Epilogue – Dazzlingly Beautiful (Part 5)

With those words, Kiern brought her hand to his lips. Seeing his trembling hand, she asked with a worried expression,  

“Are you okay?”  

“Ah.”  

Kiern stood still for a moment, then let out a shallow sigh. As he clenched and unclenched his trembling hand, trying to calm himself, Elizabeth gently took Eden from his arms.  

It seemed to have started again. The treatment had only recently begun, so he still occasionally suffered from sudden episodes.  

When she was by his side, he managed to recover more quickly, but the hallucinations hadn’t completely disappeared. The voices that had gripped his life for so long would unexpectedly resurface, stirring up his guilt.  

“It’s okay. I’m here.”  

Elizabeth softly embraced Kiern, comforting him. Just knowing she was there helped him find stability.  

“Hoo.”  

Kiern took a deep breath and held Elizabeth tightly. His shoulders rose and fell heavily.  

Seeing him like this always broke Elizabeth’s heart. She couldn’t fully fathom the mental anguish he had endured during the five years they had been apart.  

Having decided to love him again, she felt his pain as if it were her own. Their love had been so painful, leaving so many scars on each other, yet they still loved each other.  

Even so, all she could do when he struggled was hold him and stay by his side.  

Of course, even that was more than enough for Kiern. The woman before him was alive. Her voice was full of life, not the dead voices that haunted him.  

Meanwhile, Eden, sensing the unusual atmosphere, glanced around nervously. His mom had told him that his dad was suffering from a wounded heart.  

Sometimes, he would be tormented by memories of his past mistakes.  

Eden didn’t know what kind of past his dad was dwelling on, but he could tell it was painful for him. And seeing his dad like that made his mom look sad, too.  

After hesitating for a moment, Eden hugged Kiern’s leg, mimicking his mom. He didn’t fully understand what was happening, but he wanted to help his dad somehow.  

“Dad, don’t be sad.”  

Eden’s childish voice rang out as he rubbed his cheek against his dad’s pant leg. Like cicadas clinging to an old tree, mother and son clung to Kiern, waiting for him to calm down.  

After a while, Kiern regained his composure and looked at Elizabeth and Eden with an awkward expression. Seeing this, Elizabeth smiled brightly, and Eden followed suit.  

It was dazzling. The sight of his beloved woman and son smiling at him was breathtakingly beautiful.  

Kiern let out a gentle smile, basking in the peace that replaced the vanished hallucinations. Just being included in their world made him feel part of that beauty.  

The reason his gray world had become colorful. The greater his current happiness, the more Kiern resolved never to let it slip away again.  

Lifting Eden into his arms once more, he said,  

“Shall we go?”  

“Let’s go! I’m hungry!”  

The three of them headed to the dining room, chatting as if nothing had happened.  

* * *  

As the winter with its heavy snow passed, spring arrived.  

It was still the season where winter and spring met. As the spring snow fell like a greeting from winter to spring, green buds sprouted, and Agaphel Castle grew busier.  

“Hey, those flowers are wilting. Replace them with fresh ones.”  

“No, these were prepared by Young Master Eden himself.”  

“Oh, then leave them. Let’s put them somewhere more noticeable!”  

Everyone seemed to be in a frenzy. They were busy preparing for the Duke and Duchess’s upcoming wedding.  

One of the servants, blushing, said,  

“How can Young Master Eden be so adorable? Look at this. He gave this to me yesterday because I was having a hard time.”  

“Oh my, the Young Master gave you chocolate? That’s a sign of love!”  

Each of them proudly held the chocolates they had received from Eden, treasuring them. Just the thought of Eden handing out chocolates with his tiny hands made their hearts flutter.  

“Who would’ve thought the Duke would have such a cute son?”  

“It’s all thanks to Lady Elizabeth. I’ve never met anyone as gentle as her. No wonder the Duke fell in love with her.”  

Among the servants, Elizabeth and Eden were already cherished as precious masters.  

During the season they had spent at Agaphel Castle since last autumn, the servants had been deeply moved by the warmth they brought—a warmth they never thought they’d experience in the castle.  

As the mother and son who had melted the Duke’s icy heart, their every action was endearing. And the Duke, who had been so cold, was now so tender that it often left the servants in astonishment.  

“Spring has come to Agaphel Castle, indeed.”  

One servant murmured with a grin, and the others nodded in agreement.  

Spring had truly arrived at Agaphel Castle. What had once been a barren, wintry place was now brimming with unprecedented vitality.  

At that moment, one of the chatting servants rolled up their sleeves and declared enthusiastically,  

“Let’s make this the wedding of the century, one that will be remembered in Yelhen forever!”  

One by one, they echoed the sentiment and returned to their work with renewed focus. It was two days before the wedding.

***

Elizabeth, dressed in her wedding gown, let out deep breaths, her face tense. Agaphel Castle was beautifully decorated for today’s wedding ceremony.  

It was a special day when the gates of Agaphel Castle, which rarely allowed entry, were opened. To celebrate the wedding, the King himself was scheduled to attend on behalf of the royal family.  

This was thanks to Elizabeth maintaining a good relationship with the Queen since the last royal gathering. She was playing an important role as a bridge between the once-strained royal family and the Agaphel family.  

“Mommy!”  

At that moment, Eden, all dressed up, ran toward Elizabeth. As the flower boy for the wedding, he looked more polished than usual.  

Elizabeth opened her arms to welcome him, but Eden hesitated and stopped a step away instead of jumping into her arms. Puzzled, Elizabeth tilted her head and called to him.  

“Eden?”  

“Um, Mommy, you’re so, so pretty.”  

Eden shyly twisted his legs as he spoke. Normally, he would have hugged her right away, but today, he felt he shouldn’t wrinkle her dress.  

Noticing Eden’s thoughtfulness, Elizabeth smiled brightly and gestured for him to come closer. When Eden stepped forward, she adjusted his outfit once more and said,  

“Our Eden looks so handsome too. The tuxedo suits you well.”  

“I practiced throwing the flowers every day without falling!”  

“It’s okay if you fall. Just get back up. Mommy and Daddy will be right there with you.”  

“Still…”  

Hearing that his mom and dad would be by his side made Eden feel inexplicably happy, and he trailed off his words. Seeing Eden like this helped Elizabeth relax a little.  

Once the wedding was over, she would officially become the Duchess of Agaphel. Although she had already been fulfilling the role of Duchess, today was the day it would be made official, which made it hard for her to stay calm.  

As Elizabeth chatted with Eden to ease her nerves, Kiern entered the bridal waiting room.  

“You look beautiful.”  

Standing by the door, Kiern murmured softly. When Elizabeth noticed him and smiled brightly, he strode over and bent down. Without giving her a chance to say anything, he kissed her deeply.  

“Ah!”  

Eden exclaimed, covering his eyes with both hands. Yet, he couldn’t resist peeking through his fingers, feeling proud as he watched his parents’ display of affection.  

Kiern brushed her neck and bit her lower lip. The intensity of his kiss made Elizabeth’s eyelashes tremble.  

After a satisfying kiss, Kiern gently touched her lips and said,  

“I’ll have to reapply it. I’ve wiped it all off.”  

“Kiern!”  

“Or maybe I should kiss you again before reapplying it? I’ll probably just wipe it off again anyway.”  

“You’re unbelievable, doing this in front of Eden…”  

Elizabeth, her face as red as a beet, fanned herself to cool down while glancing at Eden. Kiern, feigning innocence, asked,  

“Son, did you see anything just now?”  

“Nope!”  

“He says he didn’t.”  

“Yup, I didn’t see anything! I didn’t see a thing!”  

“Ha.”  

Elizabeth let out a small laugh at the father and son acting so in sync. Though she was annoyed that her carefully applied lipstick had been smudged, seeing how well the two got along filled her with warmth.  

When Elizabeth gave Kiern a playful glare, he took the lipstick and carefully reapplied it to her lips. His gentle touch as he traced her lip line made Elizabeth close her eyes tightly.  

Just moments ago, she had been nervous about the wedding. Now, it was Kiern making her nervous. Whether he knew this or not, Kiern slowly applied the lipstick and lightly tapped her lips with his finger.  

“All done.”  

Then, he brought his lipstick-stained finger to his lips. His blue eyes stayed fixed on her as he did so.  

“You’re hopeless.”  

Flustered, Elizabeth muttered under her breath. Kiern, smiling lazily, replied,  

“You’re just realizing that now?”  

“…”  

“Still, you’re the one holding my leash. You’ll have to keep holding it tightly so I don’t stray.”  

His whispered words, meant to keep Eden from hearing, made Elizabeth glare at him sharply. But when she saw Kiern’s smile, an indescribable warmth filled her heart.  

That smile reminded her of his youthful innocence from years ago. The image of him drenched and smiling overlapped with the man before her, making her eyes sting with emotion.  

“I love you, Kiern.”  

Overwhelmed by her feelings, Elizabeth confessed her love. Kiern’s eyes widened briefly before he grinned and responded,  

“I love you too.”  

“…”  

“I love you, Ellie.”  

The immense affection in Kiern’s slightly delayed confession washed over Elizabeth, making her smile radiantly.  

“Yes, I know. Your eyes already told me.”  

“Caught me. But your eyes are saying the same thing.”  

“Looks like I’ve been caught too.”  

Elizabeth mirrored his playful tone and smiled again.  

Amid their usual banter, the wedding ceremony proceeded with blessings from all around. It was a dazzlingly beautiful season and the start of a new, radiant chapter.  

<Epilogue: Dazzlingly Beautiful – The End>