After Yezar had completely sorted out his feelings for Bertisha, the seasons passed quickly.

From summer to autumn, from autumn to winter. Before long, the once-sweltering winds were replaced by cool breezes that tickled the cheeks. When I exhaled sharply, a puff of white breath escaped.

“Time really is cruel. The moments we wish would never pass always slip away so swiftly.”

Sitting by the window, feeling the cold air, I recalled the wedding I attended in early spring. Back then, my heart had been so light.

Now, however, was an awkward season in which my feelings for Yezar grew deeper each day. And our contract was nearing its first year.

“Madam, aren’t you cold?”

Ember asked as she added firewood to the hearth. I had been staring blankly out the open window, and indeed, I could feel my body temperature had dropped.

“You’re right. It is cold.”

“Lopi, close the window.”

“Yes, Headmaid!”

Lopi now looked exactly like a proper lady’s maid of the duke’s household. Seeing her like this made me smile contentedly. Then I let out a small sneeze.

“Ah-choo, keum.”

The maids’ eyes instantly turned toward me.

“Madam, are you catching a cold?!”

“Oh no! Are you alright?”

Their wide, concerned eyes stared at me. Perhaps I had grown used to hearing such worried voices, but I no longer felt burdened by them.

“No, it’s nothing. My nose was just a little itchy.”

“You’ve been exposed to the cold wind for too long. Please warm yourself quickly.”

The maids began wrapping me in a woolen blanket—where they had suddenly produced it, I couldn’t tell. They only stopped once they had bundled me up completely, as if I had transformed into a sheep. Seeing them beam with satisfaction, I couldn’t help but think how truly precious these affectionate souls were.

The only problem was that, like this, I wouldn’t be able to move at all.

“I appreciate your care, but this makes it rather difficult to move.”

Their proud expressions instantly turned pale. This level of overprotectiveness was unmatched. Yet, I didn’t mind it.

The wind was cold, but their gestures were tender and warm.

“…One year. Such a significant span of time.”

Even though it was only halfway through our two-year contract, I didn’t understand why I already assumed all of this would vanish someday.

“Why am I thinking about that ahead of time! Enough. I should go see Yezar.”

At the thought of him, tirelessly training even in this freezing weather, a soft smile crept onto my lips.

***

When I arrived at the training grounds, I saw knights shivering and exchanging words in the cold.

“Ugh. It’s so cold.”

“I know, right? Why does he make us take our shirts off in weather like this?”

“Exactly! What if we all catch colds?”

“Someone should tell the lady. The lord would jump up and listen even if he were sleeping, the moment she speaks!”

They hadn’t noticed my approach, so they continued talking freely. Huddled together, rubbing their arms, they looked somewhat pitiful.

“Phew. I wish the lady would come quickly. Someone needs to stop our cruel lord from stripping us of clothes that could protect our delicate skin in this freezing weather.”

They were all speaking of me in unison, as if seeking a savior to rescue them.

“My lords, are you cold?”

“Very! How could we not be… Huh! Madam!”

The knights immediately straightened up and bowed upon seeing me. Then, they gazed at me with exaggeratedly pitiful expressions.

“M-Madam…”

“Why is my husband tormenting you?”

My innocent question made the knights hesitate before answering.

“You know how he is… He’s extremely harsh when it comes to training.”

“But if this helps improve your skills, isn’t it good?”

They nodded glumly, as if facing utter defeat.

“That… is true.”

“It seems Yezar has already noticed you slacking off. Wouldn’t it be better to return quickly? His gaze is quite sharp.”

At that, their heads turned stiffly toward Yezar. Seeing his expression, the knights flinched and then scattered, running back to their posts.

‘If they’re so afraid, why were they slacking off in the first place?’

I slowly walked toward where the knights had fled. It was around then that Yezar’s stern expression—previously scolding the loafers—softened.

“Wife, you’ve come?”

“Yes, I missed you.”

The words that once made my heart pound wildly now came out quite naturally. And Yezar’s response had become just as natural.

“I missed you too. But the weather is still cold. Go inside, and I’ll come find you.”

He noticed I wasn’t wearing my sword and tried to send me back. He had instantly realized I hadn’t come for training, but simply to see him.

“And yet, you’re the one making the knights take their shirts off in this cold?”

“It’s good to acclimate the body to cold weather.”

He truly never changed. I liked this about him—his unwavering dedication to training regardless of harsh weather. I also cherished the increasingly natural physical closeness between us, and his tender words. I even dared to hope, selfishly, that I could remain his wife like this forever.

“Then should I also acclimate my body to the cold?”

My playful remark drew an immediate reaction.

“W-What are you saying?! Absolutely not.”

“Why not?”

“Isn’t it obvious? This place is packed with rough, grimy men!”

Teasing him like this was amusing—too amusing, really.

“Just kidding. Work hard, but don’t overdo it and catch a cold. Understood?”

“Yes, my lady.”

He smiled and naturally took my hand. The knights instantly frowned and turned their faces away.

They no longer mocked us, as if this scene had become entirely ordinary.

***

When night fell and I returned to the bedroom, I opened a letter that had just arrived from Pelanne.

Recently, Pelanne’s sprawling business ventures had extended into the media. She had founded a newspaper called *Pirnan*, which reported on noble scandals—affairs, conflicts, and romantic intrigues—that mainstream newspapers avoided. As a result, it was immensely popular not only among commoners but also among the nobility.

Though no one openly admitted to reading it, it was safe to assume everyone secretly did.

I hadn’t known about this at first. I only found out when we met and started chatting.

“So I started a newspaper. And guess what? It sells incredibly well. It’s become quite famous in secret circles.”

“…It’s basically like a morning drama. Who wouldn’t want to read that?”

“Ah, morning drama? What’s that?”

“It’s a thing. But why suddenly tell me this, after quietly profiting from selling nobles’ private lives?”

“Oh! This time, I was thinking of covering rumors about discord between the Emperor and Empress. It might be risky, so I wanted to let you know in advance! We are co-operators, after all.”

In other words, Pelanne—the utterly reckless woman—was about to publish rumors about the imperial household and had told me just in case.

I warned her to shut down the newspaper immediately if she didn’t want to die, then asked what the rumors about the imperial couple were.

“Hmph. But what’s this rumor about discord between the Emperor and Empress? His Majesty and Her Majesty get along perfectly well.”

After Bertisha slapped me, I walked through the palace corridors, but not a single rumor about the incident had spread. Clearly, Camileo had taken steps to suppress any gossip.

It was obvious that rumors of the Empress—a woman of obscure background—physically assaulting the wife of the Ferhaem family, a cornerstone of the empire, would reflect poorly on Bertisha in many ways.

I later heard that Camileo personally apologized to Yezar on her behalf… but I still wasn’t satisfied.

Since then, Bertisha had never personally invited me again, so we hadn’t met to talk. But whenever we encountered each other at official events, she would glare at me fiercely, which I found utterly ridiculous.

“There’s a messenger who brings me various bits of information. Well, apparently, lately His Majesty and Her Majesty have been raising their voices at each other frequently. The atmosphere during their meals is said to be as cold as ice. I’ll need to investigate further for details, but I’ll write to you as soon as I learn more.”

The letter she had promised to send had arrived just now. It briefly described the current situation within the palace: Bertisha, whose mood had become erratic since her pregnancy, had been unilaterally lashing out at Camileo.

She had increasingly begun bursting into tears over feelings of neglect or wallowing in self-pity, locking herself in her room.

But when she did, Camileo—once tender in comforting her—now seemed weary, pushing her away and only checking whether the baby was developing healthily.

After finishing the letter, I tossed it into the roaring fireplace. It quickly turned to ash and vanished. I turned away from the flames and gazed out the window.

Unconsciously, scenes from a novel about Bertisha and Camileo’s once-happy days flickered through my mind.

“Is this merely a simple quarrel…? Or has the story already changed?”