MHM 4

 Tap, tap, tap.

Raindrops fell on Iana's shoulders.

She looked up at Charles's large hand above her head.

A hand that bore the scars of war.

Contrary to his elegant appearance, his hand was rough and calloused.

Tilting her head slightly, Iana looked up at Charles. His deep gray eyes were gazing down at her.

"...!"

Startled, Iana quickly averted her gaze from under his hand.

At that moment, Carrion firmly grabbed her arm and addressed Charles, "Your Grace, please come inside."

"Of course."

The raindrops quickly turned into thick streams. Servants hurried over, covering Charles and the couple with umbrellas.

Afterward, the 1st Knight Division, under the steward's guidance, moved briskly.

"Madam, you might catch a cold. Please change your clothes."

As they entered the keep, Carrion affectionately advised her. He then followed Charles into the reception hall.

"Madam, are you alright?"

Maids and servants rushed over with towels to dry Iana. However, their eyes were fixed on Charles walking ahead.

Then, Charles dropped the towel he had been given while walking.

"Oh my!"

As Charles bent down, the maids simultaneously lowered their gazes like a herd of meerkats.

After Charles and Carrion entered the reception hall, Iana asked with a smile, "Are you all frightened of His Grace?"

The maids replied with dazed expressions.

"Perhaps because he's so terrifyingly handsome?"

"His stern appearance is what makes him so captivating."

Iana nodded as if she couldn't agree more.

Seeing this, the head maid scolded the maids who were infatuated with Charles.

"Where are your wits? What if Madam catches a cold?"

'Come to think of it, she was the first one to be dismissed.'

Iana watched the head maid attentively tending to her.

She was a woman of few words and strict principles.

Because of her temperament, she had been the first to be dismissed after initially resenting Riel.

In that moment, memories from before the regression flashed through her mind.

"The rain!"

"Madam, what's the matter?"

The head maid asked, surprised.

'It wasn't two days, it was five.'

Before the regression, the 1st Knight Division was originally scheduled to stay for only two days, but heavy rain fell the day before they were to leave.

The bridge, the only way to the border, was flooded overnight, and the division had to stay for three more days before they could leave.

The problem was feeding the nearly 700 knights.

All the stored food had been used up, leaving not only the knights but also the servants starving.

Iana gave instructions to the head maid.

"Head maid, go and purchase food supplies immediately. The knights' schedule might change due to the heavy rain."

"How much more should we prepare?"

"Prepare enough for the knights to stay an additional three days."

"That much...?"

The usually stoic head maid looked surprised, both by the large amount of food required and by Iana's newfound involvement in household matters.

"Yes, we need that much."

"I will prepare it right away."

The head maid responded and quickly headed towards the kitchen to make the necessary arrangements.

Iana dismissed the maids and headed to her room alone.

When she entered, Riel greeted her with a worried expression.

"You got soaked in the rain! I've prepared a bath for you. Go wash up before you catch a cold."

"…Thank you."

Iana undressed and stepped into the bath.

Riel kept adding hot water to ensure the bath stayed warm, and she recounted what had happened in the gallery.

"So, Carrion agreed? He told you to assist me without attracting attention."

"Yes, I'm just glad I can stay by your side. But…"

Riel hesitated.

"Why did you stop talking?"

"It's about the maids. They seem to be treating you rudely since you haven't been here long."

Iana stifled a smile.

Before her regression, she had believed everything Riel said and followed her advice, only to realize later that Riel's words were a ploy to isolate her from others.

Iana folded her arms on the edge of the bath and asked innocently, "So, what should I do about the rude maids?"

"Don't speak to them unless necessary. Be strict when you reprimand them, and if needed, use corporal punishment. It's important to establish your authority as their mistress."

Iana, who had been listening quietly, threw out a casual question, "What about you?"

"Me?"

"Aren't you a maid too?"

"…"

Riel's eyes instinctively sharpened.

'That's the real look in your eyes.'

But Riel wasn't one to back down easily.

"If I act out of line, you can punish me too. Even if my body is bloodied and my bones are broken, it doesn't matter."

"…"

"Because you are my mistress."

In that moment, Iana and Riel's gazes locked intensely.

Splash-.

Iana playfully splashed bathwater at Riel.

"Iana!"

Riel exclaimed in surprise as she tried to dodge the splash but ended up soaked.

"Riel, why are you taking a joke so seriously?"

"Stop it! My clothes are getting all wet."

After a while of playful splashing, the two shared a laugh, each hiding their true intentions behind their smiles.

Once the bath was over, Iana wrapped herself in a robe and stepped out of the bathroom with Riel.

Bang!

Carrion entered the room without knocking.

"Iana, are you alright after being in the rain?"

His gaze shifted to Riel's soaked and sensual figure. The sunlight streaming through the curtains highlighted her healthy, radiant body.

Riel felt Carrion's gaze and modestly covered herself with her arms, which only emphasized her curves more.

‘Hah…,’ Iana laughed inwardly.

"Please continue your conversation," Riel said, bowing slightly before heading through the adjoining door to her room.

"Why did you come up here? What about the Grand Duke?"

Iana asked. Carrion, embarrassed at being caught looking at Riel, pulled Iana into an embrace.

"I was worried about you getting wet in the rain."

Though he claimed to be concerned, Carrion kept glancing at Riel as she walked away.

Seeing this, Iana realized, 'So this is how it all started.’

* * *

That night, Iana suddenly sat up in bed.

'Isn't there a way to divorce and get revenge right now?'

'Or should I just run away?'

Her mind was racing, making it impossible to sleep.

Iana got out of bed and opened the window.

The soft moonlight bathed the windowsill. Although it had rained briefly during the day, the night sky was clear and refreshing.

Looking down at the garden, she noticed that the paths were lit, an unusual sight meant to accommodate the knights staying in the castle.

Curiosity struck her.

'What would it feel like to walk at night?'

Since she fell ill, she had never ventured out at night.

'Let's go. Who knows when I might fall ill again.'

Iana donned a simple dress and a light outer garment, ensuring no one was around before sneaking out of her room.

Stealthily, like a child playing hide-and-seek, she walked through the hallways, hiding whenever she heard a sound.

She exited through a little-used back door and wandered into the rear garden.

The chirping of crickets and the croaking of frogs filled the air.

The gentle breeze carried the scent of flowers, tickling her nose.

Iana wanted to savor this moment fully. She quickly took off her shoes and walked barefoot on the grass.

'I really am alive.'

The rough sensation of the grass and the rustling sound it made underfoot reinforced her sense of being alive.

'Let's run.'

Before her regression, running was impossible due to her chest pains.

Holding a shoe in each hand, Iana began to run.

"The sickly you envied the healthy me. I loved that."

To prove to Riel, who had found solace in her illness.

"Seeing your sickly self depresses even me. You know that?"

To spite her husband, Carrion, who had mocked her ailment.

Iana ran and ran through the open garden.

‘I'm not in pain. Not at all.’

Looking back, her symptoms had completely disappeared after her regression.

Maybe, just maybe, her body had changed upon her return.

Tears welled up in Iana's eyes. This was the healthy life she had always dreamed of.

As she wiped her tears with her sleeve, someone suddenly appeared from the trees.

‘Who could that be?’

Startled, Iana stopped in her tracks.

Gasping for breath, she recognized the figure.

"Gr-Grand Duke?"

"…"

Iana called out, but Charles walked past her in silence, as if she were invisible.

"Can’t he see me?"

Iana wondered aloud, suspecting it might be another strange symptom after her regression.

Then Charles stopped, still facing away, and spoke.

"I can see you."

"Then why…?" Iana asked, unable to understand. Charles turned his head slightly.

The moon, peeking through the clouds, cast a gentle light on his face. His lowered gaze and the smooth lines of his face were sharp yet elegant.

He seemed like an untouchable, otherworldly being.

‘How can a man be so beautiful?’

Iana marveled inwardly at his appearance. Then Charles spoke in his characteristically deep voice.

"I'm pretending not to see you, so the Countess won't feel embarrassed."