Even the shade beneath the towering garden trees couldn’t escape the sweltering heat of summer. Though all the mansion’s windows were open, not a breeze stirred, leaving no escape from the heat.
Despite the scorching sunlight raising her temperature, Ashika wouldn’t move away from the window. Lost in thought, she had forgotten even the feeling of heat.
It had been a week since she left Talion mansion. Though she thought she should put it behind her by now, the intense sensations that remained stubbornly disturbed her mind.
At first, she tried to dismiss it as merely an accident that happened while caught in a hallucination, but now even those efforts were futile. The man who had impressed his powerful presence upon her and overwhelmingly driven her to distraction now completely occupied her thoughts.
‘I’m troubled…’
Every night, even in her dreams, Drushia’s voice called to her again and again. Why did she feel such intense longing whenever she heard that voice? Waking up drenched in tears near dawn was no longer unusual.
‘I miss him.’
Emotions that threatened to burst into tears—whether they were her own or a delusion from her dreams—were now indistinguishable. All she could think of was one thing:
‘I want to see him.’
Ashika buried her face in the curtain, trying to erase these impossible thoughts. But the more she thought, the more her emotions swelled and grew.
‘What might Rushia be doing now? I rejected him so coldly when I left, so his pride must be hurt.’
Was he the kind of man who would be rejected by women elsewhere? Perhaps his long-standing resentment had added to his anger.
‘If only I had left some room by saying I would think about it…’
But Ashika immediately shook her head.
‘That’s absurd. If Grandfather found out, the household would be turned upside down.’
In truth, she feared her grandfather Weive more than the opposition of the vassals. No one knew better than Ashika how much Weive despised the Talions.
‘He won’t even allow Talion’s name to be mentioned.’
If there was anyone who would oppose this relationship more fiercely than Talion’s knights or the vassals of both families, it would be Weive.
While she might ignore others’ opposition, she couldn’t go against Weive’s wishes. He was Duke Igraine, Ashika’s only remaining blood relative and the one who held complete authority over her life.
Whether her feelings for Drushia were an illusion or a temporary temptation, she had to set them aside. Every time she dwelled on this fact, a heavy, dull pain struck her heart.
Her seemingly endless contemplation was interrupted by a knock on the office door. Ashika quickly composed herself and sat in a summer chair woven from vines.
“My lady, it’s me.”
“Come in.”
“Here are the documents with the detailed items as you requested.”
Ashika received the documents from Julma with her usual calm expression. Suddenly, as she examined the papers, she tilted her head.
“Are these really the items they requested?”
“Yes. They said it would be fine if you allocated within 10% of the volume we currently distribute. I’m surprised they gave this much choice.”
“Wheat, salt, oil, wine… they’ve left out high-value items like spices, silk, and jewels. These are mostly daily necessities.”
Ashika had intended to share which items could be included in the stake she promised to Iben, and to negotiate. But their demands were less than she’d expected.
“Luxury items have limited distribution regions, while necessities enter throughout the empire. Looking at the long term, that might be advantageous. Or perhaps they have less funding than expected.”
Luxury items did carry more risk compared to their cost. Still, it wasn’t immediately understandable.
“From the high-priced items in the art shop alone, they didn’t seem short on money.”
“By the way, my lady.”
“Yes?”
“How do you know the Viscountess Siclaire?”
“Viscountess? Are you saying Iben was married?”
Ashika lowered the documents with a surprised expression.
“You didn’t know? She married at a young age about 20 years ago, but her husband died shortly after.”
“20 years? Then how old is Iben?”
“Probably in her mid-thirties. I heard she had no children, so the title passed to a relative, and she was practically driven out of her hometown.”
Iben’s past was more ordinary than expected. So ordinary that it seemed somehow unsuitable for her character.
‘Driven from her hometown 20 years ago.’
It was long enough for anything to have happened.
‘Yes, that woman must have her own story.’
Though there were still unclear aspects, Ashika accepted this explanation.
“By the way, Julma, where do you get all this information?”
“The people you deal with aren’t just nobles, my lady. It’s also part of my job to verify information as quickly as possible to avoid problems.”
Before meeting Iben, Julma had confirmed her name in the noble genealogy and gathered minimal information by seeking related persons in the capital.
“That’s true, but it seems my assistant’s talents are exceptional.”
A slight smile formed on Ashika’s lips as she returned her gaze to the documents.
“Well then, my lady, if you appreciate my abilities, I have a request…”
“No.”
“How did you know what I was going to say?”
“You want me to get rid of Nile, right?”
Ashika answered without even looking up. Julma struggled to manage his expression to avoid showing his displeasure.
“You know why I’m asking this. That guy… I mean, Nile is completely useless for my work. He knows nothing, not even basic paperwork.”
“I’ve told you before. The reason you’re keeping Nile is because he needs an official position for appearances. Don’t actually make him work. Who knows what trouble he might cause.”
“So you acknowledge he’s likely to cause trouble?”
“Well, more like…”
He was simply so wayward that he was unpredictable. Though she kept him around out of necessity, he wasn’t the type she could control.
“He can be cooperative if you handle him well. If you look, you’ll find something useful about him.”
Julma’s face showed complete incomprehension.
‘She’s not someone who acts without a plan…’
Ashika chose to gently push this problematic issue onto her assistant and look away. Before the conversation could continue, a maid came to the office.
“My lady, the carriage is ready.”
“Ah, yes.”
Ashika quickly rose from her seat and received a thin hooded cape from the maid.
“The sun will set soon. Isn’t it too late to go out?”
“I’m just going to Grande Gêne briefly. It won’t take long.”
It was her first outing in exactly a week. She deliberately chose sunset to avoid being noticed by people.
As Julma watched Ashika walk away, a puzzled expression remained on his face.
****
The open-sided carriage had three sides exposed, allowing the street noise to carry through clearly. Ashika pushed herself deep into the inside of the carriage, under the long awning.
Jeanne, sitting opposite her, maintained a statue-like posture despite the carriage’s vibrations. Ashika felt uncomfortable with her loyal knight’s continuously stern expression.
“How long are you going to stay angry?”
“Angry? I’m merely a knight obeying my master’s will.”
“I’ve already apologized for leaving home without saying anything.”
Jeanne quietly looked at Ashika.
“Do you know how worried I was?”
In Jeanne’s eyes, Ashika was like a greenhouse flower—a noble lady who had been protected from even the slightest danger since birth.
Ashika had also taken this for granted and hadn’t strayed from her prescribed boundaries. But recently, those once-solid boundaries were breaking down, by none other than Ashika herself. The change was sudden and extreme enough to feel dangerous.
Ashika let out a heavy sigh.
“I know. I know you care about me as much as Lion and Lea. I’m sorry for worrying you.”
Lion and Lea were Jeanne’s two children. Being compared to a six-year-old and a four-year-old seemed unfair, but it meant that she cared for Ashika deeply.
“Nile is an uncontrollable man. No matter how talented he is, a tool that the master cannot handle is useless.”
Jeanne judged coldly. Ashika had already moved several times with just Nile, dismissing the family knights. It was clearly dangerous for Ashika to keep Nile closer than her guard knights.
“His identity is confirmed, isn’t it? Julma verified it.”
“You should bring him under the captain’s command instead. That would be better.”
“Jeanne, who has the authority to command the knights of the family?”
Understanding what she meant, Jeanne closed her mouth.
“I don’t have the authority to command the knights. If Nile joins Sir Coltern’s command, he’ll be under grandfather’s control. That’s why I specifically placed him with Julma.”
Only a few personal guard knights like Jeanne and Libron took orders directly from Ashika. Even within a family, the positions of Duke and heir were worlds apart.
In such circumstances, it wasn’t strange for Ashika to want to build her own connections. The problem was that her chosen associate was quite unreliable and willful.
Of course, Ashika and Nile were not in a master-servant or hierarchical relationship. If anything, they were cooperating because their interests aligned.
Jeanne recognized that Ashika had no intention of backing down on this issue. So she had to accept Ashika’s gentle refusal.
“Then please tell me where you went. If something were to happen, it would be troublesome if I didn’t know your movements.”
“I can’t share everything with you or Julma. That’s why I need Nile.”
Julma knew but didn’t pry. He prioritized hierarchy over personal connections, while Jeanne was the opposite. At Ashika’s cautious attitude, Jeanne also took a step back.
“Are you doing something dangerous?”
“No. Nothing like that. You know how timid I am.”
That’s why learning to ride had been so difficult. She couldn’t bring herself to say she disliked it, so she would often freeze up on horseback, pale with fear. But she didn’t reveal that she now had a desperation that overcame all those fears.
Ashika smiled gently, alleviating Jeanne’s concerns.
“Just promise me one thing.”
Jeanne continued with a somewhat relaxed expression.
“Always prioritize yourself, my lady. Avoid danger when you see it, and if you can’t avoid it, hide. Under no circumstances should you try to fight. Do you understand?”
“I’ll do that.”
Even as she answered, she didn’t quite understand Jeanne’s words. Ashika wasn’t a knight. What situations would there be where she would need to fight against danger?
Looking at Ashika’s innocent face, Jeanne sighed. It seemed she wasn’t doing anything too dangerous after all.
‘That’s right. What major secrets could a noble lady have? Unless it’s a secret romance or something… Hmm?’
Suddenly, Jeanne’s eyes narrowed. She scrutinized Ashika with a hawk-like gaze, lost in thought. When she spoke again, her words were unexpected.
“Do you know who the most dangerous person is, when you thought they were the safest?”
“Hmm?”
“A man who gets a woman pregnant and runs away.”
“Guhp…”
She inhaled sharply and choked.
“What… cough Why suddenly…”
Ashika’s face flushed red. She covered her mouth with a handkerchief as she coughed and fanned herself.
“Whew….What a thing to… Even if such a thing happened, it wouldn’t be just one person’s responsibility, would it?”
“Of course not, but innocent women are easily manipulated. The worse the man, the quicker he spots an innocent woman. That’s why it’s not good to go without dating for too long. You need to meet many men to learn how to weed out the bad ones.”
“I… I suppose so.”
Ashika barely managed to answer as she turned her embarrassed face away. Jeanne’s gaze was so sharp that she could hardly meet her eyes.
‘Jeanne has experienced love and had children…’
It must be advice born from experience. While carefully avoiding the piercing gaze, she wiped the sweat from her forehead.
‘I did call Rushia a bad man quite a lot.’
At the negotiation table, didn’t he dump almost all the costs on Ashika and frequently cleaned her out?
Of course, from the Igraine perspective, it was such a minor burden that they chose to accept rather than fight. But what about in romantic relationships?
‘He was a tender man.’
The Drushia she saw in her dreams was a strong man who whispered love sweetly like no other in the world.
“Ah…”
A tingling pain struck her heart.
“Are you unwell somewhere?”
“No, no. It’s nothing.”
The signals her body sent whenever she thought of Drushia were unfamiliar. Ashika rubbed around her chest area and vaguely brushed it off.
Today, Jeanne’s gaze felt particularly piercing, making even the open carriage feel uncomfortable. When they finally reached their destination, Ashika rose from her seat before Jeanne and stepped out of the carriage.
