When Dearlin returned to the bedroom after speaking to Katrin, he found that Rian had fallen asleep.

The book he had been reading was still resting on his chest.

Although he had continued to act as though he was fine, seeing him like this made his injuries seem much more serious.

Dearlin quietly sat down in the chair beside the bed and gazed at the sleeping Rian.

Slowly and hesitantly, she reached out and brushed her fingertips against his eyelid.

The instant she touched him, his brows furrowed, even in his sleep.

Startled by the possibility that she might have woken him, Dearlin froze immediately, carefully watching his reaction.

Fortunately, he did not wake up.

After a moment, the crease between his brows gradually softened once more.

“I wish you would be just a little kinder to me…”

She murmured the words softly, her voice carrying an almost self-mocking bitterness.

She could never have brought herself to say it while Rian was awake; that was why she could only whisper it now, while he slept, unaware.

Dearlin carefully straightened the disheveled blanket and gently pulled it back over Rian.

She then draped a shawl over her shoulders and quietly left the bedroom.

Rian was buried under an overwhelming mountain of work every day, so allowing him to rest in peace at moments like this was the only thing she could do for him.

‘Where should I go?’

Now that she had given her bedroom—the only sanctuary she had within the ducal estate—to Rian, she no longer had anywhere that truly felt like her own.

“Madam.”

Since the weather was nice, Dearlin had decided to step outside for a walk for the first time in a while when she ran into Simon.

“Are you heading out?”

Considering Dearlin spent most of her time locked inside her bedroom, it was a perfectly understandable question.

“No, Simon. I simply came out for a walk.”

“Ah, I see…”

“If you happen to be looking for Rian, he’s sleeping in my bedroom right now. He doesn’t seem fully recovered yet, so I didn’t wake him. It would probably be best to let him rest a little longer.”

“Understood, Madam.”

After telling Simon where she was going, Dearlin wrapped her shawl more tightly around her and stepped outside the estate.

In the Empire, autumn was the shortest season of all.

Although it felt as though autumn had only just begun, winter was already approaching.

Fortunately, today’s weather was unusually mild compared to recent days. Although she was wearing only a moderately thick dress with a thin shawl draped over her shoulders, it was not cold enough to keep her indoors.

In truth, Dearlin did not dislike the chill that seeped deep into her body whenever the wind brushed past her.

Alone, she wandered through the gardens of the ducal estate.

Without Hazel or Tessa lingering nearby and making her uneasy, she was able to walk far more freely than usual.

Although it was no longer the season for flowers to be in full bloom, the gardens were still full of blossom, most likely thanks to the estate’s hardworking gardeners.

Thinking that she would not see flowers like these again for several months once winter properly set in, Dearlin slowly wandered forward, taking in the scenery around her.

Then, without warning, she stopped and looked up at the second-floor window of her bedroom.

The curtains had been left open, revealing the clear glass.

She stood there for a moment, staring at it, wondering if she might catch sight of the bed beside the window.

Of course, she could not see that far inside.

‘Of course I can’t.’

Letting out a small laugh, Dearlin resumed the steps she had paused.

Before she knew it, she had spent a considerable amount of time wandering around the garden — much longer than someone who normally disliked walking would.

As time passed, the wind brushing against her body gradually became colder.

It was almost dinnertime, and Rian had probably woken up by now.

Deciding it was time to return to the bedroom, she turned around.

“…Rian?”

Rian was standing only a short distance away.

She had not heard anyone approaching at all.

Blinking twice in surprise, Dearlin stared at him, unable to tell how long he had been standing behind her.

“It’s cold outside.”

Another chilly gust of wind blew past.

Looking at the thin shawl draped over Dearlin’s shoulders, Rian frowned. This time, instead of scolding her, he placed the cape he had been carrying over her shoulders.

It was lined with soft, warm fur and she quickly began to warm up again.

“…Thank you.”

Dearlin gently touched the cape Rian had absentmindedly draped over her as she spoke softly.

‘Does he keep forgetting he’s the one with a gunshot wound?’

He had been told not to move around, so when exactly had he even come outside?

“Let’s go back in.”

“……”

“Come eat dinner with me.”

Rian suddenly took hold of Dearlin’s hand.

Although she had intended to follow him, she still felt awkward and self-conscious in this unfamiliar situation.

Nevertheless, she did not pull her hand away.

***

Rian woke up when he felt Dearlin sit down beside him and touch his eyelid.

He clearly remembered Dearlin leaving the bedroom after insisting on meeting Katrin. He thought he had continued reading his book afterwards.

At some point, however, sleep must have overtaken him.

Rian had always been exceptionally sensitive by nature. Although Dearlin likely believed she was touching him gently, the moment her hand brushed against his face, every trace of drowsiness vanished instantly.

Yet instead of opening his eyes right away, he found himself wondering when the least awkward moment would be to admit that he had been awake the entire time.

Then he heard Dearlin’s voice.

“I wish you would be just a little kinder to me…”

Yet even as she spoke, there was not the slightest hint of expectation in her voice.

It sounded as though she already knew it could never be realized.

Pretending to remain asleep, Rian listened to her words.

He could not even begin to describe what it felt like.

Somewhere inside him — whether it was the wound in his abdomen or something deeper in his heart — a painful ache throbbed.

Ultimately, he decided that he could no longer keep up the pretense. He was just about to open his eyes when he heard Dearlin quietly leave the bedroom.

By the time the sound of her heels had faded away, Rian had already pushed himself up into a sitting position.

Not long afterwards, while he was staring absently out of the window, he saw Dearlin’s small figure wandering alone through the garden below.

The weather was far from warm, yet she had stepped outside without dressing properly.

It seemed that, when it came to judging her own physical condition objectively, Dearlin was no better than he was.

“My apologies, Your Grace. I did not realize you would already be awake.”

At that moment, Simon entered the bedroom and hurriedly lowered his head in surprise.

Rian paid little attention to that part.

“You knew I was asleep?”

“Madam informed me. She even specifically asked that you be allowed to sleep a little longer before being awakened.”

Again, it was Dearlin.

Cain had done the same, and now even Simon.

At some point, Dearlin’s name had started appearing everywhere around him.

“Is it very cold outside?”

“It will probably grow colder once the sun sets. Earlier, I noticed Madam was dressed rather lightly. Shall I go bring her back?”

“No. I’ll go myself.”

After taking the cape draped over the chair Dearlin usually sat in, Rian started walking.

“Prepare dinner as well. I’ll be dining with Dearlin tonight.”

“Understood, Your Grace.”

Only after giving those instructions did Rian head towards the garden where Dearlin had gone.

As Simon had warned, the air was growing colder as the sun set in the late afternoon.

And yet she had gone outside for a walk dressed like that…

Letting out a quiet sigh of frustration, Rian walked along the garden paths. But before long, his steps gradually slowed.

Dearlin’s small figure, which had once seemed far away, was now close enough for him to see clearly.

Her black hair fluttered softly in the breeze and the hem of her dress swayed with it.

Surrounded by a garden overflowing with flowers, she looked as though she belonged there naturally.

Rian silenced his footsteps before stopping altogether to quietly watch her from behind.

When she lifted a hand to smooth back her windblown hair, the slender wrist beneath her sleeve appeared pale and delicate.

How long had it been since he last saw Dearlin wandering through the garden like this?

When they were children, it had once been a familiar sight.

Whenever the weather was warm and pleasant, his mother would take her out for walks around the estate.

Whenever he heard that she had arrived at the ducal residence, he would rush through his academy assignments before hurrying into the garden.

And she was always there.

She would greet him with a smile brighter than the blooming flowers around her.

Yet, five years later, Dearlin had changed so much that she seemed like a different person entirely.

But…

Lately, however, she had begun to resemble the girl he had known as a child.

The Dearlin who used to tell endless lies had disappeared without a trace.

“…Rian?”

When he heard his name, Rian slowly closed his eyes and then opened them again.

Dearlin had already turned around and was staring directly at him.

The surprise on her face was unmistakable. Another cold gust of wind swept through the garden and her body trembled faintly from the chill.

Without a word, Rian took off the cape he had brought with him and put it around her shoulders.

Then he took her hand and led her gently back towards the estate.

He held her hand simply because he wanted to.

The moment he saw her standing there, all the thoughts that had been tormenting him for so long disappeared as though they had never existed.

He wanted to believe that her concern for him — the way she cared for and worried about him — was sincere.

If Dearlin had truly changed, then perhaps he could finally put the past behind him.

With her hand resting in his, Rian allowed himself to hope that she was no longer the same woman she used to be.