Chapter 121

“….”

When the Baron and William fell silent, Illya, on the other hand, opened his mouth wide. Representing the three of them, Illya spoke—or rather, he got angry.

“What marriage? Do you even know how old you two are? You’ve just become adults! And now you’re talking about marriage?”

“This incident made me realize just how much I love Elly. I want to be with her as soon as possible. Please grant us your permission.”

“Are you serious…? Did you even discuss this with Elly?”

Elena blushed shyly.

“Yes, he already proposed.”

“You two…”

“Quiet down, Illya.”

At the Baron’s words, Illya closed his mouth. The Baron remained silent for quite some time.

Finally, after a long pause, the Baron spoke.

“Felix. Shamefully, after my wife passed away, I was so consumed by grief that I failed to take proper care of Elly. I’ve always felt guilty toward her.”

“…”

“Can you promise me that you’ll make her happy?”

Felix, his face tense, responded firmly.

“Yes. No matter what it takes, I will ensure Elena’s happiness.”

“Very well.”

The Baron stroked his chin before finally granting his approval.

“I give you my permission.”

“But, Father… Wait, what?”

Elena, who had expected her father to refuse, was so taken aback that she could only blink in confusion.

“I said I give you my permission.”

“Really? Truly?”

“Thank you, Sir Bellote. I will do my utmost.”

Felix followed Elena’s astonished words with a heartfelt expression of gratitude.

Although Illya grumbled about how this could happen, in the end, he congratulated them.

It was a moment when Elena felt the love of her family, which she had believed to be distant. She truly felt loved.

And being acknowledged by her family for her love brought her immense joy.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she barely managed to speak.

“We’ll live happily together.”

“Yes, you must.”

Her father embraced her tightly. His arms felt as warm as they had before her mother’s passing.

It was a day of unparalleled happiness.

***

Afterward, they headed straight to the Christian Estate. This time, Elena was the one who was incredibly nervous.

However, the reactions of Earl Christian and Madam Jane to their story were completely unexpected.

Especially Madam Jane. When Felix expressed his desire to marry Elena, she asked her a question.

“Are you truly okay with this, Elly?”

“Pardon?”

“I mean, he is my son, but Felix can be a bit indifferent, you know? While I’d love for you and Felix to marry, I’m worried you might regret it.”

“Mother.”

Felix called out to her in frustration, but Madam Jane dismissed him lightly and took Elena’s hands.

“Are you certain you’ll be happy marrying my son?”

At that, Elena smiled and answered confidently.

“Yes. I’ll be happy.”

“Alright. If you say so, then I’ll give my permission.”

Thus, they received consent for their marriage from both families.

It was the perfect conclusion to everything.

***

Perhaps because Felix was deeply affected by being unable to do anything while Elena was unconscious, he was eager to hold the wedding as soon as possible.

Respecting his wishes, Elena hurriedly began preparing for the wedding. They decided on an early autumn date for the ceremony. The venue was set to be the Christian Estate. Initially, they had considered holding it at the Bellote Mansion, but Madam Jane insisted on taking charge of the wedding preparations.

Due to the tight timeline, the preparation process was hectic.

From narrowing down the guest list and sending out invitations to designing the dress and selecting the reception menu, there was far more to consider than Elena had anticipated.

Nevertheless, with Madam Jane’s assistance, they managed to complete all preparations without any setbacks.

And now, Elena and Felix were in the final stages of preparation.

“Lord Christian, please look at the lady with more affection. And lady, smile a bit brighter, please.”

The painter, who was capturing their image, gestured as he gave instructions. Felix, seated beside Elena, raised an eyebrow slightly before gazing at her with a more tender expression.

The change in his demeanor made Elena smile involuntarily.

“Yes, that natural smile is perfect.”

As they looked at each other, the painter worked diligently to capture their image on the canvas.

After several hours, the painting, which had taken days to complete, was finally finished.

“Wow.”

Elena couldn’t help but exclaim as soon as she saw it. Their depiction on the canvas looked more affectionate and beautiful than any couple she had ever seen. She hooked her arm around Felix’s and observed his reaction.

“What do you think?”

“Well, it’s pretty.”

She clicked her tongue and rested her cheek against his arm.

“That’s all you have to say?”

“What else? I said it’s pretty.”

“Your tone is so indifferent.”

Felix let out a sigh before signaling the painter with his eyes. Picking up on the cue, the painter left the room, leaving the two alone.

Felix lightly kissed her cheek.

“You’re much prettier than the painting.”

This time, his voice carried an unmistakable sincerity. Embarrassed, Elena lightly smacked his arm.

For someone as stoic and indifferent as Felix to say something like that, it made her realize just how much their relationship had changed.

Although he frowned slightly at her playful hits, Felix eventually smiled faintly.

“It’s not long now.”

“Yes. Just four days left.”

Elena gazed at the painting with a wistful expression.

During the months of wedding preparation, they had discussed countless topics, but there was one subject they hadn’t touched upon.

The matter of children. It was the most important topic, yet they hadn’t spoken about it, likely because of Little One.

In the three months leading up to the wedding, Little One hadn’t appeared. Although they had been told months ago that he wouldn’t come again, the reality of his absence still hit hard.

There were times when Elena wrote in the diary, expressing her longing to see him, before going to bed. But Little One never came.

Little One, who was Felix and my child in the future. Was it truly impossible to see him again?

Or had the future changed, leaving the Little One to exist only in our memories?

The thought brought tears to her eyes once more. Taking a deep breath to suppress her emotions, she gathered her courage and spoke.

“Hey.”

“Yes?”

“Do you think Little One will come back?”

It was the first time she had brought up the topic in months. The subject of Little One had become almost taboo between them. Felix’s eyes widened in surprise before he murmured softly.

“I’m not sure.”

Elena stared at their painting and whispered with a voice tinged with emotion.

“I miss him.”

Felix kissed the top of her head and whispered back.

“So do I.”

***

That night, Elena went to bed with lingering sadness. Then, on the morning three days before the wedding…

“Hmm? Is it really you, Mom?”

A strange voice woke her. It was the cheerful voice of a child.

It felt oddly familiar, reminiscent of the times Little One had appeared.

But Little One wasn’t supposed to appear anymore.

Months ago, the last time she saw Philly—Felix Junior—he had said that the future had changed, and he wouldn’t be able to visit again.

It made sense. Little One had only come to see her because of her dangerous journey to the Kingdom for time-travel magic research.

Having been away for so long, Little One had used time-travel magic out of a longing to see her.

But now, the future was different. Little One’s existence was uncertain, and even if he did exist, he no longer had a reason to travel back in time to see her.

In the future they were heading toward, she and Felix would be with Little One.

And yet…

“Mommy, wake up!”

The tugging at her hand felt too vivid to be a dream.

‘Don’t get your hopes up.’

She resolved herself as she opened her eyes. What greeted her was a child smiling brightly at her.

A boy with light blonde hair and gray eyes, looking about five years old.

He was identical to the Little One she had seen in the capital. The same Little One who had cried when they parted ways, unable to say a proper goodbye.

But now, instead of tears, he was smiling radiantly.

“Philly?”

She muttered without thinking, and the boy grinned widely, showing his teeth.

“Yes, Mom! It’s me!”

Tears streamed down her face. She didn’t know how Little One had returned, but she decided to savor the moment.

She hugged Little One tightly and burst into tears.

“Philly, I missed you so much!”

It had been three months since she last saw him.