“Marianne.”

“Yes?”

Marianne looked up at me with her bright, round eyes as we both warmed ourselves by the fire.

Suddenly, I felt the urge to confide in her.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Of course! What could Louise possibly be curious about? I’m excited to hear.”

I chuckled softly at her enthusiasm.

“It’s nothing serious. I was just wondering… if your husband had an accident and lost all his memories, how do you think you’d feel?”

“What?”

“If he forgot even you… would that hurt a lot? I’ve been thinking about how others would feel in that situation.”

Marianne paused, a thoughtful expression crossing her face.

I waited patiently, curious about her response. She and her husband had a good relationship, and they rarely clashed. They were both upright, principled people.

What would she say?

My heart pounded a little in anticipation.

Marianne furrowed her brow, as though the mere thought pained her.

“So, he would forget everything, even me?”

“Yes.”

“That would be a tragedy. For both of us.”

“…”

“But if he accepted our relationship and tried to love me again, I think we could get through it. As long as he didn’t reject me, we could work together to overcome it, even if he had lost all his memories.”

Marianne smiled softly as she finished speaking.

I stared at her, momentarily speechless.

She was right.

Even if my husband lost his memory and saw me as a stranger, as long as he didn’t push me away, we could rebuild our relationship. We could become a couple again through effort and time.

But why was it, when Alec and I had grown so much closer after his memory loss, that I now felt this strange distance?

Something still seemed unresolved, like an untied knot in the back of my mind.

* * *

The northern sightseeing tour ended before sunset. The area was so vast that we had only visited the ice cave, and by then, it was already evening.

After a bustling dinner, everyone retired to their rooms for rest.

I stepped out of my room, dressed simply but neatly, feeling concerned about Prince Ridit, who had spent the entire day alone in the castle’s basement.

I had brought a pile of gifts for him.

‘He’ll like these, won’t he?’

Not knowing what a seven-year-old boy might enjoy, I had brought plenty of options. Surely he’d like at least one of them, I thought with a smile.

I descended the stairs quietly, making sure not to make any noise, checking that no one was around.

The men, including Alec, were likely still drinking in the parlor on the second floor. Harriet and the knights had been quietly keeping to themselves in the North, probably resting in their rooms by now.

‘What a suspicious bunch.’

Not that it would matter much against Alec alone.

After what felt like an endless flight of stairs, I finally reached the basement and activated the mechanism that opened the passageway.

I hoped Prince Ridit hadn’t gone to bed yet. What if he had been scared, alone in the dark?

Though he didn’t seem the type to show it…

As I walked through the basement halls, I suddenly heard a sound, like a bird singing.

Curious, I moved closer and realized it wasn’t a bird—it was Ridit’s voice.

‘Is he practicing his speech?’

Memories of the old Alec suddenly flooded my mind, causing a sharp pang of nostalgia to hit me.

“Knock, knock.”

When I reached Ridit’s room, I mimicked the sound of knocking with my mouth and gently tapped on the door. Ridit looked up, his round eyes meeting mine.

Books were scattered across the floor, and Ridit sat on a cushion in the middle of them. The innocence in his eyes made me smile instinctively.

“Hello.”

“…Lady!” Ridit called out brightly, jumping to his feet. I crouched down to meet his eye level as I approached him.

When I held his small, soft hand, I couldn’t help but feel a lump rise in my throat. I had been wanting to hold his hand all day. As I took a deep breath, I noticed Ridit’s eyes also glistening slightly, his expression both relieved and touched.

“You’ve been well, right? I wanted to visit you earlier, but I only managed to come now. I thought you might be asleep.”

Ridit opened his mouth as if to say something, then quickly closed it again, as if holding back his words. I tilted my head slightly in curiosity.

“Were you having trouble sleeping?”

Ridit finally spoke, his voice a little strained.

“…Yeah.”

“Then it’s perfect timing. I’ll help you fall asleep. But before that, I have something I’d like to show you.”

Ridit tilted his head, puzzled. I sat on the floor and gently pulled him onto my lap. His small body trembled slightly as he stiffened awkwardly.

Not paying much attention to his discomfort, I started unpacking the gifts I had brought. His tiny form, so warm and lovable, melted my heart. How wonderful it would be if I had a child like this of my own.

“I asked Jane and Alec what you might like, and all they mentioned were books. But I thought, maybe you’d like something other than books?”

As I untied one of the pouches, wooden blocks spilled out onto the floor. They were toys that could be arranged to create different shapes and models.

Ridit’s eyes widened in surprise.

“And there’s more.”

I opened another box filled with figurines. It was a game similar to chess, but designed to help understand the various positions and power structures of the royal court. The unique feature was that it included the names of actual figures in the palace.

Ridit reached out and picked up one of the wooden figures, just as a voice that shouldn’t have been there rang out.

“Who’s that little brat?”

I spun around to see Eloise standing at the door, her face frozen in shock.

How did she get here…?

Ridit gasped in surprise, and I quickly stood up, pulling him behind me.

My heart pounded as I confronted her.

“Eloise, how did you get here?”

Eloise’s gaze shifted past me, as if trying to catch a glimpse of Ridit. I spread the skirt of my dress wider to block her view, but she frowned and demanded again.

“I asked, who’s that kid? I heard you call him a prince.”

“Did you follow me?” I asked, trying to stay calm.

Eloise responded with her usual aloof expression.

“I didn’t follow you on purpose. I was looking for you, and when I saw you sneaking off, I got curious and followed.”

“Without making a sound?”

“I’m naturally discreet,” she said with a casual shrug and a mischievous smile.

I was momentarily speechless.

She had definitely followed me on purpose.

How had I been so careful, yet failed to notice Eloise trailing behind? Maybe she had the instincts of a spy.

“Please tell me no one saw you coming here.”

“No one. There was nobody around.”

I sighed, unsure whether to believe her.

At least one thing was certain: Alec had used magic to protect Ridit. Though I wasn’t sure exactly how his magic worked, it seemed that Eloise’s approach hadn’t triggered any alarms.

I turned to Ridit to reassure him.

“We’ve had an unexpected visitor, but don’t worry. There’s no need to be scared. Eloise is Alec’s younger sister. She’s family, and we’re all in this together.”

I smiled warmly at Ridit, and I saw the tension in his eyes ease a little. Gently, I took his hand and guided him forward so he could see Eloise.

Ridit cautiously stepped forward as Eloise stared at him, unblinking.

I took a deep breath, knowing I had no choice but to reveal the truth.

“Go ahead and pay your respects, Eloise. This is Prince Ridit, who disappeared from the royal palace long ago.”

“…!”

Eloise’s eyes widened in shock.

She looked as if she had just been hit with a revelation, her face full of disbelief. It reminded me of the shock I had felt when I first met Ridit.

I thought she would finally bow and show her respect. But instead, she pointed a finger at Ridit.

“That’s ridiculous! This kid is a prince?!”

“…”

“Why would a prince be here? Since when?”

“…Eloise? I understand you’re shocked, but it’s rude to act like this in front of the prince.”

When I scolded her firmly, Eloise closed her mouth.

Ridit, still holding my hand tightly, looked at Eloise with a slightly anxious expression.

*Sigh.*

A headache suddenly started to throb.

I figured I needed to make things very clear to Eloise first. With a much sterner expression, I spoke to her.

“Eloise, you’ll keep this secret, right? If we can’t protect the prince… you might die, and we could all die too.”

Eloise’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“What do you take me for, saying something so obvious?!”

TL NOTE: More advanced chapter of this story is already up to the site. Visit dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and stories