Only then did Ilenia notice that the two shared the same hair color. Unlike the doctor’s, which had faded somewhat with age, his was a deeper blond, cut short.

“My back hasn’t been well lately. It’s still manageable for now, but my overly worried son insists on acting as my porter.”

She spoke lightly, as though brushing it off as nothing more than age catching up to her.

“From now on, Raymond will accompany me from time to time to carry my medical bag or any other things I need. If it makes you uncomfortable, please don’t hesitate to tell me, my lady. He may be big, but leaving him behind is no trouble at all.”

“It’s fine.”

It wasn’t a polite lie; she genuinely didn’t care. Whether the doctor brought her son or her husband made no difference.

Since that day, something inside her had broken.

How else could she feel so completely detached from everything, even when it involved her? It was as though it all belonged to someone else. She was unable to stir even the faintest ripple of emotion within herself.

Perhaps she had already used up all her feelings in less than a year.

After draining herself dry, she had forced out what little remained, and now even pretending to feel was difficult.

The doctor, who had been watching her closely, seemed to confirm that her calmness had turned into something colder and more distant.

At that, the corners of her lips curved into a faint, hollow smile.

“What have you been doing today? How have you been spending your time? And the knitting you said you would start again—how far along is it now?”

The session began like a casual inquiry, but it continued for about an hour.

For the most part, the doctor asked questions, and Ilenia answered. Whenever she seemed to struggle, the doctor would naturally change the subject or bring the conversation to a gentle stop.

“Let’s end here for today.”

With that, the doctor rose from her seat.

“My lady, resting quietly in the estate is good, but I recommend that you try meeting a wider variety of people. No one here knows you, after all.”

She nodded.

Even though she hadn’t properly greeted the maid she lived with, she nodded as if out of habit.

After that, the doctor began bringing his son along.

He carried a large medical bag and quietly helped his mother with great diligence.

He never tried to speak to Ilenia.

Whenever she treated Ilenia, he stood back and simply observed.

If their eyes happened to meet, he would nod slightly in greeting.

Nothing more.

There was something about his restraint that created an invisible barrier between them.

A relationship without contact.

A distance that didn’t even need a name.

And Ilenia found comfort in that distance.

She never once tried to close it.

That was simply how things were.

And yet—

“My mother injured her back.”

“….”

The man stood before her alone, a medical bag in hand. He scratched the back of his head lightly, as if a little embarrassed.

“It was something we expected, to some extent. Even when told that intermittent pain is a warning sign from the body, she’s the type who won’t rest unless she’s forced to.”

Ilenia silently studied the man standing properly before her.

“So for the next few days, I’ll be attending to you in my mother’s place. It’s not my first time treating a patient, but if anything feels uncomfortable, please don’t hesitate to tell me.”

There was a fleeting resemblance to the doctor in the way he smiled. The gentle tone of his voice and the easy warmth he showed others—it seemed to run in the family.

“Is the doctor… all right?”

“Other than not being able to use her back properly, she’s in good health. With a few days of consistent medication, she should recover just fine.”

As if to reassure her, he smiled brightly again. Between his slightly upturned lips, a glimpse of white teeth showed. The more she looked, the harder it was to shake the thought that he truly resembled the doctor.

“What will you be doing today, my lady?”

She had no particular plans.

Her day began simply because she opened her eyes, and it ended only when sleep finally overtook her.

When she couldn’t answer right away, the man spoke again, offering a suggestion first.

“Have you ever been to the lake?”

“There’s a lake?”

“It’s a small town, but I’ve never seen a place with scenery quite like this. I’m sure you’ll like it as well.”

Saying it wasn’t far, he suddenly lowered his gaze toward Ilenia.

“Would you like to go?”

Upon hearing his words, Ilenia fell silent.

There weren’t many places she was permitted to visit.

Even then, she could only visit with Delphius’s permission.

“…Am I allowed to go?”

“If you don’t have anything else you need to do. The weather happens to be really nice today.”

Something she needed to do.

Was there any phrase less suited to her than that?

She thought of her empty, aimless days—and, on impulse, nodded.

‘Delphius would definitely hate this.’

The lingering sense of restraint within her thudded against her chest.

“…All right.”

When she heard that they were going on a picnic, the maid became excited and quickly packed a bag for them both. She fussed around, saying that she had been waiting for Ilenia’s first proper outing to Nivron Village.

Dressed more elaborately than usual, Ilenia set off with Raymond for the lake.

True to his word that it was nearby, he didn’t call for a carriage, but simply began walking.

“Watch your step. There are some branches underfoot…”

They crossed a small bridge over the stream and continued along narrow paths winding through dense undergrowth. Raymond gently warned her in a quiet voice each time.

Anyone from the Lukehardt estate would have been appalled by what they saw.

They would have scolded him for letting a duchess walk alone along a dirt path.

And yet—

The very things that would have horrified others brought Ilenia a quiet, unfamiliar joy.

“How long has it been since I felt something like this?”

Her fingers twitched faintly.

The sensation of grass brushing against her skin felt vivid and almost overwhelming.

The rich, earthy scent rising from the ground stirred something deep within her.

“This is the place, my lady.”

The man came to a stop beside a flat rock.

“It also happens to be my favorite spot.”

Ilenia found herself facing the shimmering lake as soon as she turned around.

Spread out beneath the cascading wisteria, it was breathtakingly beautiful. Sunlight scattered across its surface in glinting fragments while the clear water rippled quietly. Seeing it with her own eyes, she finally understood why he had wanted to bring her there.

“It’s a small, quiet town, so there isn’t much to do. But people go out of their way just to see this view. Of course, for city dwellers, it might seem like nothing more than ordinary scenery.”

“It’s beautiful.”

“It is, isn’t it?”

He smiled, clearly pleased.

“I’m glad you like it, my lady.”

Through his bright smile, Ilenia finally recalled his name—Raymond.

She turned her gaze back to the lake. The still surface filled her vision completely.

“…When I was young, I dreamed of seeing the sea.”

“The sea… it’s magnificent. Even now, I sometimes remember that overwhelming vastness—the way it felt when I first saw it.”

“You’ve seen the sea?”

“…Ah.”

Raymond echoed her question without thinking, then caught himself.

For a brief moment, he hesitated—uncharacteristically at a loss for words.

“She’s someone who has endured countless days of sorrow. If that kind of unbearable grief has closed her heart… how could it not? So please—at least you… treat her with kindness.”

The words of his mother, Marlenda, who was a doctor, echoed in his mind.

There was a reason for her numbness. That was what she had told him. She had asked him not to judge her harshly, but to treat her with care.

Raymond was kind by nature, so being gentle did not feel like a burden.

At first, holding a conversation on his own felt a little awkward, but with time, even that became easier.

And yet—

He hadn’t expected her to take an interest in him.

Swallowing the quiet sense of pride that stirred within him, Raymond began to speak.

“Not often, but from time to time… In the past—some years ago—I had the opportunity to study while traveling between kingdoms. That was when I first saw the sea.”

“I’ve heard the sea is very wide.”

“It is. Truly. Even with dozens—no, hundreds of ships floating on it, it still feels vast.”

“…That must be rather troublesome. If it’s that wide, then wouldn’t it take an enormous fortune just to maintain the salt?”

“…Pardon? The salt?”

“Isn’t the sea salty because someone regularly pours salt into it?”

“…Pfft—haha!”

At her unexpected answer, Raymond couldn’t hold back and burst into laughter.

“My lady, you have quite an imagination.”

Someone pouring salt into that endless sea—what an adorable, almost childlike thought.

“The sea is naturally salty. No one needs to add anything to it. In fact… did you know that salt is actually harvested from the sea?”

“Is that so?”

Her reaction was more animated than usual.

The woman who usually seemed distant and absent-minded was responding to his words, and he could feel his spirits lifting as a result.

Perhaps that was why he spoke without thinking.

“If you like the sea, my lady… would you like to go and see it?”