After returning to the villa, Julia quietly reflected on her future plans.
Originally, she had intended to return to the Holy Kingdom, but it was still engulfed in a war against monsters.
In the end, she found herself with nowhere to go.
*What should I do now? Where would be a good place to go…?*
At the back of the villa, near the stables, Julia stood looking at her white horse, lost in thought.
As if recognizing her, the horse nudged its nose forward when it caught her gaze.
Only then did Julia, with her eyes half-lowered, slowly extend her hand.
When she stroked the horse’s white mane, it snorted contentedly, as if pleased.
Despite its enormous size—three times her own—the horse behaved like a small, playful puppy.
Julia suddenly realized she hadn’t let the horse out of the stable since her last ride with Fernan.
After some hesitation, she unlatched the wooden door and opened it. As if waiting for the opportunity, the horse leisurely stepped out.
With the reins in her hand, Julia guided the horse toward the plains, thinking it would be happier there than confined to the stable.
*Maybe I should give it a name?*
Watching the horse nibble on the grass, she idly considered the thought.
She wasn’t sure if people normally named their horses, but it felt like a good idea to her.
“Laura?”
While she murmured absentmindedly, a long shadow suddenly stretched behind her.
Startled, Julia turned around to see Fernan standing close, having approached unnoticed.
With his usual serious expression, he glanced at the horse.
“That’s a good name.”
Caught off-guard, Julia’s ears flushed slightly in embarrassment at having her private musings overheard.
However, Fernan showed no trace of amusement, as if he genuinely found the name suitable.
“I thought you didn’t like the horse since you hadn’t visited for a while,” he added.
“…Ah, no. I like it,” Julia replied softly.
In truth, she had liked the white horse from the beginning—its mysterious, gentle nature had captivated her.
The only reason she hadn’t visited was her reluctance to accept anything from Fernan.
*Simply staying here already feels like I’ve taken enough from him…*
After all, it was Fernan who had saved her and given her food and shelter when she had nowhere to go.
At this point, it would be too ungrateful to reject anything from him.
“I’ll teach you how to ride.”
Fernan’s casual words made her look up at him in surprise.
“I mentioned before that I could teach you, didn’t I?”
“Ah…”
Julia blinked slowly, remembering. Yes, he had indeed offered to teach her how to ride.
And truthfully, she wasn’t entirely against the idea.
A childhood memory surfaced—she had once watched her half-brother, whose face was now a blurry recollection, learning to ride horses.
From behind a window, she had quietly envied him.
Julia bit her lip in thought but eventually gave a small nod of agreement.
“Yes… please teach me.”
Only then did a quiet glimmer appear in Fernan’s eyes.
He extended his hand toward her. After a brief hesitation, Julia gently placed her hand on his.
From that day forward, Julia began learning to ride from Fernan almost every day.
Though she wasn’t naturally skilled at physical activities, Fernan never rushed her.
Whenever she seemed frightened, he would immediately support her. And when she focused, he would patiently wait in silence.
Over time, Julia slowly improved, gaining the ability to guide the horse at a steady pace.
“Ah…”
She hesitated, gripping the reins to stop the horse as she had been taught.
Riding wasn’t the problem—it was dismounting that always stumped her.
Whenever she looked down from the daunting height, blinking nervously, Fernan would naturally step forward.
Without a word, he extended his arms, and though hesitant, Julia would place her hands on his shoulders.
His large hands wrapped securely around her waist, easily lifting her off the horse.
“Thank you.”
Julia murmured quietly as she removed her hand from his arm.
She was getting used to how close he stood—so much so that spending time with him now felt like part of her routine.
And before she even realized it, Julia found herself feeling at peace and comforted in his presence.
Although her original plan to escape still lingered in the back of her mind, it was becoming increasingly difficult to act on it.
After spending the entire morning learning to ride with Fernan, Julia returned to the villa by the afternoon.
As she entered her room, Melissa was waiting with a letter in hand.
“A letter for you, Your Grace. It’s from Liehel.”
Julia had recently started exchanging letters with Gabriel, who was staying in Liehel.
Seeing Julia take the letter, Melissa gave a small smile.
“Did you know? Your complexion has improved compared to before.”
Julia’s face indeed looked brighter these days—unlike when she first arrived, burdened with anxiety as if ready to flee at any moment.
Julia tilted her head slightly.
“…Does it seem that way?”
“Yes! You don’t have a fever as often, and you sleep more soundly now.”
Julia lowered her gaze, processing Melissa’s words.
It was true—her health had mysteriously improved recently.
Pressing her lips together to quell the strange feelings rising within her, Julia tore open the envelope.
As she read through the letter, Melissa busied herself arranging flowers in the vase on the table.
Julia’s eyes paused at the last line of the letter, a postscript.
*“If you run into any trouble, contact the temple. Cedric is waiting to hear from you.”*
Julia’s expression grew serious as she stared into the empty air.
She had already written to the temple once, saying she would reach out again soon.
Her initial plan had been to escape and use their help to make her way to the Holy Kingdom.
But with her plans disrupted, she hadn’t been able to contact them since.
“Your Grace, look! It seems spring is truly coming to an end.”
Melissa’s cheerful voice drew Julia’s attention.
Standing by the window, Melissa gestured outside. Julia rose from her seat and joined her.
Through the window, the forest appeared greener than ever.
The bright colors of spring were beginning to fade, making way for the warmth of summer.
“…Three seasons have already passed.”
Julia murmured absentmindedly. She hadn’t realized how quickly time had flown by.
It had been winter when she first arrived, and now, after spring, summer was fast approaching.
Julia pondered how much longer she could stay here, but no clear answer came to mind.
—
While the end of spring approached, the empire was bustling with events.
First, a conflict arose with the Kingdom of Geranian, with whom they had signed an alliance.
The dispute stemmed from disagreements over handling raiders who regularly invaded the border regions.
The tension escalated to the point where military force was used, creating a standoff between the two nations.
Adding to the political turmoil, discussions about a royal marriage were underway to strengthen the alliance.
In such unions, it was common to select members from royal families or founding houses.
Naturally, Fernan became a focal point in these discussions since, without a duchess, he was still considered single.
“Your Grace, perhaps it is time to bring the Duchess back to the capital?”
Lloyd cautiously suggested to Fernan, who was reading a letter.
Lloyd supported the idea of the royal marriage, though he knew Fernan was unlikely to agree.
After all, Fernan had pursued his estranged wife relentlessly, bringing her back to his side at any cost.
Moreover, it had been three months since Julia started living here.
Announcing her return to the capital would demonstrate that the duchess was still in place, providing an excuse to refuse the marriage proposal.
“Having the Duchess by your side would give you a reason to decline the royal marriage.”
In truth, the marriage offered strategic advantages to Fernan.
Uniting the northern duchy with the Geranian Kingdom on the western border would give him leverage over the imperial capital.
Even the emperor wouldn’t dare challenge him then.
Fernan’s aides supported the marriage, and his desk was piled high with letters urging him to accept.
However, Fernan set the letters aside without further reading—he already knew what they said.
Lloyd cautiously spoke again.
“Enough time has passed… Don’t you think the Duchess might accept you now?”
At those words, Fernan’s expression became complicated.
It was true that Julia no longer resisted him as fiercely as she had at the beginning.
Though she still didn’t smile at him, the dark cloud that once loomed over her seemed to have lifted somewhat.
But Fernan knew better than to assume she had accepted him.
There was still an unbridgeable distance between them—no matter how close he got, he could never fully reach her.
Forcing her into a political marriage would only make her run away again.
“The royal marriage is unnecessary. I don’t need an excuse.”
Fernan had no intention of using Julia as a political tool.
For now, he was content just knowing she was within his sight.
