His long fingers drifted through her golden locks, brushing softly against her shoulders and the nape of her neck. Still bearing traces of his touch, she exhaled more calmly, quietly melting into his embrace.

The warmth of her body and the lingering satisfaction of their intimacy filled him with a deep, soothing ease. What had once been nothing more than a marriage of convenience for the sake of inheritance was slowly beginning to hold greater meaning for him with each passing day.

And then there was Ilenia — restless at times, yet always gentle and yielding in his arms.

Everything felt smooth. Everything felt perfect.

Then, without warning, he remembered the words of a maid who had once approached him with quiet concern.

“My lord, Madam hasn’t left the estate at all recently. She still takes walks in the garden, but she doesn’t go any further than that. She used to be so different that I’m worried her state of mind might have changed. I thought it best to inform you.”

Even before, Ilenia had never been a woman who went out often. Compared to other noble ladies, she had always been extremely reclusive — almost strange — but that was only because Delphius had discreetly rejected every invitation sent to her.

Now, however, she had chosen of her own volition not to accept any invitations, so it was only natural that she no longer left the estate.

“I heard that before I began serving her, Madam would occasionally visit the marketplace in the busy district. But recently, she hasn’t even gone there… Something feels a little off.”

Ordinarily, he would have dismissed it without a second thought.

“So, my lord… even just once, could you go out with Madam? Lately, she’s been spending more and more time staring out the window…”

For some reason, the maid’s words lingered in his mind like a thorn lodged in his throat.

She was a woman who had never once lived in the capital—suddenly dropped into this unfamiliar place. It was only natural that she wouldn’t easily find somewhere to go.

“Delphius?”

Perhaps his thoughts had deepened too much—his hand had stilled. And in a rather peculiar way, at that.

Delphius slowly smoothed the golden strands tangled between his fingers, letting his gaze drift downward. Her bare chest pressed against his own, the flushed peaks hidden where their bodies met.

“Come to think of it, I heard you haven’t been going out at all. The coachman said he hasn’t seen you lately—he sounded disappointed.”

“….”

Ilenia fell silent for a moment.

She looked as though she was about to speak, but then she tilted her head slightly, as if she had forgotten what she was going to say. Her lips parted, moving with quiet hesitation.

“It’s not that I have any particular reason for staying in, but if I had to name one, it would be that the Lukehardt estate is so beautiful that I simply don’t feel the need to leave. Walking through the grounds feels like wandering through an ancient castle — before I know it, the whole day has gone by.”

As expected, it was nothing serious.

For a moment, he wondered if an overly sensitive maid had become unnecessarily concerned, but he quickly dismissed the idea, deciding that was better than having servants who neglected their duties.

Now that he thought about it, the owner of a theatre troupe had recently sent word, earnestly inviting Delphius to visit. It was probably just a polite formality. Still, even if he were to arrive unannounced, he wouldn’t be unwelcome.

Come to think of it, the first time he took Ilenia to the theatre hadn’t been bad at all.

She said it was her first stage performance and, as if to prove it, she didn’t take her eyes off the stage for a moment until the play ended.

In that space where countless small lives unfolded like a grand panorama, her eyes shone brighter than any star. When the actors raged, her brows knitted in sympathy, and when they wept, she quietly sniffled along with them.

In those moments, as the story came to life before her eyes, she might as well have been the leading character on stage.

Perhaps he would see that side of her again.

The thought of her leaping with excitement, completely carried away, drew an unconscious, satisfied smile to his lips.

“…Now that I think about it, the troupe I recently sponsored has been asking me to attend, even just once, as their patron. Would you like to come with me?”

A brief silence settled between them.

“…I’m fine, Delphius. If you have to go, then go by yourself.”

At the unexpected answer, his eyes flickered.

“Then what about a restaurant?”

“I’ve grown used to the taste of the estate chef’s cooking. At this point, anything else hardly tastes good. Besides, his food really is delicious.”

Her answers remained consistent, no matter what he suggested.

“The garden here is much prettier. The gardener always changes the flowers with such care. It’s nice to have a picnic here and eat lunch outside.”

“I heard the paintings in the estate were recently changed. Just looking at those is enough for me.”

Each refusal came gently, laced with a faint smile—but it blocked him all the same.

“Something feels… off.”

The maid’s words echoed in his ears like a distant refrain.

“Is there really nowhere you want to go?”

“…Would it be fine… anywhere?”

“Yes.”

Ilenia stared at him blankly for a brief moment. After a small pause, she opened her lips cautiously.

“The sea…”

“What?”

“If I really have to go out… I’d like to see the sea. A quiet one, where no one else is around.”

He, who had been considering places such as the plaza, a new restaurant or a coffee house, fell silent.

Above all else, it was the sea.

Even the nearest port city was two days away.

Although Delphius’s schedule wasn’t particularly tight these days, it wasn’t loose enough for him to set aside whole days. At best, he could spare half a day.

After considering this, he let out a quiet sigh and gently patted Ilenia on the back.

“Somewhere other than the sea wouldn’t do?”

“The sea isn’t possible?”

“It’s not impossible… just not now. Even getting to the nearest port, Ouk, would take two days.”

“Even nobles can’t shorten travel time?”

“You can ride first class and be comfortable enough that it hardly feels like a train—but you still can’t shorten the time itself.”

“I see… so even nobles can’t.”

Murmuring softly to herself, she soon nodded in acceptance.

“Then it’s fine. I like the Lukehardt estate—it’s comfortable, and I’m happy here.”

She spoke casually as she reached out and embraced Delphius. Her soft body pressed fully against his, emitting a faint, sweet warmth. The gentle softness of her chest stirred a quiet heat within him.

“As long as I have you, that’s enough. I don’t need anything else…”

The way she seemed to want only him, him alone, filled Delphius’s chest with a deep, swelling sense of satisfaction.

What man could fail to be stirred by such devotion from his wife?

Before he knew it, desire rose in him once more as he shifted closer and pressed against her thigh. As she slowly parted her legs, he leaned in and claimed her lips.

Their life together was truly filled to the brim.

A few days later, a maid came rushing in, having discovered something at the front entrance; her footsteps echoed loudly.

“My lady! My lady!”

One of the newly appointed maids, Anna, cried out as she clasped both cheeks in astonishment.

“My lady, look! The gift boxes just keep arriving—there’s no end to them!”

Ilenia turned her gaze toward the window the maid pointed at.

Just as Anna had said, servants outside were carrying in an endless stream of packages, one after another.

“They’re all for you, my lady!”

It was not Ilenia, the one receiving the gifts, but the maids who were far more excited.

As she tried to calm them—crying out in delighted shrieks and unable to contain themselves—the gifts were carried all the way into her room.

“My lady! Every single one has the master’s name engraved on it! They must all be from him!”

Startled, the servants began opening the boxes one by one. Each time they did, the name of the master of the Lukehardt estate appeared—so repeatedly that it was almost overwhelming.

“It seems the master truly loves you very much, my lady. Just look at this—clothes, jewelry, all sorts of items… It’s like he emptied out several shops!”

“Oh my—! I heard this kind of gemstone is incredibly hard to obtain these days because of strained relations…!”

“They say ready-made clothes are quite refined these days, and it really is true. My lady, look at this. It has no sleeves, so as long as you adjust the belt, it would suit any figure. How do they come up with such clever designs…?”

Despite having two maids working at once, the pile of gift boxes showed no sign of getting any smaller.

Overcome with excitement, the maids quickly divided the work between them. One opened and inspected each gift, while the other carefully folded and set aside the wrapping paper. They moved briskly, working without pause.

Ilenia simply watched them in silence.

The jewels sparkled each time they were revealed, and the bouquets were so lavish that they dazzled the eye — everything was overwhelmingly brilliant.

And yet, none of it held her attention.

Not the flowers, whose heavy fragrance almost numbed the senses, nor the luxurious dresses or the gleaming jewels — nothing could capture her gaze.

Lately, an inexplicable lethargy had begun to settle over her entire body.

Nothing stirred her interest. Nothing she ate tasted the same anymore.

As she watched the two maids with an empty gaze, Ilenia suddenly noticed something, her eyes stilling as she did so.

As if drawn by a mirage, she slowly reached her hand into the pile of gifts.