“I could not leave my post, so I was unable to attend the wedding. I cannot tell you how many times I wished I could rush to the capital…… You have no idea how deeply moved I am to see His Grace and my lady standing here together like this. Please, come this way.”

“It truly has been a long time. I heard you remained here in Razan. You have not changed at all since we last met.”

“Oh, what are you saying? My face is covered in wrinkles now.”

Although Mrs. Tenon waved her hands dismissively at Eveline’s words, a broad smile blossomed across her face.

The first person to welcome the Duchess upon her arrival at the castle was Mrs. Tenon, the woman responsible for managing the estate. As Eveline remembered, she had been the warmest and most affectionate person Eveline encountered during her previous stay at the ducal residence.

They were meeting again after several turbulent years apart. Yet Mrs. Tenon welcomed her with such warmth that the distance created by all that time seemed not to exist.

Since returning to Entia, this was the first time Eveline had encountered someone who was so openly and sincerely delighted to see her.

The feeling was both strange and deeply moving.

“I should have seen His Grace looking splendid and my lady in her wedding gown with my own eyes.”

There was a hint of regret in Mrs. Tenon’s eyes. Even Eveline could see how much she cherished Michael and how proud she was of him. Her affection was clear in her expression and voice, and she could not hide it.

“Oh, dear! I was so excited that I forgot myself completely. I should show you to your room. This will be your bedchamber, my lady. From the moment I heard the news of your marriage, I devoted myself to redecorating it from top to bottom.”

Situated on the third floor of the inner castle, the bedchamber offered an unobstructed view of the lake. Sunlight danced brilliantly across its surface, scattering over the gentle ripples.

Unlike their residence in the capital, Eveline’s bedchamber was a separate space directly connected to the duke’s chambers.

The bed, console table, dressing table and sofa were all made of rich, untreated wood and were arranged throughout the spacious room. Decorated primarily in ivory and sky blue, the room felt bright and inviting without appearing excessively lavish.

“Um, should we unpack the luggage here?”

“One moment. Let me see…… Yes. You may place the clothing and jewelry here and unpack everything else over there.”

While Eveline accompanied Mrs. Tenon on her tour of the castle, Anna and another maid following behind them began unpacking the luggage one piece at a time.

Just as Eveline and Mrs. Tenon entered the drawing room at the end of the corridor, a loud commotion erupted in the courtyard before the inner castle.

“We have arrived!”

“Good day to you all!”

Accustomed to the perpetual tranquility of the ducal residence, Eveline peered down through the window in confusion. A man was unloading crates filled with grapes and various other ingredients from a freight wagon that appeared to have just arrived.

“Some of the vineyards may have begun harvesting their grapes as early as today. It seems they have brought the first grapes of this year’s harvest for His Grace and my lady to taste.”

Mrs. Tenon explained in an amused voice, as though she knew exactly what was happening without even needing to look.

“I heard the festival would begin in approximately two weeks. Was I mistaken?”

Believing that the festival was held to coincide with the main harvest season, Eveline asked in confusion.

“It is true that most vineyards will begin harvesting in two weeks. However, depending on the variety, the harvest may begin anytime between today and a month from now. After all, at least a hundred different varieties of grapes are cultivated throughout Razan.”

Eveline mentally counted the grape varieties she had tasted throughout her life before expressing her genuine astonishment. Her reaction brought a bright smile to Mrs. Tenon’s face.

“From now on, you will be able to enjoy a different variety of grape every day. Whenever a vineyard completes its first harvest, it always sends a portion of the grapes to the ducal castle.”

‘Ah……’

Only then did Eveline truly understand why those who joined the ducal household never wished to leave this place. After spending several months somewhere so vibrant and full of life, the capital would undoubtedly seem far more rigid and desolate.

“Would you like to go outside? Mr. Brahms will be delighted to meet you, my lady.”

“Then shall we go down and greet him?”

Mrs. Tenon made the suggestion while pointing toward the man unloading crates, a wide-brimmed hat pulled low over his head. Eveline followed her without hesitation.

As she began descending the stairs, she realized that although only a few hours had passed since her arrival, she was already certain of one thing.

She, too, would grow to love this place dearly.

***

The exquisite dishes served on gleaming silverware were the creations of Hans, the chef in charge of cuisine at the ducal castle.

Deep purple grapes looked even more luscious when arranged on a polished silver platter. There was also tender, steamed beef drizzled with grape sauce and slices of cake topped with crushed grapes. The chef had prepared every dish in a matter of hours using his skillful hands.

“I think I understand now, at least a little, why everyone loves this place so much.”

After tasting a piece of cake that seemed to melt on her tongue, Eveline smiled softly. It was infused with the rich flavor and fragrance of freshly harvested grapes.

In stark contrast, Razan was a barren land, with its only abundance lying beneath the earth in its mines. Come to think of it, the Parsen family’s enduring prestige must have been founded, at least in part, on the extraordinary abundance of their territory.

“I will take that as a compliment to me.”

Michael replied with easy composure before confirming that she had finished her meal.

“Mrs. Tenon oversees this place as a whole, but just as at the ducal residence, reports will now begin coming to you as well.”

“Yes. She gave me a general explanation earlier today. But to be honest, I do find the responsibility somewhat daunting.”

As Eveline took in the vastness of Razan and its ducal castle, she could feel the weight of responsibility growing heavier on her shoulders.

Although the duke lived in the capital, relatively few people remained at the enormous ducal castle. This naturally reduced the basic cost of maintaining the estate.

Nevertheless, supported by taxes collected from the duchy’s prosperous residents, the castle’s finances amounted to a sum almost beyond imagination.

At that moment, Michael placed the napkin from his lap on the table and offered a suggestion.

“Mrs. Tenon and the chief steward will explain that part to you gradually. More importantly, there is somewhere I would like us to visit together, so we should get going.”

“Now? Where are we going?”

“You will know when we get there.”

Eveline accepted his invitation to leave the inner castle and follow him.

The glow of the lamps, spaced at regular intervals along the path, illuminated the stone steps which had already been engulfed by darkness. Their footsteps carried them behind the inner castle until they finally came to a halt at the entrance to a secluded building.

The door to the roughly constructed stone warehouse opened. As they descended the stairs leading underground, a chill crept up Eveline’s legs.

The cool air and faint fragrance revealed the nature of the place before she reached the bottom.

It was a wine cellar.

At the foot of the stairs, an enormous chamber unlike the ordinary cellars found in most noble households unfolded before her.

Rows of oak barrels lay on their sides, stacked high throughout the room. Each barrel was almost as tall as an average woman. Although the ceiling was low, the cellar itself was comparable in size to the main hall of the ducal castle.

Count Akite must have declared, his eyes shining, that he would visit Razan before winter, as he was eager to see the place for himself. The Parsen family’s wine cellar was renowned among the capital’s nobles as a place that everyone longed to visit at least once.

Michael finally stopped in front of a display cabinet filled with glass bottles beyond the stacks of oak barrels.

“If you have a preferred aroma or flavor, choose one.”

“Me?”

“Go ahead and choose. They are all of the finest quality.”

Eveline gazed around the room, which seemed to contain every wine in the world. However, as she rarely drank more than two or three glasses of even the lightest wine, her palate was not refined enough to distinguish its aromas and flavors in detail.

“I would like something suitable for a celebratory drink to commemorate our first day in Razan together.”

“……You know more about wine than anyone. I will leave the choice to you this time.”

Eveline glanced once more at the glass bottles stretching out behind them. Feeling overwhelmed by the sheer number of options, she stepped aside. She had naturally left the choice to him.

Without declining, Michael examined the display cabinet and soon took out several bottles.

“This should make the choice a little easier. Choose. Sweet fruit or fragrant flowers.”

“Pardon?”

“You need only choose one. Fruit or flowers.”

He tilted his head slightly to one side, silently urging her to decide.

“Ah…… I will choose flowers.”

“Then next, coffee, vanilla, or butter.”

“……I think I would prefer coffee.”

After a brief moment of deliberation, Eveline gave her answer, leaving only two bottles in Michael’s hands. Holding up the bottles, which differed noticeably in appearance, he asked her one final question.

“This is your last choice. Sweet, sour, or bitter?”

“Bitter.”

Once she made her final selection, the only bottle remaining was a slender glass one.

After leaving the wine cellar, Eveline somehow found herself taking a leisurely walk around the entire lake. By the time she returned to her bedchamber, two hours had passed since dinner.

“It is not as sweet as the light aperitifs you usually drink, but its aroma is exquisite.”

The dark crimson wine Michael poured from the bottle streamed down the transparent sides of the glass.

Their glasses met with a clear, delicate chime that quickly faded into silence.

“Thank you.”

With a faint smile, Eveline raised her glass and took a sip. It tasted rather strong, perhaps because it contained more alcohol than the lighter wines she usually drank. Michael, who had been watching her, then made a request in a languid voice.

“Tell me about yourself, Eveline.”

“……What would you like me to tell you?”

“Anything.”

His expression suggested that he genuinely did not care what she spoke about.

“I first began learning the art of jewelry making when I was thirteen.”

“I know. I have met the person you call your teacher as well.”

“I first came here after we held our engagement ceremony when I was seventeen.”

“That is right. It was after I graduated from the Royal Academy.”

It was as though the two of them were reminiscing about their shared past.

“I am certain I stayed here for several days back then, but it did not feel as comfortable as it does now. I think I am going to grow very fond of Razan too.”

“Do you like it?”

It seemed to be a habit of Michael’s to occasionally ask questions without specifying their subject. And now, it sounded almost as though he were asking whether she liked him rather than the territory.

So Eveline answered with the same ambiguity.

“Yes, I do. And I think I will like it even more from now on.”