Fuego firmly instructed Chris as he opened the secret door from the royal island of Torc to the city.

‘I will open the bridge every three days. You must return to the castle every three days. There are strange signs from Landers’ side.’

For the sake of His Majesty’s health, an outing was enforced, but since he had already been away for a long period before, he had to return every three days.

The fortunate thing was that Maria Tartien, who had visited the king a few days ago, fainted in front of him, so attention would be focused there for a while.

Only after Chris repeatedly assured Fuego did he manage to get Karl into the prepared carriage.

As Chris glanced at Karl, who had boarded the carriage, he cautiously asked.

“Are you alright, Mr President?”

Karl, sitting with his legs crossed and eyes closed, nodded quietly.

There was a deep furrow between his brows, indicating a headache.

‘…As expected, he hasn’t slept at all.’

Chris barely suppressed a sigh and hoped the carriage would hurry to its destination.

It had been over two weeks since Karl had had a good night’s sleep, counting the time spent traveling by train.

In fact, it could be said that he hadn’t slept properly for a month, considering the time in Yanzak.

Sleep is directly related to headaches.

Especially in Karl’s case, with his persistent tinnitus, severe headaches were inevitable.

Knowing this, Chris had helped him go out despite Fuego’s opposition.

‘The problem is whether she will accept the President…’

Would she, someone who had lost their memory and thought they had already broken up, accept him?

Lumiere was probably still in a state of confusion, and might not have the capacity to accept someone.

‘But… why did she break up with him?’

That was the part Chris couldn’t understand the most.

He had watched the two of them closely.

Although their love wasn’t ordinary, they had a deep affection that surpassed normalcy.

Their feelings weren’t one-sided.

There must be things beyond his guess as an outsider.

Still, Chris couldn’t help but feel sorry.

But even a love for the ages can only endure if there are shared memories and experiences.

Without shared memories, how could that great love survive?

The source of that affection was their shared history…

‘I don’t know. Love, huh.’

It was too high-level and mysterious an emotion for him to understand.

Chris shook his head briefly to clear his thoughts, and familiar scenery began to pass before his eyes.

‘We’re almost there.’

Chris, about to announce their imminent arrival, turned his head and closed his mouth.

His master, who had been tightly closing his eyes due to headaches, was already looking at their destination.

With a very soft smile, as if he had never been frowning.

* * *

Knock, knock, knock.

At the soft knock on the door, Lumiere slightly hunched her shoulders and took a deep breath.

She counted silently to three, not wanting to open the door too quickly and seem as if she had been waiting.

One.

Two.

Three.

She pulled the doorknob firmly.

The smell of the early morning mist rushed in through the crack in the door like a small wave.

In the wave of mist stood that man.

A man with golden eyes shining like the sun amidst his damp air.

Karl’s golden eyes, upon finding Lumiere, curved sweetly.

“…Hello?”

His face, which had grown pale in just a few days, was visible.

Why had he become so thin in such a short time?

Lumiere, captivated by his chapped lips, missed the timing to respond.

Then Karl broke the silence and reached out his hand.

His large, dry fingers cupped her cheek, which had turned a rosy peach color.

“Hello, Karl.”

He drew closer.

His gentle voice whispered intimately, as if speaking sweet nothings.

“…You should say that, Lumiere.”

It happened in an instant.

In an instant, his neat forehead rested on her shoulder.

“……?”

Literally, it was ‘resting’ on her shoulder.

Startled, she grasped the shoulders of the man leaning against her.

“Excuse me…?”

Instead of a proper answer, all she heard was the even sound of his breathing.

‘…What, did he fall asleep just like this?’

She glanced down at the man leaning on her shoulder with a bewildered look.

Though it wasn’t clear, it was undoubtedly the face of someone asleep.

Just then, Chris, who had been waiting behind Karl, quickly stepped forward and supported him, speaking in her stead.

“I apologize, Miss Lumiere. I didn’t expect him to collapse so quickly.”

Even Chris’s voice was tinged with surprise.

Collapse? Suddenly collapse?

“Why is he like this?”

“Well, it’s understandable that you’re confused…”

Seeing Lumiere’s puzzled expression, Chris gave an awkward smile and said,

“Could you please let our President rest for a while?”

It was indeed a bewildering request.

* * *

Lumiere looked at the man lying comfortably in her bed with a peculiar gaze.

‘When he experiences extreme stress or reaches the limits of his exhaustion, his body starts to malfunction. That’s when the tinnitus begins.’

She had heard the rough explanation from Chris Gunther.

‘He has seen countless doctors, but none could provide a definitive treatment. Some said it was a problem of the mind, and unless the root issue was resolved, it would be difficult to treat.’

…A problem of the mind.

Lately, it seemed she was encountering many issues related to the ‘mind.’

My mind, your mind…

What kind of problems do our minds have that we can’t shake off these strange ailments?

‘When the tinnitus starts, his hearing becomes abnormal. He can hear sounds that are unimaginably small.’

‘Sounds unimaginably small?’

‘Do you believe he can hear the heartbeat of the person standing in front of him? Can you imagine a life where you hear the murmurs of people beyond that door, the sound of insects’ wings?’

How could one imagine such a life?

Some people complain of insomnia from the sound of summer night insects.

But to hear the sounds outside the door, the heartbeat of the person in front of you?

That would mean giving up on a normal life.

Lumiere, staring at Karl, gently reached out and brushed aside the hair falling over his forehead.

‘…This was the only place where the President could find peace.’

‘……’

‘Strangely enough, he could sleep soundly only when he was with you, Miss Lumiere. And after a good sleep, the tinnitus that had been so bothersome would disappear. He said it was so miraculous he couldn’t believe it himself.’

The man’s haggard face looked very peaceful on her pillow.

Perhaps because of his pale cheeks, the shadows on his face appeared deeper.

Lumiere slowly withdrew her hand that had been hovering over his hair.

What on earth do I mean to this man?

…A place of rest?

Something that provides reassurance?

Or someone who would never betray him?

Why did I try to leave someone who has given me his whole heart so completely?

“You’re really a man who makes people uneasy.”

He wasn’t entirely hers, yet he felt too much like hers to be someone else’s. She didn’t know how to describe this strange feeling.

‘Am I crazy? Get a grip. My man… seriously.’

Startled, Lumiere stood up and moved away from him.

For some reason, she felt hot and thirsty.

She picked up the kettle Tamia had left, but it was already empty.

Glancing at the sleeping Karl, she carefully left the room.

She was a bit worried about leaving him alone, but she thought he would be thirsty when he woke up, so she planned to quickly bring back some water.

‘So this isn’t running away.’

She slowly descended the dark, eerie stairs.

Through the stairwell window, she could see the fog clearing outside.

“Again, it’s this time.”

The darkest hour before dawn.

She couldn’t lie next to the man occupying her bed, and going to another room made her uneasy, so she stayed by his side until this hour.

Lumiere chuckled helplessly as she entered the kitchen.

Fortunately, there was some herbal tea Tamia had prepared and cooled on the table.

Tamia’s herbal tea was amazing.

She didn’t realize how drowsy she was until she drank it, but once she did, her mind became clear as if she had woken up.

It smelled good and was easy to drink, so she kept seeking it out.

Lumiere filled the kettle she had brought with Tamia’s herbal tea.

But at that moment.

…Tap.

A faint sound came from outside.