Iris hesitated and unknowingly lowered her head.
“It’s not that I can’t accept it… it’s just that I don’t quite understand.”
“Then it shouldn’t matter, right? A husband treating his wife well isn’t a crime.”
“That’s… true.”
“Then the problem is solved.”
Cedric placed the back of his hand on Iris’s forehead to check her temperature.
“It seems your body hasn’t fully recovered yet. But staying in your room all the time won’t be good either.”
“Huh?”
“Let’s take a light walk together.”
Cedric lifted the seated Iris into his arms. Like yesterday, she nestled into his embrace once more.
“My lord…”
As if anticipating her protest, he spoke again.
“It might still be chilly outside, so you’ll need something to wrap around you.”
From somewhere, Cedric produced a cloak and carefully wrapped it around her body. So meticulously that it felt almost stifling—like a chrysalis.
Am I really going out like this, wrapped in Cedric’s arms again?
By now, Iris almost wondered if he mistook her for a critically ill cultivator who couldn’t even walk.
While Iris was flustered, Cedric steadily moved toward the outside.
As they neared the outdoors, the crisp air and the fresh scent of the garden’s green herbs drifted to her nose.
Above, the darkened sky was faintly illuminated by the soft glow of dawn.
The sun slowly began to rise.
He paused, gazing at the sky. Iris followed his gaze, sharing the same view for the first time. Though it was a familiar sky, seeing it alongside him felt new.
“Perhaps there are countless bitter memories you hold that I do not know.”
Cedric whispered softly into her ear with a languid voice.
“Whatever they are, I want to help you cover those memories with new ones.”
Maybe it was the moment the morning began, or maybe Cedric’s presence was just too dazzling.
Her heart surged once again.
That day, Iris promised to rest with Cedric all day long.
But from the start, she found herself in a dilemma.
But… what does ‘rest’ really mean?
Iris had her usual way of relieving fatigue—training her swordsmanship or catching up on lost sleep.
But the way Cedric desired seemed different.
So, cautiously like a squirrel encountering a human for the first time, she glanced up and asked.
“How exactly should I rest?”
“Hm?”
“I’ve never really rested properly. I never had the chance before.”
Cedric stroked his chin thoughtfully for a moment.
I rest for about 265 days out of the year.
How could a person never have truly rested?
Though Iris’s troubled expression looked utterly endearing, his heart was heavy with sorrow.
“Is there something you’ve always wanted to try? Usually, people spend their days doing those things.”
“Oh, I see.”
Iris’s sky-blue eyes sparkled. She even clenched her fists in slight excitement.
“If I had the time, I’d like to polish my sword.”
“Your sword?”
“Yes. It’s the sword I’ve used since I was young. Polishing it always helped me clear my mind.”
Iris’s red lips babbled cheerfully, full of excitement.
“In that case, shall we visit the training grounds after a long time?”
“Hmm. Well…”
Cedric fell into thought again.
That doesn’t quite seem like resting.
It was good that Iris was excited, but no matter how he looked at it, her actions weren’t suitable for a patient.
“Is there anything else you wanted to do besides that? Today, let’s try something you normally can’t do.”
“Something I normally can’t do…”
Iris lowered her eyes slightly, pursing her lips.
Cedric found himself unwittingly drawn to those soft red lips.
Cute.
Probably an unconscious habit, quite different from her usual graceful demeanor, and incredibly endearing.
“Now that I think about it… Ah!”
A new idea struck her, and she lightly clapped her hands.
“I haven’t practiced my horizontal slash in a long time. I should have, but other training was more urgent, so I kept putting it off.”
“……”
“Oh, so this is when you catch up on what you missed. I understand now.”
“My lady.”
Of course, sword training was not allowed for a patient.
“You are disqualified as a patient. How can you already be thinking about intense training?”
“It’s not that intense.”
“It is.”
Cedric spoke firmly.
“……Then what else might there be?”
Iris dropped her gaze a little, sulking.
This person really lived a life obsessed only with work.
Could this really be called rest if she didn’t work?
But Cedric decided to be selfish without seeking Iris’s understanding.
After all, she was still a patient, wasn’t she? He had vowed to take responsibility for her health.
“Rest doesn’t mean doing something.”
“Not doing something?”
“Yes. Lying down doing nothing, wasting time and air.”
Iris’s doe-like eyes widened as if to say,
How can that be?
“……Could I really do that?”
She understood how others might rest like that, but it was always someone else’s story.
She found it hard to imagine herself doing nothing.
She never had before, and she didn’t feel compelled to start now.
“Anyone can do it. Of course, you can too, Iris.”
Cedric smiled slightly, crossing his arms seriously.
“Just think of rest as doing almost nothing.”
“Then what’s the definition of ‘almost nothing’?”
Iris’s small lips moved seriously.
This is going nowhere.
At least with this issue, he couldn’t leave it to her. It was unrealistic to expect her to imagine a realm she’d never even considered.
“……No, that won’t work. Today, we’ll do it my way.”
Cedric met her sky-blue eyes.
Clear and soft as a summer sky, sparkling with hope.
“After a meal, we’ll spend the morning drinking tea in the garden.”
“Just tea?”
Cedric tilted his head close and gently pressed his forehead to hers.
“Well… that depends on what you want to do, doesn’t it?”
There was a playful mischief in his laughter.
“What? Then you haven’t decided either, my Lord Duke.”
Iris smiled unconsciously, matching his grin.
“If you feel unfairly treated, you should come up with a reasonable suggestion. The deadline is……”
Cedric’s gaze naturally drifted toward the manor, as if measuring the time.
“Let’s say until you finish your meal.”
With that, Cedric smoothly lifted Iris into his arms.
As Iris hurriedly wrapped her arms around Cedric’s neck, a satisfied curve lifted the corner of his mouth and his eyes softened with contentment.
“If you have better ideas, I will gladly consider them.”
Just as Cedric expected, throughout the long morning meal, Iris couldn’t summon any new ideas.
Part of the reason was Cedric’s persistent efforts to feed her more, which kept breaking her focus.
Still, this is fortunate.
As a trade for eating more breakfast, Cedric granted Iris permission to take a walk on foot.
Though the negotiation itself was somewhat delicate, Iris chose to focus on this small victory.
“Today feels warm, doesn’t it?”
Winter in the Northern territories was notoriously harsh.
But today’s weather was relatively mild. Iris stretched her hand toward the sunlight and walked slowly.
“It’s not yet the season for blizzards. Soon, though, you’ll need to dress more heavily.”
Cedric followed behind her and replied.
In the center of the garden, a tea table had been set up—likely arranged while Cedric ate breakfast.
“I see. Ah, then now might be the only chance to enjoy tea outdoors.”
Among the stately evergreens, trees bloomed with red flowers. Once the blizzards came, they would surely vanish.
Have I seen this view before?
A cool breeze scattered her lavender hair. Iris took a warm sip of tea.
No… I haven’t.
She rarely spent time in the garden like this.
For Iris, the garden was less a place of rest and more a high-level public space demanding decorum.
Generally, gardens were used for banquets or tea parties when receiving guests—thus reflecting the owner’s status.
The red petals fluttered gently in the wind.
Perhaps because this was the last moment of the season, the scene felt achingly beautiful—something she regretted never having truly appreciated before.
I should’ve taken time like this at least once.
Across from her, Cedric rested his chin on his hand, looking in the same direction.
Is he seeing the same view I am?
Perhaps what Cedric wanted to teach her was precisely this—things only visible through moments of leisure.
Iris quietly closed and opened her eyes, deciding to savor the moment more fully.
The capital—House Valentine.
A prestigious, long-standing family renowned for their swordsmanship and sacred paladin lineage.
Each generation was famed for awakening as Swordmasters.
Because of this, “Valentine” was synonymous with a strict, cold swordsmanship clan that inspired fear.
The person who shattered this image entirely was the youngest daughter, Liliana.
“A stunning blonde beauty who takes after her mother, right?”
“That’s not all. The stern head of House Valentine is said to be utterly devoted to his youngest daughter.”
“They say even the cold-hearted Valentines can’t resist Liliana’s charm.”
“Considering her genius swordsmanship, she truly was born with everything.”
Liliana had become a celebrated figure even before stepping into the social scene.
Chapter 22