Those who looked like couples were arm in arm or holding hands, sharing a parasol, strolling along the riverbank, or enjoying boating in tiny boats adorned with loud ribbons and lace canopies.

Despite not being able to block the brilliant sunlight and revealing the shadows on the boat, the figures glimpsed under the canopies seemed to be pressed close together, as if they were kissing.

‘What’s this? They all look like they’re on dates.’

When she fell silent, unable to honestly describe such a spectacle, Elleon asked,

“Here?”

“Well, um, there seem to be a lot of people… on dates.”

“Is that so?”

Today, Elishia was wearing a dress for going out that Elleon had prepared for her. Since they had tailored the dress at the famous dressmaking shop Levallein, they had altered a few readymade dresses to Elishia’s size.

Elishia sneaked a glance at Elleon.

Perhaps because of the river wind, Elleon’s forehead was refreshingly exposed. Below that were his neat eyebrows and eye shape. The moment she looked into his unfocused grey eyes, her heart momentarily ached, but as she noticed his tall, graceful nose and the lips below it curving into a smile, she momentarily forgot all her worldly troubles.

Elleon was dressed in an outfit for going out, wearing a light frock coat embroidered on the collar and sleeves, since it was not a formal occasion. Because of that, he looked extremely sophisticated and splendid, with a different vibrant atmosphere from his neat appearance when he came to visit the Duke of Uter.

“Do we look like that too?”

Elleon asked.

It was then that Elishia realized why Elleon had brought her here.

‘It’s a date. Our first date.’

She had never imagined that he would think of her as a woman, as he had a predetermined destiny with another.

She had been busy thinking about how to meet Carina once as the loyal maid of the Grand Duke, even outside, attending to him.

Other than that, the times she had spent talking with Elleon or spending time with him were only strolling or having tea in Uter’s paradise. In the house’s garden, though that garden was as vast as Jillian’s love for Mariella, it couldn’t have been considered a ‘date’.

‘So that’s why he sent away the carriage and escorts we came in.’

Elleon must have known what kind of place this was to come to. Thinking that, she suddenly felt her heart pound and became a little excited.

“We probably look like we’re on a date too.”

Elishia, so as not to surprise Elleon, tapped his hand, wrist, and arm with her fingertips, climbing up his arm and putting her arm through his.

“This will make it look more natural.”

Feeling her face heat up a little as she wrapped her hand around Elleon’s solid arm, Elishia asked,

“Shall I let go?”

“No.”

As she was about to withdraw her hand, Elleon firmly pressed Elishia’s hand to his arm.

“Shall we walk a bit like this?”

“Okay.”

Walking along the riverside with Elleon, arm in arm, where the silvery waves flowed, Elishia’s heart felt warm and fuzzy.
“It’s really scenic here.”

“Why?”

“Just the colors all around us are beautiful.”

Under the blue sky, pastelcolored ribbons floating leisurely and small boats decorated with awnings looked like flower petals dropped on the water.

“It would have been nice if Sir Elleon could have seen it too.”

Somewhere, she had heard that love between two people is not looking at each other, but standing side by side and looking at the same place.

Somehow, she understood the meaning of those words now.

As she looked at Elleon, who was listening to her explanation, her memories from the past became more vivid. The image of the dazzling man with red eyes, who would follow her with a smile as she gestured while walking in Euter’s paradise.

Silence flowed between them.

The sound of gently flowing water mixed with distant laughter. Birdsong and loud chattering voices continued for a while, and neither Elleon nor Elishia dared to speak.

‘……I made a mistake.’

Elishia didn’t know what to do, feeling awkward. She did not mean to hurt his feelings. Moreover, she felt guilty, thinking that perhaps his eyes no longer seeing was partly her fault, because of the suspiciously crafted medicine.

But entranced by the scenery, by the atmosphere, she had unwittingly said those words.

The problem was that it was sincere.

She couldn’t just dismiss her words, saying she had only said them for the sake of saying, or that they meant nothing.

While Elishia was indecisive, Elleon unhooked her arm and released her hand.

“SiSir Elleon.”

He pulled her hand, and she fell into Elleon’s embrace.

She finally felt relieved as Elleon’s careful touch contained no anger blaming her.

“Let’s ride a boat too.”

“Okay.”

When he ignored her slip of the tongue, Elishia quickly nodded.

‘Be careful. You fool.’

She must have been too excited for their first date. Lona wouldn’t have done this, but Elishia was somewhat troublesome.

‘It’s more than just being troublesome. There are too many problems.’

As the numerous problems she had to deal with started to emerge, she shooed them away.

‘Enough. Focus on Elleon.’

He was a man who paid more attention to sensations because he could not see. Elishia held Elleon’s hand and got on the boat at the pier.

“This boat is smaller than I thought.”

From a distance, it looked like there was enough room for two, but when they actually got on, they realized why people sat so close together. The seats were narrow, forcing them to sit close.

“Is it uncomfortable?”

“No.”

As Elleon rowed, the boat headed towards the middle of the wide river. Seeing no other boats to collide with, Elishia, who had nothing to do, enjoyed the atmosphere by humming a tune.

“Elishia.”

Elleon looked at her with a serious face.

“I wanted to do it here originally.”

“What?”

“Propose.”

While Elishia hesitated about what to say, he placed a ring on her hand that was resting on his knee.

“But today, it turned into a confession.”

Her heart pounded suddenly. A proposal was good, but a confession was good too.

But the best thing was that Elleon, who had planned to propose to leave her beautiful memories in such a place, was right in front of her, holding her hand.

“I’m not blind.”

“……What?”

Elishia did not understand what Elleon had said. She was expecting to hear words like ‘I like you’ or ‘I love you,’ so it felt like cold water had been thrown on her excited heart.

All the while, his unfocused gaze, aimlessly wandering around, suddenly looked straight at Elishia.

“I can see.”