Chapter 43
He was right.
Now, even if she wanted to retreat, she couldn’t.
Whether she liked it or not, he was her husband.
The cuisine of the Principality of Sieff was astonishing.
Though the flavors were new to her, everything suited her palate, and since arriving, Floria had quickly gained some weight.
Eventually, unable to contain her curiosity, Floria asked Grace, the head maid, to take her to the kitchen.
Inside, about ten people were standing.
Several men were present, and at the center stood a plump middle-aged woman wearing an apron, smiling brightly.
“Your Grace, welcome!”
Grace introduced the woman.
“This is Jill. And over here are Peter, John, Billy, and…”
At that, the woman introduced as Jill waved her hand dismissively.
“Oh, no need for all that. You won’t remember all their names anyway.
What’s the point of knowing the men’s names? Just call them whatever.”
Then Jill stepped forward and approached Floria.
“Your Grace, it’s an honor to meet you. I never expected you’d personally visit the kitchen.”
Floria responded with a smile.
“Nice to meet you, ma’am.”
“Ma’am? Oh my, just call me Jill. No need to know the men’s names.
Ah, it’s a pleasure. I honestly thought His Grace would never marry.
He had no interest in women, always off hunting or at war. I can’t believe he’s married.
But truly, Your Grace suits His Grace well. Oh, that man over there is my husband, john
He’s a hopeless drunk every night, but he’s diligent with his work.
I’m Jill, did I mention that? I work in the kitchen, cooking meals.
Oh dear, Your Grace, you’re so thin.”
As Jill rattled on, Floria stood momentarily bewildered.
Jill then grabbed her hand.
“Look at these slender hands.”
But Floria had gained weight since arriving.
Nevertheless, Jill stroked her hand with a sympathetic look.
“Jill…”
From behind, Grace looked at Jill with a troubled expression.
“Your Grace, I apologize. Jill rarely leaves the kitchen and isn’t well-versed in etiquette.”
“It’s alright.”
Indeed, Jill’s behavior lacked the proper decorum expected towards nobility.
However, Floria appreciated her candidness.
Back in Altomole, all the staff pitied her.
Here, everyone was formal and distant.
Someone approaching her so openly was a first, except for her nanny, Catherine, who had cared for her since childhood.
“I feel comfortable being treated this way.”
“Still, it’s not proper to address Your Grace so informally…”
Cutting off Grace’s words, Jill continued.
“Oh, please visit often, Your Grace. I get lonely.”Floria couldn’t help but smile at Jill’s bright grin.
Since then, Floria frequently visited the kitchen.
Though uncommon for a duchess, no one in the principality seemed to mind, not even Aidan.
As she had sensed, the kitchen of Sieff Castle was a treasure trove that would make any woman swoon.
Every week, various ingredients arrived from the village, including vegetables and fruits Floria had never seen before.
Yesterday, upon hearing that supplies were coming, she went to see them and was amazed by the variety.
Moreover, Jill’s culinary skills were excellent.
Even now, the pastries Jill made melted in her mouth.
“I like you, Your Grace,” Jill said.
“You’re kind and beautiful, but more than that, I can feel your warm heart.
Since you’ve arrived, His Grace has definitely changed.”
“I don’t think I have that kind of influence.”
At Floria’s words, Jill looked stern.
“No, Your Grace. I’m telling the truth. His Grace rarely smiled since childhood, always focused on one thing.
It’s understandable, given that the late Duke was always cold to him.
He blamed His Grace for the late Duchess’s death.”
Floria had heard that Aidan’s father and brother died simultaneously from a fever, but it was the first time she learned that his mother died during childbirth and that his father treated him coldly because of it.
“Such a man now smiles.
Especially when I saw him walking with you the other day, his face was so gentle; I was surprised.”
“It’s not because of me…”
Jill and Grace had been at the castle for a long time.
Grace was tight-lipped and didn’t share much about Aidan.
“Maybe it’s just a coincidence.”
At Floria’s words, Jill’s eyes widened like a rabbit’s.
“Why would you think that? I’ve seen His Grace since he was a child.
Don’t you trust me?”
Though hard to believe, Jill’s words made Floria’s heart flutter.
So, she had known Aidan since he was young.
Then… she must know him well.
“Um…”
Since their recent outing to the village, Floria had become afraid of Aidan.
She thought she understood him to some extent, but his different way of thinking was unfamiliar.
“What kind of person is His Grace?”
“His Grace? Well… he’s a gentle person.”
Jill’s straightforward answer made Floria blink in surprise.
“Why? Are you surprised?”
“Yes. Actually… from the rumors and his demeanor, he seems more… rough rather than gentle.”
More like a violent tyrant.
But Jill shook her head with a smile.
“Sure, he has his gruff moments. Did he perhaps treat you harshly?”
“No, it’s not that…”
Floria hesitated, then decided to speak.
“On our way back from an outing, we saw a deer.
I mentioned it was cute, and he immediately took up his bow.
I didn’t ask him to hunt it.”
“Ah…”
“Of course, I don’t think hunting is wrong. But something about it… bothered me.”
Jill looked at Floria, who was speaking hesitantly, and smiled.
“His Grace doesn’t understand a woman’s heart, Your Grace.”
“…”
“He probably thought, since you liked it, he should get it for you.
He doesn’t know how to express affection with words. He’s a bit rough and wild. But…”
Jill continued, “Since you’ve arrived, His Grace has been changing.
He’s a kind and warm person.
He just doesn’t know how to show it. He must have thought, ‘She wants the deer;
I should get it for her.'”
He brought items from Altomole, fearing she might miss her homeland.
He took her to the village, knowing she was curious about foreign places.
Thinking she wanted the deer, he tried to get it for her.
In a way, he was being considerate, but Floria feared him for immediately taking up his bow.
That night, she recalled his slightly furrowed brow.
“I see.”
“I don’t know what rumors say in other countries.
But up close, His Grace is that kind of person.”
Except for that incident, Aidan appeared more like a stoic yet gentle man than a violent one.
I see.
For me…
He just doesn’t know how to express it.
Floria sipped the tea Jill had given her.
The warm, sweet liquid filled her mouth.
The ongoing battle between Kaluit and the Principality of Sieff at the western border dragged on unbearably long.
Aidan’s routine of checking the western front two or three times a week became more hectic.
Though he returned to the duke’s chamber every night where Floria waited, she hadn’t seen even his shadow for the past three days.
Even while dining alone, Floria’s eyes often drifted to the entrance at the far end of the garden outside the window.
With his absence stretching to three days, she felt anxious and restless.
Initially, being alone was frightening, but gradually, the thought that Aidan might not return unsettled her.
What if something happened to him on the battlefield?
The rising anxiety diminished her appetite.
“Will he be okay?”
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