In Lagos, Cecilia stood out not only because of her bright hair—rare in these parts—but also because of her unfamiliar style of dress.

Whenever she strolled through the halls of Lagos Castle, she was easy to spot. People of Lagos could recognize her from the far end of the corridor before she even approached.

Becky often loitered near the paths where Cecilia usually walked whenever she had free time as she was always curious about what outfit the madam would wear that day.

Since Cecilia changed her clothes daily, watching her fashion choices had become a small source of delight.

Becky wished she could examine them closely at least once.

But now, stepping into a room filled with such garments, she felt completely overwhelmed.

Cecilia walked deeper into the coat section.

“This one.”

A maid retrieved the coat Cecilia had pointed at.

It was one of the few long coats she had brought with her.

In the continent, noblewomen wore coats primarily for fashion, so most of them were only waist-length.

“Can you make something similar?”

Becky, who had been staring blankly at the coat, jolted in surprise.

“Pardon?”

“The quilted coat. Can you make it similar to this one?”

Becky’s expression darkened as she studied the coat intently.

“I… I can’t, Madam.”

“Why not?”

“I’ve never made one before. Clothing requires a pattern, but I have no idea what kind of pattern this coat is made from.”

“If you had a pattern, could you make it?”

“A pattern is important, but I’d also need to understand the stitching techniques.”

“Then take it apart.”

“Pardon me?”

“If you dismantle it, you’ll get the pattern. And as you take it apart, you can also study the stitching. Isn’t that right?”

“Well, yes, that’s true, but… but still, this is such a precious coat.”

“I have plenty. You can take it apart.”

Becky accepted the coat from the maid with trembling hands.

“T-Then I’ll sew it back together afterward—”

“No need. Keep it.”

Becky, looking both excited and overwhelmed, hugged the coat tightly to her chest.

Cecilia had been about to ask, How long will it take? but paused to calculate.

Even if she commissioned a renowned designer, it would take at least two months before she received the finished coat.

‘But in two months, winter will be over.’

It seemed she would have to wait until next winter to wear the golden wool and explore the outdoors.

“I’ll do my best to make it something you’ll love, Madam.”

Becky bowed deeply and practically skipped out of the room.

Watching her retreating figure, Cecilia let out a long breath.

A misty cloud of white vapor formed in front of her lips before dissipating.

‘It’s gotten colder.’

They had said it would grow even colder as winter set in, and it seemed they were right.

For the first time in nearly ten days, she stepped into the corridor.

‘Refreshing.’

The crisp air felt as pure as the snowy shaved ice she had tasted last time.

She suddenly felt the urge to walk.

“Go to the dressing room and bring me a fur coat.”

“Yes, Madam.”

Soon, a maid returned with the coat, and Cecilia put it on before setting off down the corridor.

Without realizing it, she had wandered to the west wing.

Not far from here was the lord’s office.

She hesitated for a moment before walking again.

The guard standing outside the office had been fidgeting anxiously ever since she appeared in the distance.

Once it became clear that Cecilia’s destination was indeed the office, he quickly stepped forward and bowed.

“Please inform the lord.”

“Madam, the Lord is not here. He has gone for training.”

“Training? Where?”

“He is at the training grounds.”

Cecilia turned to her maid, who answered in his stead.

“The underground training hall, Madam.”

“Underground…”

Since arriving at Lagos Castle, Cecilia had mainly walked through the less crowded areas on the first to third floors of the east, central, and west wings.

Even when Helen had given her a tour of the castle, they had never gone underground. She had only been told that the lower levels housed quarters for servants and hunters.

That explanation alone had been enough to dissuade her from visiting.

‘Now that I think about it… I’ve hardly seen the hunters at all.’

Everyone she encountered during her walks was a servant.

On the day of the first snowfall, she had noticed that the communal dining hall was more crowded than expected. She vaguely recalled seeing several unfamiliar faces.

Now she guessed that those must have been the hunters.

‘So they stay underground?’