“……So that’s how April ended up being my foster daughter.”

Grayan’s story, which I had been halfabsentmindedly listening to, had also come to an end.

He wore a bitter smile on his lips. As always, his gaze was tranquil, but I could sense deep sorrow.

“April carries great guilt over the death of Chloe’s… her biological mother. She believes her father abandoned her because she caused her mother’s death.”

“……”

“Despite repeatedly telling her that your father entrusted you here because he loves you and wants you to grow up safely… it seems it did not reach April’s heart.”

Grayan’s voice echoed in the deep forest like a lonely wind.

At this moment, I could clearly feel that Grayan truly cherished and loved April.

To Grayan, April was not just a ‘foster daughter’ or ‘friend’s daughter’. Even though they did not share blood, without a doubt, April was Grayan’s precious only daughter.

“……”

Feeling as though tears might come, I quickly blinked my eyes and pretended to look around the forest.

I never thought I’d feel like this… I couldn’t have imagined it when I first inhabited this body.

These are not characters, but real people. The reliable and affectionate Grayan, the cute and cheerful but wounded April.

Feeling their presence clearly, I realized how complacent I had been in this life.

‘This isn’t a novel… it’s reality. Judging reality based on the content of the original is my arrogance.’

And it was also a deception to the people living vividly here. The contents of the original were merely information made of letters. How could I assert that any piece of information is 100% identical with reality?

In the end, trying to judge a person, a personality, based on information from the original was just objectifying the subject.

‘So from now on……’

I will push aside all the ‘information value’ I remember, and meet the real April vividly.

And to heal April’s heart, I will give it my all.

From the moment I started to feel affection for April, I became unquestionably her ‘new mother’.

“……We’ve arrived. This is the place.”

The place we finally reached after about a 15minute walk… was a scene so beautiful, it seemed as though fairies could live there.

A clear spring located in the middle of an open space with a great stump, and all around it, various pretty flowers blooming modestly.

Unbelievably, this place was so warm that flowers could bloom even in the middle of winter.

“That spring is called the ‘Fairy’s Spring’. This clearing where the spring is located has strangely mild weather. Some say it’s due to the blessing of the spirits living in the forest, others say it’s because the spring is special. No one knows exactly.”

Lost in the fantastic landscape and fairytalelike story, I looked around with my mouth agape. Then, I spotted a pair of white ears popping out from the grass, and immediately froze.

‘I… I found it! A rabbit!’

A wild rabbit living in such a forest wouldn’t be so small and white, so that rabbit was definitely April.

Exchanging glances with Grayan, I cautiously stepped towards where April was.

It was important to approach slowly so as not to startle her and cause her to run away. I shouldn’t scold her for coming to such a place alone, I just need to tell her that I was very worried.

I hope April realizes how much Grayan and I genuinely care and worry about her.

She doesn’t have to suffer alone like this, when she’s having a hard time, she should lean on us without hesitation.

“……!”

The rabbit seemed to finally sense my presence and jerked noticeably.

Then the small, white body slowly moved, and the rabbit’s black, beadlike eyes turned towards me.

“……”

A heavy silence flowed. After a while, the rabbit completely turned her body to face me directly.

The rabbit’s eyes were trembling weakly, like a candle in front of the wind.

“April… I was really worried. Aren’t you cold? Come on, let’s go back to the warm house and talk. Okay?”

But the rabbit just shook her head, she didn’t approach me.

In desperation, I licked my lips and tried to talk in a different way.

“Then, should I come to you? If you keep doing this, you’ll be cold, April.”

“……”

Once again, the rabbit shook her head without fail.

Both times, they were clear rejections.

With a lost look, I dropped my hands and looked at April with a feeling of embarrassment.

April, who turned her back again, was not even looking at me and was just sitting quietly by herself.

Her appearance… it hurt me as if she was punishing herself.

It wasn’t April’s fault that Chloe Morto had to lose her life.

“April…”

This time, Grayan tried calling her, but April still had no response.

Grayan and I glanced at each other, we were distressed, not knowing what to do.

What can we do to open April’s closed heart?

I wanted to say something, but it was too hard to express my feelings in words.

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t come up with a word that could fully contain this feeling.

So, I had no choice but to try my best to express it.

How much we value April.

“April… Do you remember when we first met?”

“……”

“At that time, I actually thought you would be scared of me… but you were surprisingly friendly to me.”

“……”

“So… You wouldn’t know how happy I was.”

Upon hearing those words, the rabbit’s ears trembled slightly. I continued, putting all my effort to convey my feelings. Suddenly, my eyes were burning.

“I was also confused because I was not familiar with a strange environment. But you were there for me, so it was really helpful and comforting.”

“……”

“You did that for me, April. So I want to do the same for you. Can I come to your side, will you allow me?”

Tears filled my eyes and fell down my cheeks. At the same time, April looked back at me. Tears were also filled in the black eyes of the rabbit.

“Even if there are hard times in the future, don’t eat it alone, let’s talk about it together. Okay? April…”

With a sincere heart, I reached out my arms towards April. The rabbit’s eyelashes and whiskers looking at me were trembling.

And the next moment, the rabbit jumped into me.

“……!”

The rabbit, who dramatically hugged me, started to shed tears. I tried to comfort the rabbit gently, but I ended up crying with her because I was also sobbing.

“April, don’t cry, it’ll be colder if you cry…”

“Kiuung……!”

Grayan slowly approached us, who were hugging each other and crying. He took off his cloak and put it on my shoulder, and then tightly hugged April and me in his broad arms.

The face wet with tears was cold, but the part where we touched each other was very warm and cozy.