The mansion was in an uproar. The uninvited guests all bowed when they saw the embroidered robe with the Delrose crest on it, as they knew it was only worn by the head of the Biflten family; they had bowed out of fear rather than respect. While they couldn’t see the Duke’s face, his masculine chin and thin lips were memorable to all.

“This way,” Idith was the only one speaking, and the guests all whispered about how the knights could act so freely like that. The sixth floor was the same, as Idith had notified the guests in front of the room, before the Duke arrived, saying, “He is passing through.”

The maids of the Blue North seemed astonished to see the Duke, since he normally disappeared for a few days after the elders had placed a woman in his bedroom, and they’d assumed that the woman would spend the night alone as they’d made the preparations. However, he had spent the night and had now returned.

“Is this because she is from the Empire?” Idith heard a maid whisper as the women walked away, and he glared at them coldly. While the Duke had also heard them, he ignored the comment and went to knock on the door. As he was about to open it the doctor came out and gaped in surprise, bowing immediately. He knew Aden well as he worked for the Delrose knights.

“Why do you look so shocked?” Aden asked the doctor.

“I did not expect you.” The doctor cleared his throat and looked back to report like a professional, “She has muscle pain all over, and her fever won’t go down.”

Aden raised a brow, and Idith turned his gaze to him too. However, the doctor waved his hand realizing what they must be thinking, “It’s not because of last night. While it may have been a small factor, the main reason…”

“What?” Aden interrupted impatiently.

The doctor’s voice was careful, “The Blue North maids gave her nened to ease her pain.” Nened was an effective herb with no side effects and was even used on battlefields. “It seems to have an adverse effect on someone from the Empire.”

***

“Father was someone who longed for the summer,” a familiar voice spoke. Snow had piled up, and more snow was falling, and two people were sitting on a pile of it. Ilyin looked around at the familiar surroundings and saw the mobile that she’d seen in her dreams of the future before.

“You would know it better than me,” she replied, feeling somewhat unsure about the conversation.

He became silent for a moment and then spoke firmly, “I will bring summer back here.”

It seemed like a major feat for him, and Ilyin, who had been closely watching the two, opened her eyes wide, wondering if that was at all possible. “How?” Her dream self asked, and Den opened his lips to reply, but the dream abruptly ended.

***

“Are you there?” Den called out.

Ilyin opened her eyes, and her body felt sweaty and sore. She blinked rapidly and saw that she was still in Aden’s bedroom and then turned to look at the door that was being knocked on, squinting through the thin curtains of the four-poster bed.

“Who is it?” She replied weakly.action

“This is Den of the Red Delroses.”

Ilyin blinked at the inexplicable situation and looked around to see that the mobile was absent. This was not a dream, but if not, why was Den here? The maids should’ve taken care of this, as another man should not visit. However, the maids were not here, even though they had stayed with her all day when she’d repeatedly woken up from her fever.

“What is it?” Ilyin’s voice was soft, but Den somehow heard her.

“I heard you were unwell.”

That was not an acceptable reason for him to be here, and Ilyin covered herself up to her neck with the blanket.

“His highness has asked me to check on you.”

She listened to Den without answering him, and while she was grateful that the Duke was worried, she was still surprised. Why had he sent his knight’s leader when he could’ve just sent a Delrose maid? Ilyin was confused and wondered if this was normal in Biflten.