“What are you talking about? You aren’t making any sense. I told you I have never done this before.”

Isabella stuttered.

Her hurried response made him laugh aloud, and the cheerful sound from the communication stone rang through the entire teahouse.

It caught many people’s attention, and when she felt their focus on her, Isabella exited the tea house quickly.

The communication bracelet had a lot of disadvantages but not having privacy was its biggest drawback.

She wasn’t comfortable with people eavesdropping on her conversations with Duke Kyar.

“I see that you have already figured out how to use the communication bracelet.”

She remembered Duke Kyar telling her that using it required a high degree of concentration.

Isabella couldn’t believe that the communication bracelet would automatically connect if she fixated on Duke Kyar hard enough.

Now that she was wearing this bracelet, she had to be careful not to overthink the Archduke.

Isabella blushed in chagrin as if she had just realized that she had feelings for him.

“I was just wondering what kind of flower tea I should give you as a present, Your Highness.”

“I see. I’m looking forward to it. What kind of flower tea did you choose while thinking about me?”

“Are you going to keep teasing me like that? We need to stop talking, Your Highness. I have to hang up now. I still have to choose the perfect flower tea for you and  Master Kyle.”

When she thought about ending the conversation, the light on the blue-green jewel disappeared.

So the communication stone was somehow connected to the nervous system, huh?

Isabella returned to the tea-house, determined not to think about Duke Kyar anymore.

**

Duke Kyar glanced down at the fading blue-green jewel with a smile.

It seemed like Isabella was embarrassed to be caught, thinking about him.

He wouldn’t let her realize that it was more complicated for him not to think about her.

Again, Duke Kyar looked at the shining blue-green jewel before taking the bracelet off his wrist.

Then the light quickly vanished.

Duke Kyar tried not to think about Isabella consciously when he couldn’t get in touch with her, but he had these moments when he couldn’t get her out of his mind no matter how hard he tried.

Right now, for example.

In that case, he decided to take off his bracelet.

Duke Kyar handed the bracelet to the assistant standing beside him.

The boy, who started working as his assistant the other day, took his bracelet nervously.

“Aren’t you cold?” Duke Kyar asked, and the boy quickly nodded.

” I don’t feel cold anymore after you have given me the red medicine to drink, Your Highness.” The boy replied, and Duke Kyar smiled.

This area was the coldest region in the north.

It had no boundaries, as well.

These days, the gap between each boundary had grown more expansive, and the cold winds around them also blew stronger.

The number of demons passing through the boundaries had also increased due to this incident.

However, it was difficult to determine the cause because he couldn’t get close.

Aside from the pouring water, the strong winds could have individuals sucked into the boundary if they made the mistake of approaching it, similar to what happened to the sorcerers the tower had sent to investigate it.

The whereabouts of the people who had entered were unknown.

Since he couldn’t bring himself to sacrifice others, Duke Kyar blocked the boundary by creating a colossal ice barrier.

However, he was aware that this wasn’t a perfect solution.

Duke Kyar looked at the invisible boundary covered by his ice barriers with a troubled gaze.

For peace in the North and the entire Acnis Empire, he had to find out what caused the warp between these boundaries as soon as possible.

He might be able to keep this peace while he was alive, but he could not get rid of this perpetual worry inside of him.

The number of people he deemed as precious had slowly increased, and his concern for their safety had intensified.

**

Isabella chose Elderflower for Kyle’s flower tea.

This flower tea would help in improving immunity.

She thought it would be best to drink since he lived far away from Rubella Castle.

All that was left was Duke Kyar’s flower tea.

Isabella tried not to think too deeply about him, but it became more difficult for her to choose what type he needed.

Marc, who had already bought the flower teas that suited his taste, approached her.

“Were you looking at flower teas that His Highness liked?” Marc asked, sensing her indecision.

Isabella nodded hastily, looking up at him as if he was her knight-and-shining armor.

“Yes. I don’t know what would be good for him.”

“Well, why don’t you give him Marigold Tea?”

“Marigold?”

“Yes, Marigold was his mother’s favorite flower. She also enjoyed making perfume out of those petals. I used to smell fragrant flowers when I stood next to her.”

Mark’s countenance expressed faint longing as he reminisced their memories.

Isabella didn’t know why exactly, but she could almost assume that the Archduke’s mother was a particular person to Marc.