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Milo expanded his search and found a maid who’d complained about her workplace when coming to the capital, under Ilyin’s orders, to find something. The maid had said that her mistress was a strange and weird woman, and she’d paid the price of her folly with her life. She was already dead when Milo found her, but he discovered that the maid who’d served Ilyin had gone missing when he’d gone searching for the deceased maid. He found it very odd that the Arlen family’s only daughter didn’t have a maid exclusively assigned to her.

Aden narrowed his eyes as he thought of Ilyin on that first night. She’d looked close to death with her frail figure, and he’d put a hand on his forehead in concern. She had been relieved at having her eyes covered, but Aden didn’t tell her she’d met him as Den. He also didn’t know what he’d say if Ilyin asked the reason for his deception, and he strangely feared her reaction; he was already making up excuses in his head.

“Sir, it’s Idith.”

Aden raised a brow when he saw Milo come in with Idith and asked the merchant if he had anything else to report.

Milo spoke in a shaking voice, “Have you ever gone to her room? Or, did you say that it was all right for a man to enter the bride’s room in Biflten?”

“Idith!” Aden cut into Milo’s words and looked at Idith, who stared at the ceiling before answering.

“Yes, sir.”

“Explain why he is speaking about that.” Aden knew how efficient his subordinates were, and Idith would’ve heard that particular conversation with his good hearing. However, he had trusted Idith, who had shown undying loyalty since they were children. While Milo was the same, Aden didn’t want others to know that.

His bride, who was vulnerable at the strangest times, made him act foolishly. Aden wouldn’t have said such things if he had been his normal self, but Ilyin, lying in the light, had surprised him. Her summer scent had caught him, and Aden had found her surprised face, cute. He wouldn’t have said such a thing if he had been sensible, as the flimsy lie would’ve been discovered the moment another man had entered her room. However, he didn’t think that any man would be bold enough to enter the Duchess’s room.

“I had gone to her room…” Milo attempted to explain.

Aden was proved wrong, and the pen he had been holding in his hand suffered the consequences.

***

It was said to be Biflten’s tradition for the bride to spend a week in the room she’d spent her first night with her husband in, so that she may be loved by him. Ilyin had been set to follow that tradition, but the problem was, her body was weak.

“You will go up the seventh floor the day after tomorrow,” the doctor instructed and Ilyin flushed as he prevented the Duke from coming into the room.

The maids had placed trinkets and flowers from the Empire around the room that Milo had brought, hoping to cheer her up.

“Would that be all right?” An old maid bowed, and Ilyin knew instinctively that she was the head of the Delrose maids.

“What is your name?” She enquired.

“I am Etra of the Delroses.” Etra spoke with her head bowed and said also that the second-in-command of the estate had something to speak to Ilyin about, with her permission of course. When Etra glanced at the door, the maids who’d been standing there suddenly became alert.

“I will escort you for a walk in the corridors, as they are warm today. His highness must be in a good mood.”

What did the Duke have to do with the corridors? Was that a metaphor for something? Ilyin didn’t know. While she was still weak, her fever was now down, after resting for days.

Etra looked at Ilyin’s thin arms which were revealed as the girl moved, with sad eyes. “Wintry lands have rich dishes that warm up the body, and they will be provided after you leave this room.”

While Ilyin thought she hadn’t changed much from when she had been in the Empire, she smiled at Etra’s sincerity and said, “Thank you.”

Etra bowed and helped Ilyin to move more easily, as the old woman was strong enough to support her weight. The maid helped her into a coat and followed her slow pace. She was different from the maids of the Blue North, who had been astonished at seeing Ilyin’s body after her first night with her husband.

“Hello, Mistress,” Idith greeted politely.

Ilyin had seen the second-in-command, Idith of the Red Delroses, before. He had been waiting in the hallway and now he led her to another room. She noticed that Idith waited for her to enter first, and she knew that the Delroses were showing the utmost courtesy to her at the moment. Ilyin found that strange.

To her, servants had been those who had observed her and reported to others about what she did and spoke about. Their priority had been to observe and serving her had been less important.