Chapter 277

"Miss!"

When Yelena went outside for fresh air, Mary hurriedly approached, alarmed. She was so surprised that after a long time, she referred to Yelena with the old title, "Miss".

"Why are you dressed like that in this weather? If you shiver from the cold, what will you do? Look, your lips are already turning blue..."

Mary, still fussing, looked closely at Yelena and then lowered her voice, her head tilting with confusion.

"They should be turning blue... Why is your complexion so good? Miss, no, Madam. Aren't you cold?"

Only then did Yelena realize. The outside wind that day was quite chilly. It wasn't that the weather had warmed up; she just wasn't feeling the cold.

"I've always been extremely sensitive to cold. Did I tell you?"

"I knew."

Whenever Kaywhin was with Yelena, his eyes naturally observed her. He knew early on in their relationship that his wife was especially sensitive to the cold. As soon as the weather began to cool, the servants secretly did their utmost to heat the duke's mansion.

"I mentioned it before. Anyway, whether it's my constitution or not, I've always been this way since I was young... but for some reason, after that day, I don't feel as cold."

That doesn't mean I can't feel the cold at all.

I just feel it to the extent that most others do.

"That's fortunate then."

"Hmm, isn't it?"

'In that context, there was no need to suffocate myself by pulling the blanket up to my neck.'

Yelena lowered the blanket to her waist.

Suddenly exposing her bare body, she clung to her husband who momentarily flinched, and tightly embraced him.

Being this close, due to her husband's warmth, it felt scorching.

She had hardly ever felt hot in her life.

It was a novel sensation.

It wasn't bad at all. In fact-

"It feels... good..."

"..."

"It does feel good but..."

Yelena lifted her head and gazed deeply into her husband's eyes.

"What keeps poking at me?"

"That is..."

Just as Kaywhin, with a flushed face, hastily tried to move away, Yelena held him with both arms.

Then, she pressed herself even closer and brought her lips to his.

"..."

As Yelena closed her eyes, Kaywhin placed his hand on the back of her head.

Soon, he gently cradled her head and pulled her closer.

The Duke and Duchess retired to their bedroom earlier than usual today. The night was still young.

The long night deepened endlessly.

+++

A week passed.

During that time, the inhabitants of the Duke's mansion gradually adjusted to Kaywhin's blemish-free face.

While eyes still followed him wherever he went, the outright staring had turned to mere fleeting glances.

Of course, some still blatantly stared at him.

"I never thought I'd see such a day in my life..."

Ben's eyes welled up with tears.

Although his sentiment differed from the others, every time he visited Kaywhin's office, he would gaze at his master's face with moist eyes for a long time.

However, it was a significant improvement from before.

Initially, he had cried out loud.

While giving a work report, Ben paused as his eyes reddened, and he dabbed them with a handkerchief.

"I apologize. As I get older, I become more tearful..."

"It's okay. It happens."

Yelena answered on his behalf.

She had just knocked and was entering the office.

The moment Kaywhin saw her, his face lit up with a familiar warmth.

"Yelena."

"You seem busy, but I need a moment of your time. It's not something big but..."

In Yelena's hand was a pristine white card.

"We received an invitation from the royal palace."