“Congratulations…… Duchess.”

I smiled even more brightly and replied to his carefully uttered greeting.

“Thank you, Duke Teravita.”

Unaware of the shock his sudden boasting about his younger sibling had given Ranson, Rublion snorted loudly. Then he began pouring out to the twins about what he would do when he had a younger sibling.

Ranson quietly stared at me with unreadable eyes. Then he smiled bitterly and said softly,

“You really are a person without any gaps, Duchess.”

Knowing what he meant by gaps, I put up an even firmer wall.

“You’ll meet a good person too, Duke.”

“Yes, I hope so.”

With that final answer, Ranson didn’t speak to me anymore, and I didn’t try to continue the conversation either. Just eavesdropping on the children’s conversation was enough to dilute the atmosphere.

“Welcome to the Artenbach mansion.”

The butler was waiting to greet us when we arrived at the mansion.

Lambermon rushed to the garden as soon as he got out of the carriage, and Riena responded to Gaben’s greeting with a lovely smile. The mouths of the maids and servants who came out together stretched wide horizontally.

“I’ve prepared a small welcome banquet. Since it’s just us, it wouldn’t be bad to enjoy it comfortably without formalities, right?”

Ranson nodded at my words.

“Thank you for your consideration, Duchess.”

“It’s nothing. I’ll do my best to make sure you’re not uncomfortable during your stay.”

Ranson and I looked at Lambermon waving his arms far away in the garden and Riena and Rublion walking hand in hand amicably. I hope the peace of those children lasts forever.

“The weather is nice, shall we take a short walk?”

I gladly accepted Ranson’s suggestion and walked ahead towards the opposite side of the garden where the children were. He quickly came to my side and began walking, matching his pace with mine.

“It’s winter in Artenbach. Teravita is still hot.”

“It’s in the north, so winter starts early here. And it’s long too.”

“Yes, that’s why it wasn’t bad staying at the blacksmith’s shop.”

“That’s right. You were there, weren’t you?”

I had once tried to entice a blacksmith who was going around trying to get a dowry to marry off his daughter. Knowing Ranson was under him, I had tried to bring him to Black Swan, but the Artenbach Art Museum snatched him first.

“Come to think of it, the statue in the garden here is also your work, Duke.”

A unicorn raising its front legs high, about to leap into the sky. It’s a masterpiece with delicate and finely extended horns and wings that seem alive.

“Yes, I remember. Would you like to go see it for a moment?”

“I’d love to.”

Since it wasn’t a path I often walked, I was also going to see it after a long time. Perhaps that’s why my steps felt lighter than usual.

Walking along the irregularly shaped stone path, we passed under an arch naturally formed by bent trees. Beyond it appeared the unicorn statue, gleaming in the sunlight.

“It’s still beautiful.”

The ripples in the artificial pond flowing gently under the statue enhanced the atmosphere even more.

“Hmm……”

Unlike me, who seemed only pleased, Ranson glared at the statue with a serious expression. Then, as if he had made up his mind, he opened his mouth.

“Do you happen to have a chisel? I’ll need a scraper too.”

“I think we should have them. But what are you planning to do?”

“I thought something was off before, but now I can clearly see it. I need to touch up the upper feathers of the left wing a bit.”

He muttered seriously while looking at the statue. Then he also requested paper and a pen.

After instructing a maid who was following from afar to bring the items, I returned to the statue and was about to tell Ranson that I would bring them soon, but I kept my mouth shut.

Instead, I sat alone on a bench with a good view of the pond, leaving him absorbed in deep thought. It was because I knew how precious moments of immersion are for an artist.

Not long after, a servant brought the tools. Ranson took the paper and pen, sketched the statue’s wings as if they were fluttering, and crossed the pond in one go. Even though the air was quite chilly and getting wet would be cold, he didn’t care.

I watched him work intently. His bear-like large hands moved the small chisel minutely, refining the wings.

Although it was winter, it wasn’t cold enough for the water to freeze or for snow to fall, so sitting outside wasn’t too difficult. Above all, I was already captivated by the stone dust flying away like gold dust sprinkled in the air.

‘I hope Ranson… continues sculpting.’

It would be too unfortunate if his talent disappeared like this. How wonderful would it be if masterpieces of the century were born in Black Swan and Artenbach.

As I was thinking this while looking at the statue and Ranson, I heard a rustling sound behind me. When I turned around, Askal was holding a scarf made of beast fur.

“Welcome, Askal.”

I spoke quietly so as not to disturb Ranson’s work. Askal glanced at me once and then sat down quietly beside me. Then he wrapped the scarf around me.

“What are you doing here?”

“Duke Teravita said he needed to touch up the statue.”

“It’s cold, let’s go inside.”

“I want to watch. The work.”

At my words, he looked at Ranson with an expressionless face and said,

“You once said that you not only like paintings but also love the act of painting itself.”

“That’s right. You remember?”

“Is that why you’re watching?”

“Yes. It’s a mysterious thing, isn’t it? An ordinary object being born as an artistic life in the sculptor’s hands.”

He was silent. He just looked at the same place I was looking.

“Askal.”

“Yes, Duchess.”

Should I carefully bring it up? Ask if he has any intention of completing the unfinished Tidd waterfall.

But I hesitated, fearing it might touch on his painful wound.

“Why aren’t you saying anything after calling me?”

His gentle smile warmed the bench like winter sunlight. So I swallowed the impulsive thought. I didn’t want to break his tranquility with my own hands.

“It’s nothing.”

“It doesn’t seem like nothing.”

“It really is nothing.”

“I see. You’re saying that what seems like it’s not nothing is actually nothing.”

I was momentarily taken aback because it wasn’t the kind of speech he would usually make. Then I couldn’t help but laugh. I think I know where he learned this from.

“Askal, I thought I told you to get rid of that female language guide.”

“Well… since Rublion made it thinking of me and you.”

So he didn’t throw it away. Judging by his recent speech, he must have read it recently too.

“Alright. I won’t tell you to throw it away, but bring it to my office.”

“What are you going to do?”

I said, trying to hold back the laughter that kept trying to burst out, while turning my eyes to Ranson who was coming out of the pond.

“Confiscate it. Forever.”

The hastily prepared, modest banquet was a party focused on the children. The twins and Rublion, who had their fill of juice and food, rushed off somewhere again as if the adults didn’t exist.

I think they’re probably playing in Rublion’s room.

“I heard that the Duchess is pregnant.”

Ranson broke the calm atmosphere first.

“Where did you hear that?”

“The Young Master told me.”

“He must have wanted to brag.”

Askal slightly tilted his wine glass. Then he took a small sip.

Ranson still using honorifics and Askal still speaking informally.

I hesitated whether to point out that their relationship was no longer the same as before, but then I just kept my mouth shut. It seemed like I was the only one being sensitive when they both appeared unconcerned.

‘They’ll be careful in public settings on their own.’

They’re not little kids, after all.

“So I wanted to give you a congratulatory gift, is there anything you want?”

At his question, I opened my eyes wide. If it’s something I want, it would be the exclusive sales rights and exhibition profits of Ranson’s works. Is this too materialistic?

“I haven’t really thought about anything in particular.”

I just said I didn’t have anything in mind because I lacked the courage to speak honestly. Ranson said regretfully,

“Then I’ll prepare something I’d like to give you.”

“Yes, thank you.”

I said that and then looked at Askal. His characteristically indifferent face was mixed with a slightly displeased expression.

“Askal, is that alright? It’s to celebrate that you and I, our child, is coming.”

I emphasized the words ‘our child’. Then I looked at Ranson and said,

“If possible, baby items would be nice. Ah!”

As I was speaking, something I wanted came to mind.

“Duke. How about a rocking horse?”

Ranson made an ‘oh’ sound with his mouth in a round shape.

“I’m confident about that. I’ll make that the gift.”

Ranson asked if we could prepare the wood and tools as he would make the rocking horse himself. I called Gaben and told him to provide all the materials needed for making the rocking horse without holding back.

It was truly an excellent choice. My desire to have his work, Ranson’s wish to give me a gift, and Askal receiving only the craftsmanship of an artisan without a single penny of Teravita’s wealth being spent.

The rocking horse will be the best gift that satisfies all of them. Ah, including the child in my womb.

At a gloomy hour when everyone was asleep.

The door to the couple’s bedroom in the Artenbach ducal mansion opened carefully.

The person who came out was none other than Askal, the lord of Artenbach, the head of the imperial ducal family, the man who was so blinded by jealousy that he couldn’t even manage his expressions properly, or Rublion’s father and Schmidt’s husband.

He closed the door tightly and walked down the dark corridor. The footsteps of the skilled knight who had mastered the art of stealth made no sound of a person moving at all.

Creeeeak.

The place Askal secretly visited in the dead of night was a room with one wall covered by a white cloth.

He raised the oil lamp and stared intently at the cloth. Then, after gazing at the wall for a long time, he reached out as if he had made up his mind.

Thud thud thud.

Behind the cloth that he tore off with his hand was an unfinished mural on the wallpaper.

A landscape that the young he had painted for his mother to show her a bit more of the world.

Askal stared at Tidd’s waterfall mural for a long time. It was time to finally move the time that had stopped here.