The room Leopold had prepared as the marital bedroom was connected to the late duke’s study. The study and bedroom he currently used had been his since childhood because both his mother and Leopold were reluctant to use the rooms designated for the head of the family, though their reasons differed.

“It’s the best room in the house. You can see the garden at a glance. Your favorite poplar trees, too.”

As I listened to his explanation, I approached the windows that filled one wall of the room. Beyond the large windows, bare winter trees and a faded lawn stretched out bleakly, but I knew well that in spring, it would become a more splendid scene than the neat gardens of the capital mansion.

He led me by the hand to explore different parts of the room. At the center was a twelve-seat table, with a fireplace surrounded by armchairs on one side and a door leading to the bedroom on the other. Through an open door next to the fireplace was a study, much larger than the combined space of Leopold’s and my own research rooms.

“If you want, you can use this as your study.”

“What about you?”

“I’ll continue using the study I’m in now. Just think about it.”

I nodded as if pondering. In truth, it wasn’t the study that concerned me but using this room itself that worried me. However, Leopold, seemingly unbothered, gently wrapped an arm around my shoulder and led me to the bedroom.

“I’m not sure if it suits your taste. I tried my best.”

Standing in front of the bedroom, he clasped his hands behind his back and cleared his throat briefly. I waited for the door to open, feeling unnecessarily tense. As soon as Leopold lightly pushed the door open, I couldn’t help but gasp in awe.

“It originally had a rather somber tone. But I thought you might prefer something brighter.”

As he said, the bedroom was filled with light colors. The furniture was primarily a soft ivory, the bedding was white, and the curtains resembled the color of my silver hair.

“And this is a gift.”

On the wall he pointed to was a vanity table, dazzling with an array of accessories displayed as if in a jewelry store. It seemed they had been laid out deliberately for me to see.

I looked up at Leopold in surprise, and he picked up one of the necklaces. It was a delicate gold chain with a teardrop-shaped diamond pendant that sparkled brilliantly. As I instinctively gathered my hair, he extended his arms to embrace me.

“When we go to the capital, I’ll get you something even more beautiful. We can choose it together if you’d like.”

The touch of his hand near my neck and his low whisper were ticklish. Only after leaving a brief kiss on the nape of my neck did Leopold withdraw his hand.

“…Thank you.”

I wondered when I would get used to such intimacy. My voice, shrinking with embarrassment, made me feel even more self-conscious. I inadvertently lowered my head, but Leopold gently lifted my chin as if to make me look at him. The once cold metal now felt like a part of me.

“It suits you well.”

“Did you choose it?”

“Yes. I put a lot of thought into it. Do you like it?”

He looked at me with an expectant expression, shrugging his shoulders. When I nodded with a wide smile, Leopold also raised the corners of his mouth in a grin.

After we finished exploring the bathroom, where various floral scents subtly lingered, I finally brought up a question that had been weighing on my mind.

“But… are you really okay with this?”

I was worried not only about his feelings but also about his mother’s. Although she mostly stayed at the capital mansion, she would return to the estate during the summer. The Lawrence estate was cool and beautiful in midsummer, making it an ideal retreat.

If Mother were to return and see that the late duke’s room had been converted into one for Leopold and me…

“I’ve thought about this for a long time. It’s perfectly fine. The owner of this mansion is us now, not Mother.”

Leopold emphasized the word “us.” Somehow, I sensed his resolve—a poignant and sad determination to break away from his mother. I was the only one who could support him.

“I trust you.”

“Don’t worry. There won’t be anything to trouble you.”

I hadn’t meant to imply that he should ensure nothing uncomfortable happened, but I nodded as if I hadn’t noticed.

“I hope spring comes soon.”

“It’s rather cold here, isn’t it? You love flowers and trees.”

Leopold replied wistfully as he gazed out the window. I wondered when would be a good time to tell him that I actually liked the sight of the snow-covered estate house. I quickly corrected his assumption.

“No, that’s not it… I meant I want to go to the capital.”

“The capital? Why?”

He turned back to look at me. His eyes seemed to question whether I was unhappy with life here. I didn’t mind Leopold’s constant concern and quietly swallowed a smile before answering calmly.

“I discovered a new treatment method. I want to tell my mentor about it and demonstrate it. And I plan to heal Mother’s leg…”

Only then did Leopold’s expression harden as if he had realized something. He knew better than anyone how long I had been devoted to treating Mother’s leg, especially if he had read all the letters I sent during my academy days.

Whenever I practiced in various parts of the capital, I always prioritized treating patients with injured legs or those who couldn’t move certain body parts despite having no external injuries. However, I never met a patient with the same symptoms as Mother, and I often filled my letters with complaints of frustration until graduation.

“…You don’t have to try so hard.”

Leopold himself probably wanted Mother’s leg to be healed more than anyone else. Perhaps even more than Mother did.

“I’m just trying to repay a kindness.”

He gently brushed my hair back from my face with a bittersweet smile. I somewhat understood his complex feelings, which made my heart ache too. While I was pondering words to reassure him, Peter’s voice came from outside.

“Duke, are you here?”

“Come in.”

The butler entered, bowed politely, and quickly stated his business.

“There is something you need to check.”

However, Leopold frowned as if displeased with the request.

“…Hazel, I need to step out for a moment.”

He nodded reluctantly and apologized to me with a regretful expression. There was no need to apologize. The days when he used work as an excuse to avoid seeing me now felt like a distant dream.

“Then I’ll move and organize our things here. Don’t worry about it and go.”

“Don’t overdo it.”

By now, it had become a habit for him to leave a light kiss on my cheek before disappearing. Even though the butler was like family, I thought it might be better to caution him against public displays of affection. I had no way to stop my face from turning red every time Leopold kissed me.

After calming down a bit, I called for the servants. I sent some to my room and others to Leopold’s to bring our belongings. Since both of us spent a lot of time in our studies, there weren’t many personal items in the bedroom.

After placing a few books and a favorite candlestick on the bedside table and organizing the vanity and bathroom, I began to inspect Leopold’s belongings. His possessions weren’t much different from mine, except for a dagger and a small brown medicine bottle.

A small medicine bottle… Had there been such a small bottle? Or was it something the academy had started producing without my knowledge? No, it might not even be a medicine bottle…

“Who brought this bottle?”

I asked the servants helping with the organization, and one of the maids raised her hand to answer.

“It was me, ma’am.”

I gestured for her to come closer and asked a few questions.

“Where was this?”

“It was in the drawer of the duke’s bedside table.”

If she had opened the drawer to take it, it wasn’t even locked.

“It wasn’t hidden or anything?”

“No. It was right there as soon as you opened the drawer.”

My curiosity grew.

The bottle was about two finger joints in length. No matter how closely I examined it, it was definitely not something officially produced by the academy. I held the bottle tightly and twisted the cork stopper open. A sweet scent immediately hit my nose, but it couldn’t completely mask the underlying fishy herbal smell.

Tilting my head at the unfamiliar scent, I poured the contents into my hand. It had a texture similar to water but felt slightly heavier, a pale brown liquid trickling down my palm.

Surely, this wasn’t the first time I’d seen this liquid…

But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t recall it. If it were a deadly substance, it would have some noticeable characteristics like being colorless or odorless, but it seemed just like an ordinary potion, which was even more frustrating.

Why would Leopold have something like this? He said he was fully recovered. Could he still be hiding something from me…?

However, I had no information about this liquid to make any conclusions. Finally deciding to taste a little, I brought my hand closer to my mouth.

“Hazel! Wait!”

Before I knew it, Leopold appeared, rushing over with a look of dismay on his face, and grabbed my hand.