As Aaron took a step back, Duke Kyle said.

“Very well. But you must submit to whatever verdict is reached.”

* * *

For a while, the Kingdom of Kunda was abuzz with talk of the prince instigating murder.

But people soon returned to their daily lives.

Everything flowed peacefully, as if nothing had happened.

But today was different.

Not only the Kingdom of Kunda but also the Bereut Empire and several other countries.

All eyes and ears were directed toward Laine.

Because today was the trial that would determine his punishment.

“What verdict do you think will be handed down?”

“Since he’s the crown prince, won’t the punishment be light?”

“What are you talking about! He tried to k*ll dukes of the Bereut Empire!”

As the trial was being held in private, reporters waited outside for the verdict, sharing their opinions.

Just when they were spending this boring time, someone ran out from inside the courtroom and shouted loudly.

“The trial results are out!”

The trial results were printed in the newspaper and spread throughout the Kingdom of Kunda in no time.

The fact that the king hung his head in resignation when the verdict was announced, and that Prince Laine accepted it calmly.

The fact that he would be imprisoned in the Bereut Empire’s prison, not the Kingdom of Kunda’s.

Everything spread without omission.

Now everything was over and peace was restored.

“Master, are you really going to walk?”

Liam asked in a worried voice.

Although the trial had ended satisfactorily, no emotion remained on his master’s face.

“Yes, so go back first.”

“But Master, it will take more than 30 minutes to walk. Just ride back.”

He must be tired from the long trial.

So he had to stop his master who was insisting on walking instead of riding in the carriage.

Liam firmly grabbed Aaron’s clothes to prevent him from leaving.

“I just have a lot to think about and want to walk a bit.”

“……Pardon?”

For a moment, Liam doubted his ears.

It was an extremely polite and gentle voice that he had never heard from the master he had served for a long time.

Ah, of course. It must be because the trial was related to Lady Eileen……

Liam swallowed a bitter smile. Then he took a scarf from the carriage and wrapped it around Aaron.

“……At least dress warmly. It’s sleet now, but we don’t know when it might pile up.”

“Alright.”

Aaron nodded briefly.

“Then, Master, I’ll see you soon.”

Slowly, slowly, Aaron’s figure receded, but Liam’s bowed head remained lowered for a while.

“……Hah.”

Aaron exhaled a long sigh into the empty air. The white breath that escaped from his mouth lingered in the air before quickly dispersing.

“Is this something to be congratulated for.”

When the judge handed down the verdict, applause erupted, ill-fitting for the solemn courtroom.

“Until Eileen wakes up, it’s meaningless.”

The applause continued until the moment Aaron greeted the Duke and Duchess of Ceres and left the courtroom.

As if dedicated to a hero returning victorious from war.

But d*mn it, he wasn’t a victor but a loser……

Perhaps that’s why he felt like he would suffocate from all the applause and congratulations.

“Eileen.”

Aaron carefully savored Eileen’s name.

Otherwise, he simply couldn’t breathe.

“Liam was right, it’s snowing heavily.”

The messy sleet had turned into big snowflakes, dyeing the whole world white.

Aaron stopped his steps and stood still, looking at the snow.

Because in it, Eileen’s image bloomed one by one.

The way she smiled with her cheeks turning bright when it snowed.

The way she diligently made a snowman on his birthday.

And.

Even the image of her pure white dress being dyed bright red with blood.

“……”

As the unwanted final scene came to mind, he felt a bitter taste in his mouth.

Then suddenly, he became a bit curious if Eileen was seeing the same scenery as him in her long dream.

If she was, unlike him, he hoped it was an infinitely beautiful scenery, an infinitely brilliant scenery.

Aaron wished and wished again.

* * *

“Master.”

When he arrived at the villa after walking a long distance, Liam, who had arrived earlier, welcomed him.

As if he had been waiting outside for a long time, white snow had accumulated on Liam’s hair and shoulders.

“Who was it that nagged me about catching a cold?”

Aaron asked with a displeased face.

“Haha, don’t worry. I was inside until now and came out to greet you when it was about time for you to arrive.”

That’s a lie.

Aaron was about to add a word but stopped. After all, he knew the man’s feelings.

“Are the duke and duchess here?”

“Yes. They’re waiting inside.”

Aaron nodded roughly at Liam’s answer.

Then he brushed off the snow on his clothes and the snow on Liam.

“Let’s go in.”

Though a look of deep emotion poured from Liam, Aaron pretended not to notice and entered the villa.

“Duke Aaron, I heard you walked here.”

“Weren’t you cold?”

When he entered the reception room, the duke and duchess welcomed Aaron with bright faces.

“Please sit down, you’ll catch a cold.”

Duke Kyle ordered tea to be brought and offered the seat next to him.

A few minutes later, Gabriel entered with hot tea.

“Drink this. Lia, have a cup too.”

Duke Kyle poured tea into the cups and handed them to the two people.

After pouring his own share, the three began to drink tea without saying anything.

“Duke Aaron.”

As the reception room fell into silence, Duke Kyle opened the conversation first.

“Didn’t today seem like a really tough day?”

Aaron put down the tea he was drinking and met Duke Kyle’s gaze.

“I still feel like I’m dying. Even though the prince has been punished, Eileen is still asleep even after several months have passed……”

Moisture seeped into the blue eyes that were more steadfast than ever.

“People are congratulating us, isn’t that truly miserable?”

Eventually, the tears that had gathered in the blue eyes fell with a plop.

“I feel like she might wake up right now and say, ‘Dad, Dad. Don’t cry.'”

“……Duke Kyle.”

“She would tell you not to cry too…… She would tell Lia not to cry.”

Duke Kyle kept wiping his tears with the back of his hand, but once they started flowing, the tears wouldn’t stop.

“……I’m sorry, Duke Aaron. For showing such an unseemly appearance.”

Duke Kyle, who had barely stopped crying, cleared his throat.

“Now that everything has ended well, let’s return to Bereut.”

* * *

“……The deceased, Eileen Lia de Ceres.”

At the old man’s voice reaching her ears, Eileen slowly opened her eyes.

“Is that you?”

In her gradually brightening vision, a familiar old man appeared. His snow-white hair was still dazzling, and his deep wrinkles gave off an intimidating aura.

Ah, so I ended up dying after all.

Eileen let out a small, wry laugh.

“Is this normally how identity confirmation works when someone dies? I don’t think that’s how it was before.”

Since this was their second meeting and her life was over anyway, Eileen deliberately asked playfully.

“It’s because I once made a mistake and killed someone who shouldn’t have died, a person named Han Suyeon.”

The old man didn’t say much else and went along with her joke. Then he rose from his seat, approached Eileen, and asked.

“Were you happy in this life?”

“Of course. I was extremely happy.”

Eileen answered without the slightest hesitation.

The bright smile that bloomed seemed to show just how happy she had been.

“I was so happy, so regretful, and so sorry.”

Gradually, Eileen’s eyes began to redden.

“At the last moment, I feel like all I left Aaron with was pain…”

“…”

“I feel like I only left my family and friends with emotional burdens before I left.”

“……”

“……I’m so sorry.”

The tears that fell drop by drop had turned into sobbing before she knew it.

The old man, who had been quietly watching her, carefully asked.

“……So do you regret it?”

“No, I don’t regret making that choice.”

Eileen answered while gasping for breath.

Worried that the old man might not have heard her properly, she steadied her breathing and spoke clearly.

“If that moment were to come again, I would make the same decision.”

The green eyes facing him were filled with certainty.

“……I felt it then too, but you really say whatever you want even to a god.”

The old man shook his head from side to side.

There was a smile on his lips, but he didn’t show it.

“The first time was because I did something wrong, but this time you asked me first.”

When Eileen burst into clear laughter, the old man also laughed softly with her.

“Child.”

As the laughter subsided, the old man looked at Eileen with calm eyes.

“As you know, I am a god who once made a mistake and killed someone.”

Even as he spoke, he found it amusing that he seemed to have lost his dignity as a god.

But well, it wasn’t a lie, so what could he do? The old man grinned and continued.

“So I think making one more mistake won’t be a problem. Don’t you agree?”

“What? What exactly are you saying……”

Eileen tilted her head.

At that, the old man strode to where the scroll was placed.

“As Eileen Lia de Ceres, your life did indeed end that day.”

The old man mercilessly tore the scroll apart.

Then he threw the shredded scroll into a pit of fire.