“…Who is it?”

“He’s the doctor’s assistant. Her son, as well.”

“I don’t recall ever hiring a doctor’s assistant.”

The suspicion in his voice was unmistakable.

Whenever Delphius sounded like this, Ilenia knew it never ended well.

“If the doctor has unavoidable circumstances, it’s only natural for her to send an assistant in her place.”

She spoke quickly, trying to ease the tension.

Delphius only furrowed his brow and remained silent.

Instead, he rang the bell.

The clear chime echoed through the small house.

Soon, a maid appeared.

He addressed her in a firm, unyielding voice.

“Send him away. Better yet, make sure he doesn’t come anywhere near this house again.”

“Delphius.”

“His identity hasn’t been confirmed. A stranger has no business lingering around a house where a woman lives alone.”

Before she could stop her, the maid lowered her head and left.

All Ilenia could do was watch.

She slowly turned her gaze towards the window.

He had come to see her.

He had come all the way to this house —

— yet Raymond could not even step inside.

All she could do was stand there, staring blankly, as he nodded briefly and turned away.

Without realizing it, her hand curled into a tight fist.

Things she would once have accepted without question —

— now refused to settle quietly within her.

“I told you. He’s the doctor’s assistant—and her son. He’s not a stranger.”

Perhaps because of that, her emotions came out more raw than usual.

“You trust someone who could be an imposter?”

“An imposter? Who would pretend to be her son—”

“It was just words. And you never even tried to verify it. Besides, what kind of situation is it for the doctor not to come and send only an assistant?”

“She injured her back. She said this would only be temporary.”

“Ilenia.”

He grabbed her by the arm.

Or maybe his lips reached her first.

Delphius’s kiss was brief.

It was brief — just long enough for the warmth to linger ever so slightly.

As that fleeting touch faded, his golden eyes filled her vision.

“That’s exactly why it’s not allowed. If someone has accepted payment, then no matter their circumstances, they must fulfill what they were paid for.”

His reasoning was sound, and yet it made her thoughts swirl.

“I don’t care whether he’s truly the doctor’s son or her assistant. I just need to know where he came from. Only then can I feel at ease letting someone stay by my wife’s side.”

What he said was correct.

Unlike her, who knew nothing, Delphius understood everything.

Therefore, it was only right that she follow his advice.

It would be best for her, too.

And yet, why did it feel so suffocating?

“My lady… he asked me to deliver this to you. He said you might run out by this evening…”

The maid, who had seemed to have left for good when she closed the door, returned looking troubled.

She held a small packet of pills in her hand.

It appeared to be Ilenia’s sleeping pills.

Through the thin paper, the white tablets that had been given to her so routinely that she had never thought to count them were faintly visible.

“Leave it somewhere appropriate.”

“Understood.”

Once even the servant left, silence settled over the room again—as if nothing had happened.

Only the neatly placed packet of medicine remained, a quiet reminder of what had just occurred.

“I know I may have acted a bit overly sensitive, but I hope you’ll understand. Before anything else, you are my wife—and the Duchess. You must conduct yourself in a way that befits your position.”

“I know.”

She murmured softly.

It wasn’t just empty words—she truly meant it.

“Thank you, Ilenia.”

What was he thanking her for, exactly?

Although he spoke gently, she couldn’t understand him.

Although he seemed to be paying her all his attention, his gaze occasionally drifted towards the window.

She didn’t need to look to know that he was searching for the front door with his eyes.

His eyes were searching for the front door. As his hand stroked her hair gently, Ilenia slowly closed her eyes.

The embrace that had always felt warm…felt strangely cold today.

***

When Delphius stayed, it was usually no more than a day or two.

But this time was different.

“I’ve got some free time.”

Saying that, he folded the newspaper he had brought from somewhere.

Unlike her, who had only just woken, he was already perfectly dressed.

Setting down a freshly poured cup of coffee, he approached her.

“I’ll be staying here for a while.”

“For how long?”

“Hmm… I haven’t really thought that far ahead yet.”

He spoke softly and pulled her into his arms while she was still half asleep.

The blanket slipped down, revealing the marks left over from the night before.

He stared at them for a moment, then, as if nothing were amiss, dressed her in a negligee and placed the breakfast he had prepared on the bed.

Throughout all this, Ilenia remained half-asleep.

“…Mm… I’ll do it myself.”

“How about you try saying that with your eyes open?”

With practiced ease, he speared a piece of fruit with his fork and held it to her lips.

After a brief moment of hesitation, she parted her lips and took it from him, as if she had no choice in the matter.

This had become part of Delphius’s daily routine ever since her sleep had grown deeper.

He held her in his arms, coaxing and feeding her small pieces of fruit while she lingered in that half-asleep state.

He waited until she had finished chewing and her mind had cleared.

Because that was the moment when she belonged entirely to him.

“…I’ll eat on my own now.”

“There’s not much left.”

She only managed to slip out of his arms after he had fed her the last bite.

He showed such meticulous care that even a servant would not have gone to such lengths.

At times like this, Ilenia found herself wondering about his true intentions.

After all, such behavior wasn’t necessary just to have a child.

Just then, the bell rang.

The sharp chime echoed through the house, followed by a voice calling out and the sound of hurried footsteps rushing down the stairs.

When Ilenia glanced towards the window, she saw that the maid had opened the front door and was greeting a visitor.

A head of blonde hair came into view.

But it wasn’t short. It was neatly twisted up and gathered into a soft, rounded bun as the figure stepped inside.

“It’s been a while, my lady.”

Marlenda looked no different from usual.

Even though she must have known what had happened to her son the day before, she wore the same gentle, easygoing smile.

“I’ll be resuming your treatment starting today. I’m sorry for being away so long.”

“You’re not overexerting yourself because of me, are you?”

“Not at all. Thanks to proper rest, my back has recovered well—so there’s no need to worry.”

“I…”

Marlenda’s gaze fell on her.

Ilenia lightly gripped the edge of her skirt—then let go.

“It’s nothing.”

Marlenda let out a soft chuckle.

“Raymond is doing well too. Someone as capable and steady as he is won’t have any trouble, no matter where he goes.”

It was as if she had read Ilenia’s thoughts.

Her kind voice eased the worry that had been weighing heavily on Ilenia’s heart.

After that, things proceeded as they always did.

While they were in their respective roles as patient and doctor, not even Delphius entered the room.

During those moments, Ilenia could fully enjoy the space that belonged only to them both.

Yet during the quiet consultation, Ilenia turned her head slightly, her gaze drifting towards the door.

Marlenda’s advice continued to flow gently, but failed to truly reach her.

“The important thing is to start, even if it’s just something small. Whether you do it well or not is secondary. So start by doing things you enjoy. It can be something big or small and simple. For example, you could try setting an alarm to wake up at the same time every day, or taking a bath every day. If you start doing the things you enjoy, it will become easier to take that first step.”

“I don’t have anything I like.”

“Then how about trying to find something you like? My lady, you—”

Her words trailed off, becoming scattered and incomplete.

Ilenia’s gaze remained fixed on the door.

The sound of the waves, which she had never truly heard before, came vividly to mind, crashing against her thoughts and tangling them beyond control.

She shouldn’t long for something she could never have.

It had never been possible from the beginning.

So it was better not to think about it anymore.

Slowly, Ilenia turned her eyes away from the door.

After the session ended—

—Marlenda suddenly paused as she prepared to leave, her eyes widening as she searched her pockets.

“Oh my, I almost forgot.”

What emerged in her hand was a small bookmark.

It was a long, narrow rectangle with a ribbon tied at the end, its shape somewhat rough—as though it had been made by hand.

“He asked me to be sure to give this to you. I believe you’ll understand once you see it.”

“…Ah.”

She hadn’t said a name.

But Ilenia knew immediately.

It was a flower she had once found by chance.

A small wildflower that stubbornly bloomed even in dry soil, catching her attention again and again.

It had no name.

Not even Raymond knew what it was.

There was nothing remarkable about it.

Perhaps that was exactly why she liked it.

Unable to resist, she picked a few and tucked them into her hat.

However, she forgot about them later and felt a quiet, lingering disappointment when she couldn’t find them again.

He said he couldn’t find them either.

And yet—

— he kept searching until he finally found them.

He turned them into a bookmark.

For a long moment, Ilenia simply stared at it.

The slightly damaged petals, torn by her own careless hands, had been preserved just as they were.

Then, slowly, she drew it close.

She held it against her chest.

“Could you tell him… thank you? …Please.”

“Of course. I’m sure he’ll be very happy. He felt terribly apologetic for causing trouble, so he stayed up all night making it.”

Even after seeing Marlenda off, Ilenia couldn’t bring herself to let go of the bookmark.

She knew she had to hide it before Delphius saw it, yet she continued to hold and turn it over in her hands for a while.

It was only when she went upstairs that she finally slipped it into her pocket.

But when had Delphius ever failed to notice anything?

Even the slightest change did not escape him.

No matter how carefully she hid it, he would see through her at once.

“What is that?”

She already knew there was no use pretending she didn’t know.

So, quietly, she showed it to him.

“It’s the flowers I picked before… Someone gathered them carefully and made them into a bookmark for me.”

Clumsy, yet clearly made with care.

Delphius stared at the bookmark for a long moment.

At something that could be taken in at a glance—he looked for far too long.

“Throw it away.”

“…What?”

“I said, throw it away.”