How to Survive as the Wife of the Monster Duke - Chapter 214

“I’m aware,” he replied.

“If he does enter, it will become a delightful topic to discuss over treats.” Ilyin was about to explain further, but her eyes widened in surprise.

“Do you know?” she asked.

It was a natural question. It was because such customs did not exist in the winter region.

Events called “luncheons” were gatherings exclusively for women, regardless of their social status. It was a small, secretive event where men dared not interfere.

“Yes,” Aden remembered his mother’s words from his childhood.

“Even noble ladies rarely have the opportunity to attend a luncheon,” he recalled. He had made the mistake of expressing his willingness to attend one, only to be thoroughly embarrassed. It was only then that his mother, who hailed from the Delerose family, explained the meaning of the Del rose luncheon.

An exclusive event for women.

“My mother taught me,” he said.

“Ahh…” Ilyin paused briefly but pretended not to notice and continued to walk beside him. His mother, who was from the Del rose family, had always yearned to return to her homeland in the Sun region.

It didn’t take long for them to reach the small room where the luncheon was being held. With the exception of the important rooms in the mansion, the luncheon was held in the most soundproof location according to the rules.

In the Dannet Viscount’s residence, there was no such room available, so they cleared an entire floor for the luncheon. As a result, Ilyin, Aden, and the butler stood in the corridor.

“Welcome. The master is waiting for you.”

The butler greeted them, bowing deeply as soon as he saw their faces. He knocked on the door, signaling their arrival, and then stepped back. Since the butler was also a man, he couldn’t enter.

“If anything happens, please come out immediately.” Ilyin blinked her eyes.

“You don’t plan on standing here, do you?” Aden kissed the bridge of her nose instead of answering.

“Why would I do that?” he replied. It would be audacious to engage in such behavior in the corridor of another mansion. Ilyin’s cheeks flushed.

There’s a butler standing next to us!

Of course, the butler remained focused on his duties and looked elsewhere.

Aden silently glanced down at Ilyin’s nose and then descended to capture her lips. It was a brief moment, but it was a deep and intimate kiss.

“Den…!” Ilyin lightly tapped his shoulder. Aden chuckled softly.

“Well, I’ll see you in a little while,” he said, taking a step back. Etla, who had somehow appeared between him and Ilyin, grinned mischievously.

“Shall we go, madam?” Etla appeared again. When did she come? She wasn’t in the carriage, right? Ilyin widened her eyes in surprise.

****

The room where the luncheon was held was not excessively small, fitting the grandeur of a nobleman’s mansion.

“Oh, welcome!” Lady Dannet, the viscountess, stood up eagerly to greet Ilyin. There were about five noblewomen in the room, accompanied by a total of ten maidservants.

“I can’t begin to express how long I’ve been waiting to meet you, madam,” Lady Dannet told Ilyin Inside. The viscountess’s maidservant quickly arranged a seat for Ilyin, removing the neatly arranged handkerchief from the chair and pulling it out for her.

“Madam, madam, is there truly no sun during the winter?” A young noblewoman was the first to strike up a conversation as soon as Ilyin sat down. Judging by the reactions of the other ladies, she must have been quite adorable, perhaps barely in her twenties.

“Are you curious about winter?” Ilyin smiled. Seeing the Countess’s letter and hearing winter stories repeatedly, it seemed like it wasn’t just a common phrase in society.

“Of course!”

“It’s a place where anyone can’t enter. So, I have a lot of questions.”

Lady Danette led the conversation gently.

“They say it never stops snowing. Is that true?”

“It’s true.” Ilyin smiled. The woman who introduced herself as Lady Aren gestured in the corner. Then, her maid brought an easel with a large canvas.

“Can you tell me about it? I want to see at least the appearance of winter like this.”

Wow, she intends to draw it herself. Ilyin smiled brightly.

“Sure. Winter in the region…”

A place where it snows all year round. As soon as you step in, a chilling wind cuts your skin. It was a land where not only the weather but also monsters showed no kindness to humans.

Wherever you step, deep footprints are left, but when you look back, those traces are almost buried and rounded.

As if those small footsteps couldn’t change this vast land.

However, the winter that Ilyin remembered was still warm.

The warm people there and the sparkling snow-covered field also came to mind. The image of the maid secretly stepping on the snow with bare feet, basking in the sun, also came to mind, and Ilyin smiled brightly.

“It’s a cold but cozy place.”

If only it were a harsh cold that could freeze you to death, one could even lie down on that soft-looking snowy field.

“There is more snow on the branches than leaves.”

The trees in that cold region had long, pointed leaves, but those leaves were hard to see unless you stripped the trees.

“It’s like white things painted on top of the branches. And…”

Every time Ilyin described the appearance of winter, the canvas gradually portrayed the scene of winter. Of course, since it was a depiction of winter drawn by a human, it was quite different from the actual winter.