Andert, who laughed first, gently stroked the back of her hand that he was holding. As if to say what kind of madman would make such a bet with the woman he loved.

“Should I pull you up from above, or support you from below? It seems too difficult for you alone.”

He extended his other hand as if to say just tell him what she needed. Meanwhile, Chloe, who had tied her hair that was fluttering in the wind, softly laughed.

In fact, since arriving in Larcel, she had been laughing so much she couldn’t even keep count. It was because she didn’t worry about anything else and simply followed her heart.

Just then, Andert, who had set down the picnic basket on one side of the sandy beach, took the lead as if saying they should start. Soon, the two reached the top of the cliff.

“Take my hand.”

Chloe sat on the summit, holding the firmly extended hand. Fortunately, the tingling sensation in her feet had significantly decreased in frequency, so climbing up hadn’t been particularly difficult.

Chloe, narrowing her eyes against the wind blowing from the front, took in the unfolding scenery bit by bit.

“Even though it’s not that high, the feeling is quite different looking down from here.”

Andert, gazing at her elegant profile, regretted that their vacation in Larcel had only one day left. He wouldn’t be able to see this side of Chloe in the capital.

If Roman were to see the two of them sitting on this cliff, he would certainly be horrified. But he loved all of this.

“Andert, what are you thinking about so intently?”

The question that came abruptly was affectionate. He, who had been shielding the sunlight pouring onto Chloe with his hand, answered diligently.

“I was regretting that we have to return to Vasa tomorrow. And actually…… I was concerned about you attending Kate’s wedding.”

“……Me?”

“I thought it might not have been entirely comfortable to watch someone departing for a happy honeymoon amid many congratulations.”

Ah…… Chloe was inwardly surprised by what Andert brought up. She hadn’t thought he would worry about such things.

When she first heard the news of Kate’s wedding, she had been quite taken aback. After all, though it was arranged by their parents, they had rushed the ceremony rather quickly.

Still, seeing her friend happy was reassuring. Of course, various emotions crossed her mind as she watched the couple’s backs as they departed hand in hand.

But that was already in the past. She wanted to focus on tomorrow, where she could do something, rather than yesterday, which she couldn’t change.

And she hoped Andert would do the same. He often suffered from memories of the past when he had been cold to her. Though they didn’t speak about it openly, she could guess why his eyes, which had been smiling smoothly, would suddenly sink deeply.

Chloe gently pulled Andert’s hand that was casting a small shadow over her forehead.

“I read a quote once. I don’t remember exactly which book it was from.”

The man’s hands were consistently cold.

There was a time when the coldness she felt on her skin seemed like his heart directed toward her, which made her sad. But Chloe no longer found his hands without warmth as sorrowful as before.

“It said that to eliminate something bad, don’t try to erase it directly, but instead fill it with more good things. Human memory is much more sensitive to pain, so the more you try to forget it, the more you ruminate and dwell on it. So instead, let the weight of added happiness obscure past scars.”

Chloe pulled his other hand too and held them together. So that her warmth could be transmitted more deeply.

“I think so too. Because such happy daily life continues to fill up. So I want you to be like me too.”

It was sincerity pressed down word by word.

In front of her bright smile that illuminated his world, Andert promised. Though it wouldn’t be easy at once, he would definitely do so.

“I will.”

Then his nature, which became most thorough in front of goals and promises, raised its head as if it had been waiting. It was also a pledge that he wanted to accomplish whatever it took if she wished it.

From some point on, he didn’t care where Chloe wanted to go. Even if that path was muddy, he was willing to jump in gladly. Though he wouldn’t stand by and watch if Chloe were to go through such hardship anyway.

Now the spell to unburden his heart and become happier day by day spread like gentle ripples in his chest.

They didn’t linger long on the cliff that had given Andert such meaningful insight because they remembered the original purpose of today’s outing.

“How about over there?”

He followed without a second word at Chloe’s gesture as she looked around attentively.

It was she who had suggested a picnic on the beach for their last day in Larcel. Then too, Andert had readily agreed.

“Sit here.”

The man who spread the colorful beach towel with elegant hands patted the spot beside him. The kindness that seemed out of place for someone who had no interest in unprofitable matters was no longer unfamiliar to Chloe.

Sometimes she had such thoughts. Since there’s no law that feelings toward someone would last forever, wouldn’t Andert change too?

Of course, since the future is unknowable, conversely, they could live for a long time gazing at each other. Moreover, she was someone who couldn’t easily give up even a one-sided love she had started alone.

‘So I think my love for you will remain unchanged for a very long time. And I think perhaps you could be the same.’

She wanted to share these inner thoughts with him someday after much time had passed. Like a cozy reminiscence of that time on Larcel beach.

Thus, Chloe imagined Andert who would be by her side on some future day.

“What are you thinking about? Chloe.”

In the moment lost in thought, the question she had been asked on the cliff returned.

“About you.”

As Chloe smiled as if shaking off her thoughts, he too gently curved his eyes.

Just then, the lemon tea Andert had poured for her rippled as if about to overflow. Chloe carefully tasted the sweetness that seemed like it might spill.

Meanwhile, the sunset was falling. As the sky became covered with different colors, colorful cloud hills formed over the sea.

Around the time she turned her gaze beyond the horizon, Andert gently took the cup from her hand. After kissing the back of her interlaced hand, he looked at her green eyes that were being dyed by the sunset.

“What do you think, Chloe? About coming to Larcel together again around this time next year? If you’re okay with it, I’d like that.”

“Yes. Let’s do that.”

When a cool answer came back, Andert turned completely toward Chloe as if to confirm again.

“Really?”

“Yes. I think summer might be better next time, seasonally. What about you?”

“Anytime is fine with me.”

The answer was immediate, without needing to consider. If they could come on this trip again, the season didn’t matter at all. He wanted to convey this heart full of Chloe without hiding anything before leaving Larcel.

“……I want to share every moment with you from now on. To be more honest…… I want to be the only man walking the path you take. As if you’re the only person so desperate and precious to me.”

It was a tender yet solemn resonance.

Andert was sometimes, no, often anxious.

As if this heart-swelling happiness might end at any moment. But that fear instead made his love toward Chloe more solid. Like iron that becomes harder than ever after being mercilessly heated in fire.

The weight of the sincerity he had heavily laid down was fully transmitted to her as well.

Darkness quickly descended on the beach where the sun had set. Everything was pitch black, from the sky enveloping all directions to the crashing waves. But the eyes Chloe faced were always a blue sea.

Beneath those sparkling waves, love for her had taken deep root. Like an anchor that doesn’t leave its original place even when pushed by fierce storms and rain.

Chloe kissed him. With all her heart.

At the same time, she gently held his overlapping hands. And answered.

“I won’t let go of this hand as we walk together from now on. And I’ll look only at you, just like now.”

It was the first certainty conveyed from Chloe since they met again.

Though she had always been affectionate in Vasa, she had never once mentioned their future relationship. Not to mention promises about the future.

Andert laughed as if he might cry. Chloe gently stroked his subtly trembling eyes.

Perhaps they had taken a long detour to be able to look at each other completely like this.

And at the threshold of autumn, I was in love with you, Andert Dietrich.