“Your Highness, I apologize for the early intrusion. It’s just that a trade merger proposal has arrived from the Kingdom of Kallia. I believe it requires your urgent attention.”
Inside the Grand Duke’s office, Lloyd hurried in and approached the desk, handing over the letter.
Without so much as glancing at Lloyd, Fernan took the letter.
“And, Your Highness, if I may ask, what are your plans for the Empress’s upcoming birthday banquet?”
Lloyd asked cautiously, gauging Fernan’s mood.
Fernan had abstained from attending all major events in the capital for some time. However, given that this banquet was in honor of a member of the royal family, there was a strong need for his presence.
Just as Lloyd swallowed nervously, Fernan signed the letter and answered.
“Tell them I’ll attend.”
“Yes, yes!”
It was a surprisingly compliant answer. Lloyd exhaled a sigh of relief.
Since discovering Julia’s whereabouts, Fernan had slowly begun to take interest in matters beyond the estate.
‘That’s a relief, at least…’
It had been six months since Fernan had found Julia and let her go.
Yet, he still seemed like a man missing something vital.
Suitors from various regions and countries had inundated the estate with marriage proposals, filling it to the brim.
If he wasn’t going to bring Julia back, it would have been better to consider a new match.
But Fernan had not touched a single proposal, ordering them all to be burned.
He even went as far as to officially declare he would no longer entertain any marriage discussions.
Lloyd discreetly asked, his eyes fixed on Fernan, who remained focused on the documents.
“Your Highness, do you have no intention of bringing the Grand Duchess back?”
Fernan, who had once scoured the world like a madman for Julia, now avoided going anywhere near where she resided.
Had he truly let go of his attachment to her, he wouldn’t have hesitated to answer. But his mind was still entirely preoccupied with her.
For six months now, he had been sending financial support to the small convent where Julia was staying.
He had even disguised his aide as a follower of the convent to receive regular updates on her well-being.
Most recently, when he heard she was unwell, he had gone so far as to send a physician to the convent.
“…Your Highness, you cannot leave the position of Grand Duchess vacant forever. Wouldn’t it be better to bring her back now?”
In truth, there were ample grounds to bring Julia back.
She had abandoned her duty and fled. That alone would be enough to forcibly return her to her rightful place.
Of course, it would be wise to meet with her and talk first. But watching from a distance like this left Lloyd, as an aide, feeling helpless.
Just as Lloyd let out a small sigh, Fernan turned a page of his document with an unreadable expression.
“Leave.”
Despite the cold dismissal, Lloyd lingered for a moment.
But the icy glare that followed left him no choice. He bowed and departed quietly.
Even after Lloyd had gone, Fernan sat there staring at the papers for a long time.
It wasn’t until early dawn, as the moonlight began to filter in, that he raised his head.
Snow, which hadn’t fallen for a while, began to drift softly.
With a despondent gaze, he watched the snow fall, then stood and walked slowly to the window.
After immersing himself in work for hours, his thoughts naturally turned to Julia.
‘As you requested, I continue to visit the convent. Since she began taking the prescribed medicine, her condition has steadily improved. You needn’t worry too much.’
He had just received a letter from the physician he had sent to the Holy Land.
Though it was a relief to hear she was getting better, his concern lingered. Julia had a weak heart.
Since when, he wondered. Perhaps… even from when she had been living at the Grand Duke’s estate.
Fernan lowered his eyelids slightly and let out a heavy breath. His gaze shifted back to the window.
‘I like the snow here. It falls often.’
Julia’s voice echoed in his mind like a distant memory. Winter. The season when Julia had disappeared.
He still had no intention of shattering her peaceful existence.
But sometimes, he couldn’t help the impulse to go and see her. The effort it took not to act on that impulse was overwhelming.
The only reason he could restrain himself was because he didn’t want to bring more misfortune to Julia’s life.
Remaining hidden and quiet was all he could do for her now.
Fernan’s hand trembled, as it often did since he had lost Julia.
His life felt like walking on thin ice. Every day without her was filled with cold, gnawing emptiness.
It was only after losing her that Fernan fully realized the depth of his feelings for Julia.
And that love continued to grow, even now, when he could no longer see her.
* * *
“Gabriel, I’m thinking of going to the lord’s estate tomorrow.”
Julia spoke in a cheerful voice.
She had recently been asked to help with some light work at the lord’s estate.
The lady of the estate had visited the convent to meet with the residents and, upon seeing the flowers Julia had arranged in the chapel, requested her help in decorating the reception room at the estate.
Though Julia’s arrangements weren’t professionally made, they had a unique charm that seemed to suit the lady’s taste.
Gabriel seemed a bit concerned that Julia might overexert herself but eventually nodded.
“Yes, the lady of the estate is a kind person. Spending time there will be good for you.”
The lord and the people of the estate had a close relationship, despite the differences in social standing. It was a small land, and the lord and his wife were people who didn’t put much stock in titles.
“I’m excited. I’ve heard the estate is beautiful.”
Julia smiled brightly. She had been trying to live as normally as possible these days.
That meant taking on new work and meeting new people.
She spent time with the children every day and never missed her evening walks with Cedric.
Cedric had been away for some time now, so in the evenings, Julia would walk alone through the garden.
The chill in the air made her feel the approaching winter more keenly.
Winter. It had already been a year since she had arrived here.
Julia was lost in thought when she suddenly stopped and looked up.
‘Snow…’
She watched as delicate flakes fell from the sky like petals. It was the first snow of the season here.
Extending her hand, she let the cold snow settle on her palm.
For a moment, like a child seeing snow for the first time, she stood there mesmerized.
Then, faintly, a voice drifted through her memory.
‘They say if you see the first snow with someone you love, your love will be fulfilled. Have you ever heard that, my dear?’
A familiar, gentle voice. And in response, a young, innocent voice echoed back.
‘Mother, how do you know if you love someone?’
‘Hmm…’
The voice trailed off as if in thought. A pair of warm eyes gazed down at the child.
A mother’s embrace, holding a daughter whose ears had turned red from the cold.
‘The desire to protect them, to be with them—that’s love, isn’t it?’
‘Then, Mother, do you love me?’
It was a memory of Julia as a young girl, cradled in her mother’s arms beneath falling snow.
‘Of course, Julia. I’ll always love you.’
Julia’s lips curved faintly into a smile as the memory played in her mind.
Why had she forgotten? Those precious days with her mother. The loving voice that had told her she was cherished.
Julia had lived with her mother until she was about seven years old. Then, suddenly, a man who claimed to be her father had taken her away.
Perhaps, as a child, she had thought her mother had abandoned her. Maybe that’s why she had pushed away even the good memories.
Julia watched as the snow began to accumulate lightly on the ground.
As thoughts of her mother surfaced, so too did faces she didn’t wish to remember.
The greedy, malevolent people of the Marquisate. She wondered how they were faring now.
No doubt her disappearance had caused them considerable trouble.
Julia blinked impassively at the snow, her face expressionless.
She didn’t wish them harm, but she hoped they were no longer living as they once had.
* * *
“This isn’t right. No, this can’t be… His Majesty can’t do this to me…”
The Marquis of Elodie threw the wine bottle in his hand to the floor. The loud crash caused the maids, who had been standing by the door, to tremble in fear.
It had been a year since Julia’s disappearance. The Emperor had stripped the Marquis of his duties and had not summoned him once since.
Six months ago, the Emperor had called him a few times to ask for information on Fernan’s whereabouts, but after learning nothing of value, the Emperor had deemed the Marquis useless.
The wealth and status the Marquis had gained by marrying Julia into the position of Grand Duchess were gone. Without her, he could no longer enjoy his former life.
Everything he had built crumbled with alarming speed.
“Julia, that ungrateful girl… she must have run away on purpose. Yes, that’s it…”
“Not long ago, you claimed she was dead,” said Grayson, the Marquis’s eldest son, his tone eerily calm.
“No, no. She’s not dead. That girl must have run away, intending to humiliate me! How dare she repay all we gave
