Epilogue 2

Only then did Lennox approach the mother and daughter and speak.

“She called me ‘Papa.’”

“Yes, I heard.”

“Do I look like Baron Dermann?”

Ellen smiled softly and shook her head.

“No. Not at all.”

“Right.”

A brief silence passed. Lennox searched for words, then spoke with a sigh.

“I’m sorry, Ellen. For you and the child…”

“No, Lennox. You and I were in the middle of a wager, and I know you kept us apart for Innis’s sake.”

“…….”

When Innis sneezed softly in her arms, Ellen started and hugged her tightly.

“Lennox, it’s cold. Hold Innis.”

At her words, Lennox wrapped Innis in his coat and picked her up, and Ellen rose as well, brushing dry grass from her skirt and speaking in a low voice.

“This tree… I miss it. It was where you and I first talked as children, where we looked up at the sky after the autumn harvest party, and where we comforted each other when we felt the world was unbearable.”

“Yes, it was.”

Lennox nodded and started to walk, but when Ellen didn’t move, he turned back. Ellen smiled with a twisted expression, as if holding back tears, and finally spoke what she’d kept in her heart since Innis was born, since she started to walk, since she started to talk.

“Now this tree holds Innis’s first memory of calling you ‘Papa,’ and playing with her father.”

“…….”

“Isn’t that right, Papa?”

Lennox’s lips pressed into a firm line. His strong, upright red eyes trembled. He looked down at Innis in his arms. The lovely, round head and chubby cheeks, a child who looked just like Ellen, slept peacefully in her father’s arms.

“Lennox. I never once was with that man. He couldn’t have children. I…”

“That’s not what matters now.”

Lennox cut her off, gently wrapping his arm around Ellen’s shoulder. That wasn’t important. What mattered was how hard it must have been for Ellen to bear this child alone.

“You raised her all by yourself…”

Lennox’s voice trembled with sadness. Thinking of Ellen carrying, giving birth to, and raising the child alone in that lonely mansion pained him. He couldn’t even imagine how hard it had been for Ellen to endure alone. At her hardest moments, Lennox hadn’t been by her side. Ellen quietly wrapped her hand over his on her shoulder and spoke.

“Lennox, I’ve never once regretted having or raising this child.”

“But the fact that it made things harder for you doesn’t change. No—it’s not because of her. It’s because of me.”

“This was the path I chose.”

Ellen looked Lennox straight in the eyes.

“So don’t blame yourself, Lennox. That’s not what I want to hear.”

Lennox’s sunken eyes brightened. Slowly, with a voice thick with emotion, Lennox said,

“Thank you, Ellen. For not giving up.”

“…Yes.”

Ellen buried her face in Lennox’s shoulder. That was what she longed to hear. With those words, all her hardships seemed to vanish. A warm feeling slowly spread from deep in Ellen’s heart. Lennox kissed her hair and whispered,

“This tree. I’m going to take it to the Aryan Empire.”

“Yes.”

“I’ll plant it in the center of my mansion’s garden and make new memories with you and our daughter, Innis.”

“Yes.”

“As Innis grows, this tree will remember many things too.”

“Yes.”

“Ellen, with me…”

Before Lennox could finish, Ellen cut him off.

“Lennox, I lost. I admit it. You won.”

“…….”

“It’s the first time, I think. The first time I’ve lost to you.”

“Yes, it really is the first.”

Lennox smiled and kissed Ellen’s forehead. Ellen reached out and stroked his lips with her thumb.

“You know, Lennox, take me to your house—no, our home. This time, don’t let it hurt.”

“Ellen, do you know?”

“Yes, I know. I’m selfish, stubborn.”

“That’s right. But even so, I can’t hate you. No, I’ll never escape you. I’m completely tamed by you.”

With one arm holding Innis and the other holding Ellen’s hand, warmth spread from their joined hands. Another memory was made. A true family was born.

The time Ellen had killed herself slowly began to flow again in the place where she had returned.

* * *

Richel, holding a gold-embossed file, stared at Lennox, who had become so busy lately that it was hard to see his face. Lennox waited for Richel to speak, his face expressionless. Richel sighed and said,

“Thanks to you, Sir Lennon, society is in an uproar these days.”

“…….”

“I sent you to Kursh Kingdom because you asked, but now you’ve come back with a daughter and bride, and society is in chaos.”

“Yes.”

“Ladies who admired you are crying and wailing in disappointment, Sir Lennon.”

“…….”

“And then you brought a huge tree from Kursh Kingdom…”

Richel shook the file and continued.

“Now you’re asking me to officially recognize the Valère estate as Aryan nobility.”

He dropped the file on his shoulder and sat up straight, looking up at Lennox.

“And you dare to ask me to grant this noble lady, soon to be your wife, the rights to manage Leodell.”

“It was always hers.”

Lennox answered without a moment’s hesitation. Richel studied Lennox for a moment, seeing that he didn’t avoid his gaze, and sighed lightly.

“Fine. Considering all you’ve done for me, giving you that small estate is no trouble.”

Richel handed over the file, and Lennox accepted it. A faint smile crossed Lennox’s lips as he checked the contents, then quickly faded. Richel looked at Lennox with a mix of surprise and exasperation.

“Is that your usual personality?”

“I’ll be going now.”

Lennox bowed without regret, and Richel snorted in disbelief.

“I’ll look forward to the wedding, Sir Lennon.”

Lennox brushed off Richel’s words and hurried away to see Ellen and Innis, who were waiting for him.

* * *

In the huge mansion, so large that even dozens of servants couldn’t keep up with the work, a giant tree stood in a spot visible from anywhere. It was winter, so its bare branches weren’t much to look at, but since it was cherished by Lennox, the master of the mansion, and Ellen, already called Madam and soon to be the official mistress, no servant complained.

Ellen arrived in the Aryan Empire with Lennox at the beginning of winter. Even after crossing the border and traveling for days, Lennox’s mansion was more than five times larger than the Valère mansion. Lennox gathered the servants and introduced Ellen, soon to be lady of the mansion, and Innis. The servants murmured, but bowed to Ellen. The butler and head maid were the first to treat Ellen as lady of the house and Innis, so the maids and footmen naturally followed. Emma quickly adapted and got along well with the staff.

Innis, with her bright personality, quickly became the darling of the mansion, and even the servants who had been wary of Ellen, a noblewoman from the now subjugated Kursh Kingdom, were won over by her gentle nature and began to sincerely follow her. Of course, it took some time for the staff to get used to Ellen dropping honorifics with Lennox and calling him by name, and to seeing their usually expressionless master smiling in front of Ellen.

Ellen sat by the large window, wrapped in a blanket, warming her hands on a teacup. She glanced out the window, then smiled at Karan and Roy playing with Innis.

“Oh my, Lady Innis, you’re so clever.”

Karan laughed, his big frame awkwardly playing dolls with Innis. Roy looked at him in disbelief and muttered,

“If anyone saw this, they’d laugh, Lord Drshell.”

“What do you mean?”

“A man as big as a bear playing dolls.”

“What does it matter, when I’m playing with such a lovely lady?”

“As a knight, you should think of your dignity.”

“You’re one to talk, Sir Kail, buying dolls the moment you heard we were coming to the captain’s mansion.”

“That’s—!”

Roy flushed and retorted. In just a few days, Roy had become smitten with Innis. He didn’t show it as openly as Karan, but every time he came to Lennox’s mansion, he brought a present. Watching their banter, Ellen smiled.

“Lennox will be here soon. Won’t you stay for dinner?”

“May I?”

Karan brightened, and Ellen nodded.

“Yes. Innis loves it, and it’s a special occasion.”

“Then I’ll gratefully accept.”

“Lord Drshell, you should show some restraint…”

“Sir Kail, you’ll stay too, right?”

Roy glanced at Ellen, then nodded slightly.

“…Thank you for the invitation.”

“Mama.”

Innis, playing with her dress, began to fuss and whine, so Ellen picked her up.

“Oh dear, is it naptime for our darling Lady Innis?”

Karan commented on Innis’s cuteness as she fussed, and Ellen nodded.

“Yes, it’s time to put Innis to bed.”

“Then we’ll take our leave. See you in the evening, Madame.”

Roy bowed politely, and Karan did likewise.

“See you tonight.”

After Karan and Roy left, Ellen headed to her room with Innis. It was the room Lennox had ordered to be newly decorated after Ellen moved in. The sunniest, newly furnished, spacious room was Ellen and Lennox’s room. Though they had separate living spaces, after such a long separation, unlike other nobles, Ellen and Lennox agreed to share a bedroom. Thanks to that, Ellen cherished the time spent in Lennox’s arms every night, chatting until she fell asleep.

She laid Innis on the soft bed, covered her with a blanket, and hummed a lullaby, just as Laura had done. As Innis drifted into deep sleep, the door quietly opened and Lennox entered.

“Is she asleep?”

“Yes. Come here, Lennox.”

Lennox came over, hugged Ellen’s shoulders, and kissed her head. Ellen nuzzled his jaw and smiled softly. His collar smelled of cold winter, but Ellen didn’t mind.

“She played so much with Lord Drshell and Sir Kail that she fell asleep right away.”

“Yes.”

Lennox reached out and stroked Innis’s round head. Innis stirred, and Lennox smiled faintly.

“How did it go at the Imperial Palace?”

“Soon, Mother and the Viscountess Valère’s remains will be moved here.”

“Yes.”

“The remains of Viscount Valère will be moved here too.”

Ellen’s expression hardened at those words. Lennox met Ellen’s eyes and spoke slowly.

“You’ve been worried about it too.”

“Yes, I have. But it’s complicated.”

Even after coming to the Aryan Empire, Ellen’s feelings were complicated. After marrying, she had cut ties with the Valère Earldom and never saw her father again. They hadn’t even seen each other’s faces or wondered about each other’s news. Even when she heard of his death, she hadn’t felt much. Still, she didn’t know why her feelings were so tangled.

“But his grave will be made so far away that you won’t be able to visit.”

“Yes.”

“So don’t make that face, Ellen.”

Lennox knelt and gently cupped Ellen’s face. Ellen met his gaze and smiled. When Ellen smiled, Lennox smiled too. His lips softly touched hers. After a brief kiss, Ellen wrapped her arms around his neck. Her lips parted, and her tongue entwined with his. Lennox wrapped his arm around Ellen’s waist and pulled her into his embrace. As Ellen sat on his knee, Lennox gently cradled her head, drawing her close. Their teeth bumped, and his tongue explored her mouth as they shared a deep kiss.

As Lennox’s lips parted, Ellen gently stuck out her tongue and licked his lips.

“All right, Lennox. I won’t make that face.”

Lennox lightly bit Ellen’s tongue with his lips and nodded.

“Yes. And this.”

“What’s this?”

Lennox took out two documents from his chest and placed them in Ellen’s hands. Ellen settled herself comfortably on his lap and leaned her head against Lennox’s chest as she opened the documents. Ellen’s eyes trembled as she read the contents.

“This is…”

“An official certificate recognizing the Valère estate as nobility of the Aryan Empire. And a certificate granting Ellen Valère the rights to manage the Leodell estate. And…”

“A marriage… license.”

Once, these were the documents she hated most. But now, the papers he brought were more precious and moving than anything in the world. Ellen’s hands trembled as she clutched the papers. Tears rolled down her pale cheeks. Ellen hugged the two documents tightly to her chest. Lennox embraced Ellen tenderly and whispered,

“Now, at last, I can face you on equal footing.”

Ellen rubbed her cheek against his chest and answered in a voice thick with emotion.

“Yes. You worked so hard, Lennox. Thank you for waiting for me.”

“Thank you, Ellen. For enduring and holding on.”

The unforgettable winter deepened.

* * *

It was a day when tulips were in full bloom.

The most ancient and grand Nodeldep Temple in Izer, the capital of the Aryan Empire, was filled with the sound of blessed bells. Beneath the arched ceiling painted with ornate cathedral art, the interior was decorated with all kinds of flowers and cloth. At the podium before the great statue, the priest stood with a solemn face, bestowing blessings upon the two who were beginning their new life together.

Richel, sitting in the largest and most comfortable VIP seat, rested his chin in his hand and murmured in a low voice.

“No one could have predicted this.”

Karan and Roy, standing behind Richel, tilted their heads. After the priest’s blessing ended, Richel watched Lennox, who carefully placed a ring on the bride’s finger, and smiled wryly.

“That Sir Lennon, who always looked uninterested in everything and was indifferent to everyone…”

The bride lifted her head and looked Lennox straight in the eye. Suddenly, the inside of the temple stirred with the whispers of nobles. Richel’s eyes widened in surprise, then his gaze softened into a gentle arch.

“…is a man who can smile so softly, so happily.”

Lennox’s lips gently kissed Ellen’s lips and parted. A girl’s laughter rang out. Smiling, Lennox knelt and spread his arms as Innis, holding yellow tulips tied with a blue ribbon, rushed into his embrace. Lennox picked up Innis with one arm and wrapped the other around his bride Ellen’s shoulders. The priest solemnly declared,

“Before God, I proclaim these two as husband and wife.”

Blessed music flowed from the grand organ. Colorful paper and white flowers filled the air. Sunlight, tinted by stained glass, shone on the newlywed couple, blessing their future happiness.

“And no one knew that the reason he could smile like that was thanks to that little woman.”

Richel waved toward the newlyweds, blessing them as he finished speaking.

The sky outside the temple, as if shining on Ellen’s radiant smile and Lennox’s loving gaze as he held their daughter, was endlessly bright.

<Broken Time and Broken Promise> End