Chapter 23 – At the Start of Winter (Part 1)

The bitter winter arrived, a time when life could not bloom from the earth.

However, the Astina Estate, where Ria resided, was filled with warmth, as if the seasons had no effect there. The previously subdued atmosphere of the estate quickly regained its vitality.

Despite having been bedridden for a month, Ria was soon able to move around as if nothing had happened. This was thanks to the power of Elpis, referred to as divine energy.

While this power could heal diseases for others, it strangely only worked for Ria to restore her stamina and purify dark magic. Nonetheless, those who remembered their helplessness during Ria’s past crises were grateful even for this.

Thanks to this, Ria regained her original health.

To be more precise, she returned to the healthiest state she had ever been in since coming to this world.

Before crossing over to this world, her body had been severely damaged, and her soul had been on the verge of fading. Crossing dimensions in such a state had taken a toll on her, so she could not improve beyond this point.

Even Elpis admitted that there was nothing more he could do, declaring that this was the healthiest state she could achieve.

Rune, who had brought Ria here, was initially shocked by this diagnosis. However, he quickly composed himself, knowing that he would have made the same decision even if he could go back. The three men who understood that this was the only way to save Ria did not criticize him for it.

From then on, all the medicines Ria had been taking were discontinued.

Elpis explained that no matter how many medicinal herbs she consumed, her condition would not improve beyond this point. Overuse of such herbs could even become toxic. He recommended that she only take a few essential supplements when necessary.

Ria’s face instinctively brightened at the thought of not having to take the bitter medicines anymore, though she quickly adjusted her expression. The four men, who didn’t miss this moment, smiled softly at her reaction—a secret she remained unaware of.

“Miss, a letter has arrived.”

While the men were away at the imperial palace, Ria was enjoying a light tea time in the greenhouse with Tessia when the head butler approached with a bundle of letters.

The letters were from Letban, who had temporarily gone to the north in place of Knox; Serena, who was busy with trade after successfully opening a deal with the northern region; and Katrina, who was freely enjoying her personal time now that the social season had ended.

Ria read through their letters one by one. When she reached the last sentence of Katrina’s letter, she blinked in surprise.

[After much thought, I figured you’d be curious, Ria. I checked to ensure there was no magic or foul play involved and confirmed it was safe, but I didn’t read the contents.]

Tilting her head, Ria flipped the letter over, but that was the end of Katrina’s message. She blinked a few more times before picking up the envelope that had contained the letter.

She then noticed an unusual thickness. Although she hadn’t paid attention to it initially, upon closer inspection, she realized there was another envelope discreetly attached inside.

Carefully, Ria separated the envelopes with a paper knife and took out the letter. As she read its contents, her eyes widened.

The letter was from Exie.

[After much deliberation, I’ve picked up the pen. I’ll probably keep second-guessing myself until this letter leaves my hands and reaches you. But I didn’t want to pretend as though nothing happened.]

The letter began with an apology for what had happened that day, filling an entire page. Ria silently read through the rest of the letter carefully.

[I remember being controlled by that strange force and coming to see you. I also remember intentionally spilling hot tea on myself in a brief moment of clarity, trying to snap out of it—but failing.]

Ria finally understood why Exie had repeatedly reached for the teacup and eventually tipped it over. Even in that situation, she had been trying her best.

[Thank you for sparing my life despite what happened. Thank you for purifying that strange force. I owe you a debt I can never repay.

That’s why I thought… not contacting you might be a small way to repay that debt. Even now, I still think so. But I also thought you might worry about me. Because that’s the kind of person you are.

I’m living the most comfortable days of my life right now. Some might point fingers at me, saying, “How can she live so well after doing such things and sending her father to the labor camp?” I have no intention of entertaining the ignorance of such people, but sometimes, I wonder the same. Do I deserve to live so comfortably?

But I’ve decided to live boldly.

I feel deeply sorry for revealing these feelings to you, but now that I’ve gained my freedom, I see this as my last chance. I want to live well, doing the things I couldn’t before.]

I hope you, too, are doing well.

After reading the final sentence, Ria folded the letter.

As Katrina had suggested, she had been somewhat worried. After all, Exie was another victim of this incident. Ria had thought that if it weren’t for her, Exie wouldn’t have had to endure such a harrowing experience.

For this reason, she was grateful for the letter.

Through Elpis, Ria had heard that Exie had been spared under the condition that she would never return to the capital or show herself again. Ria could imagine how much courage it must have taken Exie to send this letter, knowing that revealing its existence could put her life at risk again.

Ria held onto the letter for a long time before finally letting it go.

By the time the letter left her hands, it had found its final resting place in the blazing fireplace of one of the estate’s reception rooms. This was Ria’s way of honoring Exie’s courage and deliberation.

***

“A trip?”

“Yes. The southern region stays warm and mild even in winter, so it won’t be cold. The sea is right there, and it’s famous for its fresh seafood.”

“The sea…”

Ria murmured absentmindedly, pausing her movements with the fork and knife in her hands. The sea.

Back in Korea, she had loved the sea so much that she often wanted to visit it whenever she felt stifled. But since coming to this world, it hadn’t even crossed her mind. She hadn’t even known it existed here.

“Is it okay for us to go? Aren’t you busy?”

“It’s fine. Marquis Verdnandi is in the capital, so the meetings will proceed smoothly. As for the tasks we need to handle, our aides can use teleportation magic to bring them to us.”

Eden, who had cut her meat into bite-sized pieces and placed them on her plate, continued to persuade her gently.

Knowing how she tended to hold back whenever she felt like she was inconveniencing others, he had prepared his arguments thoroughly. Whatever reason she might give, he was ready with a response.

They were determined to make this trip happen.

Ria had barely gone out in the three seasons that had passed. Of course, part of this was due to the danger posed by the temple. But that danger was now gone. There was no longer any reason for her to stay confined indoors. From their perspective, there was no justification for preventing her from going out.

Thus, they immediately began planning the trip.

They hoped that granting her some freedom before she grew tired of them might reduce her desire to escape them altogether. It was a cunning compromise born of their growing possessiveness.

“…Alright, let’s go.”

To their surprise, Ria agreed readily.

Their chatter, which had been filled with preparations for this and that, abruptly stopped. Their blinking eyes revealed their confusion.

“I want to see the ocean.”

With just one sentence from Ria, preparations for the trip began immediately.

The preparations didn’t take long. They had already been pre-arranging everything at a villa in the south, anticipating that they might somehow persuade Ria to go on this trip.

The southern villa they had purchased was situated between a barony and an earldom, land that Cherta had previously transferred to Ria’s name. Specifically, they had bought the land because they liked the beach between the two territories and had built the villa there, imagining a time when they could visit together.

The villa’s size was relatively modest—at least by their standards. It wasn’t difficult to construct something as grand as a palace or a mansion. However, they kept it small for two reasons: first, they thought Ria might worry about their finances if the villa were too large. Second, a larger villa would require a permanent staff for maintenance, which they wanted to avoid.

The second reason was infused with a bit—no, a lot—of selfish intent. They didn’t want Ria to feel self-conscious around servants or to distance herself from them during the trip. For them, it didn’t matter whether there were servants or not.

In any case, the villa, built to their “minimal” standards, was designed so that permanent staff weren’t necessary. During their stay, they prohibited any servants from entering the villa. Supplies were delivered every three days in the early morning, and cleaning or changing the bedding was done by staff waiting at nearby quarters, who would only enter when called.

Though the staff’s workload became more intense, the increased pay made it worthwhile for them. In fact, many appreciated not having to find work unless summoned.

Thus, the villa was perfectly prepared to welcome its owners. Or so they thought.

“……”

“……”

The servants, lined up in front of the villa to greet their masters, found themselves face-to-face with knights who had accompanied them as escorts.

“Ahem. Um, greetings won’t be necessary.”

“……”

Diharn, standing at the forefront of the knights, awkwardly cleared his throat and spoke. Behind them, a large carriage that had stopped some time ago creaked noisily.