When she lifted her hand, a small box appeared inside it.

Inside the velvet-lined box was a gemstone accompanied by a postcard. Ilenia carefully removed the jewel from its casing.

Free from its setting, the gemstone shimmered softly in her palm. At first glance, it seemed no different from the others, but upon closer inspection, faint inclusions could be seen within it.

To some, they might have appeared as nothing more than imperfections. But Ilenia, who had seen those same landscapes captured in illustrations and postcards hundreds — no, thousands — of times before, recognized it instantly.

“The sea…”

The inclusions appeared to flow, blending with shades of blue and resembling rippling waves topped with white foam. Every time she moved her hand, the light hit it differently, causing the patterns to ripple like the tide.

It was as if a miniature ocean lay in the palm of her hand.

“My lady… what should we do with all these jewels?”

Ilenia stood lost in the sight before her for a long moment, only returning to the present when she heard a voice beside her.

The room was filled with expensive gifts. No matter how long it took, she knew it was only right that she personally inspect and store each one.

But she had never received so many gifts in her life.

Even deciding how to store them all felt overwhelming. Having never experienced such luxury before, she didn’t know what to do with it.

The single gemstone in her hand alone would have been more than enough.

This was far too much.

Not knowing how to handle such lavish offerings, she quietly lowered her gaze.

“Please… take care of it as you see fit.”

She had only meant for them to arrange everything properly, but her words held greater significance for the two maids.

After all, entrusting such valuable items to servants was a sign of trust in itself.

Even though that had never been her intention.

“W-We’ll do our best!”

“Ah, me too!”

Their eyes shining brighter than ever, the two maids eagerly set to work.

Ilenia turned her gaze away, leaving them to it.

She carefully replaced the gemstone on the velvet cushion and picked up the small card beside it. Turning the card over, she revealed a line of elegant handwriting adorned with gilded lettering.

[For Lady Lukehardt, who cannot see the sea. In its place, I have brought you a fragment of it. I hope that, for now, this will suffice.—Delphius Lukehardt]

The brief message was unmistakably in Delphius’s hand.

A single letter, written just for her.

It was the first love letter she had ever received in her life.

“My lady? What is it?”

“Ah—?”

Startled, she realized she had been staring at the card, completely entranced, and quickly hid it at her waist.

“Oh my, we didn’t see that one. Shall we take care of that as well?”

“No, it’s fine. I’ll handle this one myself.”

“Understood.”

There were still some unopened gift boxes left. Without giving it much thought, the maid nodded and returned to her task.

Ilenia pressed a hand firmly against her racing heart. Although she had done nothing wrong, her chest tightened as though she were a child who had secretly broken a dish and was afraid of being found out.

Carefully, she placed the card back inside the case.

Only after positioning it precisely in the center — with even greater care than she had taken with the jewel itself — did a faint, satisfied smile appear on her lips.

She then opened the drawer and took out her personal jewelry box.

Reserved only for her most treasured belongings, it was completely empty inside.

Gently, she placed the small case inside.

Compared to the wide, empty space, it looked rather small, but she still smiled softly.

Thump. Thump.

A quiet, pleasant excitement spread gently through her entire body.

***

As the seasons changed, the wind grew colder day by day.

Beneath the slightly open curtains, through which she hoped to catch even the faintest warmth of sunlight, the long sofa became one of the places where Ilenia spent most of her time.

Whether she was reading, chatting idly or going over documents, she often chose to sit on that small sofa.

Though Lukehardt had once remarked that it looked out of place in the estate, what did that matter?

Ilenia rather liked the slightly firm seat and had no intention of giving it up.

The book that had been resting unsteadily on her knees slipped from her grasp.

A dull thud echoed as it struck the floor.

Only then did her heavy, sleep-laden eyelids slowly lift.

With a dazed expression, she looked around as if trying to remember where she was.

Unable to simply watch any longer, the maid beside her spoke quietly and carefully.

“My lady, it’s quite late. Would you like to lie down and rest more comfortably?”

No matter how brightly the lamps illuminated the room, darkness had long since settled beyond the window.

Given her usual bedtime, the maid’s concern was only natural.

“Where is Delphius?”

The maid’s expression dimmed slightly as she shook her head.

He had not yet returned.

“I’ll wait a little longer. Delphius might arrive soon.”

“…Understood.”

“You’re tired, aren’t you? I’m fine, so go and get some rest.”

After hesitating for a moment, the maid lowered her head and quietly left the room.

Click.

As the door closed and silence settled in, Ilenia let out a soft sigh.

If it had been Meg or Amanda, they would not have left her side. The thought of Meg standing there with that calm expression, seething beneath the surface, made her emit a faint, stifled laugh.

But when the laughter faded, a cold stillness crept in.

Unwilling to be alone, she turned her gaze towards the window.

Lately, Delphius’s schedule had become overwhelmingly busy. Ever since the precarious contract had been finalized successfully, it felt as though his workload had tripled overnight.

Even the construction of a single building required countless partnerships, contracts to sign, and leases to arrange — not to mention the endless work needed to establish new distribution channels. He hardly had time to set foot in the capital anymore.

Naturally, he was returning home later and later each day.

He used to come back for dinner, but even that had begun to slip. Even when he wasn’t away on business, it wasn’t unusual for him to arrive home after she had gone to bed.

This wasn’t the first time she had waited for him.

Her gaze fell to the crumpled piece of paper in her hand.

[Running late. Eat without me.]

What had once been an occasional message had now become routine.

Each time a telegram arrived telling her to dine alone, Ilenia’s shoulders would sag.

Dinner, when eaten alone, was unbearably tasteless.

She had never spent much time eating by herself before, and the emptiness it left behind was far deeper than she could express.

To stop herself from drifting off again, she pressed her cheek against the cool glass. The chill seeped into her skin, numbing her fading senses just enough to keep her awake.

“When will he come home…?”

Even when he wasn’t away, he often returned late. This meant one of two things: either he would come home late at night, or he wouldn’t arrive until morning.

It was waiting without any promise.

And yet, Ilenia always waited.

Delphius had never asked her to. It wasn’t simply because waiting for one’s husband was considered the proper duty of a virtuous wife.

On this vast estate, the only time she could truly feel connected to another person was when she was with him.

She did try to speak with the newly assigned maids at times, but those conversations never lasted long.

No matter what she said, they would either respond with overwhelming, uncomfortable praise, or she would grow anxious that her shortcomings might be exposed, causing her to end the conversation herself.

With nothing to fill her days, sleep came easily — and often.

Just like before.

Even though she had deliberately chosen a novel she liked, she would drift off after reading just a few pages.

While Delphius spent his days consumed by work, she passed hers in quiet, idle drowsiness.

Ilenia gently patted her cheek and lowered her gaze once more. But despite her efforts, the tightly packed words on the page blurred together, and her eyelids slowly grew heavy again.

In her dreams, Ilenia was always busy.

On Tilea Hill, dressed as she had been before her marriage, she would wake up immediately, tidy the house, prepare her lunch, and set off for work.

Sometimes, a field heavy with fruit awaited her harvest. Other times, it would be a room piled high with bedding that needed mending.

There were moments when the endless work felt overwhelming, but whenever she talked and laughed with her friends, those burdens would fade away.

Even the smallest, most trivial conversations were enough.

She enjoyed chatting about eating her lunch before noon or how tired she was of sewing.

It was a small, humble place—busy, yet where she could truly feel her own worth.

She loved it.

And just as the thought of never leaving—of staying there beside Betty—began to consume her completely.

“…My lady! My lady!”

A voice shook her awake.

In an instant, the warm, lively Tilea Hill was gone, and she was back at the Lukehardt estate.

The silence there felt like death itself.

Without realizing it, Ilenia wrapped her arms around herself.

As she turned to look, Anna spoke urgently.

“My lady—the master has returned.”