“Goodness!”

Matilda let out a small gasp as she carried in freshly baked snacks, startled by a rustling sound at her feet. Expecting a mouse, she looked down only to find a sheet of paper.

“Matilda, did I scare you? I left the window open, and the wind must’ve blown it over,” Astrid said, flashing an awkward smile from where she sat on the floor, poring over documents.

Her hair, tied haphazardly, had grown longer, and her appearance was far from what one would expect of a duchess. It was questionable whether she had even bathed properly. Matilda couldn’t help but sigh as she watched Astrid wave at her with a sheepish grin.

It was the third day.

The chaos of cleanup and interrogations had occupied the first two days, but now that things had settled, Caleb still hadn’t sought out Astrid. Confined to her room as per his orders, Astrid initially showed signs of restlessness but soon turned her quarters into a makeshift office.

Edith, running errands nonstop to fetch books from the library or documents from the study, barely had a moment to rest. Astrid tackled everything from her room, revising the budget for restoration and drafting plans to support the people. She worked tirelessly, burning the midnight oil to write reports.

These reports were promptly sent to Elkan, with whom Astrid exchanged multiple letters daily, discussing recovery strategies for the village.

“Is Caleb okay? He’s not hurt, right?”

That was her first and last question about him. Once reassured of his well-being, she buried herself in work.

Matilda initially pitied Astrid’s confinement but eventually began to wonder if Caleb had locked her away just to make her work.

“Do you think His Grace was really angry, or did he just want her to get things done? Lady Astrid doesn’t seem the least bit bothered. In fact, she looks like she’s enjoying herself,” Edith mused.

Matilda chided Edith for speaking out of turn but secretly agreed. Caleb might have been furious about the danger Astrid had faced, but keeping her locked up seemed futile. She wished she could tell him as much.

Anyone seeing Astrid munching on freshly baked cookies while engrossed in documents wouldn’t believe she was under house arrest.

“Honestly, what did the grand duchess even do wrong? She warned everyone about the rain, rushed to help the refugees, and saved that child,” Edith continued, frustrated.

“Enough, Edith,” Matilda interjected.

“But Sir Kyle said Her Grace only stepped in when the child was in real danger. She’s not someone who acts recklessly. Caleb’s being too harsh.”

Edith’s sentiments were shared by many. The townspeople praised Astrid’s quick thinking, courage, and kindness. Even those within the castle admired her.

She’s not entirely wrong, Matilda thought. But she doesn’t see the whole picture.

For Caleb, Astrid’s safety came above all else.

That dawn, after inspecting the refugee camp, Caleb’s first concern had been Astrid. He hadn’t said a word, but Matilda quickly realized who he was searching for.

“Her Grace isn’t here right now.”

“What do you mean, she’s not here? What’s going on?”

“Well… she went with Kyle. Just to a house five minutes away. A child went missing, and…”

Matilda could never forget the expression on Caleb’s face at that moment. He muttered a harsh curse and stormed out of the tent immediately. He returned later, having rescued the child, Kyle, and Astrid safely.

No one spoke of the former grand duchess, who had lost her life to monsters, but Matilda knew. Caleb carried a deep sense of guilt for failing to save her.

She was immensely relieved that Astrid returned unharmed. Her safety had become a matter of paramount importance—not only for herself but also for the people of Cliff and, above all, for Caleb.

They care for each other so deeply… Matilda thought sorrowfully. She couldn’t understand why they had to remain apart.

***

Treatment for the injured and village reconstruction proceeded faster and more smoothly than expected. Elkan credited Astrid entirely.

“It’s no exaggeration. As soon as she heard the news, Lady Astrid rushed to the scene. Imagine the comfort it brought the people of Cliff, knowing their lady stood by them in the rain. Even the speed of the recovery efforts is thanks to her. Alone, I wouldn’t have managed it. So…”

“So, what?”

If left unchecked, Elkan seemed ready to compose an entire ballad praising Astrid, complete with verses and choruses. Caleb scowled and tossed his documents aside, causing Elkan to step back cautiously.

“What? Feeling like you haven’t been beaten enough lately?” Caleb growled.

“Your Grace.”

“What now?”

“You don’t have time to waste.”

“…”

“I’m just saying, don’t regret spending your time unwisely. That’s all I want to convey.”

Caleb exhaled a long sigh, rubbing his tired face with both hands. He had heard the same thing countless times. Cradoc in the kitchen, his men at the training grounds, even passing maids muttered updates about Astrid for him to overhear.

At this point, it felt like the entire Cliff Castle was pushing him toward her—urging him to go, and to do so quickly.

***

Caleb stood in front of Astrid’s closed door, uncharacteristically hesitant. He wasn’t sure what face to show her.

The day a fire broke out in the nearest village, Astrid had rushed to the scene without a second thought.

Her fearlessness is the problem, he mused.

Still, he had to admit that without her swift actions, the villagers would have spent a freezing night out in the cold. He vividly remembered her small, makeup-free face, hurriedly running toward danger. The sight had taken his breath away.

He still couldn’t quite define the emotion that gripped him then. But when she disappeared from his sight, he realized one thing:

Astrid had become someone he could never afford to lose—someone he had to protect.

That was why he hadn’t come to see her sooner. He had confined her without any fault of her own. What could he possibly say now? The thought of facing her piercing blue eyes gave him pause.

But he couldn’t delay any longer.

“…Damn it.”

Elkan was right—time wasn’t on his side.

Crash!

A loud noise from inside the room startled Caleb. He burst through the door, moving like lightning.

“Astrid!”

“Ugh…”

The first thing that met Caleb’s eyes was a pair of smooth, bare legs, clad only in a short undergarment and an overturned slip.

“You really never cease to amaze,” Caleb muttered with a disapproving click of his tongue. The upside-down view shifted as he set Astrid upright.

“Ha… ha. Good morning, Your Grace,” Astrid greeted awkwardly.

“It’s afternoon.”

Caleb’s cold gaze bore down on her, arms crossed. As soon as their eyes met, Astrid’s shoulders slumped, realizing she had made a mistake. Still, her stubborn streak won out.

“Well, I’m fine, really—”

Ignoring her protests, Caleb effortlessly lifted her off the ground. Astrid gasped in surprise, kicking her legs in the air, but Caleb paid her no mind as he carried her across the room.

He stopped in front of a cluttered table, piled with documents, desserts, and drinks.

“…Seriously?”

Caleb let out a loud sigh, clearly meant to be heard, and Astrid’s face flushed hot. It wasn’t just the chaotic state of the table—there was also her bare face without makeup, her disheveled hair, and her stocking-clad feet, bare of even slippers.

She regretted everything as she imagined how she must look to him.

‘So embarrassing… I should’ve at least done something with my hair when Edith offered.’

Suddenly conscious of her feet showing through her sheer stockings, Astrid wiggled her toes nervously. The stockings were laddered and even had a hole in them, adding to her mortification.

‘He must think I’m a mess.’

She wished she could explain. “It’s not like this all the time—just proof of two grueling days of work,” she wanted to say. But Caleb didn’t seem interested in hearing any excuses.

His furrowed brow made her swallow her words.

Balancing her with one arm, Caleb began pushing aside the scattered papers and dishes with his free hand. He managed to clear a small space, just big enough for her to sit. With deliberate care, he set her down.

“Why… why here?” she asked, flustered.

Caleb’s gaze fixed on her ankle. Feeling self-conscious, Astrid tried to get up.

Before she could, Caleb suddenly grabbed her ankle in a firm grip, as if blocking her escape. She gasped in protest.

“Why are you—ah!”

He pressed on her ankle, and a sharp cry escaped her lips. Caleb’s eyebrows shot up.

“You’ve sprained it,” he said flatly.

“What? No, I just tripped over some papers.”

“Oh? Then go ahead—put your weight on it,” Caleb shrugged, releasing her ankle.

Annoyed, Astrid lowered her foot under the table, pretending it was fine. But as soon as her toes touched the floor, a sharp pain shot up her leg.

“…Ow.”

Caleb called out to the doorway. “Matilda, bring some bandages.”

No, no, no! Astrid didn’t want Caleb tending to her ankle. She worried that the dirt from walking around barefoot might have stained her feet. But there was no way she could tell him that.

“I-I can do it myself—”

Caleb’s eyebrows twitched at her meek protest.

“You really are different from other ladies,” he mused. “I didn’t notice at first, but the more I see…”

“…?”

“You’re quite the little rebel, aren’t you, my grand duchess?”

Astrid’s cheeks flushed at the sudden, unfamiliar title. Caleb smirked, noticing the pink tinge in her face, though Astrid kept her head down and didn’t see it.

Caleb himself hadn’t realized it, but the tension he carried when he first entered the room had already dissipated.

Just then, Matilda returned, breaking the moment.

“Here are the bandages, Lord Caleb. Is Lady Astrid badly hurt?”

“She’s sprained her ankle. It’s minor but needs attention. I’ll handle it.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Once Matilda left, Caleb dragged a chair over and sat across from Astrid. He lifted her leg onto his knee with ease.

“I-I can do it…” she started to say.

“Oh, really? Learned how to wrap bandages too? That’s not something you pick up from a book. Fighting monsters teaches you more than just swordplay. Trust me, I’m better than most medics.”

“…Fine.”

Reluctantly, she nodded, and Caleb’s eyes softened with a hint of amusement.

Thump-thump.

Astrid’s heart pounded wildly as Caleb’s cool expression relaxed into a faint smile. Once she became aware of it, she couldn’t stop thinking about her bare foot resting on his knee, her disheveled appearance, and her unkempt face after days of hard work.

“Wha-what are you…?”

Her eyes widened when Caleb slipped his fingers under the band of her stocking and smoothly pulled it down.

“…!”

The silk slid off and fell to the floor like a discarded snakeskin.

“Why the stocking…?” she stammered.