Chapter 6.4

“Even if those words lose their meaning… I’ll never forget what you’ve just said.”  

Marianne smiled through her tears. Sylvester’s face showed a mix of curiosity and concern as he watched her. Marianne continued speaking.  

“I really like this house too. It’s small, old, cold, and strange bugs often appear… but there’s no other place in this capital where I feel as warm as I do here.”  

Regaining her composure, Marianne quickly added,  

“And I like the big window.”  

Marianne stood up as she finished speaking. She walked toward the window and gestured for Sylvester to join her.  

“Come here.”  

Her innocent laughter lit up her face. Watching Marianne’s smile, which seemed to glow white under the moonlight, Sylvester stood up from his seat.  

“When you stand by the window and look outside, it feels like the moon up there is very close.”  

Marianne spoke as she gazed out the window.  

“It’s hard to believe that the moon could look close from just the second floor, and even if it did, how close could it really look? But that’s how it feels.”  

“It truly feels close. Even the night sky seen from a tall castle didn’t seem as beautiful as this…”  

Sylvester followed Marianne’s gaze out the window. Strangely enough, the full moon in the night sky did appear closer than usual.  

“Really?”  

“Really.”  

A crescent-shaped smile formed on Sylvester’s lips.  

“…Where I come from, we call the full moon the ‘smiling moon.’ I’m glad I get to see that smiling moon with you, Sylvester.”  

Marianne spoke in a soft voice. When the moon began to shrink, Sylvester would forget her. But she would hold onto this moment in her heart. A bitter realization brushed coldly against Marianne’s chest.  

“…Marianne.”  

“…”  

“You look sad.”  

Sylvester said as he looked at Marianne. She turned her gaze toward him. At some point, Sylvester had stopped looking at the moon and had been watching her instead. Soon, Sylvester’s hand gently wrapped around hers.  

“I don’t want to tell you not to be sad. I just… wish I could share your sadness.”  

“…”  

“There’s still so much we don’t know about each other.”  

Sylvester’s words came slowly.  

“I still want to get to know you, Marianne.”  

“So do I.”  

“…”  

“I want to know more about you, Sylvester.”  

Marianne spoke as she felt the warmth of his hand. After a brief silence, Sylvester spoke again.  

“I love you.”  

The sweet scent of flowers tickled Marianne’s nose.  

“This is the first time in my life I’ve ever felt this way. And it’s the first time I’ve ever felt such certainty.”  

Marianne could feel Sylvester’s hand trembling slightly as it touched hers.  

“…Every day, I think of you, Marianne.”  

“…”  

“I think of your smiling face, your profile as you closed your eyes and felt the wind. I think of the voice that cheered me on. And I think of the moment you held my hand, the warmth of that touch… I think of every moment I’ve spent with you.”  

As she listened to Sylvester’s words, Marianne felt like crying again. But instead of tears, a smile spread across her face.  

“I practiced saying something impressive, but standing in front of you, completely different words are coming out…”  

Sylvester trailed off as he watched Marianne’s small laugh. But he, too, was smiling like her. Marianne swallowed her tears and slowly spoke.  

“Tomorrow…… will you still love me?”

Marianne’s question weighed heavily on Sylvester’s heart. Her face, as she asked, looked so sorrowful that Sylvester couldn’t find any words to say.  

Slowly, Sylvester knelt on one knee before Marianne. He kissed the back of her white hand.  

“I swear it.”  

It was the pledge of a knight, kneeling and kissing the hand of their lord.  

“…I like you too, Sylvester.”  

Looking down at him, Marianne spoke in a small, trembling voice.  

“I’ve come to love you.”  

The words she had hidden and suppressed for so long flowed out of her mouth. Marianne smiled. The moment the word “love” left her lips, it seemed to explode, swallowing her whole. It was as if it was chastising her for hiding it until now.  

Even if Sylvester completely forgets me, I’ll never be able to forget him. 

Marianne had no choice but to admit it. 

“Stand up.”  

Following Marianne’s gentle urging, Sylvester rose to his feet. Their flushed faces met in midair.  

“Sylvester.”  

Marianne spoke slowly.  

“Will you hold me?”  

With a small laugh, Marianne opened her arms toward Sylvester. Sylvester didn’t answer her question. When Marianne blinked once, she found herself enveloped in his arms.  

‘…It’s warm.’  

Marianne smiled again as she rested in Sylvester’s firm embrace. The sound of his heartbeat wrapped around her like a soothing lullaby. Her hands tightened around Sylvester’s waist.  

It was a night when the pure white moonlight illuminated the night sky like magic.  

* * *

The next morning, Marianne waved goodbye to Sylvester. The autumn wind, much colder now, swept through the alley that morning.  

Marianne thought about Sylvester all day. She thought about the selfish desire that had led her to spend the previous night with him. She thought about his love, which would disappear with the next new moon. She thought about herself, who would be left alone.  

As her thoughts spiraled deeper and deeper, Marianne eventually reached the end of the day. The moon she had hoped wouldn’t rise appeared in the night sky, smaller than it had been the day before.  

Marianne, unable to sleep, stared at the moon outside her window. Once again, she prayed to a god she didn’t believe in.  

‘Please, let Sylvester think of me from time to time, even if it’s just faintly.’  

Though she knew it was an impossible wish, she sent that hope up to the heavens.  

* * *

Even after the dreamlike fifteen days faded away, life continued. Marianne woke up at her usual time. She washed herself thoroughly and ate a simple but hearty meal. Then she walked briskly to the library to start her day.  

Whenever tears threatened to fall from her eyes, she reminded herself that she had plans to meet Peter after work. She couldn’t show up in front of him with swollen eyes.  

“…Huh?”  

Marianne stopped in her tracks in front of the library, near the Statue of the God of Love.  

Sylvester, dressed in his black uniform, was standing in front of the statue. Unlike before, he wasn’t staring down the statue but looking around, as if he were waiting for someone. His face seemed strangely anxious.  

Just like the day Sylvester had asked her out, Marianne pinched her cheek lightly. It hurt. So it wasn’t a dream.  

In that case, the only thing left was…  

At such an ambiguous time, in such an ambiguous place, Sylvester seemed to have an appointment with someone. Marianne had to pass by him with an indifferent expression, as if he were a stranger.  

Sylvester used to approach Marianne with a broad smile whenever he saw her. But now, she could no longer expect to see that smile. She shouldn’t expect it. Thinking of him looking down at her with a cold expression made Marianne’s heart sink.  

Marianne didn’t have the courage to face Sylvester’s indifferent and cold gaze. To avoid even meeting his eyes, she bowed her head deeply.  

Marianne, you were just playing along with the mages’ tricks, weren’t you? It was all lighthearted, wasn’t it? So why are you acting like someone who’s been rejected? 

It felt like her self from fifteen days ago was speaking to her.  

Fixing her gaze on the ground, Marianne began walking toward the library, her face looking utterly gloomy.  

‘What will I do if I have to run an errand to the Knight Order Fortress…?’  

Marianne thought to herself as she watched her own feet move diligently. As she approached the library’s main entrance, someone grabbed her. It was a soft touch that lingered only briefly. Even without seeing their face or hearing their voice, Marianne knew whose hand it was.  

If she turned around, Sylvester would be there. Even though she knew she would be hurt if she saw him now, Marianne wanted to see Sylvester. Her face pale, she slowly turned her body. She forced a smile onto her lips.  

“What brings you…?”  

“Marianne.”  

Huh?  

“Good morning.”  

Huh…?  

“It’s nothing much, but I came to give you this.”  

Sylvester finished speaking and took out a small pouch from his arms. It was made of purple velvet. Seeing Marianne’s dazed face, Sylvester, as if realizing something, opened the pouch and showed her its contents.  

“I’m not sure if you remember…”  

Something that looked like a blue jewel, or perhaps a glowing stone, sparkled brilliantly under the early morning sunlight.  

“It’s the magic stone you saw in my office last time. The one that was lumpy and ugly… That’s the one.”  

I remember. 

It was the day when Sylvester, with his messy hair and clothes covered in snowflakes, came to see me. 

But those words didn’t leave her mouth. Marianne couldn’t say anything. She simply nodded her head slowly.  

“It’s been reborn into something this beautiful.”  

“…”  

“I wanted to share this success… with you first.”  

Sylvester smiled, looking slightly embarrassed. Marianne’s gaze fell on the magic stone in his hand. As Sylvester said, the magic stone now possessed a refined beauty. It was hard to imagine that it had once been an ugly, unrecognizable object, neither a jewel nor a stone.  

“…Thank you.”  

Marianne’s words came out slowly.  

“…Thank you for sharing your success with me first. And thank you…”  

“…”  

“…for remembering me.”  

After finishing her words, Marianne hugged Sylvester. Sylvester hadn’t forgotten. She didn’t know why the magic hadn’t broken, but that didn’t matter now. What mattered was that Sylvester remembered her. That he still looked at her with eyes full of love.  

In Sylvester’s warm embrace, feeling his gentle reassurance, Marianne smiled.  

Even though she knew that this distorted time would one day return to its proper course, even though she knew it would eventually be set right, for now, all she could do was smile.