Two days had passed since Ilyin had arrived at the mansion, but she had not seen the Duke up close, yet she would marry him in five days.

No one from the Red Delroses had come to greet her despite the other two families trying to send her people through the Blue North’s barricade. She only saw Delroses’ knights around, but they also did not speak to Ilyin. They seemed to be thinking the same thing as Den.

The Duke went to war instead of the war coming to him, and she only knew that after seeing the knights leave the next day. He did not show himself after returning either.

The Duke did not stay in the estate much. It seemed that the letter had been true. Ilyin was not allowed to see his face due to her position, and they would spend the first night together regardless of this.

Ilyin calmed herself down, and she grabbed the blue cloth flapping in the harsh winds, “Daytime is manageable,” she said to herself. People did adjust to things, and Ilyin had somewhat become used to the cold enough to go out for a while. She had to survive here, and she wasn’t in front of the mansion only to observe the building. The maids were looking at her from afar as she’d requested.

“Snow,” murmured Ilyin. How much was there? Ilyin looked at the piles of snow the knights had moved to make a path, they were almost as tall as a person, and it continued to fall at her feet. She looked around and touched the snow with her shoe that was wrapped in cotton. The snow was loose and more of it landed softly on the cotton shoes the Blue North had given her. She thought it would be hard like ice and she was pressing the snow again when a gust of wind almost lifted her blue cloth. She grabbed it and stumbled after losing her balance.

“While I do not want to bother you, there are stairs up ahead.” A man grabbed a surprised Ilyin’s arm, and he used the other hand to fix the cloth on her face.

She could feel the warmth from his hand and knew that voice, “Den?” Ilyin didn’t know when he had arrived, she had been sure no one had been near her. She flushed as she felt his breath over her head.

“You will go missing if buried in snow,” he said quite seriously.

 Den, and as he held her arm, Ilyin’s pale and thin wrist was exposed to the cold air and she felt her skin burn despite the cold wind. “Let me go,” she moaned. She turned to him as she tried to pull her arm away, but her feet sunk in the soft snow. Den pulled her towards him, and Ilyin fell into his arms rather than onto the snow. She saw the red tassels swing in front of her eyes, “Thank you. I’m sorry for snapping at you.”

She quickly brushed her clothes while Den looked at her and asked a question, “What are you doing out here with the maids?” His eyes were on the building like he could see the maids hiding there, “Do you want to go missing before the marriage?”

“No, I just wanted to look at the mansion and get used to the cold.” Ilyin calmed down after there was some distance between them, as she had been tense. His blue eyes did not look as sharp as they had yesterday.

“Get used to it? Are you planning to stay here long?”

Ilyin nodded as she could not go back, “Yes.”

“Even if he is not interested in you?”

Ilyin was surprised how informally Den addressed the Duke and wondered whether he knew him personally since they were from the same family. She looked at his questioning eyes, “If I can stay here safely, then yes.” Ilyin gave up dreams of marriage with love before she was ten so she didn’t care about being in a loveless marriage now.

“Even if you cannot see his face before the wedding?”

Ilyin answered behind the blue cloth, “I will still become his bride.” She spoke with confidence.action

Den continued, “What will you do if the Duke refuses to marry you?’

The wind blew more harshly, and Ilyin grabbed her cloth. She could not read his eyes as he stared at her and it felt like time had stopped; he seemed to be waiting for her answer.

Ilyin thought she knew the answer because she had been called Ilyin de Biflten in her dream and would marry thus. However, she would not tell a stranger such things.