The wooden bathtub was filled to the brim with steaming hot water. All sorts of fragrant flower petals and herbs were poured on top. Adelheit was pushed into the tub by the busy hands of the maids.

At first, she was flustered by this unfamiliar experience, but as soon as she immersed her body in the hot water, the thoughts that had been complicating her mind disappeared in an instant.

She exhaled a satisfied breath. She couldn’t remember the last time she had enjoyed such luxury. It seemed like it was the first time since coming to the North.

After finishing her bath, the maids presented a clean new dress. It was a beautiful green velvet dress with exquisite gold embroidery. Adelheit’s eyes widened at the unexpected gift.

“These are just some clothes we prepared hastily for now.”

“We heard that His Highness sent people even to the neighboring village, as it was difficult to find a dress suitable for Your Grace right away. It’s not custom-made, so it might be a bit large for Your Grace, but…”

The maids’ tone was polite as they observed Adelheit’s expression. It was evident that they were genuinely nervous about being disrespectful to someone of high status, not just pretending.

Adelheit quickly realized that the maids’ faces were unfamiliar. It seemed they were the new maids who had been hired after the recent dismissal of servants with poor work attitudes.

“Do you perhaps not like it?”

Adelheit shook her head at the worried question.

“I like it very much.”

“That’s a relief. Then, let us help you dress.”

The maids skillfully dressed Adelheit in undergarments and the dress. Looking at herself in the mirror, Adelheit barely swallowed a gasp of admiration. The skirt flowed in soft waves, and the embroidery around the chest was indescribably delicate.

She carefully brushed her fingertips over the velvet dress. It was the first time in her life she had owned clothes made of such expensive fabric.

Even when she occasionally received hand-me-downs from Charlotte, the expensive fabrics had been pilfered by the maids, so all Adelheit could get were simple cotton garments.

‘Even on my wedding day, I wasn’t dressed this beautifully.’

“You look so pretty.”

A maid whose eyes met Adelheit’s in the mirror spoke with a gentle smile. The warm and friendly response felt strange. Adelheit managed to smile back.

‘Well, that’s a relief, I suppose.’

The maid who was skillfully braiding her hair, which hung down like golden threads, continued speaking.

“I heard from the head maid that you had disposed of all the clothes you had brought to go to the convent.”

What exactly had they heard? A look of bewilderment flashed across Adelheit’s face. Perhaps interpreting this reaction, the maids who had been watching cautiously all flocked around her, chattering.

“Don’t worry. This may be the only dress for now, but we’re inquiring even in the neighboring village, so we should be able to get three or four more easily.”

“I heard they’re buying clothes ordered by other noble ladies at a premium, so they should all arrive by this afternoon.”

“Not only that, I heard they’re sending seamstresses too!”

“They’ve summoned not just jewelers, but even merchants selling miscellaneous goods. They say you can order handkerchiefs, gloves, scent pouches, and such to your heart’s content without worrying about the cost.”

So, who on earth…

Faced with Adelheit’s astonished expression, the maids chorused brightly.

“All of these are on His Grace the Grand Duke’s orders!”

Now she seemed to understand how the situation had unfolded.

Perhaps Valentin had misunderstood that the ‘walk’ she had proposed needed to be done in front of all the domain’s people? Otherwise, there was no reason to spend so much money and effort just to walk a bit in the garden in front of the castle.

She had always been taught that husbands were beings who could act as they pleased, while wives were supposed to cater to their husbands’ moods. A husband spending extravagantly for his wife was something that would invite mockery for being unmanly.

‘Even if you’ve lost your memories, this is too much.’

Adelheit silently looked at her reflection in the mirror. However, if she turned her gaze just a little to the side, she kept meeting the smiling faces of the maids. Each time, Adelheit flinched and averted her gaze. It felt unfamiliar to receive such warm and friendly reactions when their eyes met.

It made her uncomfortable, as if she were deceiving someone.

‘Would they still smile at me like that if they heard the rumors about me?’

The past of being despised as an illegitimate child in Reichenau, being treated worse than a maid for not being able to do anything properly even at 15, and being denounced as a fraud for the past three years weighed heavily on Adelheit.

Someday, they too would hear the rumors about Adelheit. If she opened her heart and let them close now, only to have them turn their backs later as if nothing had happened, it would only hurt her more.

‘As soon as His Highness regains his memories, I won’t be able to enjoy this kind of happiness anyway.’

If that was the case, it was better not to get used to it. Adelheit deliberately hardened her expression.

“Your Grace.”

The door opened after two knocks, and the head maid appeared. After curtsying according to etiquette, the lady, seeing Adelheit still surrounded by maids, gently urged.

“His Grace the Grand Duke is waiting at the stairs.”

“Already?”

“Just a moment, please. We’re almost done.”

The maid tending to her hair exclaimed hurriedly. She twisted the braided hair into a round bun and secured it firmly with pins, tightened the waist sash a bit more meticulously, and curled the loose strands of hair by her ears into gentle waves. Only after these few busy final touches did the maids step back from Adelheit.

Only then could Adelheit properly see her fully adorned self in the mirror.

“…”

The person in the mirror was a beautiful noblewoman, almost unrecognizable even to herself. The ‘Adelheit’ who had been wearing shabby clothes and running around with messy hair every day was nowhere to be seen.

Adelheit tried not to feel awkward about her appearance, but despite her efforts, her ears turned bright red.

‘It doesn’t feel like me.’

The head maid personally and carefully draped a fox fur shawl over Adelheit’s shoulders.

“It will be cold outside. The wind is very strong today. Be careful not to catch a cold.”

“Thank you… for your concern.”

The head maid smiled and bowed her head as if to say it was nothing. As they opened the door and stepped into the hallway, the eerie howling of the wind echoing off the castle walls grew louder. As the head maid had said, the weather seemed particularly bad today.

“Adelheit.”

No sooner had she grasped the banister of the stairs than a dark figure suddenly loomed right in front of her. Valentin was standing on the step just below where she stood. It seemed he had rushed up the stairs as soon as he spotted her.

Valentin looked nervous. He was dressed more impeccably than ever, looking grand enough to attend an imperial banquet right away.

However, Valentin swallowed hard, as if surprised to see Adelheit.

His eyes, which slowly and persistently scanned her from top to bottom, were filled with honest admiration.

Adelheit lost her confidence and shrank back as he silently stared at her.

“Do I look very strange?”

“No.”

“…”

“You, are, so, beau, tiful…”

“…”

“You’re beautiful. Adelheit.”

The moment he said that with a bright smile, her ears felt as if they had been touched by fire. Adelheit felt as if she knew how red her face must have become without even seeing it.

No woman would refuse a man with a face beautiful enough to enchant anyone acting as if he were completely smitten with her. Even if it was a misunderstanding, or actions taken without knowing anything due to memory loss.

Adelheit lowered her gaze, barely suppressing the desire to keep looking at his handsome face. She didn’t want to make a spectacle of herself in front of the butler Hermann and the head maid anymore.

“Thank you for everything you sent.”

“It’s, nothing, much. Just, this, much…”

“To me, it’s all very special. I didn’t expect you to do so much just for a brief walk outside.”

“Do, you… not, like, it?”

“I’m so overwhelmed to receive such things suddenly, I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you. Please call off the seamstresses and jewelers you’ve summoned.”

Disappointment clouded Valentin’s eyes, but Adelheit pretended not to notice and avoided his gaze.

His speaking skills had improved considerably in just one day. It was much easier to understand than yesterday, and closer to full sentences. Although his pronunciation was still occasionally halting, it was more articulate.

Along with this, the sense of discomfort Adelheit felt became more distinct.

“Your speech has improved a lot overnight.”

“Practice, want… to, talk. Is… there, something?”

This time, it seemed the meaning he wanted to convey was a bit difficult. Valentin tilted his head and narrowed his eyes. Meanwhile, several maids passed by them with awkward expressions, walking sideways cautiously.

Adelheit only then realized that they were blocking the main staircase.

“Instead of standing here like this, let’s go outside, Your Highness.”

As Adelheit held out her right hand while speaking, Valentin grasped it preciously with both hands and looked at her. He seemed unsure of what to do or how to do it.

Only after Hermann, standing behind Valentin, cleared his throat and made a gesture of adjusting his grip did he seem to understand the meaning. He very carefully adjusted his hold on Adelheit’s hand.

As if she were a small bird that might fly away if he held too tightly.

“Then, allow me to guide you through the castle.”

Butler Hermann hurriedly intervened between them. It seemed he had judged that Valentin couldn’t properly guide her to the garden.

They passed through the large central corridor lit by torches and exited through the back door of the castle, revealing a serene garden. They had just stepped onto the first walking path when—

“Your Grace.”