* * *

Still, he’s the male lead, so shouldn’t they have met earlier?… In the original work, Berta and Hernan didn’t meet directly until their wedding day.

Berta, who had never seen Hernan in person, was frightened by the rumors of him being an inhumanly cold Grand Duke.

But on the wedding day, she was surprised when she saw him in person.

The last time I saw Hernan, he was a twelve-year-old who was a head taller than others, stumbling around with his face hidden under a strange hat.

Now that he’s grown, he must have developed into the strong, handsome man I saw in the webtoon.

Berta has also grown into a young lady who can confidently represent our family, so it’s only a matter of time before they fall for each other.

Although the story has deviated a lot from the original, it’s still a romance novel.

If the right setting is created, won’t they naturally fall in love?

Since Berta’s arranged marriage with Hernan was decided, she never explicitly expressed dislike.

Although she didn’t show enthusiasm for the marriage either, seeing her recently packing diligently and exchanging farewell gifts with the servants she was close to, I felt she was secretly looking forward to her departure for Velon.

After this long reminiscence, I returned to reality and looked at Elise, who was sighing with a troubled expression.

“Right… The young master isn’t someone who would act so inconsiderately.”

If she knows that, I wish she’d let me focus.

While the female and male leads slowly build up their growth story to embark on their romance, I have to do my best in managing Nirvan to fulfill the responsibilities on my shoulders.

Not only does the entire territory survive on tourism revenue, but Ever Paradise, a large resort accommodating both the Everdeen nobles and travelers, employs over a hundred resident servants.

‘With a business of this scale, it would be a massive company even in modern times….’

Thanks to the warm hot spring water mixed with seawater from underground and the naturally perfect climate—mild year-round with slightly chilly nights—tourists visit not just in one season, making management relatively smooth.

However, when a rare famine strikes the central region, known as the empire’s breadbasket, or when the neighboring countries’ political situations become tense, the visits of state guests enjoying luxurious vacations here decrease, affecting our income.

To address this, I newly opened Hotel Petite Oasis, adjusting prices and services to be affordable for the commoners, not just the high nobility.

My father and other relatives initially opposed it, saying it wouldn’t be profitable, but they all fell silent once the results came in.

The only person who recognized the potential of this project from the beginning was Berta.

“It’s not bad? In fact, I can’t understand why we didn’t do this sooner!”

Reservations were accepted only through the communication channel on the designated date and time, yet the schedule was packed for three months straight, with no room to spare.

Recently, to handle the influx of customers, we received significant investments from the capital’s wealthy, and expansion work for the annex of Petite Oasis had just begun, which kept me constantly on edge as well.

Perhaps Berta’s wedding could be an event where I might finally relax and take a breather.

I hoped Berta, who would soon leave for Velon holding the hand of her beloved groom, would do well there, and I planned to take a break from work for a little while.

‘Before that, I need to quickly send the check to the bank… I can’t afford to have any money issues ruining a happy day.’

After signing and approving the documents to transfer all the remaining deposits in my bank account to pay off the balance, I sent the note through the communication channel, stood up, and stretched.

I’d been working non-stop since morning, so I figured it would be okay to rest for a bit.

Having already experienced death from overwork once, I didn’t want to meet a second death the same way.

‘I can guess where Berta might have gone….’

There was a place Berta often used when she wanted to hide from the household servants since childhood.

Only Berta, a few children of the household servants, and I knew about that spot.

Since most of the servants’ children had grown up and left the estate or were now working at the hotel, it was only natural that there was no one left to secretly reveal Berta’s secret place to Elise.

“Her fiancé is supposed to arrive this evening, so where on earth could she be and what is she doing?”

Clicking my tongue lightly, I headed out to the yard that led to the hill behind the mansion, where there was a massive fig tree, so large that even an adult wouldn’t be able to wrap their arms around it.

The thick tree trunk, taller than a person and even higher than most nearby buildings, twisted and intertwined, creating a space large enough for even a grown man to hide inside if they climbed up the trunk and jumped in.

‘The original Berta also used to escape here when she wanted to hide from the servants.’

She seemed to be eagerly counting down the days until she would leave for Velon, but now that the day had come, was she getting cold feet?

I headed to the backyard to ask what was going on, thinking I could at least offer some advice, but the person who appeared before me was someone I hadn’t expected.

“……?”

His blue eyes were like ice, his delicate silver hair reminded me of a snowy field, and his tall, broad frame was impressive.

Despite his height, his skin was so pale and clear that it seemed more delicate than rugged, making me admire his fine features.

‘Wow… back then, I thought he looked like a fragile piece, but now that he’s grown, he really is the leading man.’

I knew the backstory that the previous Duke had passed away early, making his life difficult. Adversity and hardship had shaped him into this man.

It somehow felt unfair.

I’d gone through struggles too, but didn’t he grow too extremely well on his own?

Even if he didn’t introduce himself, I already knew there was only one person in this world with such an appearance.

“Duke Yudenet?”

His breathtaking beauty was almost otherworldly, like a mythical being or a god that wandered the snowy wilderness, bewitching humans.

He seemed like someone not of this world, with a mysterious aura that made him look as if he would melt away if touched.

As he looked up at the top of the tree and then turned his head to look at me, I couldn’t help but feel out of place.

“Mister Everdeen.”

Oh dear.

Did I just stumble into a secret rendezvous between the groom and the bride?

I awkwardly waited for Berta to emerge from the tree, but even then, her red head didn’t pop out, and I found myself nervously looking back and forth between the tree and Hernan.

“I’m sorry if I’m interrupting your private time together?”

I should leave quickly before I make things more awkward.

I’ll tell Elise that there’s no need to look for her anymore.

As I was about to slink away in the awkward atmosphere, Hernan spoke up.

“No. I was just looking at this thing that’s hanging in the tree.”

He reached out, picked up something hanging from the branches, glanced at it to confirm its identity, and then handed it to me.

What he gave me was a white envelope.

The sender’s name scribbled on the envelope was Berta Callis, and the recipient was…

[Jurgen Neil Everdeen]

Me?

The unexpected appearance of my name made me pause, but then Hernan cleared his throat, drawing my attention.

“I’ve returned the letter to its owner, so I’ll be on my way now.”

What?

Already?

Without even seeing your fiancée?

I couldn’t believe my ears and quickly asked.

“Pardon? Aren’t you staying longer? Have you met my father yet?”

Since the engagement was already a done deal on paper and the wedding was just around the corner, today was the day the groom’s side was supposed to deliver gifts to the bride’s family, excluding the dowry.

It wasn’t necessarily an event where he had to meet his fiancée, but wouldn’t it be better to at least see her face before leaving?

Though it was an arranged marriage, and I didn’t expect a passionate couple vibe before the wedding, I was still concerned since they needed to fall in love quickly for my peace of mind.

Hernan smiled slightly as he looked at my perplexed expression and then answered.

“Yes. I’ve delivered all the items I needed to. Is there a problem?”

“Well, no, but since you’ve come such a long way, wouldn’t it be better to see her before you go…?”

Even though I politely suggested it, Hernan seemed more interested in me than in seeing her, studying me intently.

Unlike my dull grey-blue eyes, his icy blue eyes glowed faintly even in the dark, making me feel a bit intimidated.

How should I put it…?

I realized that unlike me, who was merely a supporting character, this was what a true protagonist looked like.

Just looking at him was overwhelming.

“No, I’ve already seen the one I wanted to see, so it’s enough.”

Did he already see Berta?

What on earth was he talking about?

Hernan left behind these cryptic words and turned around, climbing into a carriage that looked simple at first glance but was clearly made of the finest materials.

Inside the carriage, a servant wearing a hat pulled low had already packed all the luggage and was ready to depart.

Before I could stop him, the Duke left Everdeen Manor and began the long journey away.

I should have noticed something was off then. But the carriage had already departed.

* * *