It was still dark outside, but after taking the bitter medicine, I was somewhat awake. Sophia left the room to fetch some warm milk for me.

The doctor and Phyllene followed her out, and the Duke was the last to leave the room.

‘Phew, finally, some peace and quiet.’

Just as I was about to breathe a sigh of relief, the door swung open once again. The Duke returned and briskly handed me something.

“Take good care of yourself so I don’t have to worry.”

Leaving these menacing words, he walked out of the room.

After blinking a few times, I remembered that the Duke had tossed something onto the bed.

‘What did he give me?’

It turned out to be a small piece of chocolate.

I had already taken some bitter medicine, so it was a good thing. I immediately popped it into my mouth.

The bitter taste of the medicine vanished, replaced by the sweet taste of chocolate.

‘…Delicious.’

A subtle smile appeared on my lips.

Perhaps because I took medicine in the early morning, my nose was surprisingly clear when I woke up.

Seeing that I was better, Sophia allowed me to go for a walk.

“Just make sure to wear warm clothes.”

“Okay!”

I answered cheerfully. Minutes later, I walked out of the room, moving sluggishly.

‘It seems a bit excessive…’

The thickness of the clothing I wore felt like it was twice as thick as what I usually wore.

“Miss, come this way.”

As I was about to head out for a walk, Yan approached me. Wondering what was going on, I looked up to see Yan skillfully lift me into his arms.

‘What’s this?’

It was very comfortable being held by Yan, so I had no complaints. What surprised me was something else.

‘This is the first time Yan has held me first.’

So far, Yan had never held me first unless I specifically asked him to.

“I heard the doctor visited you this morning. Are you feeling better now?”

Ah, it seems that news reached Yan as well. In response to his voice filled with concern, I nodded my head.

“Yeah, I’m fine now. Not sick at all.”

“Yes, you seem to have improved. I’m glad. Still, you shouldn’t stay outside too long.”

I appreciated Yan’s concern, but I was really fine now.

‘I can walk on my own.’

It was even more outrageous when I got to the garden. The knights running in parallel lines in the garden waved at me cheerfully.

Casually waving back, I furrowed my brow.
‘Why are they training in the garden today?’

It was the first time I, who walked in the garden every day, had seen the knights training there.

I found it a bit strange but decided not to make a big deal out of it.

As soon as I arrived at the garden, Ian helped me down from the horse. Then, as if they had been waiting, the knights hastily came over to me.

Among them, Bart, the largest, waved his hand with a beaming smile.

“Lady—what a coincidence running into you here!”

‘Is it?’

I had never been to the training ground, but it couldn’t be too far since it was within the mansion grounds.

It meant that running into each other inside the mansion could happen anytime.

“Lady, are you enjoying your walk?”

“Is Ian doing a good job escorting you?”

“Yep, absolutely!”

I responded suitably to Cristina Gezweil’s questions.

I assumed they’d now leave to continue their training, but they still hopped in place in front of me.

‘…What are they doing?’

Just when I wondered if I should move, Bart cleared his throat loudly.

“Well, Lady, I happen to have something in my pocket.”

Carefully, Bart placed a small wooden sword in front of me.

“Ahem! Swinging a wooden sword can be helpful when you’re not feeling well. Since it’s blunt, it’s safe for you too…”

“Hey, do you really think the Lady would like something like that?”

Interrupting Bart, Cristina took something carefully out of his pocket.

“Lady, look closely.”

Cristina hid the object with one hand before suddenly revealing it.

What filled his palm was a brightly colored stick of candy.

“You’ve never had something like this, have you? It’s really a treat. It’s candy, but it’s sweet and sour…”

“You! How could you give such a thing to the Lady!”

“Lady, you will like what I brought!”

Gezweil hastily held out a puppy. No, on closer inspection, it was actually a puppy doll.

‘Uh… It looks too much like a real puppy.’

The doll was so realistically made that it was a bit overwhelming.

I awkwardly accepted it with my remaining hand.

As a result, I stood there, blankly holding a puppy doll in one hand, a colorful stick of candy in the other, and a wooden sword at my feet.

‘Did they come here to give me these?’

My initial confusion turned to gratitude.

I was about to say thank you when the three who had given me the gifts suddenly started to bicker.

“What are you doing, giving her junk food! Don’t you know that stuff rots?”

“What about you? What’s with the wooden sword?”

“And you! Where did you find that doglike doll!”

“Stop it, you’re in front of the Lady.”

Ian quickly intervened, separating the bickering men.

Only now did I slightly understand why a senator had visited this morning, why the Duke and Fyren had come, and why the knights had aimlessly been in the garden.

I watched them bicker and licked the stick of candy.

‘It’s super sweet.’

“What are you doing?”

A low voice came from behind me.

The Duke, who had tightly hugged me, glanced at the puppy doll in my hand and the candy in my mouth, and finally, looked down at the wooden sword on the ground.

“Where did all this come from?”

“Um, Bart, Gezweil, and Cristina gave them to me!”

I replied excitedly.

“I see.”

The Duke’s gaze shifted ominously toward the knights.

“These are gifts from my honorable knights, you say.”

The atmosphere, noisy until a moment ago, became eerily quiet.

“…Hic!”

In the engulfing silence, someone’s hiccup echoed.