The wind skipped a season. Karsik’s autumn passed before the wind could finish a single melody.

The faded midday sun scattered coldness in the evening air. As a glossy black crow struck a frost-covered branch and flew away, transparent ice shattered into white pieces.

Alesia came to the White Palace every three days, brewing medicinal herbs all morning.

Though Patricia drank the tenth special detoxification remedy, her memory did not return. Still, her migraines and the heavy sensation of wet cotton wrapped around her head disappeared, leaving her feeling refreshed.

The Empress Dowager, who had gone to the Rubelin Kingdom, returned with Princess Isabella.

Isabella unpacked at the Boras Palace, located in a dense fir forest past an artificial lake with slender, long willow branches swaying and a cluster of ash trees.

Her retinue was modest, with only one lady-in-waiting and three or four maids staying with her.

She declined all audiences from noble ladies of the imperial capital flocking to her upon news of her return, and refrained from venturing outside Boras Palace.

Alesia, who had brought the brewed medicine, complained to Patricia that Isabella refused to meet her and even rejected a visit from the Empress Dowager.

On days without volunteer work at the poorhouse, Patricia dismissed her lady-in-waiting and asked Bern for a horse.

She rode past the Duse Palace and galloped through the northern forest.

On the way back, she stopped at a field of daisies. Leaving the horse at the pasture, she walked into the field.

The field, blooming with countless thousands of daisies in clusters, was breathtakingly beautiful.

It looked as if white clouds like foam were embracing yellow stars fallen densely.

Feeling somehow warm, Patricia impulsively picked some daisies.

After making a bouquet, she pulled the ribbon from her hair. She tied the daisy bouquet as she walked out of the field. A cool breeze blew.

Patricia’s golden hair fluttered long like sunlight.

Bern, standing by the horse grazing in the pasture, rubbed his eyes with his leather gloves. He gazed at the Empress walking out, holding the daisy bouquet to her chest.

The Emperor demanded detailed reports on the Empress’s daily activities every evening, especially her attire and expressions.

Ah, His Majesty should see this sight personally.

Bern etched the enchanting scene in his eyes.

Patricia went to Boras Palace with the daisy bouquet. If Isabella didn’t want to meet, she planned to just leave the daisies.

As she waited without dismounting, a maid who had gone inside the palace opened the door and said only Patricia should enter.

“Lord Bern, return first.”

“Have a pleasant meeting. I’ll wait.”

The place the maid guided her to was a small botanic garden inside Boras Palace. Warm air touched her face.

As she entered where white and yellow butterflies and damselflies were flying, Patricia felt somehow as if she had come to a familiar place.

The sky of cloudy autumn was fully visible through the iron-framed structure and full-length glass windows.

Isabella cut a large, lush pink flower with pruning shears. After removing small thorns from the stem end with work gloves, she turned to Patricia standing behind her and held out the flower.

The scent of flowers mixed with the smell of soil wafted up.

They silently looked at each other for a moment. Then they smiled faintly at the same time, as if shy. They gestured at the flowers in each other’s hands.

“It’s a peony. I gave it to Your Majesty before, saying you resembled it. Don’t you remember?”

“No.”

“I usually use deep buff-colored peonies for hair ornaments, and I thought the gorgeous, lush flower and its meaning didn’t suit me at all, but I understood when I saw Your Majesty.”

“I don’t remember.”

Patricia looked at Isabella’s belly, as round and full as the large, lush peony. It was a life growing too big to hide.

“I was riding through the northern forest when I saw these flowers in a field and thought of you, Lady Isabella. I don’t know the name of the flower.”

They exchanged the flowers in their hands. Isabella buried her face in the daisies and took a deep, audible breath.

“This flower is a daisy. Huh, its meaning is peace and hope, thank you. It’s just the flower I needed.”

Isabella noticed Patricia’s gaze lingering briefly on her belly. Surprise, curiosity. Patricia’s expression, not revealing such emotions, was gentle.

Isabella went to a table placed next to a small fountain. As she sat down, she instructed the standing maid to bring refreshments.

When the maid left, they were alone now.

Now she’ll ask, she’ll reveal her uncontainable curiosity. I wonder if the Empress has listened to rumors about me.

Isabella tapped the white daisy petals with a slightly irritated expression.

“As expected, Your Majesty doesn’t ask? Aren’t you curious?”

“I am curious.”

Of course. I wonder if she’s curious whose seed it is, how tiresome.

“Please tell me the meaning of peonies.”

Patricia grasped the peony tightly with both hands and leaned forward.

“What? Ho ho ho… Oh, really!”

Isabella was dumbfounded. And for the first time in a while, she laughed a bright laugh that cleared her chest.

“Usually, ladies naturally learn about flowers and their meanings while embroidering flowers on frames. I was puzzled when I heard you wielded a sword with delicate arms. I really saw you well. Your Majesty is different from ordinary ladies.”

“Lady Isabella. Do you perhaps know the meaning of lilacs too?”

“Lilacs have different meanings depending on the flower color. Most flowers are like that.”

“It’s purple lilacs.”

“First love, the beginning of love. Usually, ladies in unrequited love embroider purple lilacs on handkerchiefs to gift to the object of their affection.”

Patricia’s face turned red.

“I’m ruined.”

“How cute, why?”

“I don’t remember, but apparently I gave it to Harchen not long after we met.”

A maid came with refreshments prepared. She set down a teapot with pre-steeped tea, teacups and saucers, and a 3-tier tray of finger foods.

“You may go.”

At Isabella’s dismissal, the maid left. Patricia used crystal tongs to place wagashi and mini cakes on a plate and set it before Isabella.

“Eat the pretty ones, and laugh a lot. And.”

Patricia took off her gloves and held Isabella’s white, soft hands with her bare hands.

“Congratulations on your pregnancy.”

Thick tears fell down Isabella’s white cheeks.

Perhaps because they were hands that held swords, Patricia’s thin hands were as hard as iron, unlike their appearance.

Isabella heard congratulations on her pregnancy for the first time. She was moved by Patricia’s nature, which simply acknowledged the fact that she was receiving and nurturing a life, without adding any curiosity, doubt, or any other words, and her crying gradually grew louder.

Patricia talked about children coming to the learning center at the poorhouse these days to learn the imperial language. She laughed that even a grandmother twice her age was her student.

It was unexpected to hear that Princess Julia volunteered at the learning center. Not just Julia, but noble ladies of the capital joined the volunteer work one by one after hearing rumors about the learning center run by the Empress.

With so many ladies gathering, rumors would pile up like dust. There must be plenty of rumors about her too. But Patricia didn’t ask anything.

“Your Majesty, the noble ladies of the capital must gossip about me quite a bit, right?”

“I don’t lend an ear to such trivial talk.”

The clear and refreshing words were invigorating.

Isabella gave Patricia booklets of flower illustrations, flower meanings, and embroidery patterns as a gift.

Patricia opened the pages with her mouth agape, as if fascinated by such booklets. She checked the purple lilac illustration, meaning, and embroidery pattern again and frowned at her forehead.

Her blue eyes stared blankly at Isabella before slightly touching her belly. With a reddened face, she silently bowed her head, then turned abruptly and left the garden.

Isabella looked at the daisies placed on the table.

In the days when she had curiosity about the opposite sex and fantasies about love, the price for a brief love with the guard William was harsh.

During her stay in Karsik under the pretext of an arranged marriage, the baby in her womb gradually revealed its presence more clearly.

When she could no longer hide it, she returned to Rubelin. Henry embraced her roughly and immediately noticed. Then he spat out venomous words.

“Is it really my seed? You were away from my side for too long. Moreover, you were promiscuous in your maiden days, and above all, you weren’t a virgin on our wedding night. Prove that it’s my seed.”

It was just once. Following her mother’s orders threatening to kill guard William, she accepted the arranged marriage with Rubelin’s second prince.

Two days before departing Karsik for the arranged marriage, she met William, whom she had barely managed to contact, at the Arteum in Epi Street.

She wanted to give him a memory of first love.

Before the end of a night full of clumsy, fishy sadness rather than passionate, burning desire as both were inexperienced, those sent by her mother barged in.

They acted roughly as if apprehending brutal criminals on the spot and swiftly put William and Isabella in separate carriages.

Isabella was certain they would have killed William.

However, her mother, who arrived in Rubelin, entered Isabella’s bedroom and said the problem was not the wrist injury but the baby in her womb.

Isabella was surprised that even her mother didn’t believe her. To her question of what she meant, Diana grabbed Isabella’s arms tightly and asked if she had met William again.

At those words, Isabella felt hope.

They didn’t kill him. He’s alive.

Isabella firmly stated her opinion before Henry and her mother.

There was not a single improper moment after the arranged marriage, and this child is certainly Henry’s; she would prove it through childbirth.

Henry had red hair and purple eyes, Isabella had black hair and black eyes, and William had silver hair and blue eyes.

Henry and Isabella agreed in front of Diana.

Divorce after childbirth. If it’s a son, Henry would have custody; if it’s a daughter, Isabella would.

On the way back to Karsik, Isabella demanded her mother tell her William’s whereabouts after childbirth and divorce. Then she got off the carriage and boarded another.