“What are you saying, Eva? I’m already grateful that you brought the laundry all the way here.”

Jane took the laundry from Eva and Hannah’s hands and tried to dissuade Eva from entering.

“Please go inside. This work is not for someone like you, Eva.”

“No, Jane. I’ve been sitting for days, making my body feel heavy, and with more people in the castle, the workload has increased. I can’t feel at ease letting just under ten people handle all this laundry.”

“Then I’ll help too.”

“Let’s help together. Look, that washtub over there is empty. Could we two stomp on the laundry in that one, Jane?”

“Even you, Eva……”

This would have been unthinkable if Eva had been an ordinary empress, but she often lent a hand to the maids when they had a lot of work. Before marriage, she was a noble lady, and after marriage, she became the empress—far removed from such tasks—but she was quite skillful, and when she rolled up her sleeves, she proved to be a greater help than expected.

“Then…… I’ll ask you to help with just that one blanket in the washtub, Eva.”

“I’ll do that, Jane.”

Eva pulled her flowing dress hem forward, holding it in her arms and revealing her snow-white calves.

“Eva, be careful not to slip.”

“Be careful coming in too.”

Taking Hannah’s hand, Eva stepped into the washtub and, while stomping on the laundry with her, quietly raised her head to look at the sky. It was an exceptionally clear day without a single cloud, and the wind blew at a perfectly pleasant temperature.

Squish, squish. Bubble, bubble.

Standing under the clear sky, holding Hannah’s hand, listening to the sound of bubbles rising from beneath her feet, Eva felt as if she had gone back in time, allowing her to forget her worries for a moment.

“By the way, what are those Blue Wolf soldiers doing over there? If they’re just standing around with nothing to do, I wish they’d come and help us all together.”

At Hannah’s words, Eva turned her gaze toward the castle.

* * *

As Hannah said, on this sunny spring day, the castle maids weren’t the only ones out near the laundry area.

“Hey, stop pushing.”

“You stop pushing.”

Thankfully, commanders and soldiers had been sent in advance to fill the vacant lord position and defend the territory. Otherwise, the laundry area would have been overcrowded with people.

“Hey. Could you be quiet?”

“Yeah, be quiet. The women will all run away at this rate.”

It was understandable. After being clustered together with only gloomy men for years, seeing a gathering of women with their calves exposed, chatting happily, they couldn’t help but flock around, pretending to mind their own business while drooling.

“Finn.”

“What.”

Among those wandering nearby, pretending not to look while eyeing the women, was Finn. Like his lord, Finn wasn’t particularly interested in women, but that didn’t mean he could pass by indifferently when girls his age were gathered and laughing.

“Finn Broin.”

“Ah. What!”

Finn, who had been staring blankly at the laundry area, turned around angrily when someone tapped his shoulder, only to realize it was Divlik and scratched the back of his head.

“Ah. Lord Divlik, you’re out?”

“What is everyone doing here? Even you, Finn.”

“Well…… Haha……”

It would have been ridiculous to admit they were peeping at women, but what made Finn even more startled by Divlik’s appearance was that just before turning his head, his eyes had been fixed on Eva. He could clearly understand why Divlik was so eager to embrace that woman.

Whether it was the good weather today, or the joy of stomping on laundry while holding someone’s hand, how could she smile so brightly despite facing inevitable hardship…… Looking at her quietly, he felt as if he had liked her for a long time, even though he never had.

Having met Divlik’s eyes after thinking this, Finn felt awkward and apologetic, as if he had coveted Eva even though he hadn’t, and his eyes wavered.

“It’s just nice to look at…… Don’t you think? After being stuck with smelly men during the war, seeing women gathered and laughing like that naturally draws the eye…… I’m sorry.”

“No need to apologize. How could a man love, marry, have children, and build a family if he didn’t look at beautiful women?”

Finn flinched again at the word ‘beautiful.’ The only one there who could be described as beautiful was Eva. Most of the maids had chubby cheeks that gave them a cute rather than beautiful appearance.

“Were you looking for me?”

“I told you to find out what was happening, but you didn’t return for over an hour, so I came out curious.”

“Huh! Has it been that long already?”

“So what’s going on?”

“Ah, it seems they’re all gathered to do laundry together because the weather is so nice today.”

Finn kept scratching the back of his head, feeling guilty even though no one had accused him of anything. Meanwhile, Divlik’s gaze remained fixed behind Finn, refusing to look away.

Who is he looking at like that?

Finn followed his gaze toward the laundry area, where Eva was diligently moving back and forth inside the washtub, holding the maid’s hand.

“Hannah, is it manageable?”

“My feet feel ticklish that it’s making me laugh, Eva.”

Seeing Divlik’s burning gaze, Finn recalled something Divlik had once said.

—Once a man has his eyes stolen by a woman……

That expression of having one’s eyes stolen seemed to fit perfectly now.

Divlik was staring at Eva as if enchanted, seemingly forgetting even to blink.

Did he fall for her at first sight?

Finn briefly thought this but soon shook his head.

—Let you die without anyone to help if you fall.

His treatment was too harsh to call it love. In any case, it would make sense if he had fallen for her, but there were too many complications, and Finn shook his head, confused about what was what. While Finn was lost in these thoughts, Divlik’s eyes remained fixed on Eva.

“Eva, that’s enough.”

“That can’t be right. I haven’t even stomped ten times yet.”

Every time Eva moved her feet, soap bubbles escaped from the rich foam, floating in the air with rainbow colors. With the cheerful chattering and someone humming a song, the laundry area seemed like a different world.

A world without any pain or sorrow, filled only with bright, warm smiles.

“Look at this. Even Eva is working so hard, and you—”

“Hmph. I’m working hard too.”

“Don’t scold her too much, Jane. She’s just a young child, only fourteen.”

“How do you know my age, Eva?”

“I know the age and name of everyone who works in this castle, Milly.”

The end was already determined. All he had to do was wait. Perhaps that’s why his anger and hostility toward Eva had disappeared. Eva’s occasional girlish appearance, which contrasted with her usual mature demeanor, gradually erased Divlik’s sharp senses.

The loud laughter and splashing water faded away, and it seemed as if only Eva existed in this world. Her warm smile and voice full of kindness remained, gently stirring Divlik’s heart like flowers swaying in the wind, capturing the attention of passersby without making a sound. Even as he tried to maintain tension, his shoulders relaxed involuntarily.

As he stared blankly at Eva without any tension, completely relaxed, the people and scenery around Eva began to disappear from his vision, making it feel as if only Eva and he remained in this world.

Ah. Yes. Was it like that? Was it all a dream? Was all of it just a terrible, cruel nightmare?

Divlik now felt as if he was losing his sense of reality. He felt a strong urge to approach Eva, wrap his arms around her slender waist, and gently kiss her lips. It seemed like it would be okay. It seemed like Eva would happily open her lips, wrapping her arms around his neck as if she had been waiting.

Just as he took one step toward Eva, as if drunk or enchanted—

“Lord Divlik. Are you alright?”

Finn called his name. Divlik. That name he wouldn’t have heard if everything until now had been a dream.

In that moment, all of Divlik’s blurred senses returned to their place. Divlik immediately recognized where he was standing. A chill he had never felt before rose from the hard ground he stood on, wrapping around his ankles.

This is Frentz Castle in Hael, which is still this cold even though spring has arrived. A dream? That couldn’t be.

Divlik took one step forward, then took two steps back. The moment he blinked, Divlik erased all thoughts that had surfaced in his mind.

“Alright, you ask?”

“No, it’s just……”

“Just……”

“Nothing. I asked because your complexion seemed to darken.”

The way Divlik stepped forward and then retreated two steps back made Finn feel as if Divlik was turning away from the spring that had approached him, trying to return to winter.

As if he couldn’t live in spring, as if he shouldn’t live there.

The war was over. Now Divlik was the master of the Yarden Empire. He could finally relax, yet Divlik still couldn’t loosen his stiffened shoulders. Even as everyone in the castle welcomed spring, Divlik still seemed like a person who remained alone in winter.

“Spring has arrived. Soon flowers will bloom everywhere here, just like in our homeland.”

Finn brought up their homeland, hoping Divlik would welcome spring together, but it was useless.

“Let’s go. I want to take a look at the castle basement today.”

“Yes, Lord Divlik.”

As if refusing to allow himself to soften his heart, Divlik turned around, gritting his teeth. Following behind Divlik, Finn glanced at Eva standing at the laundry area.

Were you acquainted?

For some inexplicable reason, Finn suddenly had that thought. Though no trace of it could be found now, there had been too many emotions readable in Divlik’s eyes as he briefly looked at the deposed empress.