The small chapel beside the Count of Lindal’s estate stood quietly on the outskirts of the family’s land.

As it was rarely visited these days, it had become a secret meeting place for Violet and Cedric, where they could be together without interruption.

Violet came there as always today, just one day before they were due to part.

“Should I beg them to let me stay, even now?”

She anxiously checked the time as she muttered to herself.

“What good would that do? If Father decides not to let me return to Vartz at all, that would be even worse.”

The moment the words left her mouth, the door creaked open.

“Are you already worrying yourself sick again?”

The sound of Cedric’s voice reached her ears. It always made her heart race.

When she turned around, she saw him closing and fastening the latch on the door behind him.

Having locked it with practiced ease, he strode towards her.

“I suppose you’ve imagined every possible disaster while I was away.”

Violet shot him a faint pout.

Cedric leaned down and brushed a light kiss across her forehead before pressing another to her lips. Unlike his teasing words, the look in his eyes was completely sincere.

“Don’t worry so much. I’ll be going down to Santero soon anyway.”

“How? You don’t have any reason to suddenly come to the East.”

“I’ll find one, no matter what it takes. I can’t leave you there all alone.”

Violet had no answer.

Instead, the slight tremble of her brows and the faint quiver at the corner of her lips spoke for the anxiety she could not put into words.

“When I get there, I’ll stand beneath your bedroom window and call out, ‘Violet!’ Sounds romantic, doesn’t it?”

His unexpected remark drew a laugh from her.

She knew it was completely out of place, but she could also see that he was trying to lighten the mood.

Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, Cedric whispered,

“On a more serious note… I’ll speak to Eden myself.”

“…How?”

“I’ll tell him the truth. That you’re someone incredibly precious to me… and the person I want to build my future with.”

Violet buried her face against his chest without saying a word.

She could not promise him anything with her father’s face lingering in her mind, but the warmth of Cedric’s embrace gradually eased the tension that had settled deep into her shoulders.

“No matter where we are… stay with me like this. That’s all I need.”

At his gentle confession, Violet closed her eyes.

Although her heart still felt heavy, in this moment at least she was at peace.

The two of them sat side by side, quietly sharing each other’s warmth.

She had no idea what the future held, but with Cedric by her side, she felt that anywhere could become home.

***

On the final day of the Santero Festival, the salon had been busy since early morning.

The salon was closed for the day due to a significant event, and all the employees were busy preparing for it.

After carrying in a stack of boxes, Winter carefully checked off every item on the inventory list.

Meanwhile, Joanna lay practically on the floor sorting the printed handouts and items to be displayed.

“Did you finish tying those?”

“Yeah. I’m almost done over here. Winter, pass me a ribbon.”

Joanna stretched out her arm.

Without needing to ask, Winter picked the exact color she wanted and handed it to her.

By now, they understood each other so well that they hardly needed words.

“That’s everything for these supplies. We can check the rest once we get to the venue, right?”

“Yeah. We’ll get there first and make sure everything’s in order.”

After moving the remaining boxes aside, Winter inspected the packaging one last time.

Once the rest of the staff had finished preparing, they would load everything into the vehicles.

At noon, Winter and the others split into two groups and headed to the venue, where the event would continue late into the night.

“We’re here to work, but it feels kind of different when the whole salon closes and we all head out together, doesn’t it, Winter?”

With a small box resting on her lap, Joanna turned toward Winter.

“At least this time we don’t have to transport anything fragile. During the spring event, we had to bring those glass decorations, remember? I was so nervous the whole time, afraid even one of them would break.”

Winter let out a soft laugh as she listened to the easy conversation.

“I remember. Your hands were shaking when you unpacked them.”

“That was your fault. You kept staring at me with those wide eyes, so I got even more nervous.”

Joanna grumbled playfully, then grinned and sank comfortably into her seat.

The community hall was more than thirty minutes away by car.

Winter turned away from Joanna, who had closed her eyes for a short nap, and looked out of the window.

The passing scenery had become familiar.

When she had first arrived, everything had felt foreign. But now, this everyday life had become second nature.

The salty sea breeze, the kindness of the people, and even the rows of red rooftops clustered closely together had quietly become part of her life before she realized it.

After travelling along the long, straight road, the car slowed gradually and turned onto a winding, uphill path.

The outline of a pristine white building slowly came into view.

The Santero Art Hall stood proudly on top of a hill, overlooking the harbor.

Its marble exterior shimmered softly in the midday sun, and large banners fluttered above the rounded columns framing the building.

This venue hosted a charity event every year, attracting nobles, artists and patrons alike.

The pieces from the salon were also to be displayed there, which is why Joanna and Winter had been assigned to carry out the final on-site inspection.

“You’re from Roche Salon, correct? Just follow the marked line all the way inside.”

As they stepped through the designated entrance, they were greeted by an impossibly high ceiling.

The intricate mouldings, deep navy velvet curtains and polished brass ornaments adorning the walls rivaled the grandeur and elegance of the art gallery in Vartz.

Beyond the busy main hall, where staff were hurrying back and forth carrying banquet tableware and serving trays, the shelves for displaying donations were gradually being filled.

While everyone else was working tirelessly, Winter could barely catch her breath as she moved constantly between the different exhibition areas.

She sorted the display items and framed artworks, checked for anything missing from the inventory, and adjusted the placement of the exhibits without pause.

“All right, that’s the last of it.”

The pamphlets the male staff member had unpacked were thin booklets containing the auction catalog along with brief descriptions of each piece.

It did not take long to neatly fold the square sheets and stack them to one side.

Just as Winter was about to take a breather, Joanna stretched and whispered,

“Let’s go take a short break too. We’ve been running around nonstop. My legs don’t even feel like mine anymore.”

After checking the time, Winter followed Joanna into the venue’s lounge area.

As soon as Joanna had sat down on the sofa, Winter placed one of the pamphlets she had been holding on her lap.

She sat beside her and stretched out her legs, watching her colleague idly swing her ankle.

There was still plenty of time before the main event began.

Looking around, her light brown eyes rested on the large mirror opposite.

Having been on her feet all day, she quickly straightened her slightly rumpled appearance and secured her hairpin again.

Her light blue dress, which barely covered the nape of her neck, was simple yet elegant.

Although the event was as grand as a formal gala, she was there to work, so she hesitated over what to wear.

Prioritizing comfort, she also felt she should dress with a level of formality appropriate for the occasion.

After some thought, she opted for a modest outfit.

It wasn’t particularly eye-catching, nor did it look plain or careless.

For a day like today, that was more than enough.

“Oh, right. Didn’t they say Gabriel would be here soon?”

Joanna, who had been practically buried in the sofa, slowly sat up.

“He said he’d be checking the exhibition area and stopping by to see how our preparations are going too, didn’t he?”

At some point, Joanna had gotten completely to her feet.

She gave Winter a thorough once-over, tilting her head as her brows drew together.

“…You’re beautiful. Well, you always are, but especially today.”

She said it so casually it almost sounded like an afterthought.

“…Huh?”

Winter blinked in confusion.

Folding her arms, Joanna simply shrugged with a playful smile.

“Nothing. I just figured someone would be happy to see you looking like this.”

Then she gave Winter a subtle look.

As if to add, Someone’s about to arrive, isn’t he?

Only then did Winter understand what she meant.

Before she could respond, Joanna merely nodded, looking thoroughly pleased with herself.

“All right, all right. I was just saying you look especially pretty today. Someone might fall for you at first sight.”

With a familiar ease, she casually smoothed down the ruffled collar of Winter’s dress.

At first, Joanna had only suspected it.

Now, she was almost certain.

The youngest son of the Regner family was in love with Winter.

Then again, it was hard not to notice.

When Gabriel stopped by the salon tent at the height of the festival, the first thing he asked her, casually, was whether Winter had come that day.

Joanna secretly hoped the two of them would give each other a chance.

However, whenever Gabriel was mentioned, Winter always seemed perfectly indifferent.