“Because the weather in Theorin is extreme,” Marie agreed. Though it was in a muffled tone, she was glad to at least hear Irene respond. As she watched over her lady, she wondered if there was any way for her to meet with the crown prince. ‘He really does appear to be the salve that can heal my lady. But there’s no way he’d meet with someone like me. What should I do now?’ After she wrangled with her thoughts for a while, Marie said, “Lady?”

“Yes?”

“Your Highness hasn’t called for you these days.”

“Isn’t it like that with everyone? I guess he lost interest in me.”

“Well…” Worried that her thoughtless ments had made Irene feel worse, Marie desperately tried to change the subject. She blurted out the first absurd thought to pop into her head. “I heard he’s very handsome! Did you think so too?”

“Yeah, he was handsome. His features—eyes, nose, and mouth—all fit neatly into the golden ratio.”

Taking into consideration Irene’s ability to describe others, this was meant as an obvious pliment of the crown prince’s looks. Marie felt her curiosity grow stronger.

“It’s almost turned to rain,” Irene observed.

“Oh yes? Yeah? Rain?” Marie hastily rushed to the window and looked out. When Irene eyed her because of her exaggerated behavior, Marie awkwardly laughed and said, “Haha. To think it rains in winter in Perkan—what a wonderful experience!” Thinking her overreaction had startled her lady, Marie hurriedly tried to wrap up the situation.

Paying Marie’s erratic behavior no mind, Irene climbed down from the windowsill and said, “I feel like going to bed early today.”

“Can I offer you an oil massage to help you have a good night’s sleep?”

“No, that’s not necessary… It’s fine. I just want to lie down.”

“Understood. Then, this way please.” As Marie led Irene to the bed, she inwardly chided herself to get her head on straight. Though it had momentarily slipped her mind, rain usually heralded the start of something new.

* * *

The snowfall in the afternoon soon gave way to heavy rain that continued late into the night. Even as the clock struck midnight, the sound of heavy rain continued to endlessly pelt the windows. After swimming in a sea of work all day, Kael awoke with a groan after having almost managed to drift to sleep before he was disturbed by the heavy rain. Still groggy from being half-asleep, he slowly sat up in bed and let out a sigh in a dull, low voice that sounded strangely decadent. After groaning twice more, he got out of bed and headed towards the window. Cracking open his heavily-lidded eyes, he muttered, “This winter rain is ing down like a summer monsoon.”

He stared at the thick water droplets that pounded against the windowpane as his eyes slowly adjusted. The night appeared much darker than usual due to the thick rainclouds, but against the inky backdrop was something looming in white. Just short of touching it, he leaned in close to the windowpane and narrowed his eyes.

“Lady Irene? What’s she doing in the rain?” It was a testament to how much he thought about her that he could recognize her hazy figure at a glance. His warm breath fogged up the window, turning into tiny droplets that seemed to trace her hazy figure as they rolled down the glass. With a serious expression, he immediately turned to grab the blanket draped on the couch and headed out of his room.

“Your Highness, where’re you headed at this hour…”

“Do not follow me.”

“Pardon? But…”

After forbidding his servant from escorting him, Kael hurriedly ran towards the garden. His anxiety grew as he worried that Irene might disappear the moment he took his eyes off of her. “I-Irene!” he shouted. Fortunately, Irene’s steps weren’t fast and he soon spotted her figure glowing brightly under the dark sky. Unfolding the blanket, he quickly draped it over her head, making the cold raindrops pouring over her head sounded muffled and strange. However, she didn’t seem to register his presence and continued to silently move forward. “Irene!” he called again. “Dame Irene!”