Theodore looked surprised at my response, his eyes wide open, then he bit his lip before asking again.

“Are you sure? I don’t want to be a bother…”

“It will pile up work for later, but it’s okay.”

I sighed and gently wiped his forehead with a wet cloth. He seemed to have a slight fever due to the wound.

“Lily……”

“……?”

At that moment, something totally unexpected happened.

Tears welled up in Theodore’s eyes.

Startled, I stopped what I was doing and froze in place.

“Am I dead and dreaming of this?”

“……No. And dead people don’t dream.”

At my words, Theodore chuckled and wiped away his tears, yet new ones kept streaming down his cheeks relentlessly.

“It feels so unreal to be seeing you this close… It seems like a dream.”

“……”

I continued to wipe his face and then tidied his tousled hair. Then I gently placed my hand on his cheek and said.

“Stop crying. Your eyes will swell.”

At that, he let out a weak laugh and covered my hand with his own. Perhaps due to his fever, his skin felt unusually warm.

“……I’ve been waiting for you.”

“……”

“I’ve missed you, Lily.”

……It was strange. I hadn’t expected it to hurt so much to see him with his expression so vulnerable and his eyes narrowed in pain.

“……Get some more rest. You need to sleep.”

“No….I don’t think I can sleep anymore.”

He slowly blinked and stared intently at me. As if to reconfirm that I am here.

“……I’ll go get some fresh water.”

At that moment, an unbearable feeling washed over me, and I stood up and turned away from him. The rippling water in the silver bowl I held seemed to mirror the tumult of my emotions.

Only when I saw my reflection in the water did I realize.

Nothing has changed.

Nothing has changed, only time has passed…

* * *

Theodore decided to stay at Arendelle Castle until he fully recovered.

For such an esteemed guest, the servants at Arendelle Castle were busier than usual, especially the kitchen staff. The head chef and cooks seemed ignited by a mission to provide Duke Valentino with the finest dining experience.

“…I don’t think the guests can eat all of this.”

That evening, I was taken aback by the menu prepared for the banquet in honor of Theodore and his knights.

Roast whole pig, chicken bean soup, leek and mushroom soup, asparagus salad, baby leaf and spinach salad, grilled whitefish, chicken stewed in wine, roasted quail, salmon pie, cinnamon cake, pumpkin tart…

And there were dozens more dishes. Even a king’s feast might not be as lavish.

But then again, after all… We ought to repay them for their help with the rifts in Brienne. A bit overdone perhaps, but if there’s leftover food, we can distribute it to the local villagers, and it’s not too much of a burden on Arendelle.

After signing off on the menu and the estimated budget for it, I handed the documents to the butler.

“Proceed as planned. Ensure that our guests have no discomfort during their stay.”

“Yes, Viscount.”

After the butler left, I got up from the table chair and walked over to the bed where Theodore lay quietly. He blinked up at me, looking almost childlike as if he had caught a cold. I examined him closely and asked,

“How are you feeling? Will you be able to attend the banquet tonight?”

“I’m fine. I’ll be able to attend.”

“That’s good to hear.”

True to his reputation for resilience, Theodore looked significantly better than when he first arrived at Arendelle Castle.

Even so, he seemed to feign weakness. Especially when I was around.

“The weather is lovely today, how about a walk? It’s not good to stay in bed all the time.”

His condition was not such that he was immobile. The period to be careful due to internal injuries had also passed.

At my suggestion, Theodore glanced out the window, then with a faint smile, he answered.

“That sounds nice.”

* * *

The garden was in full bloom with white, yellow, and pink flowers. Petals fallen from the flower trees danced in the wind, and small birds fluttered between the bushes and trees, singing.

In this distinctly spring atmosphere, I walked with Theodore.

It was a…. first for us.

To walk together through the garden and admire the flowers.

__