After lunch, Elizabeth headed for the gardens attached to the imperial palace.

Even on her walks, Marien was always at her side, but Elizabeth was simply happy to be outside.

It felt as though the tightness in her chest had eased.

Perhaps spring was already on the verge of passing; the warm sunlight was dazzling.

“When we left the Orte estate, it was still a little chilly, but now it’s completely warm. The garden is beautiful—perfect weather for a walk.”

“Is it that pleasant for you?”

She couldn’t stop smiling the entire time they circled the garden.

She had believed she could endure the hardship of waiting for Burkhardt, but it seemed her heart didn’t agree.

Who would have thought that just stepping outside could feel this good?

“Oh my, the summer flowers are already starting to bloom.”

While Elizabeth was absorbed in admiring the blossoms, a soft fluttering sound came, and a light blue shawl settled gently over her shoulders.

Startled, she dropped down onto the spot where she stood.

She had seen Marien pack a shawl and parasol before they left, so it wasn’t entirely unexpected—

but if not for the low, familiar voice that followed, she wouldn’t have been so shocked.

“No matter how fine the sun feels, the wind is still cool. Keep yourself warm.”

“Burke? Why are you here…?”

“What’s so surprising? It’s not as if I’m forbidden from coming here.”

Hadn’t he said he had work to do in the afternoon?

When she lifted her gaze toward Burkhardt, she saw Geraldine standing behind him, his face twisted into a deep scowl.
Ah… she had interrupted his work again.
Even after granting her permission to walk, it seemed he was still uneasy—uneasy enough to come out and watch her himself.

The realization that Burkhardt still didn’t trust her in the slightest brought a fresh pang of sadness.

“Beth, am I interrupting your rest?”

His sharp voice rang in her ears, making the gentle tone from moments ago feel like nothing but a dream.

“I was just surprised, that’s all. But what about you—why are you here instead of working?”

Elizabeth tried to send him back, but he showed no sign of leaving. Geraldine’s expression seemed of no concern to him.
Instead, Burkhardt pulled Elizabeth to her feet and, without a word, brushed the dust from her dress.

The simple, tender gesture brought back memories of the man he used to be.
Perhaps he was leaving the door open for them to grow closer again.

On a faint hope, Elizabeth looked into his eyes—
but there was still no warmth there.

“Come with me.”

His curt voice made her spirits sink, yet the warmth of his hand sparked the smallest flicker of hope.
Maybe, with time, things could get better.

Led by his hand, Elizabeth followed him to a pavilion overlooking a small pond.

“This is the most splendid pond in the entire Clemens Empire. Visitors to the palace come here to make their wishes.”

“A wish…”

“Your wish will never come true, so don’t bother with such foolish notions.”

“Yes, because my wish depends entirely on you deciding to grant it.”

So… couldn’t you open your heart to me, just a little?

Whether he noticed her yearning or simply chose to ignore it, Burkhardt pressed down gently on her shoulder, guiding her into a seat.
There was no time to question his intent.
When Elizabeth, flustered, began to rise, Burkhardt suddenly lay down with his head resting on her lap and closed his eyes.

“Why…?”

“I only came out here to rest for a moment. Do I need your permission just to clear my head?”

“No, it’s just… there’s someone waiting for you under the pavilion.”

Given how Geraldine had already shown his disapproval toward her back in the office, it was only natural for Elizabeth to be wary of him.

Perhaps that, too, had irked Burkhardt.

He called for Geraldine and promptly sent him back to the office.

“Geraldine. I’ll rest here a while—go on ahead.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Unexpectedly, Geraldine left without a word, taking Marien back inside the building.
Now, only the two of them remained.

Would it have been less awkward if she had said something?
Or perhaps, with his eyes closed, it was easier for her to look at him freely.

Elizabeth let her gaze linger on Burkhardt’s face, surrendering her thoughts to the clear, soft breeze that brushed against her.
It was a peaceful afternoon.
Each time the wind stirred, petals scattered through the air, stirring a sense of nostalgia.

She closed her eyes, letting herself drift back to that time.

“Asleep?”

“…”

Perhaps it was the warm breeze, or the calm, unhurried atmosphere,
but Elizabeth was just beginning to sink into a light, drowsy doze when it happened.

In her drowsy state, Burke’s voice sounded gentle to her ears.
Elizabeth decided it must be a sweet dream and stayed perfectly still, unwilling to wake from it.

How much time had passed?
Only when the weight on her lap lifted did she realize it hadn’t been a dream at all.
Still, nothing had changed.
Whether Burke woke her or left her there, she was already bracing herself so she wouldn’t be too disappointed either way.

“Have I been too kind to you? To think you’d sleep so soundly in front of me.”

“…”

Even when Burkhardt spoke to her, Elizabeth kept still, pretending to be asleep.
Just a little longer—couldn’t it stay like this?
Even without tenderness, simply being together in this moment was precious to her.

Perhaps her silent wish had reached him.
Burkhardt shifted back, then drew her toward him by the shoulder.
As he eased her down onto her side, Elizabeth couldn’t quite make sense of what was happening, but she gave no sign of confusion.

Her cheek came to rest against something firm.
Ah—his knee.
The sunlight that had been pricking at her eyes was gone.

This feeling… it was exactly the same as when Burkhardt used to shade her with his hand.

She was confused.

To endure his coldness, she had built a strong, unyielding dam around her heart—

yet with a single crack he had made, the water came rushing through.

No matter how she tried to patch it, it kept seeping out.

And still, Elizabeth found herself yearning for his kindness, his warmth—

so much so that she couldn’t help but leave a gap.

“Crying in your sleep… that’s something you shouldn’t do to me. You know that, right?”

At some point, tears had begun to roll down her cheeks,

but she didn’t dare wipe them away.

She didn’t want even the smallest movement to make Burkhardt’s fleeting kindness vanish.

She knew it was selfish,

but Elizabeth wanted to savor this time with him a little longer—

for as long as she possibly could.

Forever, if she were allowed.

***

From that day on, Elizabeth saw Burkhardt every day.
She had expected to be driven out for getting in the way of his work, but ever since she began coming and going from his office, Geraldine had seemed—subtly—almost welcoming toward her.
Burkhardt’s coldness remained unchanged, yet he never skipped allowing her daily walks.

Hoping to get a little closer to him, Elizabeth skipped lunch and arrived early at the garden where they usually met.

“If I give him a flower crown, will he be as happy as he used to be?”

She pictured Burkhardt’s smiling face as she gathered flowers.
When she thought she had enough, she realized Marien—who had been by her side the whole time—was nowhere to be seen.

“Marien?”

She called for her several times, but there was no answer.

After that, Elizabeth could only remember walking aimlessly—her feet carrying her wherever they pleased.
She didn’t think she had left the palace grounds entirely, yet she kept circling the same place over and over.

It was just as a cold, prickling sensation swept over her body.

Swaaah—

A gust of wind blew, and as if by chance, a Ruella petal spun down into the palm of Elizabeth’s hand.

“Why are there still Ruella petals left?”

As if entranced, Elizabeth lifted her head.
Before her stood the largest Ruella tree she had ever seen.
It was strange enough to find a Ruella tree in the Clemens Empire, where they did not grow naturally—but for it to be in full bloom at a time when all its petals should have already fallen was nothing short of wondrous.

Another strong wind swept through, sending a flurry of petals cascading down.
It felt almost as if the tree were whispering that it would send her the person she needed most.

“Burke?”

Through the world awash in flower rain, she saw Burkhardt.
Overjoyed at finding him, she moved to run toward him—
but stopped when she saw the grave expression on his face as he spoke with someone.

“When I recall only happy memories, the symptoms appear. It’s as if I’m being told never to be happy again.”

“Your Majesty, then you must not keep her by your side. The condition could worsen.”

Symptoms?
Did something happen to Burkhardt?

The atmosphere was too heavy for her to step in.
And the one who had spoken was not Geraldine.
Realizing there was a stranger present, Elizabeth dared not approach and instead hid herself among the bushes.

“Isn’t it because Her Majesty the Empress is here that the Emperor’s illness has lightened at all?”

“Duke Giovanni! It could be only a temporary effect. If it worsens, will you take responsibility? Your Majesty, you must send that woman away. There is no need to confront the trauma.”

“You’ve never even met the Empress. No matter that you’re the royal physician, there are lines you shouldn’t cross.”

“Lines? If something were to happen to His Majesty, do you not realize we’d all be as good as dead?”

From their exchange, Elizabeth was able to piece together several things.
The unfamiliar voice belonged to Burkhardt’s personal physician, and the cause of his illness was, in all likelihood, the betrayal she herself had committed.

In that instant, it was as if the entire world had been washed in black.
The beautiful rain of petals, the birds singing in sweet voices—
all of it vanished in a heartbeat.

Thump. Thump.

In the soundless world, only the pounding of her own heart rang loud.

She had believed she was growing closer to Burkhardt, never imagining she might actually be harming him.
If only he had told her he was in pain.

Elizabeth could not bring herself to believe that her very existence had become Burkhardt’s trauma.
It felt as though she had stumbled upon a secret too heavy to bear.

She had presumed to decide, on her own, that his suffering was over—
to judge the state of his wounded heart without the right to do so.

Elizabeth found herself clenching her hand tightly without realizing it, and a sharp sting made her glance down.
The flowers she had been holding had lost their vitality, drooping limply.

These flowers didn’t suit Burke at all.
Realizing how foolish it had been to think of making him a flower crown, she uncurled her fingers.
The brightly colored blossoms slipped from her grasp and fell to the ground.

“…Ha. Was this why I chased after Burke?”

The thought of herself—struggling so desperately to bridge a distance that could never truly be closed—felt pitiful.
A fleeting dream had brushed against reality for only a moment, but once broken, it could never be pieced back together.

Her heart was unsettled, yet the Ruella tree before her—so beautiful it was almost cruel—showered her once more in a heavy rain of petals.
Perhaps it was telling her to return to Burkhardt.

With no other choice in mind, she was just about to move toward him when—

From somewhere, a tiny, fern-like hand suddenly reached out and tugged at Elizabeth’s own.
Startled, she instinctively moved to pull her hand away—
but when her eyes met the owner’s, she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

The hair color was different, but the child, smiling mischievously with a finger pressed to his lips, looked exactly like Burkhardt in his youth.