Kedilen, who filled his glass with a bottle of expensive wine, grinned with droopy eyes.

“At first, I thought of beating Ludmila as soon as she returned and putting a leash on her neck. So she couldn’t escape again. But as I became this desperate, I only wished she would come back. I never imagined it would be this hard not having that precious thing in my hands.”

“Get a hold of yourself. Do you even know what you’re saying right now?”

“I do. That’s why I’m angry and dumbfounded. I never imagined I’d be clinging to Ludmila like this.”

“…Haa.”

Celia let out a low sigh. She didn’t come here to see her brother like this.

Contrary to her expectation that he’d be filled with anger, he was just reciting regrets.

Shaking her head, Celia swallowed her curses for Ludmila who had worsened the situation like this and got to the point.

“I’ve found a way to find Ludmila.”

“…Really?”

Celia looked at Kedilen, whose face brightened, and handed him a business card. On the empty memo paper, only an address was written.

“I found the nanny. That impudent girl secretly smuggled out her nanny while running away. If she had stayed put, we wouldn’t have found her, but somehow that nanny crawled to me on her own feet and begged to save Ludmila. Isn’t that ridiculous?”

“…”

“It seems she knows where Ludmila went. You go and negotiate. When she begged to save that wench, I said I would if she told me where she went, but suddenly she wouldn’t open her mouth. Maybe it’ll be different in front of you?”

As Kedilen slowly lifted the memo paper, life that wasn’t there before began to swirl in his eyes. Although his loosened expression and face were full of alcohol, a smile formed on his lips.

“Yes, I’ll go.”

The man who had been longing for his wife and regretting just moments ago was gone.

“Of course I should go.”

There was only an angry man with eyes full of vengeance.

[This is the timeline separator]

Ludmila woke up early in the morning as usual.

She silently stared at the still unfamiliar ceiling before getting out of bed and entering the bathroom first.

After driving away sleepiness with cold water, she changed into simple clothes and took a walk inside the castle.

Sitting still in the room not only left her with nothing to do, but above all, idle thoughts and anxiety kept flooding in.

Although the negotiation with Beressa had gone smoothly and removed the most worrisome danger, Kedilen was still chasing after her.

Not knowing when he might track her down and arrive here, the worry of possibly facing him every morning followed her like a shadow.

But as if mocking her thoughts and concerns, the castle was quiet and silent.

Four months from now. That time, short as it may seem, felt incredibly long recently. If only time would pass quickly and winter would end.

“Is that…?”

Ludmila, who had been walking around the castle pushing away her anxiety, stopped in her tracks.

It was a canvas basking in the sunlight that was just now breaking through the darkness that had settled all around.

The easel and canvas abandoned on the floor of what seemed to be an unused room, along with unopened paint tubes, were covered in the dust of years.

The room was as quiet as if time had stopped. The sunlight piercing through the latticed window reflected off the fine dust following Ludmila’s movements.

In this silence, as if this space had been separated from everything else, Ludmila’s fingertips landed on the fabric-made canvas.

The canvas, made of cotton rather than linen, was still full of elasticity despite the years it had absorbed.

Ludmila, moving her hand as if swimming across it, smiled quietly while buried in the silence. It was more peaceful and cozy than ever before.

That air pushed away anxiety and worry, and no more thoughts came to her.

[This is the timeline separator]

After finishing his early morning training and washing up briefly, Aden headed to his office out of habit.

He wanted to handle some simple work before breakfast. Salom, who was sleepless, followed behind him, reciting trivial stories about what would happen today.

Aden told him to write those contents as a report and quickened his pace.

It was mere coincidence that his gaze turned. In the quiet and silent early morning.

Through the slightly open door, he caught sight of a woman standing to greet the gentle sunlight.

Ludmila had stopped in front of the canvas and was quietly looking at it.

That alone was enough to make him stop his hurried steps. Though there was no wind in the stillness, her hair swayed gently.

It wasn’t a particularly strange scene. She was a woman who toured the castle several times a day like a child.

It wouldn’t be strange to find her anywhere, and even that was because he had allowed it, so there was nothing surprising.

But the scene before his eyes captivated him, and furthermore, gave him a strange sense of guilt.

It felt like he had encountered something he shouldn’t have looked into.

‘Would it be alright to ask the future Duchess what her favorite foods are? The chef is worried she might not like the food here.’

Suddenly, the useless story Salom had mentioned crossed his mind.

Clearly, at that time, he had dismissed it without hesitation as nonsense.

But why now did Salom’s voice from that day come to mind? She was going to leave, and she had to leave.

After four months, when the frozen ground thaws, she will leave this place. Even though he had known this since bringing Ludmila here, somehow recalling that fact left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Aden didn’t bother to deny that the reason was because of Ludmila.

Ludmila was still young. Also beautiful and noble. So she would probably start a new life quietly erasing her past in the place she settles.

Maybe she could even remarry a kind man different from her current husband.

As his thoughts reached that point, Aden’s lips twisted crookedly. The image of her smiling brightly while looking at ordinary trees flickered in his eyes.

The reason why that memory unnecessarily remains as an afterimage flickering in my eyes is surely because of her hair color resembling the dazzling sun.

Her blonde hair is beautiful even when still, and when it catches the golden sunlight, it becomes more dazzling than ever.

That’s why it kept coming to mind, undoubtedly.

[This is the timeline separator]

Four days since coming here. Before long, having breakfast with Aden became a routine.

Eating meals facing him wasn’t particularly uncomfortable. He was sometimes crooked and gruff, but he spared unnecessary words.

That point wasn’t bad for Ludmila, who wanted to eat quietly. Hence, today’s dining room, where only the two of them were seated as Beressa was absent due to her schedule, was quiet.

Only the sound of cutlery rang out, with no particular conversation continuing.

The silence that seemed like it would continue until the end of the meal was broken when Aden lifted his water glass.

“I called the manager in charge of timber exports today. He’s someone who understands the current situation to some extent, so it should be helpful.”

Ludmila, who had just picked up her butter knife, raised her head at the untimely report. Aden moistened his lips with water and let out a quiet breath.

“If necessary, I can also call the head of the management office that supplies the timber. How about… shall I call?”

“No, it’s alright. The manager should be enough. I’ll let you know if I need more.”

Aden nodded slightly and immediately assumed a posture as if about to stand up.

“Ah, wait…!”

Just as it seemed the sound of “drrrrr” would ring out as he pushed his chair, grabbing the table with his hand, Ludmila’s voice covered it.

As Aden, half-risen, looked at her with puzzled eyes, Ludmila let out a low sigh and then smiled awkwardly.

“If you have something to say, say it. I have a schedule today, so if not now, it’ll only be possible in the evening.”

“Perhaps, in the unused room…”

Aden finished speaking and waited for Ludmila’s answer.

As she hesitated, clutching her skirt tightly and trailing off as if contemplating something, Aden narrowed his eyes.

“If you’re not going to do it right now, do it in the evening. I have to go out now because it’s urgent.”

“…Ah, alright. Yes, I’ll do it in the evening. Take care.”

Ludmila, smiling as she saw Aden off, calmly agreed.

Aden, who had been watching her until the last moment, turned and left the dining room silently.

[This is the timeline separator]

As morning passed and lunch was about to end, Salom went to Ludmila, who was resting in her room, to inform her that the manager had arrived.

When she went out to the prepared reception room, the manager stood up and bowed politely.

He seemed to have already heard everything from Aden, as he first handed over an organized report.

Thanks to this, Ludmila was able to finish her work quickly without needing to give tiresome explanations.

As Ludmila returned to her room, fluttering the report, she tilted her head.

The export volume and amount written in the report were excessively small.

The sandalwood was clearly being sold, but the amount wasn’t measured according to its value.

It meant that because they were selling without knowing the value, merchants were intercepting profits in between.

Solving just this would seem to generate a considerable amount of money.

And this would be enough reason to stay here for the time being.

In the end, what they needed was money. It was all because of that that Aden had brought her here.

Even if Aden was treating her more generously than expected, there was a contract between him and her.

Ludmila tried to know that line clearly and not cross it.

She had lived for survival so far, so she could live like that here too. Four months. It would be over if she could endure that short but long time. So…

“Huh?”

Ludmila stopped as she noticed people moving busily.

People carrying easels, canvases, and paint cans were hurriedly transporting the items somewhere. Realizing this, Ludmila quickly approached.

“Are you perhaps throwing all of these away?”

“Hmm?”

The head maid, who was giving instructions to the servants, glanced at Ludmila.

“If that’s the case, I’ll take them. If necessary, I can even pay…”

“We’re moving them to the library on the third floor.”

“…Pardon?”

Ludmila, who had been speaking urgently, hesitated. The head maid pushed up the glasses perched on her nose.

“The Duke instructed so this morning. To clean them up neatly and move them.”

That man? The head maid turned away from the surprised Ludmila and looked into the empty room.

The room, which had been beautiful with soft sunlight in the morning, was now dark even though it was still noon, with no sun entering.

“He said to clean them up neatly and place them in the library on the third floor, as they are items for the guest to use.”

The head maid, who finished speaking with a businesslike face, gave a short bow and approached the servants carrying the items.

Ludmila, who had been watching from afar, slowly entered the room. The canvas she had seen and touched in the morning was gone.

As she turned her head, she saw a huge tree standing in front of her. It was blocking all the sunlight, leaving only shadows.

Things that weren’t visible before come into view. Beyond what I thought was all I knew, new things were hidden.

The new scenery she hadn’t seen before was so fresh and unfamiliar.

“…It must be a coincidence.”

Ludmila reflexively denied it. Not making unnecessary misunderstandings.

That was her way of survival, after all.