The paper was neatly folded at both ends toward the center, with the Lawrence family crest seal still intact and slightly raised above the surface.

After taking a deep breath for no particular reason, I carefully unfolded the edges of the paper.

“To Count Soltanir,

I urgently request the dispatch of reserve forces. The reason is the search for my wife, Hazel Lawrence. She disappeared on the road to D’Agnon. Time is of the essence, so I ask for your swift cooperation.

Sincerely, Leopold Lawrence.”

The content was concise and direct, except for a few peculiar details.

‘When I was young, my mother was so frightening that I felt I couldn’t make even the slightest mistake and always had to be perfect. Naturally, I became sensitive to etiquette.’

While staying in D’Agnon, Leopold had continuously apologized to me for past wrongs and shared fragments of his childhood memories. One of those was about etiquette, and according to him, this letter could only be described as abrupt.

There was no greeting, and although it included “please,” it read entirely like a command. Regardless of how close the two might have been, I could only admire Count Soltanir’s generosity for sending troops upon seeing this. At the same time, I understood Serena’s description of it as a hastily written letter.

Another point that struck me as odd was the phrase “on the road to D’Agnon.”

I understood that he knew my final destination through Emily, but his actions puzzled me.

Leopold seemed to have been following me from Fojetta. The fact that he found the handkerchief was proof of that. Then he got caught up in the affairs of the principality.

I couldn’t erase the question marks. Why was he following me? Was he perhaps worried about me reaching my destination safely…? I wondered if guilt alone could drive such actions.

Pacing by the window, I tried several times to gauge the feelings hidden behind his words. Then I suddenly noticed something strange. Only my name, Hazel Lawrence, was written in a particularly bold and neat script.

‘I like your name. Both saying it and writing it. I want to cherish it. Goodnight, Hazel.’

It was one night when he said he’d go to bed first. That day, his casual confession had made my heart flutter, keeping me awake. The moment was still vivid and hard to forget. When did you start feeling that way? The past when he pleaded for me to call his name even once seemed like a lie.

I stared intently at the letter. Useless hope kept welling up inside me. He had left, and I had decided to bury him in my memories. What was the point now in wondering if Leopold might have felt something other than guilt…?

The words on the paper slowly began to blur. Afraid that his traces would completely disappear, I hurriedly wiped my face. However, once the tears started, they were hard to stop. Eventually, I sat down, buried my head in my knees, and sobbed for a long time.

I missed Leopold so much.

***

“Well, this should be enough to get through the winter. You’ve worked really hard, healer!”

Alisa tied the last sack tightly and wiped the sweat from her forehead with a satisfied expression. I straightened up, patting my back.

“I didn’t expect it to be this tough. From now on, I’ll eat potatoes with much more gratitude.”

Although I meant it sincerely, she laughed cheerfully as if it sounded like a joke.

“Thanks to you, healer, we finished faster than any other year. Did you hear the elders praising you? They said we could harvest a hundred more sacks, and I’ve never heard anything like that in my life.”

She shook her head, but it was clear she was very pleased with the plentiful stockpile. I felt proud too, and smiled as I spoke.

“I’m glad I could help. I’ve been indebted to you all.”

“Indebted? No one thinks that way, so don’t say such things! Oh, I left the newspaper on the mantel, so take a look if you want, and I’ll be off to visit Mrs. Helena! She made a huge pot of stew and said she’d share it.”

After thoughtfully checking on me, she busily moved around, pulling out a few empty pots. She chose one of an appropriate size, tucked it under her arm, and with a spirited voice promised to be right back before disappearing.

A gentle calm soon settled in. Needing a bit of rest, I made myself comfortable on the sofa. The logs in the fireplace crackled warmly as they burned.

Thankfully, it had been a stretch of endlessly busy days.

The rural village had more work than I had anticipated. Besides the small household chores, I also helped with farming, leaving little time to rest. I had volunteered to help to keep my mind from wandering, and in hindsight, it was a wise choice. Each day was so exhausting that I fell asleep utterly worn out.

I visited the Soltanir estate weekly, spending a night there. Although the number of patients coming to the monastery gradually decreased, it wasn’t completely cut off, making it difficult to ignore.

Serena accompanied me each time I returned to D’Agnon, and during her visits, she completed all the illustrations needed for the potion guide. Thanks to her, the work was finished more smoothly than expected.

‘It’s because I’m grateful for the dedication and sacrifice you’ve shown to the Soltanir estate.’

She spoke as if repaying a debt, but she genuinely seemed to enjoy leaving the estate.

Regardless of the reason, I knew it wasn’t easy for a noble lady raised in comfort to travel to a humble rural village and endure the inconveniences. So, I was the one who was truly grateful.

I hadn’t found any leads to cure my mother’s leg, but everything else was unbelievably peaceful, and time passed quickly.

November in the south was much warmer than the winters at the Lawrence estate. They said it didn’t snow here, a stark contrast to the Lawrence estate, where snow began to pile up around this time, making it difficult to walk. The scenery and the people were entirely different.

‘Has Leopold not returned yet?’

‘No, ma’am. It will probably take a few more days. Please don’t wait up and go to bed first.’

The first winter I spent with the Lawrence family after getting married was more desolate than I had imagined. My mother-in-law found the estate’s winter too cold and spent half the year, including winter, at the capital’s residence. Leopold frequently disappeared from the estate. The issue was that no one properly explained to me why he disappeared.

Peter explained that Leopold left quietly because he didn’t want to disturb my research, but it was hard to hide my disappointment.

Eventually, after persistent questioning, I learned that his absence was to resolve issues deep in the White Forest, located further north than the estate.

‘The Duke kept it quiet, fearing you would worry if he got hurt, ma’am.’

‘Is that supposed to be an excuse? I’m a healer. I’d worry, but injuries can be treated. Why didn’t anyone tell me properly…?’

Peter seemed surprised by my outburst for the first time but soon regained his composure and said,

‘Of course, the Duke will never get hurt, and as long as he’s there, the knights are safe. The Duke wishes for you not to concern yourself with this matter.’

There was nothing more to say. He was refusing me.

That kind of winter repeated every year. Technically, it was something he had been doing even before we got married, and it was to protect the lives and property of the estate’s people, so I wasn’t in a position to complain.

Even though we weren’t close, the estate felt particularly lonely and desolate without Leopold. Spending the whole winter feeling like I was embracing all the world’s solitude often left me overwhelmingly lethargic. But at least here in D’Agnon, I could spend a different kind of winter…

I tried to ignore the loneliness that hit my chest and began to flip through the newspaper Alisa had brought me.

The newspaper was one of the warm gestures from Emily and Alisa, the sisters.

‘What’s with the newspaper?’

I hadn’t asked for it, but one day Alisa suddenly handed me a newspaper. Surprised and pleased, I asked, and she replied proudly,

‘My sister told me. She said you like reading newspapers! So I asked Mr. John to help.’

Apparently, Emily wrote about me in her monthly letters, and after that, Alisa started bringing me the newspaper through Mr. John.

The newspaper was published weekly, ranging from a dozen pages to just a couple. It contained various stories, from rumors circulating in the capital to events happening within the empire. Most of it was unnecessary information, but occasionally there was something useful. For instance, it mentioned that the academy teachers were growing frustrated because my mentor hadn’t returned from abroad for months. It explained why the response to my letters was delayed.

I was reading through it a bit bored, finding nothing particularly noteworthy, when a very short article at the bottom corner of the last page caught my eye.

“The Lawrence Family’s Dilemma.

The annual raids by the Ice Land natives have begun once again this year. The estate’s people are pleading for the complete eradication of the Ice Land.

One of the Duke’s knights explained, ‘The Ice Land is outside the estate, and its terrain is rugged, making eradication difficult,’ adding that ‘even the Duke will find it challenging.’

While the scale is not well-known, it is a widely acknowledged fact that the Ice Land natives cause considerable damage to the Lawrence estate.

The estate’s people unanimously agree that the lord’s wise decision is especially crucial now that the harvest is over. All eyes are on the Duke of Lawrence, known for not dismissing the voices within his estate.”