Kyle hesitated for a long time before finally stepping into Maude’s room. He was afraid she might be startled—or uncomfortable—when she woke and saw him there. Just taking that first step past the small doorway demanded more courage than anything else had that night.

He moved so quietly that not even a trace of his presence could be felt. More than ever, Maude needed peace.

The first thing his eyes landed on were the flowerpots and vases arranged from the entrance onward.

“Looking at them makes me happy, so I keep lots of flowers in my room.”

A dawn memory brushed past him: Maude smiling brightly as she talked about flowers of every kind. Lately, she seemed especially fond of Meria flowers. Even the hairpin the boutique owner had given her on the day of the Fitzroy Festival had been a Meria-inspired ornament. That must have been when it started.

“I think Meria only grows in Newland.”

She’d said it with a hint of disappointment. She’d been both right and wrong. In the greenhouse at Lyles House, Meria was growing vigorously—white and pink buds just on the verge of blooming. Kyle wanted her to see the first flower before anyone else.

It was impossible to ignore anything Maude said. Especially when she sounded regretful. The Meria filling the greenhouse mirrored his own heart perfectly.

Its flower language said it all.

“Meeting you was good fortune.”

Before long, Meria would bloom in Maude’s room of white marble and sky-blue hues as well. When summer returned, the flowers would bloom—and her smile would bloom with them.

Kyle’s gaze shifted to the bed.

A gentle breeze drifted in through the window opposite, stirring the canopy curtains. Beneath the lace shadows, Maude lay there looking more peaceful than ever.

After a brief hesitation, Kyle began to walk toward her. It was only four steps, yet somehow he found himself standing right before her. The fleeting awkwardness passed quickly.

His eyes stopped at her hands, resting outside the covers.

Blood had soaked through the bandages, vivid and unmistakable. The stains stood out especially around her left wrist. Kyle let out a quiet sigh and carefully sat down at the edge of the bed. He reached out and took her hand.

There was still blood seeping through.

The wound must have been deep. The weight in his chest grew heavier at the thought that he hadn’t checked it properly earlier. As he lifted her hand, blood stained the white sheets as well. At the sight of that red, cold light returned to his eyes—the same gaze he had worn when looking down at Foil Beckley.

He swallowed a dry breath and turned his eyes away.

That was when he noticed a roll of unused bandage left on the bedside table. It seemed the doctor had missed it. Kyle reached out at once. Picking it up, his hands moved with practiced ease.

This level of treatment was nothing to him. He could have filled the entire room with bandages he had wrapped around himself and his men.

His movements were exceptionally careful as he unwound the old bandage. The slightest movement from Maude, and he froze immediately. It took quite some time, but there was nothing else he could do for her now.

Watching the wound with worry etched into his face, Kyle whispered as if soothing her,

“It’ll be better soon.”

His voice fell like a lullaby, and Kyle poured his entire heart into the white bandage as he wrapped it anew.

When he finished tying it off, he glanced out the window. Dawn was not far off. It was time for him to leave. He couldn’t stay in Hablein Manor forever, and it would be best to go before the servants began their day.

Letting his heart go was easier said than done.

He wanted to stop by the manor again on his way back—just for a moment, even if only to see her face. But recalling the hard-to-read look in Cleve’s eyes, Kyle lowered his head.

He had no confidence in himself like this—so broken, so full of cracks. If only he could stop.

Standing in the brightest days of summer, Kyle imagined nothing but the days he would crumble. The day he would finally confess everything to her, only to watch her walk away.

Just like today.

Even after tying off the bandage, he couldn’t bring himself to let go of her hand. As a sigh slipped from him without thinking—

A small, dispirited voice reached his ears.

“You sighed because of me.”

Startled, Kyle looked at Maude, who had turned toward him. He checked his wristwatch—it was only four in the morning. He’d tried so hard to be careful, yet it seemed he had woken her after all. Anxiety flickered in his eyes.

“It’s not that. There was a lot of blood on the bandage, so I changed it. I’m sorry I woke you.”

Maude’s gaze fell on the neatly wrapped bandage, and a shadow crossed her face. There was only one reason he could be this skilled. This man had wrapped bandages around himself and his comrades dozens—no, hundreds—of times. The thought made her chest ache.

Kyle reached out to pull the blanket back over her. As he tried to let go of her hand, Maude tightened her grip.

“…Can you keep holding my hand?”

He stopped at her request and stayed just as he was. He told her to say something right away if it hurt or felt uncomfortable—but that was never going to happen. Even if she had to pretend otherwise, she would hold on.

After watching him quietly for a moment, Maude finally spoke her heart.

“I feel like I’m still clumsy… and not good enough yet.”

The moment the words left her lips, Kyle cut in sharply.

“Don’t think nonsense like that.”

The coldness in his tone stung, but Maude didn’t stop.

“I’m sorry.”

“No. Please don’t.”

The sincerity in his voice instantly eased his heart. If anything, weren’t those words his to say? Lowering his head again, he pleaded with her.

“Even so… don’t let go of my hand.”

“….”

Kyle couldn’t say anything more. A long silence followed, but Maude gently stroked the back of his hand, as if to reassure him.

“Always come back to my arms. I’ll always come back to yours too.”

The moment those words fell into his ears, he knew.

This was the sentence that would change his entire life.

***

In the spacious office, two men sat close together—the Chief of Police and Clifton. The chief narrowed his eyes.

“I don’t know… but letting this slide doesn’t sit right with me.”

“Agreed.”

They were talking about Rhaion, and Clifton nodded along.

“The Crown Prince… has too many problems.”

James wasn’t the type to say something like that without reason.

Clifton’s gaze sharpened as he replayed James’s words and expression in his mind.

The Chief of Police, on the other hand, let out a long sigh. He looked thoroughly fed up, complaining that the police department had been cleaning up after Rhaion’s messes for far too long. Even as he sipped the premium black tea Clifton had gifted him, his expression remained sour.

Both men frowned at the thought of Rhaion as they raised their teacups. That was when the chief lowered his voice conspicuously, even glancing around as if to check for eavesdroppers.

What kind of serious story was this supposed to be?

Internally clicking his tongue at the chief’s excessive caution, Clifton maintained his usual genial smile.

“It wouldn’t have anything to do with Odelphi, would it?”

The chief complained that the Odelphi affair had already caused enough headaches. This time, it was Clifton who tilted his head.

“I thought everything connected to Odelphi was burned to the ground.”

That had been over two years ago already. Seeing Clifton’s genuine confusion, the chief sighed once more.

“Recently, there’s someone who’s running things on a massive scale—from cultivation to distribution. We’ve even received intel that they’re heavily involved in export trade, so we’re investigating.”

“I see… that is concerning.”

An unfamiliar silence settled in. The chief forced an awkward laugh and continued.

“It’s probably nothing more than idle gossip. Haha!”

He swallowed the rest of his sentence—that the Crown Prince couldn’t possibly be involved—yet the seed of suspicion still lingered in his heart. Clifton felt the same. It was hard to believe, and yet… the doubt refused to fade.

Both men were smiling.

And yet, somehow, the atmosphere felt strangely off.