Yet, from now on, those two years and five months would dominate his entire life. He was bound forever by all the memories shared with her, memories filled with regret.

He found no injustice in this, nor did it feel unpleasant or unwelcome.

It felt as natural as the order of things.

Like a tree rooted in the earth enduring storms and blizzards, he simply had to accept it silently.

“……”

Theodore blinked quietly and carefully pulled something out of his coat’s inner pocket.

It was a necklace.

A pearl necklace adorned with green peridot.

Lily had left behind this necklace. Seemingly shedding even the last remnants of her lingering affection.

“……Lily.”

He gazed quietly at the green peridot that resembled her eyes and then slowly bowed his head.

His lips touched the transparent peridot gently.

Soon, a tear trickled down from his eyes.

“Lily……”

Theodore grasped his chest as if trying to tear out his own heart.

His heart hurt too much.

He had realized too late what she meant to him, how special she was.

‘From the very beginning.’

From the moment they first met.

In that brief instant their eyes made contact, like a playful act by the god of love, or a cruel punishment by fate, he had fallen in love with her.

She was so special and unique in his life.

An irreplaceable, one-of-a-kind existence in the world.

Theodore had already experienced the loss of such a being once before. His brother is forever asleep now, whom he could never meet again.

He remembered the indescribable pain and sense of loss. And he still felt it vividly.

On top of that, another layer of loss and pain, added with regret, was agonizing.

As if the weight was too much to bear, Theodore slowly sank to the ground.

Kneeling and bowing his head, tears streamed endlessly from his eyes.

The pain in his heart was unbearable. Theodore wept silently and clutched at his chest.

All he could see through his tears was the gradually wet ground.

Then, suddenly, a small, pure white flake of winter landed on the ground.

Noticing it, Theodore’s eyes widened in surprise.

“……?”

As he slowly lifted his head, from the piercingly pale sky…

White snowflakes were falling.

It was the first snow of the year.

* * *

Something cold touches my cheek with a tap.

When I wiped it away with my hand, a slight dampness remained. I looked up at the sky in disbelief.

White snowflakes were gently fluttering down to earth like feathers.

“Viscount! It’s snowing! It’s a heavy snowfall!”

Charlotte exclaimed, jumping around like an excited puppy. Her pure joy brought a smile to my face automatically.

I gently extended my hand, carefully capturing the fluttering snowflakes within it. They melted almost immediately upon contact with my warmth, but they were large enough to reveal the intricate details of their crystal structure.

“It’s truly beautiful, isn’t it?”

Responding to Charlotte’s question, I quietly observed the scenery of Arendelle Castle under the snowfall.

“…Yes, it is.”

It felt as though blessings were descending from the sky.

My new domain was modest, beautiful, and above all, peaceful.

“…”

I felt like crying, yet my lips curved into a smile.

From now on, truly…

I could be happy.

Right here.

On the day I first set foot in Arendelle Castle, I felt a sense of complete peace for the first time in my life.

The certainty that I had finally rooted myself in this world, that I could live an ordinary life just like anyone else…

That peace was a gift to me.

It was an experience I would never forget.

* * *

The flowers I had planted long ago had now grown lush and vibrant.

Around mid-March, the buds began to form. By the time April arrived, they had bloomed magnificently.

White, pink, and light yellow blossoms filled the garden. When I opened the windows, the wind carried in petals and their fragrance. It was then that the arrival of my fifth spring truly hit me.

It had been 5 years since I left Veronis and settled in Brianne.

These years were eventful yet nothing hard or difficult.

Brianne was a fertile land with few occurrences of rifts, making it not too challenging to manage as a lord.

Above all, the people were incredibly kind and good-hearted. I was worried that being a female lord might lead to disrespect or deceit, but such incidents never occurred.

Over these 5 years, my life sailed smoothly like a ship with its sails caught in a favorable wind.

The excessive fortune and comfort made me uneasy at times.

__