Published: August 10, 2026
The strange feeling began slowly.
"—Lady Marie? Lady Marie!"
Awakened by Tunic's voice, I opened my eyes. In my vision was my own foolish face, with lipstick drawn far beyond my lips and all the way across my cheek in a red line.
"W-w-whoa..."
In a panic, I used cotton soaked with oil to wipe my cheek.
It seemed I had dozed off while doing my makeup in front of the dresser.
Through the mirror, my eyes met Tunic's as she fixed my hair from behind. I thought she might be laughing at my blunder, but instead her expression was strangely serious.
"Are you all right, Lady Marie? You've been sleeping properly...?"
"Y-yes. I'm fine. I just happened to space out a little."
As I reapplied my foundation, I gave her a bright smile.
Even so, Tunic's expression remained cloudy, and in her usual gentle tone she whispered near my ear.
"You've been like that for days now. If you have something on your mind, please do talk to this Tunic onee-san."
I nodded silently.
Just as Tunic said, I really had been a little strange lately.
I felt restless, like something was always rushing at me and I couldn't settle down.
I thought I was getting enough sleep, but maybe I was sleeping lightly, because in the mornings my body felt heavy and sluggish.
When I walked in high heels, I'd trip over nothing at all. So I started wearing shoes without heels.
—Maybe I was catching a cold. I put on an extra layer of winter clothes and headed to the dining hall for breakfast.
When I opened the dining hall door, there was an unusual guest already there.
"Ah, Marie. Good morning."
"Lord Cyrus. So you had returned."
When I greeted him, Lord Cyrus raised a hand lightly and pulled out the chair next to him.
Lately, Lord Cyrus hadn't been staying at the castle very often. Until Lisa was about three, he had tried not to go far from home, but that was no longer a luxury he could afford.
Lisa's night crying and her shyness around strangers had eased a lot, so there was no problem even without father babysitting her, but Lisa, who absolutely adored her papa, still seemed lonely.
The moment she saw Lord Cyrus's face, she let out a loud "Aaah!" and immediately held up both hands, demanding to be picked up. He lifted her at once and settled her onto his lap. He narrowed his eyes at the weight and warmth of his child.
"Every time I come home after being away for a day, she seems bigger. Children really do grow so fast..."
"She's already advanced quite a bit with solid food, and she can eat all sorts of things now."
When I told him that, Lord Cyrus's eyes narrowed even more in delight.
Lisa's meals were basically prepared in the kitchen. Toppo, the head chef, had never had any experience making baby food, but I looked things up in books and we made it together, learning little by little while checking Lisa's preferences and growth.
By now, as long as it was soft and mildly seasoned, her food wasn't much different from an adult's. Today it was beans simmered well in tomato and bouillon soup, then mashed, and from an adult's perspective it actually looked pretty tasty.
"May I feed her?"
Lord Cyrus said happily, pulling Lisa's bowl closer.
Half of it was because he loved seeing his daughter eat so enthusiastically, and half was probably consideration so I could eat slowly by myself. I thanked him and dipped my spoon into the soup...
Hm? Huh? ...What's wrong? This spoon isn't scooping up any soup at all. Is there a hole in it?
As I stared blankly, Lord Cyrus tilted his head and peered at my hand, then gave a cry that sounded almost like a scream.
"M-Marie, what are you doing? That's a fork."
"Huh? ...Ah, it is..."
I muttered, put the fork down, and picked up the spoon. This time I scooped the soup without issue and brought it to my mouth. Mm, delicious. Soup really should be eaten with a spoon.
"...Marie, are you all right?"
My husband's voice reached my ears gently.
With Lisa in his right arm, he stretched out his left and drew me close by the shoulder. The warmth of his hand felt good and reassuring. And yet I didn't feel filled with happiness as usual. Something dark seemed to cling to the depths of my chest, and neither his warmth nor his voice could properly seep all the way in.