She didn’t act arrogantly in front of others or indulge in excessive luxury. She was a generous mistress to her servants and treated Sebastian and Madonna, who had worked in the mansion for a long time, with respect.
Additionally, she diligently learned the duties of a hostess from Madonna without any complaints.
Of course, the most important thing was her relationship with Kaien. From Madonna’s perspective, Kaien and Philome were comfortable with each other and respected one another.
Having seen Kaien smile so comfortably for the first time in a while, she felt grateful to Philome.
And today, as she watched Philome gently admonishing the servants while firmly establishing order, she realized something.
This was indeed the person who would become the Duchess of Wintbell.
It was the moment when Philome gained an absolute ally.
Unaware of this, Philome quietly gestured to Madonna. Madonna quickly understood and dismissed the servants.
Philome tried to touch her throbbing temples but noticed the dried blood smeared on her hand and lowered it.
“Miss, how about taking a bath first?”
“Do I look that terrible?”
Philome asked playfully with a smile.
“That’s not it. You just look very tired.”
“I still have things to do. Could you send a carriage to this address? I left my maid behind.”
“Yes. Just tell me, and I will send a carriage.”
Despite the warmth of the heated stones scattered around, Madonna quickly fetched a shawl and draped it over Philome’s shoulders.
Philome offered a small smile in thanks and pulled the shawl closer.
At that moment, Sebastian approached, who had been heading to the room with Gio to assist Kaien.
“Miss.”
“What’s the Duke’s condition? What did the doctor say?”
“Let’s go together. It would be better for you to hear it directly.”
Philome followed Sebastian to the room.
It was her first time in Kaien’s room.
As soon as she opened the door, she was greeted by the sharp smell of alcohol.
Entering the bedroom, the scent intensified. Next to the bed where Kaien lay, a large bowl contained a pool of bright red liquid.
The mansion’s physician noticed her and bowed his head.
“Miss.”
“How is the Duke?”
“Fortunately, it’s not serious. However, the wound is not small, and there was considerable bleeding, which seems to have caused him to faint. We only had to stitch the wound, and his life is not in danger.”
Philome tightly shut her eyes before opening them again.
Hearing that Kaien was safe brought her relief. After taking a few deep breaths, she asked,
“When do you think the Duke will wake up?”
“I can’t say for certain, but given the Duke’s remarkable recovery ability, I believe he will wake within three days.”
“…I see. Thank you for your hard work.”
Once the physician stepped back, Philome moved closer to Kaien.
His complexion was much healthier than before.
He looked just like he usually did, making it seem as if he could wake up at any moment.
Philome let out a sigh of relief and turned to Gio.
“Do you know how the Duke got injured?”
Philome asked as if it were obvious, but upon seeing Gio’s expression, she realized her mistake.
Gio looked as if he was struggling to find the right words. It was clear this was not a question he could answer lightly. Before Gio could move his lips, Philome waved her hand dismissively.
“Oh, no. I asked the wrong question.”
“It’s okay, Miss. It’s just….”
“You don’t have to say anything. It’s the Duke’s private matter, so it’s not something I should concern myself with.”
Gio clearly knew how Kaien had been injured. Philome instinctively felt that the injury was related to the heir or the heir’s mother.
It was not something she could involve herself in.
However, she couldn’t bring herself to mention the word “mistress,” so she framed it as a private matter.
Philome smiled and said, “I’m tired, so I’ll be leaving first.”
“Miss…!”
Philome turned and left Kaien’s room.
Leaning against the door, she let out a deep breath and realized just how exhausted she truly was. Her body felt heavy, and her head throbbed.
“Miss!”
Philome spotted Sophia and Harnen running toward her with tears in their eyes. She couldn’t help but smile.
“B-blood…!”
“Boss! Blood…!”
“It’s not my blood. I’m not hurt at all. I’m just feeling a bit tired right now.”
Philome spoke before they could say anything more.
At that, Sophia and Harnen responded in a flurry.
“Then you should go rest right away!”
“Exactly! Hurry and rest! Sophia, take care of your madam!”
“Okay!”
Sophia firmly linked her arm with Philome’s and pulled her along.
Harnen chattered beside them.
He nagged her to wash up, eat properly, and even get a massage, right up until she arrived at her room.
Philome grabbed the doorknob and waved her hand at Harnen.
“Harnen, I’m really fine, so you can go back now.”
“…Boss, are you really okay?”
Harnen was the most sensitive to Philome’s emotions. She wiped the smile off her face.
Instead, she shrugged her shoulders in response.
Harnen looked at her with a complicated expression, then cautiously patted her shoulder before taking a couple of steps back.
In the meantime, Sophia, who had prepared a bath, guided Philome into the room, and the door closed behind them. Philome let out a light sigh and moved as Sophia led her.
As they both said, she wanted to rest a bit today.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
Philome’s daily life was monotonous.
She would wake up with the sunrise, have breakfast, and then attend to her personal tasks. At lunchtime, she would eat and learn the household duties from Madonna, then take a walk in the garden. After spending time leisurely, she would have dinner, rest again, and then go to bed.
While there were things to do, her schedule wasn’t too busy.
Now, a new task has been added to Philome’s routine.
She opened the door and headed to Kaien’s bedroom.
As she opened the window, she felt the smell of alcohol dissipating.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, she watched the fluttering curtains before turning her head to look at Kaien.
His complexion was better than two days ago, but he was still asleep.
“Duke.”
Philome spoke softly.
“When will you wake up?”
Normally, he wouldn’t sleep at all, but now he seemed like a bear in hibernation.
While it was nice to catch up on sleep, she felt restless because he had slept longer than expected. The doctor had said three days, but being a transcendent, she thought he would wake up quickly.
Philome held onto Kaien’s hand, which was sticking out from the blanket. She had heard that he could go wild when his condition was bad, so she made sure to check on him and make contact at least once a day.
With one hand holding his, she fidgeted with his fingers. Perhaps due to his work with pens and swords, his palms were calloused and rough.
The calluses seemed to have formed over a long time, and the texture didn’t feel bad at all.
His nails, which he usually kept short, had grown a little. It felt like they marked the passage of time.
“How can your hands be so handsome?”
Philome muttered as she squeezed his hand before letting go.
“Please wake up now, Duke.”
After saying that, she left the room.
As she headed towards her own room, she paused near the stairs.
In the hall stood Sebastian and a person she had never seen before. Their attire was too simple to be that of a guest. Though she couldn’t hear their conversation, Sebastian’s expression suggested he was quite flustered.
Philome approached them, puzzled.
As she drew closer, she began to hear their conversation.
“Why did you come here so suddenly? What will people think?”
“I’m sorry, but the Miss’s health is really not good… How is the Duke? Both Emma and I are worried about the two of them separating like that.”
The mention of “young lady” made Philome stop in her tracks.
She felt her blood rush to her head. Her body was hot, but her mind was icy cold.
She had a very clear idea of who they were referring to.
“Mistress.”
Kaien’s mistress.
The mother of his child.
