“I should be the one thanking you, Winter. I truly believe I’ll never be able to repay the debt of gratitude I owe you. Every night, whenever I see Lily asleep, I offer a prayer of thanks to God. Clara, too… Winter, she would be so grateful to you.”

Mrs Roche’s eyes reddened as she looked at Winter, who had always insisted that she should be the one to feel grateful.

Since her daughter’s death, it was Lily who had given her the strength to carry on, one day at a time. Above all, she wanted to be a reliable guardian until her granddaughter reached adulthood.

Without Winter, she would never have had the Lily she knew today. She could smile every day as she watched her beloved granddaughter grow up, safe in the knowledge that Winter had cared for her in her daughter’s place.

That was why she wanted to help Winter in every possible way.

The truth was that Mrs. Roche had already guessed.

Winter must have received professional training as a painter.

Having spent nearly thirty years running a salon, Mrs Roche certainly had the expertise to recognize genuine talent.

“Save this little by little. And whatever happens, don’t carry everything on your own. If you ever need help, come to me anytime. Understood?”

“Yes. I will.”

Winter smiled gently in response to the heartfelt advice.

Just because she now led a quiet life as a painter didn’t mean that she had completely let go of the past or forgotten everything, as though it had all been washed away.

Nevertheless, moments like these, which warmed her heart, gave her the strength to keep moving forward.

“Then I’ll see you again tomorrow. You said you have an appointment in the afternoon, didn’t you?”

“That’s right. If you’re free this weekend, come by the house. Lily says there’s something she absolutely wants to show Aunt Winter. She recently learned a nursery rhyme and has been eager to sing it for you.”

At Mrs. Roche’s cheerful words, Winter nodded with a smile.

“You said you had several places to stop by, didn’t you? Then off you go!”

After saying goodbye to Mrs. Roche, Winter stepped out of the salon and made a mental note of the places she needed to visit.

First, she had to stop by the art supply store to buy more paint and brushes.

Then she would go to the bank to deposit the money she had received that day. After that, she was going to the fabric shop to choose material for the recently ordered easel cover.

Finally, she planned to stop by the nearby market.

Wrapping her thick scarf more snugly around her neck, Winter quickened her pace.

The wind blew without pause, but the sunlight spilling across the streets was pleasantly warm.

Compared to the bitter, unforgiving winters in Bartz, winter in Santero was far easier to endure, and she was grateful for that.

“Goodbye.”

A few hours later, after buying some fabric from her favorite textile shop, Winter stopped at the entrance to the market.

Beyond the alleyway lined with shops, wisps of smoke rose here and there as people bustled about.

The bag slung over her shoulder felt heavy, but it was a familiar weight. She hadn’t stopped because of it. Instead, her attention had been drawn to a sign painted with a teacup and a biscuit.

Since coming to Santero, she had never visited a coffee house like this alone before.

After a brief moment of hesitation, she stepped inside the cozy little café.

She decided that it wouldn’t hurt to treat herself to a warm cup of tea.

Being kinder to herself for the day, she ordered a chocolate coffee and a light snack.

“Enjoy your meal.”

The kind server placed a madeleine in front of her. Its shell-like shape was still warm, as though it had just come out of the oven.

The crisp exterior yielded to a soft, tender center, and the moment she took a bite, her mouth was filled with the rich aroma of butter and the refreshing scent of lemon.

At that moment, she thought of someone: Gabriel.

The man who had confessed his feelings to her.

Since that day, he had been open and honest, but she still couldn’t put her heart at ease.

Above all, he still didn’t know who she really was.

The idea that she was related to Mrs. Roche was completely false.

The salon staff often talked about Gabriel among themselves.

“By the way, Lord Gabriel of the Marquis Regner family… isn’t it surprising that he’s still unmarried? It’s rare to find someone as remarkable as him around here.”

“Well, the affairs of noble families are always complicated. We couldn’t possibly know everything. Still, I’m sure he’ll eventually marry a young lady from a distinguished family after choosing carefully.”

“That’s true.”

Winter felt the same way.

She didn’t take Gabriel’s confession lightly, but it was wiser not to begin something when the ending was already obvious.

More importantly, she wasn’t in a place where she could return someone’s feelings.

There had once been a time when love alone had been enough.

A time when, experiencing love for the first time, she truly believed nothing else mattered.

‘I’ll be fine as long as I keep living like this.’

‘That’s enough.’

The foam on the coffee she had absentmindedly stirred slowly settled back onto the surface.

Just then, an unexpected voice called out beside her.

“Miss Winter?”

Startled, Winter quickly turned toward the sound.

Standing beside a small table, Gabriel greeted her with a bright smile.

“It’s even nicer running into you here. You’re by yourself today.”

He walked over to the chair across from her without hesitation.

Taking the seat naturally, Gabriel said he would have the same drink and asked what she was having.

“Ah… it’s quite sweet. It might not suit your taste.”

“That’s alright. I like sweet things.”

After ordering a coffee rich with thick chocolate, he smiled, pleased that they had something in common.

“Were you out running errands?”

“I had a few things to take care of, so I stopped by some shops and the bank before heading to the market. I just dropped in here for a short break.”

“You’ve had a busy day.”

Gabriel frowned slightly.

“The wind’s been pretty strong since this morning. Were you alright?”

“It wasn’t as bad as I expected. If anything, the wind made me feel more refreshed.”

Gabriel let out a soft laugh in response to her reply.

He took off his gloves, placed them on the table and lifted his warm cup, savoring the freshly brewed coffee.

A brief silence settled between them.

Winter, who had lowered her gaze to the table, tilted her head slightly.

“Did you happen to stop by this coffee house too, Gabriel?”

“No.”

He gave a small shrug.

“To be exact, I had just left Vincent’s when I saw you and decided to come in. I thought a cup of coffee would be a good excuse to come in during this season.”

Gabriel looked at Winter, a gentle smile lingering in his eyes.

As the weather grew colder, he gazed into her warm, amber-brown eyes, which looked even softer in the winter light.

Keeping his expression composed, Gabriel was careful not to make her uncomfortable.

He wanted to be honest without putting any pressure on her.

Yet, in the next instant, Winter’s eyes grew serious.

Having watched her all along, Gabriel noticed the change immediately.

After a long silence, Winter finally spoke.

“Gabriel, I’m truly grateful for the feelings you shared with me before. I also know you’re a genuinely kind person. But right now… I’m not in a place where I can share those feelings with anyone.”

Her voice remained calm, and her expression never wavered.

In short, it was a polite rejection.

Winter felt that now was the right time to gently distance herself from him.

The words were difficult to say, and she had to steady her nerves before she could find the composure to speak.

Gabriel listened quietly and slowly nodded.

Perhaps deep down, he had already known that this was what she would say.

He pushed aside the unexpected feelings that had welled up inside him when he saw her through the café window.

The last thing he wanted was to show his disappointment and make her feel uncomfortable.

“It’s alright.”

He took another sip of his coffee.

“Just being able to sit across from you and talk like this, even for a little while, makes me happy.”

While Winter hesitated, unsure of what to say, Gabriel smiled gently.

“As I told you before…”

Lightly turning his cup in his hand, he continued,

“I never expected anything to happen right away. I simply wanted to tell you how I felt, and doing that has already put my heart at ease.”

He looked at Winter with the same calm expression he had worn when he first entered the coffee house.

“For now, it’s enough if we can be friends.”

“…Friends? That’s…”

“I think so. We get along well, and we have similar tastes. We both enjoy sweet coffee, after all. Doesn’t that make us a pretty good pair of friends?”

Winter, who had been avoiding his gaze, looked back at him.

Gabriel smiled as though he truly meant every word.

“…When you put it like that, you make me seem far too cold.”

Winter turned her gaze towards the window and ran her fingers over the scarf she had placed on the table.

The fact that she hadn’t rejected the idea outright was more than enough of an answer for him.

As he watched her quiet profile by the window, Gabriel absentmindedly lifted his cup to take another sip, only to realize that his coffee was already gone.

With a smile still lingering on his lips, he raised the empty cup slightly.

“Then, how about another cup between friends?”

Winter’s expression finally softened, and she found herself smiling back.

“Then choose something that’s less sweet this time.”

“I know just the thing for a day like today. In weather like this, a warm fruit tea is perfect.”

Soon, a pair of rounded teacups was placed on the table.

The pleasantly tangy aroma of dried fruit filled the air before either of them said anything.

Gabriel drank his tea without showing any disappointment.

Considering how distant and reserved they had been at the beginning, simply being able to sit together like friends was enough.

It was enough.

For now, the distance between them was just right.