Elios stared into Snow’s eyes, which seemed to contain rippling white waves. His voice grew a little louder.

“Snow. There’s no need to tremble before them, no need to bow your head. Don’t worry. It’s not right to place yourself below them.”

“What does it matter if you make some mistakes? Have confidence in each of your actions. You are certainly someone who can be allowed that.”

It was remarkably similar to what she had heard from Ceres Martadia earlier that day. The people dear to her were all telling her that she didn’t need to tremble, that she should act confidently. Was she really allowed to do that?

“Besides, Snow.”

For a moment, a different kind of smile filled those warm black eyes flecked with gray. The face that she had thought had completely transformed into that of a young man now showed traces of the mischievous boy she had once known.

“Look at me.”

At his words, Snow looked at Elios like an obedient child. Elios couldn’t believe that this adorable girl’s birthday was five months earlier than his, meaning she would become an adult before him. He wanted to see her flustered.

“You shouldn’t think that all nobles live foolishly and extravagantly as you imagine. Look at me. Do I seem to live so carelessly?”

“Oh, no!”

Snow waved both hands in front of her. Her reaction was even cuter than Elios had imagined.

“So you see. Even I, who am something like a noble, live earnestly in my own way. Hasty generalizations are problematic.”

Something like a noble? That strange phrase came out of Elios’s mouth again. This time, Snow properly questioned it. So she asked:

“El. If you’re a noble, you’re a noble. What exactly is ‘something like a noble’?”

Elios smiled quite slyly. He was hesitating whether to tell her the truth. Actually, there was no particular reason to hide that he was of the imperial family, but he wanted to keep teasing this adorable young lady.

His coming-of-age ceremony was five months away. By then, Snow would perform his baptism, and whether she liked it or not, his identity would be revealed to her. How surprised would she be, with her small lips forming a perfect O in astonishment, when she belatedly discovered that Elios was actually a prince? El said with a cunning expression:

“What? Did I say that? I don’t remember.”

‘What?’

Snow opened her eyes wide, more flustered than ever. Elios swallowed the laughter that was about to burst out.

Before Snow could open her mouth again on that subject, he quickly took out a small watch from the pocket inside his cloak. Elios brightened his expression as he looked at the watch.

Snow, wondering if there was something special, slightly craned her neck to look at Elios’s watch with him. It was a bronze watch that looked very luxurious with intricate geometric patterns engraved on the lid. But there was nothing else particularly unusual about it.

Elios closed the lid of the pocket watch in his palm with a snap. Then he said:

“Snow. It’s past midnight.”

His voice revealed his excited mood. Elios, thinking that Snow might not have properly understood the meaning of his words, said once more:

“Now you’re truly nineteen years old, an adult. Happy birthday, Snow.”

Snow, seeming unable to believe it, looked at Elios as he offered his congratulations for a moment, then blushed and smiled.

Although he wouldn’t be able to attend her coming-of-age ceremony, Elios was with her at the moment midnight passed. He had talked with her alone and heard her innermost thoughts. It was far more valuable than briefly meeting at the official coming-of-age ceremony.

“Oh my. To be together at the moment midnight passes. I can’t not give you a birthday present. Is there anything you need?”

Snow was about to say no, but then let out an “Ah!” exclamation. A good idea had occurred to her.

“There is. Something only El can give.”

“What is it?”

Snow’s already upturned corners of her mouth rose even higher. She was clearly beside herself with happiness. Snow couldn’t even remember when she had last felt such a joyful emotion.

“Let’s be friends.”

“Weren’t we already friends?”

Elios shrugged his shoulders.

“Mmm, friends should talk to each other in a more comfortable way. They should come running whenever needed, and have no secrets from each other. They play pranks together and share their worries.”

Snow said, shaking her head. At the part about having no secrets, Elios’s conscience should have stung a bit, but he was shameless.

“Let’s see. I will come running whenever Snow needs me in the future. I don’t particularly have anything to hide from Snow, and I do play pranks. Since Snow just consulted me about her worries, the only thing left is the comfortable way of speaking? But Snow is the Holy Maiden, is it really alright for me to speak informally to you?”

Snow was so happy that she wanted to jump up from her seat and shout. Her open mouth wouldn’t close.

“Of course. Since birth, no one has ever spoken to me informally. If El would be the first to do so, I would be truly happy.”

“If Snow allows it, then good. Let’s do that.”

Elios immediately switched to informal speech. It seemed so natural, as if he had never used formal speech with her, that it was almost sly.

So Snow, who had secretly worried that the conversation might become awkward if she suddenly switched to informal speech after suggesting it herself, was able to continue the conversation without burden.

Snow asked about what kind of world ‘El’ lived in. There wasn’t much fun in her world. She lived in the Santarium and offered prayers on schedule. Other than that, she only read books and studied. She didn’t have anything that could be called a hobby, nor did she have friends her age.

To Snow’s question about what kind of life he led, Elios explained as best he could without revealing his identity. Snow listened with the expression of a dreaming girl to stories of the world outside the temple that she had never experienced. Among Elios’s stories, what Snow found most interesting were his accounts of things he had experienced and heard outside the castle walls.

From the time she was old enough to understand words, she had been told countless times how much the people of Akelan respected and praised her. Perhaps that was why Snow felt a kind of compassion and responsibility for those in lower positions.

However, since she had no direct experience of where they lived or how they looked, to Snow, they felt like characters appearing in a book.

But through Elios’s stories, she truly came to understand. They were not like marionettes used in puppet shows with strings attached. They were real people with souls.

They relied on each other, sometimes betrayed each other, and lived each day doing their best to get by. They knew how to express emotions much more complex than just crying, laughing, and getting angry, and unlike Snow, who desperately wished for the same stable life as yesterday to repeat every day, they were people who willingly risked today for a better tomorrow.

Snow felt an overwhelming lovableness from them. They were the people she had saved. Snow also felt pride in her existence for the first time.

“Snow. The night is deep. Shouldn’t you get at least a little sleep for tomorrow?”

Elios said, checking his watch. It was already past 3 AM. He too needed to return now. Even though he frequently went outside the castle in this manner in the evenings, today he had even deceived the maids to create an excuse to go out in rough weather. As he was briefly thinking about how to clean up the aftermath when he returned to the castle, Snow’s voice, as soft and transparent as fine silver thread, was heard.

“It’s strange, El. When I’m with you, I don’t feel tired at all. It feels like I’ve already had a good sleep and woken up.”

Elios smiled at Snow’s tone, which genuinely conveyed her amazement. It was a secret to him, but that sunshine-like smile had overnight become one of Snow’s favorite things.

“I feel the same way. But it would be good to get some sleep. I think I need to go now.”

Elios didn’t want to leave. It felt like leaving his most important treasure without any security. But for such peaceful meetings to continue beyond this one time, he needed to act wisely. Now was the right time to return.

But Snow simply couldn’t let him go. Snow was in the position of having to wait endlessly for him. She didn’t even know exactly where he lived. He could come to find her, but she couldn’t go to find him. She became anxious. She feared that, like before, he might say he would come again but make her wait for years.

Elios, reading such emotions from Snow’s expression, said:

“Don’t worry. This time, I won’t make you wait long.”

Only after he promised, even hooking his finger, did Snow seem to relax a little and sigh. She asked:

“I want to know your name. I’m a clergy person so I don’t have something like a family, but you’re different. What’s your exact name?”

Thinking that he really needed to return now, Elios almost answered “Elios Riman Akelan.” But remembering Snow’s surprised expression at his coming-of-age ceremony someday, he managed to hold back. He gave the first family name that came to mind.

“El Callisto.”

Elios shamelessly used the name of the Astal Knights Commander’s family. It was a random utterance, but then he realized that Mihail Callisto, the Count of Callisto, had no sons. Since he didn’t intend to hide it for long anyway, he decided to let things be as they may.

Watching Snow repeating “El Callisto, El Callisto” to herself so as not to forget, Elios finally felt a pang of conscience. Trying to shake off the uneasiness, he said:

“Snow. Don’t forget what I said. You can do better than anyone else tomorrow. Remember that everyone who will gather there are people who survived thanks to you. There’s no need to be scared, no need to tremble.”

Snow nodded with a solemn face. To an outsider, it might have looked like she was going off to war.

Her tightly closed lips and slightly furrowed brow were lovely. Elios realized anew. He was now with Snow. The person he had longed for every day for six years was now in front of him. Snow had grown into someone prettier and more lovable than any image he had imagined.