“I know it may be presumptuous of me to say this, but could you perhaps visit His Highness the Grand Duke once……”

If even the thoughtful Margaret had said such a thing, it was safe to assume that half the population of Ansgar Castle had noticed she was avoiding Valentin.

As proof, Yannik was also staring at them alternately with round eyes full of curiosity.

Adelheit slowly put down her spoon. She felt the stew that had tasted so good just moments ago sitting heavily in her stomach.

“Surely you haven’t had a fight, or has something happened between the two of you……”

“It’s not like that.”

Adelheit protested in a small voice.

Fighting? That was an expression that could only be used when the relationship was equal.

What had happened lately was closer to her unilaterally avoiding Valentin.

Right after Grita’s disappearance, her suspicion towards Valentin had peaked.

‘The timing was too coincidental.’

Grita disappeared exactly one week after they had talked about the curse.

Moreover, it was just as her curse was starting to show signs of recovery. It seemed the herbs given by the healing mage Würgen had finally taken effect after long patience.

The herbalist summoned from the neighboring domain also assured that Grita’s condition was improving, and in about ten days her swollen neck would completely subside and her voice would return.

The situation was that optimistic.

‘There was no reason for her to run away.’

Grita was like a mother to her, replacing her deceased birth mother.

Perhaps because of that, even though Adelheit knew Grita was subtly abusing her and undermining her self-esteem, she could hardly break away from her.

Like a fool reaching out to a rose, knowing they’ll be pricked by its thorns, but intoxicated by that moment of beauty.

‘If even Grita is gone…… who will be left by my side?’

The people of Ansgar whose attitudes might change at any time once her usefulness was over? Valentin who was hiding so much from her?

Despite everything, Grita was the person who had been by her side when she was at her lowest.

She couldn’t just discard her because her situation had improved a little. At least, not while she was worried about that person’s future.

Grita knew Adelheit’s personality best and had thoroughly exploited it.

The more authority Adelheit gained, the more Grita rejoiced in expectation of the crumbs that would fall to her, but after enduring so much until now, there was absolutely no reason for her to leave Ansgar domain at this point.

Adelheit barely swallowed a sigh.

‘There was so much I could have done for her. I could have raised her salary, or changed her room since she complained about the old bed and furniture……’

As she counted the things she could have done for Grita, ways to compensate for the difficult years, she found herself compulsively returning to her initial thought.

‘No matter how I think about it, Grita had no reason to leave this castle of her own accord.’

So the suspicion kept going round and round in circles.

That it wasn’t Valentin’s doing from the start. That he had planned everything from the curse to Grita’s disappearance – or death.

“I don’t know what exactly happened, but why don’t you try talking to him once?”

“……Even if we talk, I’m not sure if it can be resolved well……”

“Still, you should try to have a conversation. Wouldn’t it be better to honestly open up about what misunderstandings have built up between you two?”

Adelheit blinked hazily. Her heart sank gloomily.

‘Really, that all of this is just a misunderstanding.’

What changed her unshakable belief was ultimately the information brought by Hermann.

Many people had seen Grita boarding a carriage to leave the domain of her own free will. Even Yannik right beside her had seen it.

“……”

When Yannik’s eyes met Adelheit’s glance at him, they widened, and he suddenly started to feign ignorance.

Adelheit noticed that not only Yannik, but all the servants within earshot were wearing the same expression.

It was clear that they had been pretending not to, but paying great attention to the conversation they were having.

‘They must all be worried.’

In fact, the subtle chill flowing between the couple these past few days had been a daily topic of conversation among the retainers.

Saying that Her Highness was keeping her distance so politely it was almost cutting, and His Grace looked at Her Highness reproachfully but didn’t stop her otherwise. And that every time this happened, the temperature in Ansgar Castle seemed to drop unnecessarily further.

She had heard them whispering behind her back more times than she could count.

‘Maybe, I’ve been thinking wrong from the start……’

She put down her bowl and lowered her gaze dejectedly.

It was then, as she unconsciously raised her head to look at the window of the library where Valentin would be.

She saw the huge shadow that had been watching her from the window vanish in an instant. It was just a fleeting moment.

It seemed she could no longer avoid it.

“Valentin.”

As Adelheit hesitantly called him again, Valentin lifted his eyes from the book. He raised his head leisurely.

As if he had only just noticed Adelheit standing there.

He wasn’t human and could control all shadows, so he must have known she was there long before she called out, even from the very moment she first set foot in the corridor leading to the library.

“……”

The silence was quiet.

He stared at Adelheit as if asking why she had come looking for him. She opened her mouth hesitantly.

“I heard you’ve been skipping meals again lately.”

“Have I?”

Valentin responded casually, as if hearing about someone else’s story rather than his own. He stood up with a gentle smile.

“The news came later than I expected.”

“……”

“I thought you would come at least three days ago.”

Adelheit was stunned to realize how much smoother his speech had become. Yes. It had been a long time, as he reproached.

It had been a full ten days since she had faced Valentin again.

That meant it had also been ten days since Grita’s disappearance.

The excuse that the timing coincidentally overlapped was useless.

It would only make her look very ridiculous, or very stupid. Adelheit fidgeted with her hands and stammered.

“If you had called through a servant, I would have……”

“Would you really have come?”

It wasn’t sarcastic or sneering. Just a calm confirmation.

Asking if she would have come even one step closer to him if she hadn’t heard about Grita’s safety. Perhaps it was closer to a rebuke, but at least that sentiment wasn’t fully revealed.

Perhaps it was because he looked too cold and lonely.

“……”

He was dressed lightly in just a tunic despite the dead of winter.

Though he was not human but a ‘shadow’, his nose was red and his lips were pale blue.

The library had many unrepaired windows and was drafty.

Unless he was staging a protest to prick her conscience….. Even as a protest, it was an inefficient act.

Was he really determined to catch a cold?

Adelheit looked at him with astonished eyes and saw that the stew that the servants must have brought had already frozen.

At the same time, she realized that the cold in the library wasn’t simply due to the draft.

After all, a stew that had been boiling hot just moments ago couldn’t freeze solid like that from a mere draft.

There was only one thing it could mean.

That he might have the power to control the temperature of the air.

‘Actually, I had been suspecting it to some extent.’

Adelheit clenched her trembling hands tightly. At that moment, as if unable to bear the lengthening silence any longer, he opened his mouth.

“Suddenly, what brings you to look for me?”

Adelheit tore her gaze away from the bowl of stew. Valentin blinked languidly, meeting her eyes with a bored look.

As if he knew exactly what she was going to say, but wanted to see how she would put it.

Whenever he made that face, Adelheit always felt like she was dancing in the palm of his hand.

Valentin’s enchanting smile deepened a little more.

“You wouldn’t have suddenly missed me. You came because you have business, right?”

“……”

“Tell me.”

“The snow……”

Although she had started, the words didn’t come easily.

Even though she thought he might have some way to stop the snow, she had been avoiding it until now.

‘If I had acted, I wouldn’t have bothered to leave her barely alive.’

It was exactly one week after he said those words.

How could she not suspect him? Whether it was Grita’s death or disappearance, she didn’t want to pretend not to know and grovel at Valentin’s feet begging for her life.

At that moment when he might be her enemy…..

Adelheit bit her lip.

Perhaps, as he said, it was all a misunderstanding, and because of her needless stubbornness, everyone had suffered despite an easy solution. Adelheit wanted to correct all those misunderstandings even now.

“I was wondering if perhaps…… you could stop the snow from falling or melt it completely.”

“Ah. Now you’ve finally thought of me?”

Adelheit raised her eyes, which had been trying hard to avoid his gaze. Hope flickered in his lime-green eyes.

“Does that mean it’s possible?”

“It’s not impossible, but I’m not sure if that’s the way Adelheit wants.”

He explained gently.

“Controlling snow, rain, and storms is within the realm of Morig’s power, so there’s nothing I can do now. But, I can melt all the nearby snow.”

“……That’s.”

“I could instantly raise the temperature of the ground, or draw up hot spring water. Both would look too strange to the public.”

“……”

“Do you want that?”

Valentin slowly walked around the long table to stand in front of Adelheit.

He gazed intently into Adelheit’s eyes with a sensual smile.

Although she felt like a cornered mouse, she simply couldn’t tear her gaze away from those eyes.

“Tell me. I’ll do whatever you want.”