The Grand Duke first met Lila when he was seven years old. He had accompanied his mother, Countess Lucia, on a visit to the cold palace. While the Countess spoke with the deposed Empress, young Eustace wandered off to explore and found a child sitting hunched in a desolate corner of the barren garden, quietly crying. That child was Lila.

“Who are you? Why are you crying?”

The little girl with jet-black hair was small and fragile, like a baby bird. It didn’t take long for Eustace to deduce her identity.

“Do you live here? Then you must be the so-called mutant princess.”

“Who… are you?”

A faint smile appeared on the Grand Duke’s lips as he recalled their first meeting. Young Lila had been wary of him, but her curiosity was unmistakable. The two ended up sitting on an old swing in the corner of the garden, chatting away.

“I can’t believe the Emperor is such a horrible person!”

The young Eustace, brimming with righteous indignation, had been outraged upon hearing Lila’s story.

“I’ll tell my parents, and we’ll save you! Just wait a little longer!”

“Really?”

“Of course! Pinky promise! Oh no, my mother is calling. I have to go now, but I’ll come back next time!”

“Will you come back again?”

“Of course!”

Though parting with Lila was difficult, the young Grand Duke went straight to his mother as soon as he returned home.

“You met Her Highness the Princess?”

Countess Lucia’s face lit up upon hearing her son’s story.

“Can I visit again next time?”

“Of course.”

“Really? Will you take me to the palace again?”

“Yes. I’m glad you’ve become friends with her. We’ll go together next time.”

After that, Countess Lucia took the Grand Duke with her every time she visited the cold palace. The two children quickly became close.

“Lila! Come this way!”

“Wait for me!”

The young princess, who lived in isolation in the cold palace, grew very attached to the Grand Duke.

“Can’t you stay a little longer?”

Every time they parted, Lila would cry, begging him not to leave. The Grand Duke, too, found it hard to hide his reluctance. He desperately wanted to rescue the young princess from the tyrannical Emperor as soon as possible.

“Lila, Lila, I have good news! My parents said that after they return from their estate inspection, they’ll formally raise the issue of your situation with His Majesty!”

“Really?”

“Yes. Just wait a little longer. I’ll get you out of here, I promise.”

“I hope we can live together at your estate soon.”

But that promise was never fulfilled. The shadow of regret fell over Grand Duke Eustace’s face, and his blue eyes dimmed with sorrow. He looked at Lila, still nestled in his arms, with a gaze full of pity.

“You said you had a dream today, didn’t you? The version of me you saw in the dream was probably me during the time I was traveling to and from the imperial palace to claim my title as Grand Duke.”

When the previous Grand Duke and Duchess died, the Emperor delayed granting Eustace his title, claiming he was too young. To secure his position and rally nobles to his side, Eustace frequently visited the imperial palace to plead his case and gather support.

“After my parents passed away, I was… broken in some way.”

The world was cruel to a young boy burdened with the responsibility of leading a family. Grand Duke Eustace bore a weight far too heavy for him alone. At times, he was overwhelmed by the urge to run away from it all.

One day, in a fit of impulse, he visited the cold palace. After a heated argument with the Emperor over his title, he sought solace in the palace full of cherished memories.

“Lila…?”

“Berre…?”

The moment he saw someone he thought was long dead, the shock left him speechless. Recalling that moment, the Grand Duke let out a soft chuckle.

“That day, I was reborn.”

Lila held her breath as she listened to his words. Though his story did not stir any memories of her past, she could vividly recall the sorrowful boy she had seen in her dream.

“It was you who saved me, Lila.”

The Grand Duke murmured with a wistful voice. He meant it. When he resolved to live for Lila, his life gained a purpose. If he hadn’t met her again, if she hadn’t vowed to wait for him, he might have crumbled long ago.

“Thanks to you, I found a reason to keep living.”

Eustace brushed away the tears staining her cheeks. Her pale, delicate skin, now streaked with tears, pained him to see.

“I am alive today because of you, Lila. My life belongs to you.”

His cool fingers gently caressed the burning hot corners of her tear-filled eyes, tenderly soothing the redness.

“So please… don’t blame yourself for things that have nothing to do with you.”

As he finished speaking, the Grand Duke lowered his head. Lila instinctively closed her eyes as his lips brushed her tear-streaked eyelids. The soft warmth of the touch made her wet lashes tremble.

“They taste salty.”

Smack. The Grand Duke playfully sucked away the tear precariously clinging to the corner of her eye and spoke in a teasing tone.

“W-What are you doing?”

Lila stammered, her expression flustered. She was so taken aback that her tears seemed to stop instantly.

“Please, stop crying now.”

The Grand Duke calmly licked his lower lip, the faint taste of salt lingering on his tongue. Lila felt her cheeks flush as she watched him, her heart pounding. This warmth was different from the heat caused by her earlier sobbing.

“If you keep crying, your eyes might melt away.”

Grand Duke Eustace raised a hand to smooth his disheveled black hair. Lila, too, seemed to be trying to calm herself as she took a deep breath.

“Huoo…”

As she exhaled deeply, almost like a sigh, her body trembled slightly. Repeating the deep breaths a few times, she felt her pounding heart gradually settle.

“Mm.”

Lila lowered her gaze and let out a small sound. As her heightened emotions subsided, she became embarrassed, realizing how undignified she must have looked in front of him.

“…Grand Duke.”

“Yes?”

Grand Duke Eustace smiled softly at Lila as she called out to him. Seeing his affectionate smile, Lila hesitated for a moment before opening her mouth.

“I also…”

“Hmm?”

“…will… for you.”

“Pardon?”

Lila’s voice was so faint it was barely audible. It seemed more like she was muttering to herself than speaking to him. The Grand Duke blinked, unable to catch what she said clearly.

“What did you just say…?”

“It’s nothing.”

Mumbling her reply, Lila grabbed his hand. As she fidgeted with his cool hand, she gently kissed the back of it.

“Lila…?”

Grand Duke Eustace’s eyes widened in surprise at her unexpected action. Lila, however, paid no attention to his reaction and firmly pressed her lips together.

‘I’ll live for you now.’

Just as he had lived for her, she decided that she would now live for him. Closing her eyes, Lila silently vowed with all her heart. Even if it meant losing the freedom she had long desired and stepping back into the cage, she was willing to endure it for him.

On that rainy day that brought back sorrowful memories, the girl chose to return to the cage to protect someone precious to her. Thus, the Raven willingly broke her own wings by her own will.

****