“Are you feeling better now?”

In response to Gabriel’s careful question, Winter slowly lifted her head.

The moment their eyes met, she became acutely aware of how close he was standing.

She quickly lowered her gaze and took a step to the side.

“…Thank you. I didn’t realize the light would be that bright.”

Gabriel, whose attention had been on Winter the entire time, lightened the mood with a gentle joke.

“I don’t mind. I’m just glad I could be of some help.”

He said it playfully, but the truth was…

His heart raced as if they were actually on a date.

Whenever the woman in the neatly fitted grey hat turned her head, Gabriel’s eyes followed her instinctively.

After creating a comfortable distance between them once more, Winter quietly looked around at the colorful lanterns swaying in the breeze.

The colorful lanterns swayed in the breeze.

Laughter drifted through the crowd.

A faint melody floated in from somewhere nearby.

It all felt like a scene from a dream.

There had once been a time when she had longed for a moment like this.

To spend an ordinary day with the person she loved, free from fear.

Without fear.

Without the constant dread of being separated at any moment.

A day so warm and peaceful that she would have wished for time to stand still.

But that wish had vanished like a beam of light just before it reached her fingertips.

Pulling her gaze away from the mermaid statue, Winter smiled faintly.

“Thanks to you, Gabriel, today became a day I’ll always remember. Thank you.”

That was her way of saying it was time to go home.

Nothing more.

Throughout it all, Gabriel’s dark eyes never wavered, remaining fixed on Winter.

He didn’t want to be just a passing memory from her past.

He wanted to be the person who made those memories with her.

He wanted to take one more step towards her.

But he reined in his feelings, which were threatening to overwhelm him.

He didn’t want to ruin the precious time they had shared.

“What a shame.”

He smiled, though his voice carried a trace of regret.

“I was hoping this moment would last a little longer.”

Walking beside Winter as she headed back the way they had come, he spoke gently.

“Shall we?”

Gabriel positioned himself half a step ahead of her, taking care not to make her feel as though she had to retreat again.

Festival lights stretched across the path between their overlapping footprints.

Neither of them looked at the other.

Yet their shadows, walking side by side, quietly merged beneath the glow, no longer divided by the space between them.

Without turning his head, Gabriel shifted his gaze slightly towards her.

The night breeze brushed past Winter’s profile.

She was as serene and radiant as a sleeping star.

Every line of her profile exuded effortless elegance: from her forehead, to the graceful bridge of her nose, to the delicate curve of her chin.

Gabriel simply watched her for a long time.

Her long eyelashes were illuminated by the festival lights.

The smooth contour of her face…

At some point, he had become unable to look away from her.

Today, at least.

He had undeniably grown closer to her.

This alone was enough to fill his heart with quiet joy.

***

“Hmm… Santero.”

Early the next morning, Count Lindal sat in his study, deep in thought.

He had been searching for an opportunity to reunite his daughter with the Duke of the Mayer family.

However, before he could act, the duke had already left Vartz.

Despite trying every connection he had within the Mayer Company, he only received a brief reply.

“He has departed on an extended business trip. His return date is undecided.”

Realizing that he had acted too late, the Count racked his brains.

No matter how hard he tried, he could not think of a good reason to summon someone from the far eastern edge of the kingdom back to the capital.

There was also no compelling reason to take his wife and daughter to Santero.

‘So they’re building a new steel mill…’

The Count’s gaze slowly shifted to the map on the wall, stopping on Santero.

He was already aware of how vast the tract of land purchased by the Mayer Company was.

If a steel mill were to be built on such an enormous site…

How long would construction take?

Certainly not just a few months.

In that case…

“I’ll have to send Violet there.”

A short while later, the Count gave instructions to the butler he had summoned.

“Find a villa in eastern Santero. It doesn’t have to be extravagant or stand out, but it must be secure and suitable. Violet will be staying there to rest for a while. Arrange accordingly.”

“For… a retreat, my lord?”

The butler’s eyes widened in surprise at the sudden order.

Casually flipping through the newspaper, Count Lindal replied,

“It’s the middle of winter, isn’t it? This is the season when Violet is always bedridden with one cold after another. Didn’t the physician visit yesterday because she had a fever?”

“Ah… yes, my lord. Miss Violet has always had a delicate throat. Even a little cold wind is enough to bring on a severe coughing fit.”

The butler frowned, trying to discern the old count’s true intentions.

The idea of sending Violet, who had never left the capital, to the distant eastern region was completely unexpected.

There was no reason to rent a separate villa and send her away just because she had the occasional cold.

Unfazed, the count, having already made up his mind, answered matter-of-factly.

“I’ve heard that the winters in Santero are much milder. It would be the perfect place for Violet to spend a few months recovering. That’s all you need to know. Make the arrangements as quickly as possible.”

On the surface, he seemed to be just a father concerned about his daughter’s health.

But his true intentions lay elsewhere.

Pressing his lips into a thin line, the butler studied the Count carefully.

For a noblewoman whose highly publicized engagement had recently fallen apart, a quiet retreat was hardly what she needed most.

Now was the time to devote every effort to finding another suitable marriage prospect.

As it happened, two or three noble families eager to marry into House Lindal had repeatedly requested meetings with the Count.

Under normal circumstances, he would have spent this time negotiating with whichever family offered the most favorable terms.

‘And yet… he’s talking about a leisurely retreat.’

Having served the Count for many years, the butler had already guessed what was really going on.

The explanation sounded reasonable enough.

However, the old count’s motives were all too transparent.

“Could it be… because Duke Mayer’s business trip has taken him there?”

It might have been an impertinent question.

However, whenever the head of House Lindal made a decision like this, there was always a deeper reason behind it.

Even after the marriage negotiations had fallen through, the Count had never truly given up on Eden Mayer.

It was only then that the elderly nobleman put down the newspaper he had been reading and smiled.

That smile was answer enough.

“Whatever happened, they were once close enough to talk about getting married, weren’t they? No one can predict what fate has in store. If they happen to meet there, what harm could come of it?”

“Forgive me for asking, my lord… but does Her Ladyship know about this?”

At the butler’s cautious question, the Count spoke in a firm voice, as though issuing a warning.

“Report to me once everything has been arranged. And be careful not to let my daughter or my wife hear about it beforehand.”

There was no chance that Violet would willingly agree to be told outright to go to Santero to meet the Duke.

Her mother, who doted on her, would react no differently.

Therefore, there was no reason to stir up needless arguments by telling them in advance.

Until now, he had refrained from being too forceful with the mother and daughter.

But not anymore.

Once he had made a decision, they would have no choice but to follow it.

The butler hesitated, as though he wanted to say something more.

However, upon looking at the stubborn old count, he quietly lowered his head.

“Yes, my lord. I’ll make the arrangements discreetly.”

Having witnessed Count Lindal’s unwavering resolve time and again, the butler asked no further questions.

Anyone who had served the household for a long time knew this: whenever Count Lindal gave an order himself, there was always a reason behind it.

Although this trip was presented as an opportunity for his daughter to rest and recuperate, as always, there was another motive lurking beneath the surface.

Unlike the butler, the Count did not view the failed marriage negotiations as a defeat.

Opportunities could always be created.

In the end, only one thing truly mattered.

Duke Mayer was alone.

Santero.

Sending his daughter to the place where Eden Mayer was staying was more than worth the attempt.

The Count lightly tapped a spot on the map and slowly curled his lips into a smile.

“If opportunity doesn’t come to you…”

“You create it.”

***

Winter quickened her pace.

She was on her way home after spending a second day helping out at the children’s art workshop.

One by one, the streetlights flickered to life.

The white mist of her breath disappeared the moment it met the cold evening air.

Perhaps because she had been on her feet all day, her steps felt heavier than usual.

She had no intention of doing any more painting tonight.

All she wanted was to soak in a warm bath and go to bed early.

Although she was hungry, she decided to settle for a light snack rather than a proper meal.

It wasn’t until she reached the road leading to her house that she noticed a tall man standing beside the stone wall.

At first, she assumed he was just a passer-by lingering in the dimly lit street.

But there was something unmistakably familiar about him.

The line of his shoulders.

The way he carried himself.

She had seen it countless times before: Eden Mayer.

Winter’s gaze dropped to the hem of his coat, swaying in the strong wind, and she came to an abrupt stop.

Even from a distance, she recognized him at once.

As if sensing her presence, he slowly turned his head.

‘Why…’

‘Why had he come all the way here?’

Winter looked at him, unable to understand why he seemed to have been waiting for her all this time.

“Winter.”

His low voice trembled ever so slightly, though he had spoken only her name.