As soon as I made up my mind, I began preparing busily on my own. I worried that if I delayed any longer, the spell wouldn’t be completed, and I would just feel uneasy.

“Emily, I think I’ll take a warm bath this afternoon. Could you prepare it for me?”

Emily, who was helping me change clothes, appeared momentarily surprised and tightened her grip on the waist ribbon too much. I gasped for breath.

“Oh dear. I’m sorry, ma’am. But aren’t you having tea time with the Duke?”

She quickly loosened the ribbon and asked curiously.

“Just let him know we’ll see each other at dinner.”

“Yes, understood.”

She still looked full of questions, but true to her role as a Lawrence household employee, she didn’t ask further. I also felt too embarrassed to explain the reason in detail, so I kept quiet.

Emily’s reaction was understandable. Since returning from the Ice Land, Leopold and I had spent every moment together from morning until night, except during work and sleep. For breakfast or tea time, Leopold often brought food to my room himself.

Sometimes he even cooked. Initially, everyone in the ducal household seemed quite surprised by this, and anyone who came to my room would ask about his cooking, even Peter.

‘Ma’am, how is the Duke’s cooking? It’s amazing he learned all that.’

‘Leopold is good at everything. His cooking is delicious. I’d love to let you taste it.’

‘It’s meant for you, so I wouldn’t dare. You two look wonderful together.’

I was surprised when the usually stern butler showed a slight smile.

Anyway, these situations made us appear to be a very close couple. Since bathing was a personal routine usually done before bed, Emily might have thought we had a quarrel. It was a misunderstanding that would soon be cleared up.

I headed to the bathroom connected to the bedroom. Inside, there was a large bathtub, big enough for two adults, hidden behind a low partition. One wall was neatly lined with various aromatic oils, almost like decorations. I had never really looked at them since I always used what the maids chose, but now I was impressed by their variety.

Just as I was about to pick one up for a closer look, I heard a voice.

“Why the sudden bath?”

I turned to see Leopold leaning against the wall, looking at me with a dissatisfied expression.

“Leopold. What brings you here?”

Instead of answering, he approached and leaned slightly toward the aromatic oil I was holding. Then he glanced back at the cabinet, still frowning.

“Emily told me something surprising, so I came to see if it was true.”

“Something surprising? You mean me taking a bath?”

I asked, following his gaze to the cabinet. Had he already guessed my intentions?

“I mean not having tea time with me.”

His unexpected answer quickly dispelled my embarrassment, though my curiosity remained.

“Tea time?”

“Yes. You’re not feeling unwell, are you? Is the room cold?”

His large hand came to rest on my forehead. Leopold touched my cheek and the back of my neck in turn, then tilted his head as if puzzled. He looked so serious that I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.

“Are you still saying things like that to a healer? And as you can see, the room is warm enough not to need a single blanket.”

I led Leopold out of the bathroom and into the warm room. He followed me like a well-behaved child and nodded as if in agreement. I gently reasoned with him.

“It’s just that I’m in the mood for it today. We’ll see each other again at dinner anyway. So please wait a little. You have a lot of work to handle, don’t you?”

“I can do those things while you’re asleep.”

“If you work while I’m sleeping, when do you rest? Wait, are you working without sleeping at all…?”

He looked at me with a nonchalant expression, then quietly averted his gaze. It was a silent confirmation. In disbelief, I called out to him again.

“My goodness, Leopold!”

“Yes, I’ve been getting enough sleep.”

“I can’t confirm that with my own eyes―”

Knock, knock.

“Ma’am, I’ve come to prepare your bathwater.”

It was a perfectly timed interruption for Leopold. He narrowed his eyes slightly and left the room, promising to see me later. I sighed, realizing I couldn’t monitor him all day. If we shared a bedroom, I could verify his claims more easily.

A shared bedroom… Why had Leopold never brought up the topic of sleeping arrangements or suggested we share a room? Watching the servants bustling about, I suddenly felt a wave of disappointment.

Was it because we hadn’t signed the marriage contract yet? But the contract was at the estate in the capital, making it difficult to sign immediately. No, thinking it was because of the contract only made me feel worse. Could such a trivial thing as signing or not signing a piece of paper really determine whether we shared a bed?

“Ma’am, everything is ready. How about a sweet fruit scent for the bath oil?”

“Uh, no, I think a floral scent would be better. I’ll choose it myself.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

I shook my head, trying to clear my distracting thoughts. Fortunately, selecting a bath oil required careful consideration, and one of the maids attending to me was quite talkative, helping me quickly forget my unnecessary worries.

By the time I finished my bath, entertained by amusing stories from the household staff, I hadn’t noticed how much time had passed. As one maid dried me off, she spoke with a hint of envy.

“Ma’am, your skin is so smooth. The Duke must be afraid to even touch it.”

“Oh dear, she’s just being silly. Ma’am, pretend you didn’t hear that. You shouldn’t listen to such trivial remarks.”

“What did I say? It’s true. Don’t make a fuss over nothing.”

The maids laughed and exchanged playful banter. However, I couldn’t quite join in their amusement.

“What does having smooth skin have to do with my husband finding it difficult to touch me?”

There was a moment of silence. The maids looked at each other with wide eyes before bursting into even louder laughter.

“Oh, ma’am, I’m sorry!”

“We didn’t mean to tease you, but you’re so endearing that we can’t help but laugh.”

“Really!”

“Ma’am, what we mean is…”

What they explained to me was strange and hard to understand. They suggested that since my skin was so alluring, even to a woman, Leopold would be eager for a deeper connection every time he touched me. It was ridiculous. He didn’t even seem to want to share a bed with me.

Besides, as rational beings, humans can easily control such desires. I often restrained my own desire to be close to Leopold.

Yet, part of me wished that was the reason he avoided me. If so, my disappointment would melt away like snow…

“The Duke might be extra cautious because he cares for you so much. You do look quite delicate, ma’am.”

“Exactly! He might accidentally cause you discomfort.”

“Enough! Can’t you see you’re making the lady uncomfortable?”

Despite one maid trying to calm things down, the lively atmosphere, like that of excited young girls, didn’t subside. Finally, I had to say I wanted to rest alone before the room quieted down.

After soaking long enough for the scent to linger on my body, I felt a wave of fatigue as soon as I got out of the bath. I could have used magic, but the bed seemed more tempting. There was plenty of time before dinner anyway.

As I settled under the cozy blankets, I recalled the maids’ words. Despite knowing each other’s feelings, having to constantly guess the other’s intentions felt awkward. Would I find out the reason tonight?

I slowly pondered these thoughts until they became a misty haze, and I drifted off to sleep. By the time someone woke me, dinner was long over.

“…Hazel. Hazel!”

I opened my eyes slightly to the sound tickling my ears, finding Leopold standing there with a deeply furrowed brow.

“I’m sorry. I had to attend to a major dispute among the estate residents, and I didn’t realize it would take so long. You must have been upset waiting without knowing why. I’ll make sure to send word next time.”

I looked at him as he gently stroked my hair and whispered. From what he said, it seemed he thought I had fallen asleep waiting for him. But I had simply been asleep since late afternoon.

“I heard you haven’t eaten. How about having something now?”

“No, I’m fine with skipping dinner…”

“Then what would you like? Should I have some tea brought up? Just say the word, and I’ll do it.”

His anxious fussing, as he watched my sleepy demeanor, was both endearing and pitiful. I had no intention of teasing him, so I quietly shook my head. After some thought, I spoke very slowly.

“…Kiss me.”

As he leaned closer, he slowly straightened up, moving away from me.