“Ruan, what is all this?”

After waking up past 10 o’clock, Mercian went to the dining room with an ice pack on her severely swollen cheek, having been scolded by Charles and Clea.

Mercian looked at Ruan with surprised eyes, seeing 1.5 times more food than usual, and asked.

“I heard that madam skipped dinner last night. No wonder you felt lighter than usual when I carried you yesterday. So I asked them to prepare a little more.”

Is this just a little more?

Mercian looked at Ruan with a dumbfounded expression, seeing the abundance of food laid out.

By the way, does this man not mind that I’m fat?

Or is it that he doesn’t care whether I’m fat or not since I’ll be leaving soon?

Mercian suddenly became curious about Ruan’s thoughts.

“Ruan. I’m asking this sincerely, but don’t you dislike my body shape?”

At Mercian’s question, Ruan looked at her carefully with a serious expression and said,

“What part of your body should I dislike, madam?”

“No, Ruan, don’t joke around. The truth is, I’m a bit chubbier than the average noble lady. In fact, my sister being so thin makes the comparison even more stark, and most young ladies and gentlemen compare me to my sister, saying I foolishly only focus on eating. And they insist I should lose weight like my sister.”

Mercian recalled the people who had teased her since childhood.

Among them, the worst were Lucienne and Penelope, but…

Hearing Mercian’s words, Ruan looked at her with a serious expression and said,

“Madam, I find your current appearance the most pleasing to look at. I don’t know who said such nonsense, but they must not know you well, so don’t pay attention to it. From what I see, you simply enjoy making and eating food. Because I know that you make food and share it with all the servants in the duke’s household. I also know that you bring some to my aunt.”

“H-how did you know that?”

As Mercian looked at Ruan in surprise, he gazed at her with kind eyes and said,

“It’s just that, in my eyes, you are always lovable and cute no matter what you look like. So don’t think like that.”

“N-no way. You’re saying I’m lovable and cute?”

“Of course. Do you know how pretty you look when you’re eating? I enjoy having meals with you so much. So don’t think like that. I don’t mind even if you roll around. So don’t worry and enjoy your meal, madam.”

It was the first time.

Someone who looked at her with a warm expression and said they liked her current appearance…

Saying it’s okay to eat as much as she wants as long as she’s healthy,

That she’s neither foolish nor a pig.

Why are you saying such things…

I didn’t want to hear these words from you.

I hoped you would despise me like others do.

So that I wouldn’t give my heart to you anymore…

So that I could cut you off cruelly like my family who abandoned me…

But if you say things like this, what am I supposed to do?

You’re a person who will leave in 5 months…

Mercian was so happy she could cry at Ruan’s words, saying she was pretty just as she was, but the reality that she absolutely must not love him or give him her heart was so sad.

***

December had already arrived.

The Canoloup Duke’s mansion was also busy preparing for winter.

Although it rarely snows in winter in Omankroot, the temperature drops below freezing, so in large castles like the duke’s mansion, they carefully sealed all window frames to prevent cold drafts from entering.

They also lit fires in the fireplaces using magic powder that keeps the flames burning for a long time, making the entire castle warm.

“Madam, what are you planning to do about the year-end home party this time?”

Mercian raised her head at Charles’s question as he was fixing her hair.

“Home party? Ah. That’s right. It’s already time for the home party…”

In the Omankroot Empire, at the end of every year, all families would gather to celebrate staying healthy and safe throughout the year, and hoping for good things in the coming year, they would hold parties where everyone made and ate food together.

Besides the harvest festival held in autumn, it was one of the biggest parties held in noble households or ordinary homes, so it was one of the annual events that everyone looked forward to, but for Mercian, the home party always held only unpleasant memories.

Of course, when her father was alive, although it wasn’t luxurious, they spent enjoyable times eating delicious food, but after her father died in an accident and the viscounty’s circumstances worsened, they were no longer in a situation to hold home parties.

As a result, every last day of the year, unable to hold a home party, all of Lucienne’s nerves were directed at Mercian from morning, and Mercian’s actions, tone of voice, and even the way she held her fork became subjects of Lucienne’s criticism and sarcasm.

So every year on the last day, before dawn broke, Mercian would hide from Lucienne’s eyes in the empty servants’ quarters of the viscounty that no one used, avoiding her all day long.

But this year, since we have enough money, Lucy will probably want to have a home party.

“Madam?”

At Charles’s question, Mercian, who had been lost in thought, tilted her head and answered.

“Well, how did they do it at the duke’s mansion?”

At Mercian’s question, Charles sighed while fixing her hair and said,

“Actually, there wasn’t much of a home party at the duke’s mansion. The master was always working at the imperial palace, often staying up all night, so he rarely stayed at the mansion around this time. As a result, the duchess also didn’t come to the mansion. So we just made cookies and cakes ourselves to eat.”

“Is that so? Then this must be Ruan’s first home party too?”

“Probably so? Come to think of it, this might be the master’s first and last home party.”

As Charles spoke with a gloomy expression, Mercian also fell into thought.

I guess the home party we’re holding this year will be Ruan’s first and last.

“Charles, then let’s all think about how to do the home party this time.”

“Really? So we’re having a home party this year?”

“Yes,”

At Mercian’s words, Charles hurriedly finished fixing her hair and said,

“There, it’s done, madam.”

“Thank you, Charles.”

After Charles left, Mercian got up and approached the window. When she opened it, cold wind entered the room.

At the viscounty, they couldn’t block the cold wind in winter, so we always went around wrapped in blankets.

Mercian closed her eyes and breathed in the cold air, feeling refreshed.

I’m already welcoming my second season here.

It was autumn when I came here, but already two months have passed.

Time seems to be passing so quickly.

In just 4 months, I’ll have to leave this place.

I wondered how I would spend 6 months, but time is flowing faster than I thought.

Sleeping in the same bed with Ruan 4 times a week, having breakfast and dinner together, and spending the rest of the time learning cooking from the chef or looking for a place to live quite far from the capital.

The Yotteri village that the real estate agent recommended last time seemed nice too.

Although it takes a full three days by carriage from the capital, that distance means no one would know me, so it seems perfect for a new start.

Moreover, according to the real estate person’s explanation, it’s a small village with few residents and has rivers and lakes nearby, so it seems just right for getting a house and tending a small vegetable garden.

I should find time to go there sometime…

As she closed the window, Mercian remembered Penelope, who would always nag her to close the windows tightly when winter came.

I wonder if mother is doing well?

It had been a month since she left the duke’s mansion at that tea party, and not once had she heard any news.

Or maybe she didn’t want to hear any news…

Still, she occasionally bought and checked newspapers to see if there was any story about Lucienne and the crown prince, but seeing no stories, it was clear that either Lucy had given up on the crown prince or, as she had expected, the crown prince had abandoned Lucy when she couldn’t bring any evidence.

There’s no way Lucy would give up, so it must be that the crown prince abandoned her, saying she had no use value since she couldn’t bring any evidence.

She’s probably resenting me now, but later she’ll never know that my choice was right.

Mercian prayed in her heart that the remaining 4 months would pass quietly without any particular incidents.

***

Bang!

“What do you mean? Not only is Haiman alive and well, but he finished the restoration half a month earlier than the two months he proposed to father? Does it make sense that you couldn’t kill a 22-year-old boy who doesn’t even know how to fence properly in a month?”

“Your Highness, it seems impossible to kill him. We’ve tried several times, but before the duke left his territory, he assigned more than 10 knight escorts to Prince Haiman, so it’s just… Ack!”

Hook grabbed Deimond’s arm, which suddenly came to choke his neck, and struggled.

“Hook, what exactly is your job? That’s why I told you several times before to kill that Haiman. You said it wasn’t the right time, and now you say you can’t touch him? Listen carefully, the duke has less than 4 months left to live. If he dies, it wouldn’t be difficult to kill just one Haiman. However, I don’t have the patience to wait 4 months. So we need to find his weakness. That’s why, Hook, I have a job for you.”

“Ack… kuh… Y-Your Highness. Please speak.”

Looking at Hook, who was breathing heavily with his face pale from lack of blood circulation, Deimond smiled coldly and said,

“Bring that woman!”

“T-that woman, you mean…”

“I mean that woman the duke has hidden away in the castle. The one who rejected my offer and even cut ties with her family to side with the duke who’s about to die.”

“Y-Your Highness, you said you wouldn’t touch the duchess…”

“Hook, don’t worry. I don’t plan to do anything right away. Just… I’m a bit curious. She didn’t seem very charming when I saw her at the wedding… I want to know how well the duke is treating her that she dares to reject the crown prince’s offer. Actually, I wanted to meet her right away when I heard that stupid viscounty girl’s ridiculous excuse, but I thought the duke wouldn’t just sit still, so I’ve been waiting until now. Now that Haiman is returning to the capital, he will focus on Haiman. He’ll think I’m trying to kill Haiman. So when the duke is giving his attention to Haiman, it should be easy to bring the woman. So check when that woman leaves the duke’s mansion and let me know.”

“… Yes, Your Highness.”

Hook grabbed his neck and crawled out of the crown prince’s palace on all fours.

***

“Ruan, do you have any plans for the last day of this month?”

At Mercian’s question, who had been eating silently during meal times for some time now, Ruan thought for a moment and replied.

“The last day of this month… I think I might be at the imperial palace. Is there something going on?”

“Ah. You’re working then too? Your health has deteriorated a lot, don’t you think you should rest a bit?”

Although Mercian had been avoiding Ruan, meeting him only minimally to prevent giving her heart to him anymore, she couldn’t help but worry about Ruan’s increasingly emaciated appearance every time they met.

“Madam, are you worrying about me right now?”

Ruan couldn’t help but smile at the sight of Mercian worrying about him.

“What? Ah, your complexion keeps getting worse and you keep losing weight, so my aunt was very worried last time.”

“Then what about you, madam? Aren’t you worried about me?”

Of course I’m worried. It would be strange not to worry when you’re visibly losing so much weight.

But my worrying won’t improve your health.

There’s no need to unnecessarily build up our feelings for each other.

At Ruan’s question, Mercian looked at him with a calm expression and said,

“What? Of course I’m worried too. Although it’s contractual, I am currently Ruan’s wife after all. I didn’t know that addiction could make you lose so much weight. I’m really afraid you might end up with just bones.”

Afraid, she says.

Is that why you’re avoiding me like this?

Because you’re afraid of how much weight I’ve lost?

At Mercian’s words, Ruan quietly looked at her.