Many things had changed since she started being with Brody.

Whether Brody changed her actions or others lowered their guard because of her.

Connie spoke again, politely tilting her head, and her tone was courteous, but the content was firm and serious.

“Take good care of yourself, Your Grace. Our lady is truly a wonderful person.”
At those words, Aidan nodded without hesitation.

Observing Aidan’s response, Connie, as if relieved, smiled again, displaying a friendly demeanor.

After seeing off Connie, Aidan slowly walked through the potato field. Somehow, memories from that time resurfaced—the moment when she walked through this field with Brody just before departing for Perdun Fortress.

The weather was much colder than back then, and instead of green leaves, there was a blanket of white snow. However, the same gentle moonlight illuminated the two.

Brody was nestled in Aidan’s arms, breathing softly in her sleep. Moonlight touched her tousled wheat-colored hair, creating a soft cascade.

Please grant one wish.

Aidan recalled her bright smile from that day. She felt pathetic for saying she’d grant any wish, not knowing what wish Brody might have had in mind.

When Brody wished for ‘freedom’ after returning victorious from battle, Aidan responded, ‘It’s obvious; you’re not a prisoner but the Duchess.’ Now, looking back, Aidan felt Brody’s expression at that moment was subtle.

‘It must have been awkward for Brody.’

What kind of confidence did she have? Aidan thought she would be pleased to become his Duchess, thinking it was natural. Aidan sighed lightly and lowered his head.

‘No, she probably felt something for me too.’

The breath they shared in bed wasn’t something one could force. At least, that’s what Aidan thought. She wasn’t someone who could deceive herself.

‘And she did say she liked me.’

My body and face?

Aidan smirked bitterly. However, she realized that even if she felt affection for the other person, it didn’t necessarily mean she wanted to be close to them.

Upon reflection, it was natural. Especially noble families didn’t regard loveless marriages as an issue.

Aidan herself, when the time came, would inevitably take a wife for the family’s benefit. It was impossible to abandon that obligation as the Duke of the North.

Therefore, it wasn’t surprising that her heart and body weren’t one.

“I was greedy for both. Like a fool.”

Aidan’s quietly murmured words disappeared into the cold air with her breath.

“What’s wrong?”

Suddenly, a response came, and Aidan shivered.

Brody, who had woken up unnoticed, was now looking up at her.

“Hehehe.”

With a playful smile, she blinked her eyes. Aidan, unexpectedly and suddenly, gazed at Brody, who was smiling radiantly, as if doubting whether this was a dream due to the faint moonlight and the gently swaying hair.

It was understandable, given that there seemed to be no reason for Brody to smile at her like this.
Until yesterday, no, even until this morning, wasn’t I in such a gloomy state that I couldn’t speak properly? Of course, the cause was not Brody, but it was me. From the night of the wedding ceremony to the night I met Calihel… The clueless Aidan seemed to have no way to protect her without hurting her.

“What’s wrong? Why are you so impatient?”

Brody asked again.

“Did you… sober up?”

Aidan, finding it difficult to answer, turned the question back.

Whether she noticed that Aidan was avoiding answering or not, she casually replied, “Yes. I wasn’t drunk, hehe.”

The sweet scent of fruity liquor mixed with her breath as she spoke.

Seeing her denying being drunk, it was clear that she was still under the influence.

“Isn’t it cold?”

“No, not at all. I don’t feel cold. I guess I’ve become a Northerner too.”

“…”

As expected. If she said it wasn’t cold, it was apparent she had consumed quite a bit of alcohol.

Looking at Brody, who was grinning broadly, Aidan thought, ‘A smile… is she laughing?’ Since she wasn’t someone who smiled often, her appearance looked unfamiliar.

At that moment, her smiling face filled Aidan’s vision. Brody’s cold hands gently touched Aidan’s lips, which were frozen stiff.

Finally, Aidan couldn’t resist, and he received Brody’s deep kiss. As Brody hung on his neck, the cape Aidan had left on her body fell to the ground.

With a snap, Aidan was finally awakened.

“Ugh.”

He awkwardly pulled away from Brody.

Retribution, was it? Was this revenge for that night, the night of the wedding ceremony?

Aidan’s heart began to ache painfully with each touch and separation in the private kiss.

Touching and parting were both agonizing and hard to endure.

Whether she knew his heart or not, Brody, with the warmth of her reddened cheeks, smiled tenderly.

Her hand, released from his neck, moved towards his face.

Brody’s fingers slowly traced the contours of Aidan’s face, gradually moving to his eyebrows.

Then, deeply wrinkled, she smoothed his furrowed forehead.

“Your face is too strained. Relax a bit…”

“…”

Aidan was dumbfounded.

Was it a hint that his expression would relax if he received her kiss?

Or was it a comment that he seemed too weak to her?

As Aidan looked at her with a puzzled expression, Brody laughed, tilting her head as if to say, ‘What’s wrong?’

In a gesture that seemed to suggest everything was okay now, Aidan couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

Strangely, he felt as if the headache had subsided.

Being with her made him feel good, at ease… Perhaps that was the reason for the headache relief.

‘Really, to have my expression relaxed with just a kiss. I must be seriously ill.’
Brody looked at Aidan, who was smiling, with satisfaction and lightly kissed his lips before twisting her body.

“Now, put me down, Your Grace.”

“Oh.”

Without any hesitation, Brody escaped from his arms and hopped down to the ground. Then, after picking up Aidan’s cape that had fallen to the ground, she draped it over her shoulders and walked forward.

When I say “walked forward,” she was staggering back and forth, wobbling.

The large cape tailored to Aidan’s height swept the ground as it dragged along.

Before he could feel the emptiness after she disappeared, he had to focus all his attention to prevent Brody from falling.

She was even humming a tune, singing some incomprehensible lyrics. Was it a new song trending in the capital? Although it was an unfamiliar melody, it was enough to feel her joy.

The lyrics were something like “Into the unknown,” or something. Was it a popular new song in the capital? Even though the unfamiliar tune had never been heard before, it was clear that she was in high spirits.