Although the cold had not completely subsided, the wind gently carried the breath of spring. My heart floated, light and carefree.

A day specially arranged by Mother and Father so that we could spend time alone together—our wedding anniversary. One year since I had come to live with him.

‘I shouldn’t feel so excited. Yet I can’t seem to control these feelings.’

Even during Lady Shina’s tea gathering, I found myself thinking about our wedding anniversary, and the conversation naturally drifted in that direction.

‘Your first wedding anniversary must be special. My husband and I used to spend the day at a coastal town. It was lovely.’

‘As for me, I conceived my child while spending time with my husband on that day.’

A child… Back then, such talk had vaguely embarrassed me, but now, with time passed, I could listen to it with calm indifference. Then the ladies turned to me with a question.

‘Now that I think of it, Julietta, what are your plans regarding children?’

I should have said I wasn’t planning to have any yet. But without realizing, the words slipped out.

‘Just one son and one daughter…’

The ladies beamed and laughed warmly at my shy reply. Why had I answered that way without thinking? It felt as though my desires were growing like a rolling snowball.

I need to get a grip. Don’t let the mood sweep me away and cloud my judgment.

“Madam, shall we go?”

Yezar extended his hand toward me. I took it and climbed into the carriage. We were heading to a nearby villa, a quiet retreat that Mother and Father used when they wished to enjoy a peaceful date.

***

As I stepped out of the carriage, the servants managing the villa greeted me as if they had been waiting.

“It’s been a while, Your Grace. We’ve cleaned the room you usually use—you may go there directly.”

Certainly, since this wasn’t a place we frequented, there were fewer servants around. And recalling the winding path the carriage had taken, it seemed this secluded spot had been deliberately built in a remote area.

As we climbed the stairs, Yezar explained.

“The servants reside on the second floor, so they won’t come up unless we call.”

“I see. Was this villa originally owned by the Duchy?”

“The original owner was someone else, but Father, wishing to spend quiet time with Mother, purchased it himself.”

“It’s certainly peaceful. Father truly loves Mother.”

“Yes. He is deeply devoted. There were times I even felt like an intruder interrupting their private moments.”

“Haha. They were a bit harsh on their own son.”

Normally, servants were always around, and during this time, both of us had been busy with duties—aside from sparring sessions, I rarely had proper conversations with Yezar lately.

Now, being here felt just like being alone together in the intimacy of a bedroom. I could understand why Father had specifically bought this place.

Soon, we entered the room Yezar usually used. A cool breeze rushed in. Pulling aside the fluttering curtains, we stepped onto the bright balcony, where the early spring forest and the gently rippling lake came into full view.

I found myself staring, almost entranced. Then Yezar draped his coat over my shoulders.

“Enjoying the view is fine, but the wind is still cold. You might catch a chill.”

“Yes, I’ll be careful.”

Holding his hand, I stepped back into the warm room. Wondering what to do next, he made a suggestion.

“Madam, there are many adorable animals living nearby. Would you like to take a walk through the nearby woods?”

“Animals? That sounds nice, but aren’t forest animals usually wary of people?”

“The animals here are so unafraid they often approach humans first.”

That sounds pleasant, but wouldn’t wild animals lacking fear of humans be dangerous? As if reading my concern, Yezar replied.

“Father has bought up the entire surrounding area, so no one comes here to hunt. In winter, when food is scarce, we even provide feed deliberately. It’s very peaceful.”

“In that case, I’d love to walk with you.”

“Yes, Madam.”

Truthfully, even if there were no animals, I would have agreed just for the chance to talk with Yezar—but I kept that thought to myself.

***

It was fascinating to see animals that would normally flee at the sight of people calmly continuing on their way upon seeing us.

Rabbits and deer rustling out from the underbrush. Squirrels and raccoons, seemingly just waking from hibernation, appeared too.

“Look! Yezar, they’re so cute!”

Excited, I called out to Yezar, and he smiled.

“Yes, they are adorable.”

But why was his gaze fixed on me when he said that? I quickly turned my eyes back to the animals, afraid I might misinterpret his look.

As we strolled and chatted, I soon realized my cheeks and ears had turned red from the cold wind. Yezar gently cupped my ears and cheeks with his hands.

“Madam, shall we head back inside? Your face is cold.”

His touch was warm—no wonder, since he had removed his gloves to hold me.

“Now that I think of it, I was the one who gave him those winter gloves.”

I had given him winter gloves after seeing how much he used the summer pair I had gifted him. Recalling Yezar’s joyful face as he accepted them made my heart flutter.

“Yes. Let’s go inside.”

I obediently nodded at his suggestion and turned back along the path we came. Suddenly curious, I asked Yezar.

“Yezar, is there anything you’d like to do today? It’s our anniversary. I’ll grant any wish.”

“Anything?”

“Yes.”

“Then please stay by my side the whole time. I don’t want to be apart from you today.”

“That’s easy! I’ll stick right by you.”

I tightly held onto Yezar’s arm and leaned against him. He flinched slightly, but perhaps it was my imagination—he calmly replied.

“Thank you, Madam. Is there anything you’d like to do?”

“Hmm… Things I’d like to do…”

After a brief pause, I cautiously asked.

“If I said I wanted to pour wine again, like that time, would you allow it?”

Recalling the incident on our wedding night made me shudder, but it had been nearly a year now—those memories had blurred.

Of course, I didn’t plan to drink enough to black out this time, and I felt more confident in my ability to control myself, which is why I brought it up.

He seemed to hesitate, then looked at my face.

“If it’s what you wish, why would my permission matter? Just make sure to drink in moderation.”

“Yes! Of course.”

A year had passed—I was different from who I was back then. There was no way I’d cause another incident.

***

After returning, we had a meal and leisurely explored the villa, enjoying the quiet time.

We were usually so busy with daily affairs. The chance to fully savor this rare leisure was something I deeply appreciated. And simply listening to stories of Yezar’s childhood brought me such joy that I couldn’t think of anything else I needed.

“Back then, the stairs were so high I fell often. Father would laugh heartily, saying it would heal quickly, while Mother would glare sharply at him, help me up, and tell me not to lean on the stairs.”

“Mother sounds quite spirited.”

“Don’t lean on the stairs”? Still, I imagined it was her way of hoping her son would rise bravely without crying.

I wished we could visit them again soon. But until then, would I still be the Duchess of Ferhaem?

Lost in these thoughts, I noticed Yezar had paused, as if remembering something.

“Oh. Now that I think of it, there’s one place I haven’t shown you yet.”

“What is it?”

“There’s a room in this villa that belonged to the original owner. When I was a child, I found it fascinating and often visited. There are a few magical items inside.”

“Magical?”

“Yes. The original owner was a sorcerer. Would you like to go?”

The unexpected revelation piqued my curiosity. Outside, the sun was beginning to set, leaving little to do outdoors. And the idea of seeing magical artifacts intrigued me.

“Yes, I’d like to go.”

At my answer, Yezar led me there.

***

The room we arrived at looked no different from the others. Still, curious, I began to move forward, but Yezar blocked my path.

“Madam, there’s something important. You must not touch anything here carelessly. We don’t know what magic might be triggered.”

“Oh! I’ll be careful. But not knowing what magic might activate—doesn’t that make it dangerous?”

“Fortunately, none of the spells here are harmful or life-threatening. In fact, Mother found them amusing and insisted we keep them.”

That was reassuring, though I still felt a slight unease about keeping dangerous magic just for fun.

Following his guidance, I cautiously began to look around the room.

“This is a pair of glasses that sharpens your vision enough to see a bird perched on a distant tree.”

“How fascinating. I can imagine young Yezar coming here and exploring all these things.”

“Yes. I did. Once, I accidentally touched something and got caught in a net, flailing about.”

I laughed, and he quickly changed the subject, looking embarrassed. How many times had he explored this room? I was beginning to think about heading back when—

Crack. A sound of something breaking underfoot.

‘Oh…? This feels ominous.’

At once, Yezar called out urgently.

“Madam!”

At the same moment, a bright light enveloped us. I closed and reopened my stinging eyes to see Yezar kneeling on the floor, collapsed.

“Yezar, are you alright?!”

Startled, I moved toward him, but he cried out.

“D-Don’t come near me! Something’s wrong with my body…”