After awkwardly letting go of Dante’s hand, I quickly rummaged through my pocket and pulled out a bribe.

“This is a gift to commemorate your safe return. Please eat it after dinner later.”

It was, well, cookies I had made.

After coughing painfully and being dragged away by the maids, I first stopped by the kitchen before visiting Dante’s room to package some cookies.

“I made these myself.”

“You made them yourself?”

“Yes. I’ve recently taken up baking as a hobby.”

I waved my hand a couple of times, signaling him to take the bribe – I mean, the cookies. Dante carefully accepted the cookie packet.

[This is the timeline separator]

Dante couldn’t adjust to the changed atmosphere of the house for a while.

It wasn’t just about Serpina popping up here and there to talk to him.

“Good morning, Madam. It’s a lovely morning.”

“Yes, good morning.”

“Madam. I’ve managed to obtain some new fertilizer with great difficulty! Ha ha ha!”

“Oh, thank you, Markops.”

“Madam. I’ve picked out some new boots and gloves. They’re comfortable and perfect for fieldwork!”

“Wow. Thanks, Mari.”

The servants were friendly towards Serpina.

And Serpina responded even more amicably.

They were so friendly with each other, they almost looked like friends.

Watching this, it felt like the very air of the mansion had changed.

The color of the air, the atmosphere, the scent.

The mansion that once resembled the northern weather had somehow become a mansion filled with sunshine.

At the center of it all was undoubtedly his wife.

Wearing boots comfortably, dressed in a frayed dress.

With gardening gloves on her hands and a wide-brimmed lady’s hat on her head.

Serpina.

As Dante looked down at the garden from the window of his office, his eyes met directly with Serpina who suddenly looked up.

Soon after, Serpina waved her hand vigorously.

“Duke! Good morning! Let’s have lunch together later!”

Her booming voice reached him, ignoring the height of the building.

Dante hesitated, not knowing how to respond, and just nodded a couple of times.

Satisfied with this, Serpina crouched down in the field and began transplanting seedlings into a new furrow.

Serpina tending to the herb garden, and Dante watching her, losing track of time.

When this became a daily routine, Dante realized something.

For the first time, he didn’t suffer from post-reconnaissance aftereffects.

Until now, Dante had always experienced minor or major aftereffects after reconnoitering the Beast Forest.

Dizziness, cold fingertips, and a pain like his insides were turning.

Sometimes it felt like someone was stabbing his chest with an ice pick.

Was it because of seeing a knight torn apart by beasts right before his eyes when he was young? Or was it influenced by the icy land of the Beast Forest?

Perhaps it was phantom pain caused by fear.

Facing the icy land involuntarily reminded him of death.

Because he was destined to die prematurely due to the curse of the icy land.

The icy land.

The source of the demonic energy that turns beasts and plants into monsters.

It’s literally a land frozen solid with thick ice, but it wasn’t frozen from the beginning.

It used to be a swamp where demonic energy constantly flowed out, but as more monsters were slain, it gradually froze over to become the current icy land.

Fortunately, as the swamp froze, the demonic energy seemed to freeze with it, and after the icy land was formed, the frequency of monsters appearing decreased.

But.

Unfortunately, that’s when the curse of the Richter family began.

Like the thick ice that froze the swamp of demonic energy, their bodies started to freeze.

Starting from the fingertips, then the toes. Spreading to the arms and legs, and finally reaching the heart.

“…I too will die someday.”

Yes.

When the heart finally freezes, one dies.

Since the curse began, no Richter bloodline has lived past the age of 35.

No Richter has escaped this curse of the icy land.

…No, there is one exception.

His older brother.

Oscar Richter.

He avoided the curse of the icy land by choosing death directly.

A pale voice flashed through his mind.

Followed by his brother’s noticeably thin face and the stormy view outside the window.

And then. The back of the woman who betrayed his brother appeared and disappeared in order.

Dante’s brow furrowed uncontrollably at the suffocating memory.

Dante silently clenched his fist.

Somehow, his fingertips felt cold.

As if the delayed aftereffects were finally catching up to him.

[This is the timeline separator]

“Hey, doesn’t it look a bit wilted?”

As I muttered, crouching in the herb garden, Siena shook her head vigorously.

“No. It looks fresh and green! You really seem to have a talent for growing herbs, Madam.”

“Right? I’m quite talented, aren’t I? It’s not like just anyone can germinate seeds. Right?”

“Of course. Germinating seeds isn’t an easy task! Madam, you’re a complete genius at seed germination!”

Wait a minute. This feels oddly strange.

But looking at Siena giving me two thumbs up, I thought, what does it matter anyway?

“Right? Haha.”

The timing when I found the off-topic subject of our conversation was around teatime in my room after finishing the tour of the vegetable garden.

“Ah, right. It wasn’t about the herbs.”

I suddenly remembered the ‘wilting existence’ while munching on the health snacks I had prepared in advance.

“Listen, Siena. Doesn’t the Duke look a bit wilted these days?”

Siena, who was sipping her tea, stopped and looked at me.

Her wide-open eyes seemed to say, ‘What nonsense are you talking about, Madam?’

After blinking her eyes in surprise, Siena finally opened her mouth with a determined expression.

“Listen carefully, Madam.”

“Okay. I’m all ears.”

What on earth is she going to say?

“Honestly, the one who looks wilted is… you, Madam.”

Oh my goodness, heavens above, how could this be!

I’m wilting?

“Me? No way. I’m as fresh as our herbs.”

“No, that’s not true. You look like you’d crumble if someone just touched you, let alone break.”

Siena spoke so firmly that she might as well break herself.

Yes, to the point of breaking my heart.

Hey, everyone! The maid is hitting the madam here!

“…How can you say such things?”

“But it’s the truth. Look at your wrist, Madam.”

Wrist. What about my wrist?

I glanced down at my wrist.

…It is certainly thin.

But it’s unfair.

The reason I don’t gain weight is just because I take after my mother.

It’s just that I look exceptionally frail among the muscular and robust northerners.

It’s not that I’m wilting.

It’s that you all are excessively healthy.

I pouted and stuffed the health snacks I made into my mouth.

“Never mind me, my husband’s eyes look too sunken, I’m telling you. I bring him herbal tea and snacks every day, what could be the problem?”

“…Wouldn’t that be the cause?”

“What did you say?”

“Nothing. It’s nothing.”

What’s with the bland response?

Then Siena closed her eyes and groaned. She seemed to be picturing Dante in her mind.

Her effort for my sake was beautiful, but.

“In my opinion, the Duke looks no different from usual. So, don’t worry too much.”

Her answer remained unchanged.

At this point, I was starting to wonder if I had just imagined it.

Mari would have seen Dante longer than I have, so if Mari says so, it must be true.

I nodded vaguely and then poured more snacks into my mouth.

However, that very night.

I realized that my words were correct.

I had gone to bed early as usual, but woke up at dawn.

Because I needed to use the bathroom.

What am I, a child?

It seemed to be due to excessive tea consumption.

I should drink less from tomorrow.

So, as I returned from the bathroom half-asleep, I suddenly noticed the empty bed.

“Huh? He’s still not sleeping?”

At 4 AM?

I knew Dante slept later than me.

Unlike me, an adult from the early-to-bed-early-to-rise country, Dante was an adult from the late-night-work country.

So, I thought the Duke must have a lot of work to do…

But to the extent of not being able to sleep even at 4 AM?

I considered dropping by his office for a moment, but decided not to disturb him and just go back to sleep.

As I buried myself in the blanket and closed my eyes, I heard the door opening behind me.

I hesitated for a moment at the awkwardly mismatched timing.

Should I open my eyes and greet him, or not?

In the meantime, the shadow that had quietly approached lay down beside me carefully.

He seemed to be trying not to shake the bed, his movements were so meticulous they were almost secretive.

Then he started to sleep without even covering himself with the blanket.

It didn’t even take a few minutes for his breathing to become regular.

I slightly raised my body to look down at Dante.

“You must have been quite tired.”

Thinking that the night shift must have been pretty tough, I pulled the blanket up to Dante’s chest.

It was about a week later when I noticed that something was strange about his night work.

“Madam. You look wilted.”

“…Huh? What did you say? My herbs are wilting?”

“No. You, Madam.”

Ah, you mean me.

Yes, of course.

Instead of denying Siena’s words, I buried my face on the table with a thud.

“Madam, Madam?!”

“Don’t shout… I’m just sleepy.”

“Ah. That’s a relief… Couldn’t you sleep?”

Yeah, I couldn’t sleep.

For a whole week!

“Ughhhh!”

I screamed and banged on the table. Then I suddenly lifted my head.

“Siena.”

“Uh, yes?”

“Call Barhan for me. I have something to ask him.”

Siena quickly left her seat.

And to fill the empty space, Barhan came.

I gestured for Barhan to sit down and then stared at him with my chin resting on my hand.

“What’s the matter, Madam?”

“Barhan. Be honest with me.”

“Yes. I will answer honestly.”

I nodded at his agreeable attitude.

And then, I asked the question I had been holding back.

“Is the North about to fall?”