6. The End of a Short Summer (Part 1)

Violet’s birthday was approaching, and everyone at the Godwin Estate knew about it. Violet, excited about her upcoming birthday, sang songs several times a day to announce it.

Every year, Cecilia and Merilyn would choose a gift for Violet together. However, this year was a little different. Merilyn, completely enamored with the sweetness of her first love, boldly abandoned that tradition. As a result, Ethan, who happened to be nearby, was chosen as Cecilia’s companion for the task.

“Are you ready?”  

“Yes, let’s go.”  

Cecilia, dressed in her outing attire, adjusted her bonnet as she answered. The two of them climbed into the carriage and headed toward the shopping district in town.

“This is the first time we’re going out together.”  

“Yes, it is.”  

Inside the rattling carriage, Cecilia, gazing out the small window, suddenly voiced a thought that occurred to her.  

“Now that I think about it, I’ve been rather inconsiderate. You came all the way from Belfort, yet I’ve kept you confined to the estate.”  

Ethan shrugged, responding with sincerity.  

“I didn’t mind at all. In fact, I rather enjoyed it. I wasn’t bored either.”  

“Still, I feel bad. That’s no way to treat a guest.”  

Ethan’s lips curled into a playful smirk. Instead of repeatedly saying it was fine, he confidently made a demand.  

“Then treat me properly today. Make it an excellent outing.”  

His reaction actually put Cecilia at ease. She smiled back at him.  

“All right. Trust me.”  

After stepping out of the carriage, the two of them wandered around the shopping district together. They visited quaint little shops, picking out items Violet might like and others she might dislike. Engaging in heated debates with Ethan over various items, Cecilia ended up buying a lot of unnecessary things.

It wasn’t surprising, though. Ethan had a way of making everything seem appealing. A hat that was out of fashion looked great when he wore it, and even an ugly doll seemed rather cute in his hands. His dazzling appearance gave every object a story, or so it seemed to Cecilia.

After all that shopping, their feet were sore, and their throats were dry. They decided to visit a trendy tea house and ordered teas with unfamiliar names, along with several cakes they wouldn’t normally have chosen. Though the tea’s aroma was unfamiliar and the cakes were overly sweet, even the mismatched combination felt delightful.

“…!”  

Ethan’s expression wavered slightly as he took a bite of the overly sweet chocolate cake. Though he said nothing, Cecilia noticed that he seemed a bit flustered. It was a subtle change, hard to detect, but Cecilia, who had been attuned to him, picked up on it immediately.

“You don’t like sweet things, do you? You should’ve said so.”  

Ethan looked at her as if asking how she knew and replied, 

“Was it that obvious?”  

“Yes, it was. You don’t have to force yourself to eat it.”  

The tips of Ethan’s ears turned slightly red.  

“I thought you liked it, so I wanted to like it too.”  

“Put the fork down. Now.”  

Cecilia took the fork from Ethan’s hand and set it on the table. He fidgeted with the teacup handle, his now-empty hands seemingly unsure of what to do. Amused by his awkwardness, Cecilia smiled silently.

As she glanced around, Cecilia suddenly noticed that the tea house was filled with couples. All of them leaned toward each other, lost in their own worlds. Their eyes sparkled like stars, and soft smiles adorned their faces.

When Cecilia turned her head back, her gaze met Ethan’s. He was already looking at her, his body leaning noticeably toward the table, his lips relaxed into a gentle curve. He looked just like the couples she had observed moments ago.

‘This feels just like a date, doesn’t it…?’  

The realization hit her all at once. Up until now, she had thought they were simply shopping for Violet’s gift and visiting a popular tea house to entertain a guest. But upon reflection, their activities were no different from those of an ordinary couple on a date.

Thunk.  

Under the table, their feet brushed against each other. Startled, Cecilia’s eyes widened. Instead of pulling his foot away, Ethan stretched out his long legs, trapping hers between his.

Cecilia blushed as she felt the warmth radiating from their intertwined legs beneath the tablecloth. It was just their legs, but the posture felt overly intimate. It was an odd shyness, considering they had shared far more intimate moments before.

In contrast, Ethan remained calm and composed. Smiling faintly, he set his teacup down and asked, 

“What’s the next stop?”  

Cecilia hesitated, thinking. Originally, she had planned to take him to a nice restaurant, but after indulging in too much cake, she was already full.  

“Is there anywhere you’d like to go? Or anything you’d like to do?”  

“I’d like to visit a place that holds meaning for you.”  

“A meaningful place…”  

A location came to mind. Cecilia nodded and said, 

“I’ve got it. Let’s go.”  

***

The place Cecilia brought Ethan to was far from the shopping district. It took a long carriage ride and another ten minutes of walking to reach it.

As they climbed a steep hill, the sky had begun to take on a faint orange hue. The sun was setting beyond the forest, its light dimming gradually.

“We got here just in time.” 

Cecilia said, catching her breath. She turned to Ethan, her brown hair blowing back in the strong wind. Her face, slightly flushed from the heat, glowed faintly red.

“The sunset here is spectacular.”  

“It feels so open and serene. The view is incredible.”  

“Isn’t it?”  

Cecilia plopped down on the grass, and Ethan naturally sat beside her. Tilting her head back to gaze at the sky, Cecilia remarked, 

Thanks to you, I’m visiting this place for the first time in almost a year. I used to come here all the time.”  

“It must be a special place for you.”  

Cecilia tilted her head, smiling wistfully.  

“A special place… I suppose you could call it that.”  

For a while, Cecilia stared at the sky in silence. Ethan didn’t press her, and she didn’t feel pressured to speak quickly. The sound of rustling grass filled the quiet air.

After a long pause, Cecilia finally spoke, her voice slow and deliberate.  

“I never thought I’d come here with someone else.”  

Ethan’s gaze rested on her profile. Her eyes, fixed on the distant horizon, carried a hint of melancholy, but there was also a faint sense of relief.  

“This place is… a kind of refuge for me.”  

“A refuge?”  

Cecilia nodded.

“After my parents suddenly passed away, I didn’t even have time to mourn before I was burdened with countless responsibilities. The pressure was so overwhelming that sometimes, I couldn’t even breathe. Whenever I felt like abandoning everything and running away, I came here to clear my head. Looking down from up here made me feel like I could breathe again.”  

“……”  

“It was really hard. So hard.”  

Cecilia emphasized the word “really” as if to punctuate her statement, smiling brightly as though it were all in the past.  

But to Ethan, her beautiful smile only seemed sad. Throughout the summer, they had shared countless stories, but this was the first time she had expressed her emotions so openly. She wasn’t the type to show her pain outwardly, nor was she someone who often expressed her feelings.  

It wasn’t just Ethan she hadn’t confided in. She likely bottled it all up inside, suppressing it again and again until it threatened to explode, at which point she would come here, cry her heart out, and then return. Even then, she would complete all her responsibilities, even staying up all night if needed, and she would smile warmly at her siblings as if nothing were wrong. Ethan’s face twisted slightly.  

‘So foolishly kind.’  

Unaware of Ethan’s burning frustration, Cecilia continued in a calm voice.  

“Still, the fact that I come here less and less must mean that it’s becoming a little more bearable. Maybe.”  

Or perhaps she was just becoming numb to it.  

Cecilia slowly lay down, resting one arm under her head like a pillow. Gazing up at the evening sky, she murmured in admiration.  

“Lie down too, Ethan. The sky is too beautiful to miss. Doesn’t it look like a masterpiece?”  

When Cecilia patted the spot beside her, Ethan lowered himself to the ground. Her comparison of the sky to a painting was apt. Ethan thought it resembled a canvas painted with golden hues, streaked carelessly with bold strokes of red.  

But at that moment, the beauty of the sky wasn’t what mattered to Ethan. Turning his head toward Cecilia, he cautiously asked, 

“Are you truly all right these days?”  

“I think so.”  

“……”  

“Or maybe not? I don’t know.”  

Cecilia’s eyes narrowed slightly.  

“I feel like I’m okay, but there are still moments when I suddenly get choked up. Not enough to make me run away to this place, though.”