“Of course. They are the ones who cultivated this land. Helen has always been a barren terrain. Barbarians cross over from the border, half the seasons are winter, and agriculture is difficult to develop.”

Catherine blinked her eyes with a slightly dazed expression. If she lost focus even a little, she felt she might not be able to follow the conversation.

“Helen developed through the iron mining industry. There are many minerals below. It was the previous duke who discovered and developed that industry.”

Catherine decided to look around the library a bit more. As she walked between the bookshelves, her dress swayed lightly.

Helen’s library had many old books. Books from ancient kingdoms, their chronicles, and so on…… Looking at the library, she felt it.

‘Ruler.’

Helen was a ruler. They had dominance beyond imperial authority. The library packed with books brought from defeated countries was proof of that.

“Are there many libraries like this in Helen?”

“This is the main castle’s library, and there’s another library in the annex. Besides that, there’s also a central library near the central plaza, which is mainly used by the territory’s residents.”

Catherine nodded in surprise. If this is the main castle’s library, there must be several books that aren’t allowed to be taken outside.

“This is a library that only the head of the household and his wife can enter. So outside guests aren’t granted entry permission at all.”

“Is it because there are many valuable books?”

“Yes. From the chronicles of ancient royalty to books from defeated countries, there are many sensitive books that would be problematic if leaked outside. Ah, I can enter freely because I’m His Grace’s chief aide.”

Catherine carefully put back the book she had pulled out. While Brady spoke proudly, there was one essential truth.

Most of the books here are forbidden books. Forbidden books refer to books prohibited from external distribution, meaning they shouldn’t be approached carelessly. Catherine instinctively felt it. She had stepped too deeply into Helen.

‘If I’m just going to keep my place for a year and then leave, how should I show too much presence here.’

Catherine had been reckless. She should kill her presence and just stay quiet.

“Won’t you look around more?”

“I’m tired.”

“Then how about writing a letter to His Grace while resting? His Grace was worried about you. He even asked me to take good care of you since you’d be alone.”

This is her first time hearing such a thing.

“Did you discuss such things with Lorendis?”

“Who wouldn’t be concerned about leaving a new bride at the mansion and heading to the battlefield? He instructed me to take care of the viscountcy as well, worried about your stepmother and family.”

Catherine paused. There had been no such talk until this morning, but it seems he had already given instructions to his aide behind the scenes.

“As of today, we’ve begun the process for the title to go to its rightful owner. The viscountcy originally belonged to you, my lady. It’s just returning to its rightful owner now.”

What was difficult for Catherine seemed easy here, which evoked a strange sense of skepticism. After that, Brady continued to speak contentedly.

“All of this was instructed by His Grace. All the work will be completed within half a year.”

“Thank you.”

“Please write a letter to His Grace. If he receives a letter from you in that remote battlefield, His Grace will be pleased.”

Brady blinked his eyes like a child. His eyes seemed to ask, ‘So what about the letter? Will you write a letter?’ Catherine chuckled.

“Then, I’ll ask for your help.”

“I’ll prepare stationery and an envelope for you.”

Catherine put down the books she was looking at and left the library.

* * *

“The aide asked me to bring stationery and an envelope to you, my lady.”

Nancy brought the stationery and envelope. Catherine spread out the paper and tapped the pen. The stationery was plain white. No pattern, no design. But the paper itself was luxurious.

“It’s made from snow-pine tree. That pen is also made from snow-pine tree.”

“From furniture to everyday necessities, it’s used in various ways.”

Nancy nodded. The pen also had Helen’s symbol, the laurel leaf, clearly embedded in it. When she pressed down the black quill pen, the ink marked clearly. Catherine stroked the plain stationery with her hand and pondered deeply. She needed other decorations to fill this letter.

“Would the snow-pine tree be blooming now?”

“Yes. The buds should be just blooming around this time.”

“Then could you pick a few flowers for me? I want to decorate the stationery.”

Nancy blushed and hurriedly left the bedroom.

First…….

The first line.

She wrote the first words with the quill pen.

[How was your day today.]

Catherine stared quietly at the stationery.

[Are you in good health? I’ve never experienced war firsthand, so I’m worried about you. I’m doing well in Helen. Thanks to the aide taking good care of me, I have no discomfort here. That’s why I’m sending this letter to Lorendis.]

She started with light greetings. Even though it was a contract, she had to live as his wife for a year.

To avoid suspicion from Helen’s vassals and household members, she must faithfully play the role of a wife and fill his vacant position. Catherine wrote the letter smoothly.

[This place is still unfamiliar to me. But I’ll try to fill your absence. With the aide and members of the household here, even if I’m not enough to fill your void, there won’t be any major problems.]

The quill pen moved regularly. Catherine’s neat handwriting was imprinted on the white paper. Her handwriting resembled Catherine herself, delicate. Thin strokes spread across the paper.

[I wish you good fortune.]

Just as Catherine put the final period on the stationery….

“My lady, it’s Nancy.”

“Yes. Come in.”

Nancy sought Catherine while embracing an armful of bright flowers. The subtle flower scent filled the room. Not too strong, not too faint, the gentle fragrance lingered for a long time.

“I’ve brought the snow-pine flowers you asked for. I’ll put them on the table.”

Nancy plucked petals and handed them to Catherine. True to its name, the snow-pine was a white flower like snowflakes. They say if you magnify a snowflake, you can see ice crystals, and if that ice became a flower, it would look something like this.

“How long will it take to send the letter?”

“I’ll send a messenger bird tomorrow morning. It should arrive in a day.”

Catherine nodded and cut the flowers with small scissors. After skillfully cutting the stems, she attached the blossoms to the stationery. She added a touch of perfume, making the stationery emit a fragrant scent.

“Then I’ll leave it to you.”

Nancy took the envelope and left.

* * *

Lorendis sheathed his sword at his waist. Snowflakes flew in the wind. It seemed to be getting heavier.

“Your Grace has arrived!”

The knight commander, who had arrived earlier to monitor the barbarians’ movements, prostrated himself before Lorendis. A white snow landscape spread out before his eyes. The world was covered in white snow. It was a familiar scene for the people of Helen.

“To provoke Helen in the snowy winter…… These so-called barbarians seem to have heads as hard as stones.”

This is one of the reasons Helen is closed off. In Helen, snow isn’t a magical element from a fairy tale but a natural disaster featured in reports. Heavy snowfall can paralyze cities, and people sometimes go missing.

With deep winter approaching, provoking Helen’s knights is suicidal. Helen had almost completely eradicated the barbarians with just a small number of personnel, with only the cleanup remaining. For Lorendis, it was a very light and simple task.

“You seem troubled.”

“Do I?”

“Your expression seems different from usual.”

Lorendis’s expression was more subdued than usual. The knight commander noticed such changes keenly.

“Is something bothering you?”

“I left my wife in Helen……”

The knight commander had gone to the battlefield earlier to monitor the barbarians’ movements and couldn’t attend the wedding ceremony. Still, he knew that the master and mistress had recently held their wedding ceremony.

“Are you concerned?”

His lord was basically an indifferent person. He was also insensitive to those around him, but it seems his lord had changed a lot with this marriage.

“This war will end soon too. They seem quite exhausted already.”

Throughout the conflict with the barbarians, the snow never stopped falling. Helen’s knights received protection, making them strong against Helen’s cold, but the barbarians did not.

The knight commander hurriedly followed Lorendis.

“I think I saw her when you visited the knights’ building before, what kind of person is your lady?”

He had only seen the lady of the house at the knights’ building before. As the knight commander tilted his head curiously, Lorendis quietly murmured.

“That look in her eyes is too familiar.”

Lorendis recalled his wife who remained at the ducal castle.

‘Contract wife.’