3
Once Delia’s body had fully recovered, an ordinary night followed.
A strong wind slipped through the window crack and tousled her hair. Strands swayed in the lamplight, scattering like jewels.
“Madam, I will extinguish the lamp. If you need anything, please call for me at any time.”
After Luna, who had been with her, left the room, darkness settled in.
Delia thought to herself—how could the world be so dark?
Or perhaps it was her own heart that had grown dark. Questions she could not answer kept piling up, one after another.
It had already been half a month since she last saw Eden.
He had not sent even a single ordinary letter to her. He must have heard that she had been ill, yet his silence remained unchanged. That indifference filled her with a hollow sense of emptiness.
Delia never knew where he went, nor why he left the estate.
And ever since she realized she was no longer of use to the House of Grace, she could no longer bring herself to ask him anything.
It was a timid, withdrawn heart.
Delia woke early in the morning.
After finishing her preparations with Luna’s assistance, she heard another maid’s voice from beyond the door.
“Madam, the master has returned.”
At the news of Eden’s return, a brief flicker of relief rose in her chest, separate from the lingering hurt of the past several days.
His cold demeanor and the complicated situation surrounding them made things uncomfortable, unavoidable as that was.
And yet, Delia’s feelings toward Eden still held something positive.
The excitement had faded… but what remained was a quiet sense of gratitude.
The fact that Delia had failed to become a mage had undoubtedly become a stain on their marriage.
Even so, Eden had never once directly reprimanded her for it.
She could not know his true thoughts, but simply that he did not openly scorn her was, at times, something she was grateful for.
Affection built upon such gratitude was fragile—like a single speck of cloud in an endless sky—but it was still there.
As Delia walked toward the first floor to see him, Eden came into view.
He was exceptionally tall. Even surrounded by others, he stood out at a glance.
Perhaps he had been caught in the morning wind; his dark brown hair was slightly damp.
Beneath it, his deep green eyes were already fixed on her.
Meeting his gaze, Delia spoke with a faintly brightened voice.
“Lord Grace, you’re back?”
There was a trace of lingering warmth in her tone.
“You’re already up.”
“Yes. I woke early. Would you like to have breakfast together?”
“…No. I’ll pass.”
Ah. How unkind.
At his refusal, Delia’s heart sank once more.
“……”
“Steward, prepare my wife’s meal.”
For Delia, it had taken considerable courage—no, immense courage—to make that suggestion.
In truth, everything she said to Eden required courage.
Without hesitation, Eden rejected her proposal, left only those words to the steward Kudas, and walked toward the second-floor study.
He climbed the stairs with long strides, every movement composed and precise, as though he never once made a mistake in the path he took.
Delia’s gaze followed his retreating figure. A mix of embarrassment and bitterness settled within her.
At times like this, she often thought—
What if I had become a mage? What if I had borne him an heir capable of manifesting magic?
Such thoughts rained down upon her mind like a sudden downpour.
When they came, it felt as though she stood in an open field, being lashed by a cold, merciless storm.
What if she herself became the only flaw in a man who seemed flawless in every other regard?
A suffocating sense of desolation pressed in.
“Madam, shall I prepare your meal in the dining hall?”
“No, I’ll eat in my room.”
Steward Kudas bowed once and turned toward the kitchen.
Delia let out a small sigh.
Even in front of the servants, Eden rarely responded warmly to her words.
Perhaps because of that, her standing within the House of Grace was so thin it hardly felt like she was the mistress of the house at all.
In particular, Kudas, the steward, openly disregarded her whenever Eden was not present.
That morning made it especially clear.
On the surface, he spoke with polite deference—but her breakfast arrived only much later, cold, carried up by a low-ranking maid.
“It’s already cold…”
A mistress’s meal arriving cold, and a servant newly assigned to duty attending her alone—such things would have been scandalous in any other noble house.
Only belatedly realizing the situation, Luna rushed over.
She had been delayed while organizing items inside the Grace family carriage.
Luna insisted on bringing a freshly prepared meal, but Delia shook her head.
“In any case, once it goes into the stomach, it’s all the same.”
Delia even smiled faintly, trying to ease Luna’s worry.
“Madam, I’m sorry. From now on, I will take care of your meals no matter what.”
“No, it’s fine. The Lord just returned after a long time, so everyone is busy. And honestly, I’m not very hungry anyway.”
She smiled as if to say not to worry.
Luna’s eyes drooped with guilt. She knew better than anyone how gentle and generous Delia was.
The Empire was filled with nobles who treated servants as little more than beasts of burden.
To Luna, it was almost unbelievable that a noblewoman like Delia could exist.
Delia took a few spoonfuls of the cold soup. She did not even touch the meat.
As expected, her appetite was poor, so she instructed Luna to clear the meal.
Though Luna looked concerned, she obediently bowed and removed everything.
In the now-quiet room, Delia opened a thick book.
It contained the fundamentals of magic.
It was commonly believed that daughters of the Owens family awakened as mages in their mid-teens.
According to the family records, there had never been a case where magical manifestation was delayed beyond the age of sixteen.
Of course, male descendants of House Owens could also inherit magic. However…
It is said that, in the case of women, their magical ability can even be transferred to their spouses. It is well known that Father became a great mage thanks to Mother.
That was also why it was common in Owens history for women to inherit titles.
Nearly all women of the Owens bloodline who manifested magic became high-ranking mages.
Some even became great mages recorded in history.
But Delia…
Despite being well past the age when she should have already awakened after marriage, she had not manifested any magic at all.
Some said it was because she had lost her parents early and never received proper training. Others whispered that a curse of the demon god had befallen the Owens family.
Since then, her marriage had continued like walking on a tightrope—tense and precarious.
As various thoughts tormented her mind, footsteps approached from beyond the door.
What appeared before her was unexpected.
Eden opened the door and entered.
Even while inside the estate, he rarely sought her out. So Delia looked at him with faint surprise.
Noticing her expression, he frowned.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Ah… is something wrong?”
A sliver of winter sunlight slipped through the window and fell between them.
“Must something be wrong for me to come see you?”
“That’s not what I meant…”
As Delia trailed off, he strode toward her with long steps.
His mantle swayed beneath his broad shoulders with each movement.
He came to her side and lifted her chin with one hand. Despite his frown, the touch was unexpectedly careful.
Delia’s eyes trembled faintly under his gaze.
Sensing it, Eden’s lips twisted slightly. Then he gently released her chin and turned away.
“I’ll finish my work at night.”
“Lord Grace.”
Delia called him back in a small voice as he turned.
“What is it?”
“This is the marital room.”
“And?”
“It means it’s the room we share… so you can stay here during the day too.”
At her words, Eden narrowed his eyes.
“You’re saying strange things today.”
“……”
“What would I even do in this room during the day?”
Delia thought bitterly that she couldn’t even speak properly in front of the terrifying duke.
“……”
“I’m not idle.”
“I understand.”
An indescribable emptiness washed over her.
She had not expected warmth or affection from him. She had only thought that, since he had come to see her for once, perhaps they could talk a little longer.
That was all.
But Eden left immediately. The sound of his footsteps gradually faded away.
