Chapter 9

 After Fang left and Karina locked the door, she let out a deep sigh and tossed off her robe.

The robe that had accompanied her for two months was, to be honest, nothing more than a pile of dust at this point.

As she filled the bathtub with hot water, she pulled a simple dress from her cloth bag and threw it onto the bed. She also tossed aside her only undergarment and counted the remaining money.

Since she hadn’t taken any gold coins. All she had left were a handful of silver and copper coins.

17 silver, 8 cent. She had never checked clothing prices before, so she wasn’t sure how much a cloth would cost.

Hmm, maybe I can get two outfits?

It wasn’t like she would be attending banquets or tea parties here, so there was no need to worry about others' opinions.

In short, she didn’t need an expensive dress.

All she required was a light dress for outings, a new robe, and a few sets of undergarments.

First, let's get cleaned up.

Karina wrapped her dirty clothes in the robe and tossed them far away before sinking into the bathtub.

The warmth of the water made her entire body relax. It had been so long since she’d had a proper bath.

There are three pills left.

She was afraid of what would happen to her body once the medicine ran out.

She recalled the warning from doctor Baune, a note she had read so many times that she had memorized it by heart.

[I packed plenty of medicine. If you have three pills left, stop taking them. If you go three days without it, you’ll develop a high fever. It’ll be like a dam breaking, and your condition will deteriorate rapidly.]

The tightly packed, messy handwriting made it clear how much he had agonized over what to write.

[If the fever gets too high, take one pill every two days. The fever should subside in about a week, and taking the medicine this way will ease some of the pain.]

Karina had followed his advice and saved three pills.

Now, all she had to do was wait.

Since she had deliberately taken the medicine at night, chances were that its effects would wear off around the same time.

Since she couldn’t take the medicine for tonight, it was only natural to expect her condition to worsen starting tonight as well.

[P.S. Don’t fight the drowsiness! Some fools stubbornly refuse to sleep. But sleep means your body is working hard to restore itself, so the more you sleep, the better. Of course, if you sleep more than ten hours, that becomes harmful. In that case, even if it’s difficult, move around a bit or get some fresh air.]

She often took out the note and read it whenever she felt lonely or melancholic, wondering if this was what it would feel like to have a grandfather.

It was so well-read that travelers had even asked her if it was a love letter from her sweetheart.

Hmm, I ended up memorizing it all.

Karina smiled lazily, her expression softened.

She finished her short bath. Even though the journey had been exhausting, she had truly enjoyed it.

She had even managed to sketch several pieces in her notebook, though coloring them had been beyond her strength.

Let’s do what I want to do.

As she dried herself with a towel, she smiled brightly.

Even if she only had one year to live as she pleased, it was still a precious life.

Dressing herself slowly, she stepped outside.

The moment she opened the door, Fang was waiting for her.

"Ah, please lead me to meet His Grace." she said, then followed the butler’s guidance into Millian’s office.

The room was filled with the scent of paper and ink.

Aside from the necessary furniture, there wasn’t a single decorative vase or ornament in sight.

So, in short, it was gloomy.

So gloomy, to the point that even Karina, who had no interest in interior design, let out a sigh the moment she stepped inside.

The office was painted in a dull gray, making it feel like working here might actually cause depression.

Maybe it’s not just a feeling.

If his prickly personality stemmed from this dreary atmosphere, she wouldn’t hesitate to nod in understanding.

The moment Karina stepped into the office, the sharp eyed Millian immediately looked up.

Now that she was paying attention, she could see how exhausted he was. The bloodshot veins in his eyes made it clear why he seemed so irritable.

“Shall I prepare some tea?”

“Yes.”

Karina pressed her lips together. No matter how hard she tried to come up with a response, there was nothing she could say to counter his words.

“Did you have a fight with your family?”

“It’s similar, but not quite.”

“Then?”

“…”

“I can tell you were determined, considering you traveled for two months just to get here. Was the fight really that serious?”

It seemed Millian had already concluded that she’d left after some grand falling out with her family. But while his assumption wasn’t entirely wrong, it wasn’t completely right either.

She only needed a quiet place to prepare for her death and a location far from her family. To be completely honest, there was also a spiteful part of her that wanted them to regret it once she was gone. That was why she had been even more stubborn about keeping silent.

Pathetic.

Childish and petty. If she objectively assessed her own emotions, that would be the conclusion. But so what if she was childish? So what if she was petty? That was simply who Karina was.

Karina decided to be a little more honest with herself.

"Everyone needs time to clear their head, don't they?"

"The timing is bad. Winter is the busiest season in my territory. I don’t have the time to entertain you."

"That’s great."

Hearing the response she had secretly hoped for, Karina’s eyes lit up.

Millian, who had his arms crossed, let out a small scoff. Just what was this petite woman mumbling about?

Feeling a throbbing headache, he habitually pressed his temple with his thumb.

"What?"

"Great. In that case, if the annex isn't in use, could you allow me to stay there? I was given the room next to yours, but I think it would be uncomfortable for both of us if we kept running into each other."

"The annex? It hasn’t been used for a while, so it needs some cleaning."

Perhaps Millian also found her suggestion reasonable, as his response was much calmer than before.

"When you say it needs cleaning, do you mean it's covered in dust?"

"No, we’ve been keeping it somewhat maintained. But it still needs servants assigned to it, and some essential furnishings need to be moved in. Since it’s an old place, a lot of the supplies might be missing, so it’ll need some reorganizing."

Karina pondered briefly over his words.

She wanted to avoid attracting attention at all costs. More than that, she was certain to be bedridden for a week, and she didn't want to be treated like a bothersome.

"That’s perfect. I’m only staying for about half a year, so there’s no need to decorate anything. As long as there’s fire and hot water, that would be enough. I don’t need a maid either. I’ve always been good at managing on my own."

Her voice held a slight excitement, as if she was close to getting exactly what she wanted.

She didn't particularly mind Millian’s openly uninterested gaze.

"This is the most enthusiasm I've seen from you so far."

"I'm surprised to hear such a compliment from Your Grace, considering you called me a squid when we first met."

"You still remember that?"

So petty.

That sentiment was clearly reflected in Millian's gaze.

Karina blinked. She understood he was irritable because he was tired, but honestly, he was just too prickly. It was starting to wear on her patience as well.

"Your choice of words was just so refined that it got engraved in my mind," she replied, smiling as brightly as she could.

Millian fell silent. He couldn't help but wonder if the chattering woman before him was really the same person. She seemed different somehow.

Back then, she looked like she had no will at all.

That forced smile, the way she only spoke in carefully measured words, it had been thoroughly off.

Of course, that didn’t mean he particularly liked her current demeanor. But at least it was better than before.

Millian crossed his arms and gave a small nod.

"If you’re fine with it, then so be it. The residence is ready for use, so I’ll inform Fang. You may go there whenever you wish."

"Thank you."

"And don’t even think about leaving the duchy without permission. As long as you're here, you’ll always be safe under my protection."

"Understood."

Letting out a deep sigh, she leaned back into the sofa, her body finally relaxing. Watching her loosen up, Millian brought his now half cooled tea to his lips.

"What possessed you to come all the way to the duchy at this time of year? Utterly foolish."

As soon as their conversation ended, the sharp criticism began. Her face subtly twisted.

"Why is winter such a big problem?"

"You’re not seriously saying you don’t know, are you?"

Millian’s gaze, filled with utter disbelief, landed on Karina.

It was a look that practically blamed her for her ignorance. The sheer bluntness of it left her momentarily speechless.

Was it really acceptable for a grand duke, responsible for managing such a vast territory, to be so transparent with his emotions?

Of course, she had heard that the northern region had a weaker sense of hierarchy compared to others, but still…

Karina felt slightly offended.

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