Duke Kyle was the same today. Neither worse nor better.

He was just on a long journey alone, with his eyes closed.

Aaron nodded to him in greeting and put down the luggage he had brought on the table.

It was quite heavy, as she had packed so many things.

“Well, I’ll be outside, so have a happy time with the duke.”

“Thank you.”

“See you in a little while.”

Aaron kissed her forehead lightly and then left the hospital room.

“……”

As the door closed, Eileen turned her gaze to Duke Kyle.

“Hello, Dad. Did you sleep well?”

After greeting him, Eileen carefully held Duke Kyle’s hand.

It was very rough from lying in a hospital bed for so long.

“Dad, just a moment.”

Eileen opened the bag she had brought. After rummaging through it for a while, she seemed to find what she wanted and returned to Duke Kyle.

What she had brought was a small container filled with cream.

She opened the lid and put an appropriate amount on the back of Duke Kyle’s hand.

“How can the Empire’s duke have such rough hands?”

With a playful reproach, the cream applied to the back of his hand was absorbed into the skin.

Looking at the scene with satisfaction, Eileen then held out her own hand.

“I told you that I received a proposal, but I don’t think I showed the ring to you properly.”

The purple sapphire sparkled in the sunlight.

“What do you think of your future son-in-law’s eye for beauty?”

There was no answer, but somehow she felt like she could hear a disapproving cough.

“You know, Dad. These days, Mom doesn’t call Aaron ‘Duke Aaron’ anymore, but ‘our son-in-law.'”

Though there was no movement, she could almost see Duke Kyle frowning.

Eileen continued with a chuckle.

“Oh, and I told you before that Amber escaped, right?”

“……”

“Aaron hurt his hand while protecting me from her attack.”

All her stories were about Aaron.

There were many other things to talk about, but Eileen deliberately only talked about Aaron.

Hoping that, as Duchess Lia had said, the jealous Duke Kyle would miraculously wake up upon hearing this.

“Aaron said he promised you he wouldn’t make you and me cry.”

“……”

“Aaron is keeping that promise very well.”

Gradually, her voice became more and more tearful.

“But Dad……”

Her clear vision from just a moment ago became blurry.

Tears rolled down her cheeks and fell onto their clasped hands. Eileen didn’t even think about wiping away the flowing tears.

There was no point, as they would keep flowing endlessly.

“Why aren’t you keeping your promise, Dad? That’s unfair.”

She tried to speak as playfully and smoothly as possible. But she couldn’t hide the trembling in her voice.

“You even pinky promised.”

“……”

“It’s a Ceres family tradition that promises made with pinky swears must be kept.”

So keep it.

Eileen muttered with her face buried.

I shouldn’t cry today, I should talk calmly.

Despite her all-day resolution, she unconsciously started complaining.

She felt very sorry, but she couldn’t endure without doing so.

It was then.

“Eileen……”

A low, deep voice flowed into Eileen’s ears.

“……!”

She thought Aaron had called her.

Aaron, who had been secretly listening to the conversation from outside, had come in because he was too worried about her.

If not that, then there were only two people here, herself and Duke Kyle, so where else could the voice come from?

Yes, that must be it.

But Eileen knew.

That voice was not Aaron’s.

How could she not know?

It was the voice she had longed for and wanted to hear so badly.

She wanted to raise her head and check, but her head wouldn’t lift.

It felt too heavy, as if a rock had been placed on it.

Eileen bit her lip. Then, the fingers that hadn’t moved began to stir slightly, and once again the voice was heard.

“Eileen…… Dad…… face…… please look at me……”

It was like magic. Somehow, upon hearing that voice, her head jerked up.

And when her eyes met the deep blue eyes that she thought she might never see again, tears fell without resistance.

“Dad……”

She wanted to ask why he came back so late, why he made her worry.

There was so much she wanted to say, but nothing came out. Eileen just kept repeating “Dad” as she wept.

“Ei, leen……”

As if understanding her feelings, Duke Kyle squeezed out his voice that barely came out.

Although he couldn’t comfort her right now due to his weakened body, he did so with his eyes instead.

While they were having this wordless conversation, the firmly closed door opened roughly, and Aaron rushed into the hospital room.

“Eileen!”

Having heard her sobbing from outside, his face was deathly pale.

“If something happened to Duke Kyle……”

Suddenly, Aaron’s words cut off. He stood frozen, staring blankly at Duke Kyle.

“Aa…… ron.”

When Duke Kyle called him with difficulty, Aaron finally let out the breath he had been holding.

“I’ll…… I’ll call the doctor.”

As Aaron was about to leave the hospital room, Kyle tapped the back of Eileen’s hand.

“Aaron, wait……”

Eileen cleared her throat and stopped Aaron.

“Dad is calling you.”

As Aaron approached, Duke Kyle carefully took his hand.

“……”

There was no strength at all. But his gratitude was properly conveyed.

Aaron silently accepted those feelings.

It was then.

Bang! With a loud noise, the closed door swung open.

“What’s happening!”

It was the doctor.

Thinking it was an emergency, beads of sweat had formed on his forehead.

“Has something happened to Duke Kyle…!”

The doctor, who had been approaching with worried words, stopped abruptly just as Aaron had done earlier.

But only for a moment.

“My goodness!”

The doctor exclaimed with a short but meaningful admiration.

“May I examine him?”

“Of course.”

As Eileen and Aaron made way, the doctor conducted all the tests he could do right now, starting with pupil response.

After completing everything, he said with a broad smile,

“I think you can rest assured now.”

* * *

Duchess Lia, who heard the news belatedly, wept bitterly.

As if pouring out all the tears she had been holding back until now, she held Duke Kyle’s hand and cried endlessly.

The employees of the Ceres ducal family were the same.

Although they couldn’t visit the hospital due to the visitation ban for the patient’s stability, they wiped away tears in their respective places.

Though it was still difficult for him to speak and move his body, Duke Kyle did his best to comfort his wife.

“Lia…… I’m sorry…… and thank you.”

“Kyle……!”

Of course, that became the trigger for Duchess Lia to start sobbing again.

And so the first night after Duke Kyle woke up came to an end.

“Eileen.”

Aaron bent his knee to meet Eileen’s eyes.

Her eyes were red from crying so much.

“I’m so glad Duke Kyle woke up.”

A gentle and delicate touch brushed Eileen’s eyes. His fingertips became wet, as if there were still more tears to shed.

“I’m so glad I could share this joy with you today.”

The slowly mingling breath was sweet.

The wind brushing against their skin was cold enough to sting, as if wanting to remind them it was winter.

In contrast, each of Aaron’s touches was burning hot.

As her breathing became increasingly rapid, Aaron’s lips, which had lingered for a long time, departed.

“Aaron.”

“What’s wrong?”

Aaron gently stroked her reddened cheeks.

“……It might be a bit strange to say this now.”

Whatever made her so shy, Eileen rolled her eyes around.

“It’s okay.”

Tell me anything.

As Aaron whispered, Eileen continued with a mumble.

“Today Dad miraculously woke up and……”

“Yes.”

“I’ve been preparing in my heart so……”

She kept hesitating and couldn’t continue her words, but then, as if she had made up her mind, Eileen clenched her fist and said.

“Would you like to have our wedding in spring after winter passes?”

It was such an Eileen-like proposal. He shouldn’t laugh, but he couldn’t help it.

“Why are you laughing? Do you know how much courage it took me to say that!”

“Sorry.”

Aaron pressed the corners of his mouth firmly, but laughter kept escaping.

The overflowing affection spilled over and he couldn’t control it.

Aaron planted kisses here and there on Eileen’s face with little pecking sounds.

“Did you want to have a wedding with me that badly?”

“You were the one who proposed first, Aaron.”

“That’s true, but I was thinking of having the wedding much later.”

At Aaron’s answer, Eileen pouted her lips.

“What? So you don’t want to have it in spring?”

It was cute how she grumbled while knowing what his answer would be. Aaron chuckled and gave her a deep kiss.

“Lady Eileen.”

Her golden hair, bathed in moonlight, rippled. Is this what it means to be enchanted just by looking at someone?

“How could I possibly refuse your proposal?”

Aaron took a step back. Then he knelt down and extended his hand to Eileen.

“Will you be my spring bride?”

Eileen stared at his hand. She could grab it right away, but she felt like teasing him.

As Eileen stood there without answering, just staring blankly, Aaron smiled and said,

“If you take it, Patisserie de Monston is yours.”

“Of course.”

Eileen immediately grabbed his hand with her prompt answer.

“Along with Patisserie de Monston, I also get ownership of Aaron de Monston, right?”

“That’s already been given.”

“Hehe, is that so?”

Their clear laughter spread gently into the winter air.

Duke Kyle of the Bereut Empire finally woke up from his long sleep.

That news spread far and wide through newspapers and people’s conversations.

Of course, it reached Laine as well.

“……”

Laine mercilessly crumpled the newspaper published today.

Even though it was news that everyone was happy and pleased about, he couldn’t be happy.

As his fears became reality, nausea rose up, making him miserable.

“D*mn it.”

Laine muttered a low curse and pushed the newspaper away.