I opened my closed eyelids. Only then did the familiar interior of the carriage come into view.

Even after that, it took several blinks before I noticed something strange.

As I remembered, Ains should have been sitting across from me.

But for some reason, the seat in front was now empty.

This was despite the bumpy ride indicating the carriage was still moving.

‘Why?’

However, my question was soon answered.

“Did you sleep well?”

Ains’s voice came from right beside me.

I hurriedly turned to look at him.

Now I realized that he had lent me his shoulder while I was sleeping.

“How long have we been like this?”

“Not long.”

Though he said it hadn’t been long, the sky that had been dark when I last looked out the window now showed the sun just rising.

It was clear evidence that quite some time had passed since I fell asleep.

“I’m sorry. You should have woken me.”

“Why bother? It’s night anyway, might as well get some rest if you can.”

“Ains, you haven’t slept at all.”

When I spoke in a worried voice, Ains gave a small laugh.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Ains shrugged his shoulders once and continued speaking.

“We’ll arrive soon. I can rest then too.”

As if proving Ains’s words about arriving, a familiar mansion could be seen in the distance through the window.

“You really need to rest when we get there. Understood?”

Ains nodded as if it were obvious.

“Everyone must be tired from staying up all night, so you should get proper sleep too when we arrive. A short nap won’t be enough to recover from fatigue.”

“Alright.”

Before long, the carriage came to a stop at the Jermel villa.

After getting out of the carriage with Ains’s help, I immediately entered the villa.

“Wow…”

The villa was exactly as I remembered it from when I was young.

The only difference from back then was that I had been a child then, and now I was an adult.

“Ains, now that we’ve arrived, you really need to rest.”

Ains just smiled at my words.

I wasn’t unaware of what this reaction meant.

Though he had said he would rest in the carriage, it seemed he ultimately had no intention of doing so.

“I’ll be watching you.”

“Then…”

When I deliberately spoke stubbornly, Ains hesitantly opened his mouth.

As I nodded my head waiting for the rest, he continued speaking.

“Could you help me fall asleep?”

“What?”

Startled by his unexpected words, I asked back.

Ains avoided meeting my eyes, looking around here and there before speaking again.

“Help me fall asleep. I think I could sleep then.”

“How would I…”

“Just stay by my side until I fall asleep.”

“…”

Feeling flustered, I looked at Ains while my lips quivered.

But thinking about it, it didn’t seem like too much to ask of him who had even lent me his shoulder when I fell asleep in the carriage.

It wasn’t anything special, just staying by his side until he fell asleep.

“Alright. Let’s go.”

When I nodded and smiled in agreement, Ains looked at me with a rather surprised expression.

“You’ll really do it?”

His disbelieving question was amusing.

“Was it a fake request?”

When I deliberately furrowed my brow, Ains laughed and shook his head.

“No. I was serious. Let’s go.”

He hurriedly guided me inside, as if worried I might change my mind.

After going to my assigned room and washing up, I changed into comfortable clothes and headed to Ains’s room.

“Viscountess Marves has arrived.”

The servant knocked and announced my arrival.

“Come in.”

Only after Ains gave permission did the servant open the door.

When I entered, he walked toward me from his desk.

It seemed he had been working even after washing up.

“Is there that much work?”

I was well aware that there would naturally be a lot.

But seeing him working without proper rest even on what should be a day off made me worry about him.

“I was just looking at it because I had time. Nothing else to do while waiting for you.”

“You must be tired, you should have gone to sleep first if I was late.”

“Couldn’t sleep. Aren’t you here to help me sleep?”

“That’s true, but…”

I looked him over, unable to hide my concern. Then Ains moved to lie down on the bed.

I watched him for a moment before walking over to the bedside.

“You lie down too. Don’t just stand there.”

“As long as I’m beside you, that’s not necessary…”

“If you stay like that, I’ll feel too conscious to fall asleep.”

After hesitating at his words that sounded almost like whining, I finally nodded.

Then I sat down on the edge of the bed.

However, I had no intention of lying down as Ains suggested.

“Is this enough?”

“Yes.”

“Being like this reminds me of when we were young.”

“When we were young?”

“Yes. When I was crying, you would come and wipe away my tears.”

“Did I?”

Ains asked as if he couldn’t remember.

“I was really grateful then.”

It would have been hard to endure that time without Ains.

I hadn’t had a proper chance to thank him since then, so though it was very late, I conveyed my gratitude to him.

“If it hadn’t been for you, I might still be trapped in that sadness.”

Only then did Ains smile as if he understood.

“If that’s the case, I should thank you too.”

“Hmm?”

I tilted my head, not understanding Ains’s words.

Then Ains smiled slightly and continued.

“While comforting you, I was also comforted by you.”

“Really?”

“Yes. It was difficult then. After my mother passed away, there was no one to comfort me. But while comforting you, I found comfort in those words myself.”

“…That’s fortunate.”

Though Ains gave me credit, from my perspective, it seemed he had overcome it on his own.

But I didn’t mention this to him.

“Cecilia.”

Suddenly, Ains called my name.

Looking at him curiously, he checked my reaction before speaking.

“Could you sing me a lullaby?”

“A lullaby?”

Suddenly?

As I looked at him with surprise, he nodded with a flushed expression.

“I think I could sleep then. I haven’t been sleeping well these past few days.”

Though I hesitated at his voice that sounded almost like whining, I soon nodded and accepted his request.

“Alright.”

Ains looked at me with surprise, as if he hadn’t expected me to agree so readily. Then he smiled brightly like he used to when we were young.

Seeing him like that, I fell into thought for a moment about what song to sing.

And after finding a suitable song, I sang in a low, soft voice.

The lullaby I sang flowed gently through his quiet bedroom.

Though I thought it might be awkward since it had been so long since I’d sung, it wasn’t as embarrassing or awkward as I’d expected.

Perhaps it was because I was by Ains’s side.

However, even after the song had ended twice, Ains hadn’t fallen asleep.

Rather, he was staring at me intently with an unreadable gaze.

Uncomfortable under his gaze, I turned my eyes elsewhere.

“Was the song… not good?”

At my careful question, Ains shook his head.

“No. It was wonderful.”

“Then why are you looking at me like that?”

“Just because.”

Ains’s answer was vague.

“Just because?”

“Yes. Just because. It’s amazing to have you by my side.”

I could understand why he would think that.

Even I couldn’t quite believe that I was sitting beside him singing.

There was a time when I thought we would never be close again.

But in the end, both he and I had come full circle back to where we started.

“You’re right. It’s amazing to me too.”

I smiled, remembering those times.

Though they had been painfully difficult times to endure then, now they had become memories.

“If time passes…”

Ains suddenly closed his mouth mid-sentence.

Curious about what he was going to say, I quietly looked down at him.

It was unusual to see Ains hesitating.

“If time passes, do you think the wounds I left on you will heal?”

After all that hesitation, it seemed he was regretting how harshly he had treated me in the past.

I maintained silence for a moment while thinking.

Because of this, I could see anxiety clouding Ains’s eyes. A faint light of regret seemed to shine through as well.

“I think I understand what you’re worried about. Perhaps there will never come a day when I completely forget what happened then.”

“…”

Ains’s gaze fell. Seeing his self-reproaching expression, I added more words.

“But the wounds will heal. Though there might be some scars. Perhaps the fact that I can talk about it like this now is proof that the wounds are healing?”

I forgive you.

That’s how I chose to express those words.