With the snow suddenly stopping, the pitch-black night sky filled with a whitish mist.

“Brother… Where are we going?”

“Didn’t I tell you? You will know when you see it with your own eyes.”

‘But it would be nice if you could tell me in advance.’

Sezh pouted her lips a little but was discreet enough to avoid Raytan’s notice.

Raytan, who came late at night, took Sezh, and they left her palace. In her mind, Sezh kept wondering and guessing about their destination. Could it be the hill? The place they always visited together on Founding Day?

However, Raytan did not lead her to the hill. Unexpectedly, the direction he headed was the Emperor’s palace — the back of the Emperor’s residence, to be precise. It was a place Sezh had never been to before.

“Be careful as you walk,” Raytan said as he walked ahead and looked back at Sezh.

“Yes, I’m doing that.”

Regardless, she stumbled as soon as she spoke. The snow was thick, and it had accumulated up to her ankles.

Raytan quickly supported her.

“Ah!…”

While reflexively hugging his waist, Sezh let out a small scream.

“That- there’s a lot of snow…” Sezh replied in a hurry as she looked up at Raytan.

“…”

Once again, she witnessed those crimson eyes dazzling under the moonlight. Raytan’s face, too, somehow looked like a delicately carved statue. It was the first time she had seen Raytan’s face this close. She could almost feel his silky hair just by looking at it, and she was also aware of how her face reflected in his eyes.

Sezh stared blankly at Raytan, and he didn’t move either. He also didn’t say a word.

And at that moment… Sezh could feel increasing strength enter the hand holding her waist.

“Uh, Tha- Thank you.”

“…”

“Now… I think you can release me…”

Sezh, who came to her senses late, lowered her head and spoke in shy whispers.

She could feel her face burning red. Feeling embarrassed for nothing, Sezh couldn’t even look at Raytan anymore.

“…Okay,” Raytan’s voice was unusually hoarse.

He slowly removed his hand from her waist. After that, Raytan quietly looked down at Sezh and stretched out his hand again to hold hers.

“You might fall again.”

That hand. The hand that always reached out towards Sezh. Like when Raytan called her name for the first time or when he escorted her during her debut.

Nevertheless, Sezh hesitated. As always, she couldn’t hold his hand without feeling anxious.

“But… If anyone sees…”

She felt uneasy. All the members of the royal family died, but she survived. The nobles must be talking about her behind closed doors.

And at this late hour, if anyone sees her walking around holding Raytan’s hand….

“There might be some gossip…”

No reply came from Raytan’s mouth. All Sezh could hear was the beating of her thumping heart.

“You don’t like it?”

But the words that came back were a little strange.

“…What?”

“I asked if you don’t like it. Holding my hand, that is.”

“That… No- but…”

“Then it doesn’t matter,” Raytan proclaimed while starting to hold Sezh’s hand tightly.

“The most important thing to me is how you feel.”

“…”

“It doesn’t matter what other people think. If you don’t dislike it, then that’s that.”

Finishing his remarks, Raytan began to walk.

His big hand was warm today too, and that warm hand gently held Sezh’s.

Guided by Raytan on their way, Sezh looked down at their clasped hands. Her cheeks were oddly getting hot all the time.

“It’s just in front of us.”

At Raytan’s words, Sezh raised her head and looked forward.

It was a garden.

Its entrance was a silver archway studded with splendid jewels and beautifully placed vines wrapped around it.

“There will be no snow from here, so you can walk more freely.”

There truly wasn’t. No snow was piled-up snow from the archway to the depths of the garden. Sezh could even see the ground covered with polished marble.

Raytan pulled Sezh slowly as she busily looked around.

The garden was full of blooming flowers even though it was winter.

As they entered the middle of the garden, a small greenhouse made of glass came into sight. Inside the greenhouse was an expensive set of furniture consisting of a single table and chair decorated with elaborate patterns.

“It’s good if you sit comfortably.”

Raytan put Sezh down on the chair.

“Want some tea? It will help warm you up.”

He had even prepared a pot of steaming tea already placed on the table. Sezh received the teacup offered by Raytan without hesitation.

“…”

A tranquil silence fell between the two of them. Raytan stood in front of the chair and looked down at Sezh. Sezh looked sideways with the teacup in her hand.

There was also a garden inside the greenhouse: a small garden made of polished stones.

And there, too, were purple flowers in full bloom.

The night when Raytan carried her on his back after her debut… Sezh finally realized that it was the same flower he had placed behind her ear then.

“Do you like it?”

At Raytan’s words, Sezh looked up at him.

“Yes, very… I think I am dreaming. It is truly that beautiful….”

“It’s yours.”

“What?…”

“You said you like flowers.”

Only then did Sezh seem to understand the meaning of this garden.

It was because of that one sentence: ‘I like flowers…’

“I’m glad you like it,” Raytan said with a small smile.

Sezh didn’t know what to say.

‘You didn’t have to go this far.’

Or ‘I shouldn’t have said that.’

Or maybe, ‘I feel sorry you had to do this even with your busy schedule because of me?’

‘No. If I say that… He might feel bad again….’ Sezh paused for a moment with a blank face.

Can’t she tell him her honest feelings? Instead of guessing what answer he will give….

Sezh has always had to anticipate his thoughts in the several years since her return. But there have been times when she expressed her feelings as they were.

And Raytan… There has never been a single time when he became angry or upset when he heard Sezh’s sincerity.

‘It will be the same now,’ Sezh thought to herself.

Everything has changed, but hasn’t everything about Raytan’s temperament toward her stayed the same?

His kindness and constant thoughtfulness toward her…

“…Sezh?”

Sezh didn’t say anything, so Raytan called her name.

Sezh looked up at Raytan, who also stared at her… She then gave her sincere answer in a small voice.

“Thank you, Brother.”

“…”

“I’m so happy,” Sezh exclaimed with a bright smile.

Raytan seemed to halt a little at first but smiled back softly at Sezh.

“By the way, is there only one chair? I think you’d better sit down…”

He couldn’t stand like that forever. Sezh looked around to find somewhere else to sit, but it was futile.

She thought hard and scooted as far as possible to one side of the chair.

“Please sit here.”

“What?”

“Aren’t your legs tired?” Sezh tapped the space next to her.

It was nonsense. Although large, the chair was originally made for one person. Even though Sezh was small and thin… It seemed almost impossible to fit his big body in that leftover space.

“Sit by yourself. It seems too narrow.”

“No, wait a minute. Then…”

Sezh rose from her seat.

“Is it okay if Brother sits down first and then I follow…?”

She then gently pulled Raytan by his cuffs and sat him in the chair.

“To the side… Move a bit more…”

Raytan became consumed by her careful request without even realizing it. No matter how far Raytan shifted, it was unreasonable for them to sit side by side even if Raytan knew how to fold like paper.

“Oh, or I’ll stand here. It’s fine, though…”

“Come here.”

All of a sudden, Raytan grabbed Sezh’s wrist.

“Ah!”

Surprised, Sezh let out a small scream, but it was too late.

Raytan placed Sezh on top of his lap and whispered in a low voice, “…You said that this is better than me standing alone.”

A large hand securely wrapped around her shoulders. A surprised squeak came out of Sezh’s mouth.

“That- That-… No, I didn’t mean you should do this…”

“…”

“Let- Let me go. Your legs must be getting numb.”

“It is better for both of us to sit than for one of us to stand.”

“But…”

“Don’t fuss. If you move the wrong way, you may fall. The floor is marble, so it’s easy to get hurt.”

“Still, I’m pretty heavy….”

“I can support your body, so don’t worry too much.”

At his resolute words, Sezh clammed up. She knew very well that if Raytan came up with such a decision, there was no point saying anything.

Their gazes were drawn to each other in the space between them. Sezh felt her face ripening again. And the loud beating sound of her heart…

Sezh turned her head to the sight of flowers, hurriedly breaking their staring contest.

“E- Even though it’s winter… The flowers bloom. It’s impressive.”

“… Is it?”

“Because it doesn’t bloom well in winter… It usually only happens in spring or fall….”

“They say it’s a flower that blooms all year round.”

The purple flowers flickered in Raytan’s eyes.

He was also aware that the flowers were the same flower he slipped behind Sezh’s ear during her debut.

Is that why it was the first flower that came to mind as the one to use to decorate the garden?

And-

“By the way, what is the name of this flower? I don’t know much about flowers or trees…”

“…Laurinacious.”

‘You know what? The meaning of Laurinacious flower is so cool.’

“It’s the name of this flower.”

The meaning of the flower remained in his memory.

However, unlike the woman in his dream, he did not choose this flower to convey its meaning.

He… just thought it would match well with Sezh.

Raytan slowly reached out. He carefully plucked a single purple laurinacious.

Then, just like that day, he put it behind Sezh’s ear.

“It suits you well.”

“…”

“Like it was created just for you.”

‘It suits you well.’

A memory of a dream she once had came to her mind instantly.

“Brother, I have never seen such a sight.”

“…Such a sight?”

“The sight of Brother putting a flower on my ear and saying that it looks good on me.”

Sezh smiled softly. She then pulled out the flower that Raytan had put behind her ear.

“I think it would suit you well.”

“This flower on me?”

“Yes, wait a moment…”

Sezh tilted her upper body slightly, and she reached out to put the flower behind Raytan’s ear.

“Ugh…”

Sezh, who lost her balance without realizing it, toppled backward. Raytan hugged her shoulders tightly so she wouldn’t fall, but the problem was that she then collapsed forward.

Sezh had her face buried on Raytan’s chest, and she lifted her head.

“S-Sorr…”

Her latter words did not continue.

It was because of Raytan’s face in front of her.

Sezh looked up at Raytan without saying anything. It was also the same with him.

Scarlet and luminous blue eyes reflected each other’s faces.

A quiet, unfamiliar silence breezed in again.