Chapter 47
“Pardon?”
Why was he suddenly talking about my father here?
No—more than that…
What truly startled me was something else entirely.
Owen’s voice was—how should I put it—rougher than usual. As though his emotions weren’t properly restrained.
And in fact, that was exactly the case.
“That day… I never thought I’d regret only hitting him once this much.”
The day I’d been locked in my room and Owen had come to see me.
Was he talking about when he’d thrown that clean punch?
Honestly, it had been quite satisfying.
Still, I couldn’t understand why he was suddenly bringing up the marquis again.
“Owen?”
“At this point, I almost feel relieved that someone like Bambi existed. I never thought I’d say something like this, but…”
Well, it was a relief, I suppose.
Owen suddenly lifted me up and began pacing around the room, carrying me as if trying to calm himself.
I decided it was best to stay still. His arms were firm enough to feel perfectly secure anyway.
After some time, his footsteps gradually slowed.
I asked softly,
“What are you thinking about?”
His voice was far calmer than before.
“I’m angry at the thought that my father-in-law might look at you and think you turned out well thanks to him.”
“That would never happen.”
“Yes. I know. That’s what makes me even angrier.”
I couldn’t help but laugh, despite the situation.
So this was how Owen expressed anger.
I kept smiling as I placed my hands on his shoulders.
Owen paused for just a moment—then resumed walking, noticeably slower.
I whispered teasingly,
“This is my first time seeing you admit you’re angry.”
Owen let out a breath that was somewhere between a laugh and a sigh.
“I can’t deny that it’s a rare occurrence.”
With that, he calmed down remarkably fast.
Having regained his usual composure, Owen set me down on the bed.
After seating me, his gaze dropped to my feet.
Bare.
My slippers lay abandoned somewhere in the spacious bedroom—probably kicked off when he’d been carrying me around.
Owen glanced around as well, taking in the evidence of his restless pacing.
“…I’ll get them.”
I stifled a laugh.
“I’d appreciate that.”
He shuffled over, bent down to pick up the slippers, and returned. I watched him from the bed.
He knelt lightly in front of me, holding my ankle with one hand while slipping the slipper onto my foot with the other.
From that angle, I could look down at him.
Owen’s blond hair, tinged with light brown, was still damp.
He’d dried my hair so carefully—yet hadn’t bothered with his own.
After putting slippers on both my feet, he seemed a little embarrassed. It didn’t show on his face, but I could somehow tell.
“I apologize for suddenly showing you such an unbecoming side of myself.”
“Oh, not at all. It was refreshing.”
I still didn’t fully understand why—but it certainly felt new.
A little cute, even.
Owen remained kneeling.
He called my name softly.
“Sophia.”
“Yes, Owen.”
Even after I answered, he stayed silent for a long while—opening his mouth, then closing it again. Eventually, he spoke—
“…Never mind.”
And shut it again.
Owen ta Glentino—this man who always spoke his mind without hesitation?
This was genuinely strange.
He must have felt my unblinking gaze. After looking thoughtful for a moment, Owen composed himself. With a calm expression masking everything else, he took both my hands while still kneeling.
“Be sure to change your clothes before sleeping. You’ll catch a cold otherwise.”
“Yes—and you should too, Owen.”
Still, he didn’t stand up.
“I’ll have firewood placed by the fireplace. If you feel cold, call a maid and have the fire stoked. I’ll be in the next room, so you may call for me as well.”
Call him… even from the next room? Wouldn’t that be more trouble?
Still, I answered with a simple, “All right.”
“And Sophia, you drank black tea later than usual tonight. If you can’t sleep, call me. I’ll warm some milk for you. Even if I’m asleep, you may wake me. I’m not a deep sleeper by nature—”
At this rate, neither of us would get any sleep tonight.
I laughed lightly and tapped his shoulder.
“I can handle that much on my own.”
Owen looked up at me.
I met his gaze and smiled—somehow as if reassuring him.
Come to think of it, this was the first time I’d ever heard him talk this much.
His low, resonant voice was pleasant to listen to, though.
“Yes. I know.”
He closed his eyes briefly, then lowered his gaze.
“It’s just… something I want to do for you.”
“……”
Looking into his eyes, a thought suddenly crossed my mind.
How does this man usually hide such tenderness?
Where has this Owen been hiding all this time?
Owen was still holding my hands. When I lightly squeezed his hand and let go, the sculpted, handsome man lifted his head to look at me.
I winked playfully.
“You truly are the model of a gentleman, Grand Duke Glentino.”
Owen grinned in response—and it was genuinely nice to see.
Still holding my hand, he rose and bent at the waist.
“Just between us…”
Without warning, his lips brushed my forehead—a gesture like a good-night kiss.
“There aren’t many people who would call me a gentleman. In fact, I believe you’re the first.”
“Oh? Why is that?”
That couldn’t be true.
I asked out of genuine curiosity—and this time, his lips landed on the tip of my nose.
“Because being kind to a lady is also one of a gentleman’s most important virtues.”
The moment I understood what he meant, the spot he’d kissed began to tickle.
Ignoring the heat rising to my face, I replied with mock seriousness.
“Then please continue to uphold that reputation.”
“Yes, Sophia.”
As he answered, Owen’s smile stretched wide.
As if he knew my nose tickled, he kissed it once more.
“I shall do so.”
* * *
Morning of the fourth day of our journey dawned.
The air was brisk—pleasantly so. That was only possible because I was bundled up warmly. Compared to the capital, it felt like early winter.
After breakfast, I sent a letter to Eluise. Now all that remained was to wait for a reply. Still, just having taken some action eased my mind.
Arne and I gazed out the carriage window, watching the scenery gradually change.
“Mom, the roofs are really pointy. The houses are pretty.”
“They really are.”
It was probably a region with heavy snowfall. Sure enough, patches of snow remained here and there—likely from snowfall a few days ago.
“Woof!”
Seeing the white snow, Popo got so excited he started hopping around, making the carriage shake slightly.
Some of the pointed rooftops outside even had star-shaped decorations. The colorful buildings made it feel like we’d entered a completely different world.
Owen checked the time with his pocket watch.
“We’ve made good time. If we keep riding all day, we should reach the Verdi territory late tonight.”
Oh—that was fast.
“Then are we heading straight north without stopping in another city today?”
“If you wish, we can. What would you prefer?”
I wasn’t so tired of carriage travel that I had to reach the north immediately.
Arne still looked lively—and so did Popo. After a moment of thought, I asked,
“Is there a city worth visiting before we head north?”
“There is, actually.”
Owen smiled confidently.
“It’s small—but I believe you’ll like it more than any place we’ve visited so far.”
Where could it be, for him to sound so certain?
* * *
“My goodness—this place?!”
The City of Music, Monterosa!
The hometown of countless famous composers of the Empire. Street performances everywhere. A place where you could buy fine-quality instruments!
I murmured in awe,
“This is truly my first time in Monterosa.”
Unlike Cantalice, this was true both before and after my regression.
Rising tall in the distance was the city’s trademark—a grand temple.
The Temple of Themiya, god of music and the arts!
Arne looked around in wonder.
“Mom, I can hear singing. And instruments too.”
“You’re right. Shall we go take a look?”
Just as we were about to head into the city, I hesitated.
I’d noticed something.
‘There’s another watcher.’
The Grand Duchess simply never got tired of this, did she? After all the times we’d shaken them off—again.
The build and face were slightly different from the last ones I’d seen.
Which meant Bambi must’ve taken care of the previous ones in the last city.
“Shall we move on?”
Owen stepped closer to me—he must’ve noticed them too.
“Yes, let’s.”
I took Arne’s hand and walked forward confidently.
I’d panicked in Cantalice, but this time? I truly didn’t care. I wouldn’t let it bother me.
…Wait. Hold on.
A different thought suddenly occurred to me.
The Bartoli family had long been known for their deep appreciation of music.
And I—the eldest daughter of that very family, Sophia ta Bartoli—possessed fairly decent musical talent myself.
And here we were, in the City of Music, Monterosa.
Pulling out a flute out of nowhere while walking down the street would be strange—but in a city where busking was free and common?
That was a different story.
Which meant—
I could openly show off my strengths to the Grand Duchess’s watchers!
