“Yes, they ripen in winter and can be harvested then.”
Sophia, seeing a lemon tree for the first time, was amazed. Julius found her reaction peculiar but also felt a bit relieved.
For years, his friend, the Duke of Citrona, had been helping him search for a suitable match, to no avail. Finally, when Julius loosened his criteria, a seemingly decent young lady—Sophia—arrived. Her reserved demeanor and simple appearance left a good impression on the locals, who urged Julius daily not to let her go.
Worried that a girl from the royal capital might grow tired of rural life and want to leave, Julius had prepared a detached room for her and assigned two maids to ensure she lacked nothing.
But isn’t she adapting quite well? It seems like she didn’t live much of a noble lady’s life in the capital either, he thought.
“How about we come back to pick lemons next time?”
“Really? I’d love to!” Sophia’s face lit up with a joyful smile, and seeing her so happy filled Julius’s heart with hope. He found himself covering his mouth to hide his pleased expression.
* * *
Since Sophia’s arrival at the Margrave’s estate in late summer, autumn passed, and winter’s cold winds began to blow.
Julius spent the autumn taking Sophia around the territory, showing her the harvest festival, chestnut gathering, and mushroom hunting.
There were no fancy cake shops or cafés here. Although the margrave’s domain included port towns by the sea and larger cities closer to the capital, Julius made his base in this mansion, built near the border and far from those bustling areas.
Since he spent most of the year here, Julius chose to be upfront about the remoteness of the land while carefully observing Sophia’s reactions.
To Sophia, however, everything she saw was new and exciting. The fresh, locally harvested ingredients left her in awe. Each place Julius brought her to revealed new delights, and she eagerly sampled everything he recommended.
At this point, it could be said that Sophia had already been won over by the charm of the frontier’s bounty.
Moreover, sharing meals with Julius brought her joy and a sense of warmth she hadn’t realized she was missing.
Back at the Manscott estate, her father and sister were often absent, leaving Sophia to eat alone. While she hadn’t felt lonely at the time, the warmth of sharing meals with Julius now made her past solitude seem painfully cold by comparison.
I want to stay here forever.
One day, as Sophia came to this realization, Julius also began to feel that he couldn’t let her go. Though he’d intended to wait at least six months to see how things went, he found himself unable to hold back any longer.
“Before the winter snow blocks the roads, how about we go to the capital to register our marriage?”
He asked the question in the same casual tone he’d use to invite her on an outing.
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