a season had passed since she lost her memory and continued her married life felt newly significant.

Having recalled her husband again, Roina made an embarrassed expression and focused on reading the book.

As she continued reading silently and reached the latter part.

Feeling someone’s gaze, she raised her head and saw a man leaning against the wall, staring at her.

Having just returned from a state council meeting, Conrad was wearing a neat uniform.

At his sudden appearance, Roina blinked her eyes quickly and awkwardly asked.

“What brings you here at this hour….”

Conrad gestured toward the lamp with his head.

“The light was on in the terrace.”

Now she realized he had briefly stopped by the living room terrace, where light was leaking out, on his way to his room.

While Roina swallowed a short sigh and nodded, Conrad asked a question.

“Why are you outside?”

“Well… because the weather is nice.”

Of course, she couldn’t honestly say she had brought a book out because he wouldn’t leave her mind.

As if his question had been answered, Conrad turned his head and looked at the scenery she had been viewing.

The dark sky was dimly lit by moonlight, and a cold wind characteristic of winter was blowing.

“The weather doesn’t seem particularly nice.”

“……”

At Conrad’s quiet voice, Roina made an embarrassed expression.

“You’ll catch a cold if you stay longer.”

As he said, the terrace was surrounded by cold air. She nodded obediently and answered.

“Yes, I was about to return to my room.”

Pushing behind her ear the hair that had fallen in the wind, Roina closed the book she hadn’t finished reading.

Then Conrad’s emotionless gaze fell on the dark green hardcover.

‘Come to think of it, surely back then….’

“Have you ever read this before?”

“I haven’t particularly read it.”

Conrad said he had never read this book. Of course, Roina didn’t believe him.

Black hair was uncommon among nobles. Unless one was a commoner.

Considering that the capital library’s users were mainly nobles or upper-class commoners, it would be strange not to guess.

‘I once misunderstood you.’

In the days when she didn’t know Conrad’s identity, Roina had thought he was an illegitimate child of a noble.

Who would have imagined that the man she had known was the veiled Duke Asheter?

She learned that Conrad had inherited his hair color from his illegitimate mother only after discovering his identity.

Additionally, she learned that he had uncommon golden eyes resembling his grandfather rather than the late duke.

‘When I think about it, we really didn’t know each other.’

A bitter smile spread across Roina’s lips as she fiddled with the book on the table.

Somehow, she wanted to confirm directly this time. Even if it was an attachment she couldn’t fully abandon.

Glancing at her husband, she began in a calm voice.

“At a tea party I attended a few days ago, I heard a poem prepared by a minstrel.”

“Is that so.”

As expected, Conrad answered in a dry voice, as if he had no particular interest.

“It’s a poem called ‘The Foam of the Black Sea,’ and it seems to have become quite popular among ladies while I couldn’t remember.”

Calmly continuing her explanation, Roina glanced at him.

The golden eyes that had been dry until just now seemed to show slight emotion.

At this, Roina began to recite a verse from the poem filled with passionate love.

“From the distant far side of the sea, you came to me. Not knowing that love blooming in the hot summer would be the first and last.”

After finishing her brief recitation, Roina looked up at him.

“Do you happen to know this poem?”

Conrad’s straight eyebrows twisted slightly. As if trying to grasp her intention.

Staring at her intently with cold golden eyes like moonlight, the man soon shook his head.

“It’s a poem I’m hearing for the first time.”

“…I see.”

Having barely answered, she looked at Conrad with an indescribable gaze.

‘Was it really not you?’

Though minstrels were occasionally hired at tea parties, no one had ever recited a poem called “The Foam of the Black Sea.”

Moreover, it had never been famous among ladies.

From the beginning, that poem was merely the protagonist’s own composition appearing in 《Cruel Fantasy Märchen》.

The author had mentioned it several times in the work, but it had never been officially selected for a poetry collection.

Thinking she had misunderstood alone, Roina’s cheeks turned crimson.

‘What was I thinking?’

Trying to hide her embarrassment, Roina clenched both hands and said.

“I’ll go up first. I hope you rest well too.”

The man simply stared silently at the woman hurriedly gathering her book.

˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗

The sound of hooves and rattling carriage wheels gradually subsided.

Getting out of the carriage with the help of a guard knight, Roina fastened the lapel of her coat.

The winter chill she fully felt seemed to particularly well represent her cold heart.

When she said she would visit the Dillon Trading Company for business, Conrad had accepted it readily for some reason.

‘That’s really fortunate, but.’

After placing a meaningless gaze on the trading company’s sign, Roina soon swallowed a shallow sigh.

This was because she knew well that Marquis Würetti hadn’t called her just to leisurely drink tea.

Astor, who had been looking at her, asked with a voice tinged with puzzlement.

“By the way, Madam, is there something troubling you?”

At the sudden question from her guard knight, Roina slightly raised her eyebrows.

“No, why do you ask?”

“Every time you visit the trading company, you always look depressed.”

Struck unexpectedly at the core, she swallowed dryly. Then she tried to answer as if nothing was wrong.

“That can’t be. What could make me depressed when I’m coming to see my father?”

As if agreeing with her words, Astor nodded repeatedly.

Upon entering the trading company, Roina had her guard knight wait in the reception room.

Then she followed a company executive toward the marquis’s office.

‘I wonder why he called me this time?’

Roina was deeply lost in thought, wondering if she had recently offended her father.

When she finally reached Marquis Würetti’s office, the company executive lightly knocked on the door.

Knock knock—.

“Chairman, Duchess Asheter has arrived.”

“Tell her to come in.”

With the marquis’s permission, the company executive bowed respectfully and left.

Taking a deep breath and exhaling, Roina opened the office door with trembling hands.

“I’m here, Fath—”

Just as she was about to step inside, something brushed past the side of her face with no chance to avoid it.

Clang—!

Glancing at the gold-plated inkwell thrown to the floor, Roina slowly raised her head.

There she saw the marquis glaring at her with fierce eyes.

‘He seems quite upset this time too.’

Perhaps she had been slightly cut by the corner of the inkwell; there was a faint pain on one cheek.

Trying to maintain her composure, Roina slowly walked to the desk where the marquis was sitting.

In the momentary meeting of their eyes, his gaze clearly revealed anger and contempt.

Though her hands trembled with tension, Roina asked in a calm voice, pretending nothing was wrong.

“You called for me, Father?”

Then, looking at his daughter with contemptuous eyes, Marquis Würetti barked back.

“Just how far do you intend to test my patience?”

“……”

The marquis clicked his tongue, asking what on earth she was capable of doing.

“Is it so difficult to seduce the duke? It would have been better if you had taken after even half of your mother.”