Chapter 48

Episode 48

Between the gently sloping hill in the distance and the orchard, the Esteban Marquisate’s main estate, perched atop a particularly high elevation, gradually revealed itself.

‘It’s been a while.’

Most of the buildings were covered with rounded roofs rather than the tall, pointed spires typical of the north, and the fully grown trees blended naturally with the low buildings.

The serene castle nestled in that landscape had not changed at all from before.

Objectively speaking, it was an exceptionally beautiful castle, deserving of praise from all.

The problem—if it could be called one—was that for him, it was a place filled with both memories and emotions difficult to confront.

“We greet the Marquis. We’ll escort you to the castle.”

The head of the knights, who had ridden in from afar, spoke politely to Ilian.

Seeing the cape emblazoned with the Esteban crest in golden embroidery, it was undeniable that they had entered the true domain of Esteban.

“Lydia.”

Even as the carriage stopped several times and finally entered the castle courtyard, Lydia, who had been breathing evenly without the slightest movement, did not stir even when lightly nudged.

After a brief moment of thought, Ilian decided not to wake her.

“Marquis, is there a problem…?”

The carriage door opened, but when the marquis and his wife didn’t step out, the many servants waiting to greet them began to grow restless.

“My wife is very tired, so we’ll have to forgo the formal greetings.”

One of the advantages of being in the Esteban estate was that this place was, quite literally, under Ilian’s complete control. Unlike the capital, with many eyes watching, here Ilian Esteban made all decisions.

In other words, any schedule could be changed at his discretion.

Therefore, he chose to cancel even the modest banquet the retainers had prepared, as Lydia’s condition didn’t seem very good.

“Is there anything else you require? Your room is ready.”

He carried Lydia himself, and he could clearly feel the astonished gazes of the servants, but Ilian paid them no mind.

Unlike in the capital, he needed to make it clear to those around them that Lydia wasn’t merely the Marchioness, but someone close to him.

That made many things more convenient. Ilian gave a dry chuckle at the thought.

‘Can I even call this an act anymore?’

Even if he kept insisting it was all pretend, the truth was that he would treat Lydia the same way even if no one were watching—and he knew that better than anyone.

When he thought about just how softened he’d become toward her, to the point of surprising even himself, he realized that this wasn’t pretense at all.

He had to admit that, at least for now, he genuinely worried about Lydia’s health.

Even if he refused to examine the reason too closely.

“Ilian?”

“Sleep a bit more.”

As he was about to lay her on the bed, Lydia slowly blinked.

When Ilian covered her vision with his hand, she grabbed it and murmured.

“Did we arrive? I thought there was supposed to be a banquet…”

“I canceled it.”

“I don’t think that’s something you should cancel so easily.”

Her voice grew clearer as she tried to push his hand away.

Ilian withdrew his hand without resistance and looked at Lydia as she rubbed her eyes and tried to collect herself.

“In this place, my word is absolute.”

“Wow… you’re really full of yourself.”

“If you don’t like it, you’ll have to become the master of this vast estate yourself.”

Crossing his legs in a chair beside the bed, Ilian examined Lydia’s complexion, which was thankfully beginning to look more normal.

“Are you feeling okay?”

“I still feel like the floor is moving a bit, but I think I’ll be fine by tomorrow.”

Lydia pressed her forehead as she spoke and rubbed her eyes again.

She felt she shouldn’t stay this comfortable, but she had no will to leave the cozy bed.

The journey to the estate had been more exhausting than expected. She almost resented her past self for being excited at the beginning of the trip.

Lydia ultimately decided to postpone worrying about the trivial affairs of the estate until tomorrow. Then, something that had been on her mind for a while but she hadn’t dared to ask finally slipped out.

“By the way, is that mirror… really gold?”

Indeed. It was something she had noticed from the moment she opened her eyes.

This room had several pieces of furniture with gleaming gold trim, almost as if trying to flaunt wealth, but the most striking was the enormous full-length mirror in the corner.

“If it looks like gold in here, it is gold.”

“Still, was it really necessary to decorate even the ceiling—only visible when lying down—with gold?”

“Well, I wouldn’t know. Maybe the Esteban marquis who built this place long ago wanted to be reminded of the wealth in his grasp every time he woke up.”

Folding his hands calmly, he answered all her questions as if he were a stranger to the place himself.

‘Ah, I guess he really is a stranger here.’

Apparently, he hadn’t set foot in this place for several years, and even when he did before, it was only for a short while.

Only now did his strangely subdued mood become apparent. Though he conversed with his usual expressionless face, part of his mind seemed lost in deep thought somewhere else.

“Get some more rest.”

Lydia watched him rise and grabbed his sleeve in a daze. She was even more curious about the small door he was heading toward.

“Where are you going?”

“There are two bedrooms in the main residence. We can use separate rooms now.”

“You mean there are two identical rooms?”

Though they had often used separate beds in the lodgings during their journey, they had never completely used separate rooms.

“Some former marquis decided the lord and lady of the castle would each need their own space. And more than that, this place is just that spacious, so they could afford to separate things unnecessarily.”

It was a remarkably convenient setup. The grip Lydia had on his sleeve gradually loosened.

“Then, the servants…”

“…They’ll gossip quietly, and by the time that talk becomes too much, it’ll all be over. If anyone dares disrespect you in the meantime, tell me.”

His expression as he said “over” was difficult to read. Lydia felt a sudden sense that Ilian was distancing himself from her.

“Considering Madeline, I doubt I’d let that slide.”

Finally meeting her eyes, he offered a familiar warmth in his slightly playful gaze, which brought Lydia some relief.

As he often did these days, he brought her hand to his lips and left a light kiss on the back before gently placing it down.

She didn’t know what it meant, but every time she saw his slow, respectful motion, she found herself wanting to see it again.

So Lydia silently watched until Ilian placed her hand neatly back under the blanket.

“If there’s anywhere you want to visit or look around, feel free. Starting tomorrow, I’ll be busy touring the estate for a bit.”

“You’re not going far, right?”

“I’ll be around, moving here and there. I won’t be completely away.”

Once again, that subtle sense of distance returned. Lydia didn’t quite understand why she felt this way, but she did feel disappointed.

But she had no reason to.

Strictly speaking, this was exactly where the relationship between Ilian and Lydia should remain. A relationship that, in reality, meant nothing and would leave nothing behind.

“Okay.”

As Lydia nodded, Ilian’s expression hardened as he turned toward his room.

This was his original intention.

Their relationship would end anyway. If he didn’t want to desire more, he had to keep his distance from Lydia—a realization he’d come to again and again throughout their journey.

As time passed, the scope of his curse continued to shrink, and it was steadily heading toward complete resolution without issue.

And as Lydia became more ingrained in his daily life, he could foresee how difficult it would be to endure a life without her.

That’s why he felt the need to practice—practice getting used to a life without Lydia before it was too late.