"Isn't it cool? A trade that my brother personally hunted to relieve my mood."
I stopped in my tracks and turned my gaze towards the sound coming from. Over the railing, I saw Raina with silver fur on her shoulders.
She twirled in front of the maids and shouted proudly.
"If you make a winter suit out of this fur, you can ride a salka to your heart's content even in the middle of winter, right?"
"Of course! Drakhar is a monster that nests even in glaciers. It'll be able to stop the cold wave."
"Seeing that you have sent such a wonderful gift, it is clear that the Grand Duke thinks of the young lady very much."
The flattering voices of the maids made Raina smile widely.
"Do you really think so?"
"Otherwise, you can't hold such a precious treasure."
Throughout the funeral, the girl's face was filled with vitality, as the grass had died.
I, who was watching from the end of the stairs, turned away silently.
I believed that he had taken risks for me. How shameless I have become in a few months. I almost suffered humiliation.
I trudged back to my bedroom.
However, the bitter feeling of swallowing ashes gradually subsided as the sun set.
I had promised thousands of times that I would not expect anything from him. It was ridiculous to be disappointed by such a thing.
Even if it was just a bonus, it was an undeniable fact that he had sent me a valuable gift.
'I should say thank you as a person.'
Otherwise, it will look rather unnatural. Rolling like a torn child means that you are disappointed, and being disappointed means that you have expected something from him in the end.
Finally made up my mind, I threw down the book on my lap and got out of bed.
When I reached his resting quarters, the gatekeeper quickly announced my arrival. It seemed that the servant, who always opened the door, was trying to hit the player before it came at will.
But I pulled the doorknob before I was allowed to enter this time again.
As I limped inside, the brightly lit bedroom filled my view.
He was a man who always waited for me and put out the light. Did he think I wouldn't come today?
I frowned and looked around the room, and I saw two shadows hanging down in front of the fireplace.
Turning my head, I saw a young woman touching the upper body of Barcas, who was sitting, and I took a heavy breath.
"What are you doing now?"
The woman stood up from her seat with a puzzled face.
"Your Highness, Grand Duchess..."
Only then did I see her true Identity. She was a healer of the Grand Duke family and the one who caused me to vomit blood.
The woman hurriedly tightened her waist and said as if making an excuse.
"I was in the process of treating the wounds of His Excellency the Grand Duke."
I, who had been staring at her with the corners of my eyes raised tightly, turned my head towards Barkas.
"Have you forgotten what a terrible healer this woman is? Why...to such a woman..."
Suddenly, my mouth shut. Two rows of lacerations ran diagonally from his shoulders to his chest.
My heart sank for a moment due to the wound that was more serious than I expected.
I hurriedly approached him.
"Uh, what's going on? You said Not a big deal!"
"It's not a big injury. I didn't break my bones, and my main muscles and nerves weren't badly damaged."
Barcas said insensitively.
I glared at him in disbelief.
The purple blood vessels swollen around his swollen skin looked serious, even if he pretended to be. The pain is probably enormous.
I couldn't bear to hit him; I just burst into annoyance.
"Do you call that now? If this isn't serious, what's serious, you idiot!"
The healer was silenced in astonishment. However, Barcas had a calm face.
He nodded lightly to the healer.
"Just step back."
"Ha, but I still.... bandaged"
"I can do this myself."
The woman, who had been hesitating for a while, then tightened her waist and hurriedly left the room.
I held out my hand towards him without giving her a look.
"Give me a bandage. You can't even sense it properly with one hand."
"It's okay."
"What's okay! Don't talk nonsense, come here."
The man who was staring at me ended up holding out the bandage. I took it as if I were snatching it and pulled a chair across from him and sat down.
Up close, the wound was even more terrible. Oozing was oozing around the lacerations that were shiny with plaster, and I felt a sense of heat on my skin, which was redder than usual.
I bit my lower lip and carefully wrapped the cloth around his chest.
Thanks to the habit of checking the bandages on my legs every day and fixing and tying them by hand, I was able to close the wound without difficulty.
"It's really okay, isn't it? Even if you get rid later..."
"As long as the poison energy is gone, you can heal it with magic. Don't worry."
"Who is worried about you? If you do something wrong, my situation will be twisted..."
"I know. Your Highness will not become a widow, so I am saying this to you to rest assured."
In response to his calm response, I closed my mouth with a speechless expression.
Leaning back in the chair, looking at me thoughtfully, Barcas gently grabbed my wrist and asked.
"Why are you here today?"
In an instant, my heart sank like a person who had been ambushed by an unexpected attack.
Does that mean he's not happy to be here?
I glanced at his face. The light flickered on his beautiful face, which had no expression.
He tilted his head to one side and added.
"You said you wouldn't sleep with me for the time being. Did you change your mind?"
I reflexively shook his hand.
"I didn't change it! Do you think I'm desperate enough to roll around with someone whose body has reached that point?"
"Then why did you come?"
He leaned his upper body towards me.
I, who rolled my eyes in confusion, stammered out the excuse I had just prepared in advance.
"The gift you gave me... I came to say thank you that I received it well."
The man, who had been silently looking down for a long time, finally spoke, as if trying to gauge the sincerity of those words.
"Did you like it?"
"Who doesn't like such a gift?
For some reason, it was difficult to look directly at him, so I lowered my eyes awkwardly
"But don't hunt monsters from now on, no matter how pitiful your sister looks, the ruler of the East will be hurt and reckless..."
"Where is the man who would do this for his sister?"
I, who had been nagging him, paused and looked up at him again.
Before I knew it, Barcas was playing with my hair. It was like a cat playing with a skein of thread. The man, who was lightly touching my hair with his fingertips, continued casually.
"Your Highness often suffered from horns even in the middle of summer. Winters here are harsher than in the central regions. You need to have that kind of thing so that you can send it safely."
"...That's when I was young."
I gulped and scolded.
"It's a winter that both you and I spend, so what's so special about it. It's not uncommon at all."
Pale blue eyes swept me from head to toe.
I subconsciously grabbed the shawl on my shoulder. Even though he couldn't know my body, which had been so thin since the accident, I felt ashamed again.
I hurriedly turned my words.
"Anyway, I don't even think about hunting monsters in the future. Do you still think you're a knight? You are now the Grand Duke. What did you put the soldiers for?"
"It was more efficient for me to do it myself. Above all, you can't make the soldiers take risks because of the gift you give to your wife."
My ears became hot at the words that casually referred to me as his wife.
I was openly nervous, hoping that the sunset would cover the blush.
"Don't do what you can't tell your soldiers to do, you Idiot!"
"...Didn't you come to say thank you?"
He pointed out with one eyebrow.
I snorted.
"I'm here to scold you. Your body is no longer just yours. I can't forgive you if you roll it around without my permission."
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