Theodore abruptly turned and began walking down the stairs, disappearing from my view shortly after. My heart raced as I swiftly addressed Count Dyson.

“I’m sorry, but I cannot accept your proposal.”

“Why not? Is it because you’ve been married before? Or because I’m younger? None of that matters to me. I sincerely admire you, Viscount Arendelle…”

The situation was starting to give me headaches. The coin I had brought in my small purse felt incredibly heavy. I needed to return it to Theodore…

And… I needed to ask him. If he had been well, if his health was alright.

His notably haggard appearance continued to trouble me. As always, I never wished for his pain or unhappiness.

‘I hoped he was doing well…’

I had thought that, despite perhaps being difficult at first, he would eventually find happiness.

As is often the way with time.

Yet, the face of the man I saw after so long was distressingly devastated, leaving me continually worried and uneasy.

I pressed my temples as they began to throb and managed to speak in a calm voice.

“I have no feelings for you, Count Dyson.”

“…!”

“I don’t wish to date or marry someone I hold no affection for. That’s all there is to it. Now, if you’ll excuse me…”

Leaving a visibly shocked Count Dyson behind, I hurried out to the gardens.

As I looked around for Theodore, my eyes caught Duchy Valentino’s departing carriage in the distance.

Of course, it was too far to catch.

“Ha….”

As I lost him, I let my hands fall limply by my sides.

From within my small purse, the old coin clinked noisily.

* * *

That night, exhausted from the day’s events, I returned to Arendelle Castle and went to bed early.

As expected, I dreamed of Theodore again.

This dream felt different from the others.

Because Theodore was smiling at me comfortably.

“…….”

I walked towards him in a daze, then realized someone else was with him. I paused to look closer, I noticed a little girl peeking out from behind him.

The girl was hiding behind Theodore, only sticking her head out. The child’s eyes gazed at me curiously…..it was astonishingly clear blue.

….when looked closely, only her right eye was blue.

Her left eye was a soft green, like a spring bud. Remarkably similar to mine.

And the child’s hair was a soft silver and white. It was exactly like my own hair color……

‘This child……?’

A heart-pounding thought crossed my mind. As the child who had been spying from behind Theodore, hid, he picked her up and smiled.

His friendly voice spoke to the child telling her what to do. The child laughed. Then, after she whispered something in his ear, Theodore gently pinched her cheek and set her down again.

The child no longer hid and looked straight at me. Then, with a bright smile, she exclaimed.

“Mom!”

“……!”

The child quickly ran to me and hugged me tightly. I stood frozen, blinking blankly.

The realness of her touch and warmth. The child lifted her head and looked up at me, her mismatched eyes filled with a wondrous light.

As I hesitated, unsure of what to do, Theodore suddenly came up to my side. He tenderly stroked the child’s head while wrapping his other arm around my shoulder.

With a gentle smile, he softly kissed my cheek.

“Gasp……”

I woke up from the dream out of breath. It was early dawn.

I sat up, rolled the covers, and rubbed my face with my hands. Through my fingers, the reality was mixed with the lingering images of my dream.

The child resembling Theodore and me, the little body snugly fitting in my arms, Theodore’s face smiling warmly at me…

…Why did I have such a dream? I was just confused. My shocked heart was still racing.

I got up and walked over to the nightstand. The coin placed on top of it emitted a faint glow. Unconsciously, I reached out, picked up the coin, and examined it.

Then, I heard urgent footsteps in the hallway outside. Followed by a more forceful knock than usual. Wrapping myself in the robe draped over the armchair, I asked.

“What is it?”

The response was immediately alarming.

“Viscount, there’s an urgent matter. A rift has opened in the northern part of our land…!”

__