The carriage carrying the master entered the ducal residence. It was earlier than usual.

Mason, who had come out to greet him, gave the answer Herdin wanted before he could even ask.

“The madam received a letter from Lady Feliks this morning and went out.”

Hearing this news, Herdin’s brow furrowed slightly, then he let out a defeated laugh.

“Was there no word on when she would return?”

“She said she would be back before dinner.”

Herdin looked at the pendulum clock behind Mason. There was still quite a bit of time left until dinner.

Herdin passed by him and came up to the second floor where the couple’s bedroom was. As Mason had told him, Blair was not in the room. Only her unique scent lingered in the air.

Quite some time had passed since Asiel went to play at the Earl of Arbon’s estate, and now the child would return in four days.

So he had come home early intending to spend more time alone with Blair before Asiel returned, but his wife was not at home.

After that night when they had seriously talked about having a second child, Blair had become noticeably busier. She started going to art galleries, attending charity events, and frequently participating in ladies’ salons.

After spending all day on external schedules and returning home, perhaps because she wasn’t originally fond of going out, she would complain of fatigue and quickly fall asleep.

So he had asked in advance last night. If she had any other plans for tomorrow. She said she didn’t, so he finished his schedule early and came back, but who knew such a sudden engagement would arise.

Still, it was cute and reassuring to see her earnestly searching for her own happiness through external activities as he had suggested, but…

Coming home to a house without his wife gave him a strange feeling.

How long had it been since he felt such quietness?

Herdin looked around the empty room without Blair.

The small potted flower Asiel had gifted, the first family portrait that was still her favorite, the dressing table where she brushed her hair every night, the lyric poetry collection she occasionally read to him, and so on.

Things that had meaning when she was with him lost all significance when she was absent.

After looking around the empty room without his wife, he returned to the sofa and sat down, crossing his long legs.

He blankly stared at the afternoon sunlight streaming insipidly through the window, carelessly loosening his stifling cravat.

Time passed so slowly.

Waiting for his wife in that stillness, Herdin finally got up from his seat and left the room. Then he ordered the maid standing guard in front of the room.

“Have the carriage ready.”

* * *

The lakeside on a spring day was bustling with people.

Families who came out together, couples who came to see flowers, young noble sons and daughters gathered in threes and fives looking for new connections, various people came out to enjoy the leisurely spring afternoon.

Blair was strolling along the lakeside with Monica and a few other noble ladies among the many people.

“How about we go ride those boats over there?”

Monica suggested, pointing to the boats moored at the lakeside. Hearing her words, they noticed numerous boats already floating in the middle of the lake.

“We can’t miss out on boating when we’ve come to the lake.”

The noble ladies all agreed enthusiastically, and Blair had no reason to refuse, so she followed them to the dock.

The boats were operated with two guests per boat, and a boatman standing to row.

Blair boarded a boat with Monica. As the boatman began to row, the group of noble ladies gradually moved away.

Blair waved to them along with Monica, and when their eyes met, she carefully broached the subject.

“Thank you, Lady Marchioness. For taking care of this even though I contacted you suddenly.”

Usually, Blair spent her time taking care of Asiel, or tending to plants and the exotic birds in the greenhouse, as well as Pipi.

No one had told her to do it, and she did it because she liked it, but as Herdin said, to find happiness as ‘Blair’, it seemed good to try enjoying things she hadn’t done before.

So she had contacted the noble ladies’ gathering she rarely participated in, and Monica welcomed her sincerely and took care of her without any condescending attitude.

“Oh, don’t mention it. Do you know how many noble ladies want to invite the Duchess to their gatherings? I’m the one who’s honored.”

We were just talking about recruiting a new member, you see.

Monica added that and then shifted the topic to something completely different. It was consideration to ensure Blair wouldn’t feel burdened anymore.

As they approached the center of the lake, suddenly the boatman began to sing.

After the boatman finished one verse, it seemed the song had ended, but a boatman from another distant boat picked up the verse and continued the song. When it reached the climax, they all sang together, adding harmonies.

The boatmen’s deep voices echoed across the lakeside, and the sound of leaves rustling in the wind added to the ambiance. The song, in harmony with nature, gave no less emotion than a song heard in an opera house.

As Blair stared blankly at the scene, Monica, who was beside her, explained.

“The boatmen here sing very well. Many people come just to hear this.”

In fact, although Blair was surprised by the boatman suddenly singing, it wasn’t the first time she had seen singing boatmen.

On a spring day last year, she had seen it at the lakeside where they had a family picnic. Naturally, hearing the boatmen’s singing brought back memories of that time.

How beautifully the child’s eyes sparkled as he watched the boatmen passing the song back and forth curiously.

How pleasant it was to hear her husband’s laughter as he teased their son, encouraging him to sing.

And how happy she was watching the two of them.

Even though this moment of leisurely listening to songs in nature was enjoyable, the emptiness in one corner of her heart remained unfilled.

As the boat that had wandered in the middle of the lake turned towards the dock, the boatmen’s songs concluded. The boatman slowly returned to the dock, giving the guests time to contemplate in nature.

The noble ladies who disembarked all seemed satisfied with today’s boat ride.

“It was as if the forest became a theater, with voices echoing. The bird songs and wind sounds were like an orchestra.”

“An opera in nature, it gives a different feeling from an opera performance, making your heart flutter, right?”

“Then shall we go see a real opera tomorrow?”

The noble ladies, who were already making plans for tomorrow, were wives to someone and mothers to children at home, but at this moment, they were no different from excited girls enjoying time with friends.

Blair smiled watching them.

‘So this is why Herdin said those things.’

Now she fully understood the words he had said and his intentions. At the same time, she missed him. She wanted to tell him about the emotions she was feeling now.

“Shall we move to have tea time now?”

Just as the noble ladies, who had even made plans for tomorrow while they were at it, were about to move,

“Um, excuse me.”

Turning at the voice, they saw a man in modest attire looking at Blair. He might have just become an adult. He was a man who still hadn’t shed his boyish appearance at the boundary between man and boy.

He kept moving his lips as if trying to say something, but thinking that action was faster than words, he suddenly held out a sketchbook.

“I, I happened to see you while strolling by the lake… You were so beautiful… When I came to my senses, my hand was drawing on its own…”

The man, or perhaps boy would be a more fitting word, blushed his pale face and couldn’t even make proper eye contact.

Oh my.

The noble ladies who saw the situation let out exclamations of curiosity and envy while covering their faces with fans.

Blair looked at him with bewildered eyes, then reflexively took the sketchbook he held out.

Although she didn’t immediately understand the man’s words due to the sudden situation, seeing her own image drawn in the sketchbook, she roughly grasped what was happening.

“I was worried you might be offended… I’ll give this to you. I’m sorry for drawing without permission!”

The man apologized, bowing his head repeatedly. Blair alternately looked at the man and herself drawn in the sketchbook.

It was a rough sketch, but he must have majored in art to capture the subject’s characteristics in such a short time. It was an area impossible without affection for the subject.

Feeling the affection towards herself in that drawing, Blair smiled brightly and accepted the picture.

“Thank you for drawing me in such a wonderful picture. Thanks to you, today will be remembered as a picture.”

At the sight of Blair smiling radiantly, the man’s eyes watching her became dazed. He barely came to his senses a beat later and bowed his head.

“No, thank you for graciously accepting it, madam.”

Blair called Melly who was nearby.

“Melly, give this person a gold coin.”

Realizing she was trying to pay him for the picture, the man was greatly flustered and waved his hands.

“I didn’t draw it to sell! It’s a tribute for becoming my muse, please just accept it.”

“But I should at least pay for the sketchbook—”

Just as Blair was trying to persuade the man that it was okay, a familiar baritone voice was heard from beside her.

“Just accept it.”

Surprised by the appearance of the voice’s owner who shouldn’t be here, Blair raised her head.

There stood her husband.