Astrid had been searching for Caleb for an hour.

She asked Matilda, Edith, the gardener, the stable master, and even the knights, including Kyle. But no one knew where he was.

“Why not ask Sir Cradoc? He’s a hide-and-seek master. They say he could always find the commander as a child…”

Before Helman could finish, Astrid sprinted toward the kitchen.

“Sir Cradoc? Is he here?” she gasped, out of breath.

Startled by the sudden arrival of the Grand Duchess, the kitchen staff froze.

“Y-Your Grace…”

Astrid waved them off.

“It’s fine. I just need to see Sir Cradoc. Carry on with your work.”

“I believe he’s in the storage area preparing for the campaign, Your Grace…”

Before the assistant could finish, Astrid dashed off toward the food storage area.

Watching her retreating figure, the assistant muttered, “…She doesn’t know where that is.”

“You fool! You should have guided her!” Brenda scolded, waving a ladle.

The assistant shrugged. “She didn’t exactly give me a chance.”

“True.”

Brenda nodded in agreement. For someone of Caleb’s rank, he was surprisingly informal. And despite being from one of Hestia’s most prestigious families, Astrid was no different. Seeing her run with her skirts gathered, it was clear—they were a well-matched pair.

“How he you manage to bring someone like her here?”

Though she might not perfectly align with the role of a great noblewoman’s mistress, there was something about this new lady of Cliff that appealed to her.

***

“He’s in the attic of the annex?”

“Not in the office, nor the training grounds. And since he hasn’t mentioned going out, he’s probably there.”

“Thank you, Sir Cradoc.”

“Wait a moment, please! Once I’m done dealing with this lump of ham, I’ll escort you myself, Your Grace!”

“No need. I can manage on my own.”

“But that’s a place even the other servants hardly know.”

“…Ah. Don’t worry, Sir. I have the layout of Cliff Castle in my head. The small annex next to the birch grove by the grand banquet hall, right? Specifically, the attic at the very top.”

“Wait, how do you even know that…!”

“Sir Cradoc.”

“…Yes?”
“About the farewell banquet before the campaign—hold it splendidly. Let it be a memory so good that everyone will want to return here again.”

“…Your Grace.”

A surge of emotion swept over Cradoc’s face at that moment. However, Astrid couldn’t spare the time to address it.

“See you at the banquet!”

Leaving the moved Cradoc behind, lost in his feelings, Astrid hurriedly turned away. Finding Caleb was more urgent, though the real reason for her haste was her growing embarrassment.

The people of Cliff had been generous with her. They lavished her with praise for even trivial deeds and expressed gratitude for the smallest acts.

All of it breathed life back into Astrid, making her feel like the young lady of the Bowell family once again.

The people of Cliff, who took her in when she had been alone ever since her father’s death, and Caleb, the master of this place—she had come to cherish them deeply. She couldn’t bear to lose them.

She wanted to do whatever she could to keep Caleb’s heart tethered to hers, even just a little. She felt the urge to seal her claim on him, stamping it loudly, just as Elkan had once told her: 

“This man is mine.”

“Maybe I’ll consider it when you turn twenty.”

Despite his claim that he had no intention of embracing her as his wife, Caleb left a sliver of hope.

At first, she thought those words were a cruel way to toy with her hopes. But now, she felt differently.

Even if it was just that small promise, she wanted to anchor Caleb’s heart to hers. She intended to make him keep that promise—no matter what.

Clenching her fists tightly, Astrid quickened her pace.

***

“Huff, huff…”

Astrid finally arrived at her destination, panting heavily.

She had hurried through the birch grove and climbed the annex’s staircase step by step, sweat pouring from her forehead.

Her mind was singularly focused on seeing Caleb immediately. Acting on that singular thought, she had moved before she even realized it, finding herself standing in front of the attic door.

The space was wrapped in dead silence, as though no one had entered in a long time. Not a single sign of life could be sensed from the annex.

“…Is he really here?”

Though she had been determined to pour her heart out to Caleb as soon as she found him, she hesitated as she reached the door.

“What if he’s not here? Then where should I even start looking…?”

Before she could sort out her whirlwind of thoughts—

Thud!

The door suddenly opened without warning. Standing too close, Astrid’s forehead collided directly with it.

“Ouch!”

Her vision flashed white, and a searing pain shot through her head. Clutching her forehead with both hands, she slumped to the floor.

“Ugh… Ugh…”

Letting out a groan, Astrid buried her face in her arms. Tears welled up in her eyes and dripped onto the hem of her dirt-stained dress.

The dampened dress bore evidence of her hasty trek through the rain-soaked birch grove. As she reached up to wipe the tears from her face—

“…Ah!”

She gasped as a sudden force gripped her wrist and lifted it. Startled, she let out a small cry and raised her head.

Through her blurred vision, she saw a man’s face, frowning deeply.

“What on earth are you doing here in this state?”

It was Caleb, kneeling on one knee to meet her eye level.

“Uh, uh… Well, this is…”

“Don’t move.”

“…What?”

Caleb’s brow furrowed further as he took hold of her other hand. Her hands were now clasped together as though bound.

“…”

Suddenly, Caleb leaned in close, his strikingly handsome face catching Astrid off guard and making her draw a sharp breath. With her hands still bound by his grip, he carefully examined her forehead, which was already swelling and red.

“I-I’m fine…”

What she meant to say was, Please let go of me. Unable to voice her request, Astrid subtly tried to exert strength in her hands.

The distance between them was far too close. With her face drenched in sweat and bruised from the fall, Caleb was staring at her up close. It was utterly mortifying, making her wish she could disappear into the ground. Yet Caleb seemed to have no intention of letting her go.

“Stay still for a moment.”

“But I—”

“If I let go, you’ll just fall and hurt yourself again. Are your eyes even working properly? And your ankle—has it still not healed from the last time you hurt it?”

His tone was half-mocking, but once he said it, the suspicion seemed to carry weight.

Instead of releasing her entirely, Caleb let go of one hand to grasp her ankle. He appeared ready to remove her now-muddy shoe when Astrid hesitated, then spoke up with difficulty.

“Actually…”

Caleb’s hand paused mid-motion.

“What is it? Are you hurt somewhere else?”

Astrid quickly shook her head, panicked by the sudden seriousness on his face. Before Caleb could press further, she hurriedly blurted out the rest of her words in one breath.

“I’m not fine. Not anywhere! I mean, there’s nowhere else I’m hurt, but…”

“But?”

Caleb tilted his head slightly, his expression unreadable. Staring at his impassive face made her feel nervous, but Astrid gathered her courage. She couldn’t delay this any longer.

Though she knew her feelings might go unanswered, she wanted at least a small promise in return.

‘Surely, that’s not too much to ask?’

It might end up burdening him unnecessarily, but Astrid needed something—anything—to help her endure the time without him.

“…I’m not fine. Because of my heart.”

“…Hmm.”

How he interpreted her words was unclear. Caleb’s expression subtly shifted, his features showing traces of anger, awkwardness, or even confusion—like someone who had lost the words to respond.

“Caleb.”

“…”

Instead of replying, Caleb gave her a barely perceptible nod, silently granting her permission to continue.

“My father once told me that people’s hearts aren’t something you can guarantee. They can change at any moment.”

At this, Caleb’s brows furrowed deeply, and Astrid swallowed nervously.

She wasn’t sure if Caleb would accept her second confession. If he dismissed her again, laughing it off like before, she didn’t know how she would handle it.

She hadn’t planned that far ahead. But she also didn’t want to back down without trying.

Astrid had always considered herself a calculated person. Yet life rarely went as planned, a lesson she had painfully learned over the years.

Living without regrets meant seizing the moment when it mattered most. Sometimes, it meant betting everything on today as if tomorrow didn’t exist.

“You… What exactly are you trying to say—”

“I love you.”

“…”

Caleb’s gaze faltered for a brief moment at her second confession, but Astrid, tense and apprehensive, failed to notice it.

“I want to hold your hand, kiss you, and build a family with you. Not as a nominal couple, but as real partners—a true family.”

“…Astrid.”

“I’m taking back what I said before. I won’t waver. I’ll hold onto this feeling and wait for the day you return. If you don’t have anyone else in your heart, then…”

She tried not to, but her voice trembled as she delivered her final words.

Amid the silence, broken only by their breathing, Caleb’s low voice finally emerged.

“…There’s no one.”

“!”

It was a curt, almost brusque statement devoid of explanation. Yet the weight of his words lit up Astrid’s face with a radiant smile.

“Then let it be me.”

“…What?”

“The person who shares your heart and walks through life with you. Let it be me. Promise me that if you return safely, you’ll see me as a woman.”

“…”

“I don’t want to be a mere shell of a grand duchess. I want to be your true wife. Promise me, Caleb.”

Though her voice was bright and her smile unwavering, it was obvious her hands, hidden behind her back, were trembling.

Caleb couldn’t fathom where such passion and courage came from in her small frame.

Her damp, golden locks clung to her forehead, her cheeks flushed a peachy pink from embarrassment, and her slim yet elegant neck all reminded him she was no longer a girl but a woman.

After a long pause, Caleb finally spoke, his voice raspy and low.

“…Pray.”

“What? What did you say, Caleb?”

“Pray that I come back alive. Only then can I keep any promises.”

“Caleb!”

A startled Astrid threw her arms around the man in front of her, overcome with excitement and joy.

“…!”

Their skin made contact, and through the surface, the differing rhythms of their heartbeats were laid bare. Caleb felt the rapid pounding of Astrid’s heart and clenched his teeth, fearing that if he didn’t, reckless words might spill from his lips.

“This promise, you can’t go back on it,” Astrid murmured, her face buried in Caleb’s chest.

“…You’re one to talk.”

“Then let’s seal it with a mark.”

“…!”

In an instant, something soft and warm pressed against his lips. Caleb froze. Astrid’s petal-like lips collided with the only soft part of his otherwise muscle-bound body. It wasn’t a gentle brush—it was a literal impact.

It was her first kiss.

What should have been a tender, cautious moment was instead awkward and rough, more akin to an accidental bump than a kiss. Embarrassed, Astrid’s face flushed as she attempted to pull away. She couldn’t meet Caleb’s gaze, her head bowed. That was when a large hand encircled the back of her neck.

“…Caleb?”

Caught off guard, Astrid looked up at him with her sapphire-blue eyes.

“Shh. Be quiet. Please.”

“….”

The second kiss began.

This time, Caleb took the lead. It was gentle yet fervent, leaving an indelible mark on Astrid, one she knew she would remember forever.

***