Since that day, their relationship hadn’t changed much on the surface. However, some changes could be noticed by those closest to them.

Ophelia began to show him what she had been hiding.

Idren silently watched the woman slowly crumble. He saw her cry, hate herself, and spend sleepless nights.

Ophelia was infinitely softer than she had stubbornly claimed to be. She had many untraceable scars. The memories etched there crawled out at night.

When the woman woke up startled, Idren would embrace her, pretending not to know anything. Then Ophelia would catch her breath and close her eyes again.

“You are here.”

Sometimes she would place her hand on his arm embracing her from behind and say that. Then Idren would nod to let her know he would do as she said.

Fortunately, Ophelia seemed to trust him in that regard. Idren had heard her murmur in relief several times as she fell asleep. Well, you’re the strongest person I know.

So you’ll stay alive.

Naturally, he became curious about the numerous people who had died and left her, but Idren didn’t ask anything. Acceptance was more important than seeking the truth.

Luckily, he was good at waiting, and Ophelia allowed him to wait for her.

Life flowed even when it seemed stagnant. Dates changed without making a sound. In Edegrun, which was originally winter, snow began to fall. It was a sign of the heavy snowfall that always came around the turn of the year.

War reparations from Brinwell began to arrive as initially sentenced. Prince Masaran seemed to think there was room for negotiation if he sent Namie’s head, but Idren had no intention of understanding his motives.

The escaped Second Prince was still not found. However, Ophelia seemed to have half-forgotten about him. She didn’t round up the people she had let go, but she wasn’t as anxious as before, biting her lips.

Perhaps she didn’t have the luxury to worry about it.

Idren thought as he narrowed the search net for the Second Prince’s whereabouts in Ophelia’s stead. She seemed to lack the strength to care about such things now.

Since she started showing him what was inside her, Ophelia appeared to have sunk at first glance. Some days she didn’t take a single step outside the bedroom, and some days she slept all day long.

Sometimes that depression seemed so deep that it chilled his chest. Even though he knew it wasn’t that she had particularly changed, but that she had lowered the wall she had been putting up for him.

At such times, Idren reminded himself. This is just a temporary change. It will get better with time.

It wasn’t some vague self-hypnosis. He had evidence that waiting would bear fruit.

“Let’s do what you want to do.”

Ophelia had promised him paradise.

Recalling this fact made Idren grateful that his life had been full of hardships. Compared to the patience he had exercised until now, the wait Ophelia needed was nothing.

So Idren whispered whenever the woman trembled with anxiety.

“It’s alright.”

It was alright if she pushed him away. It was alright if she hurt him or ignored him for a while. Life must have felt long for her until now.

Idren knew what it felt like for life to be long and hard. And that in a pit, no matter how much you try to look up, you can’t lift your head.

But no night lasts forever.

Like that summer night when she first made him ordinary at thirteen, there would come a moment when Ophelia would realize that the misfortunes she had faced until now were just events, not her herself.

It was on a day before the heavy snow fell that he realized the finish line he desired might be closer than he thought.

That day Ophelia seemed to be in a better mood than expected. She woke up when it was bright and even called someone to ask how the tracking of the Second Prince was going.

She was a bit irritated by the fact that Netepel Runtalis still hadn’t appeared, but she still seemed better than usual.

“Maybe he’s dead as you said.”

And she added.

“Even if he’s alive and running away, it’s fine because I’ll definitely catch and kill him.”

It was a much more positive way of speaking than before.

Holding the woman’s hand, which had become a little paler than before due to lack of sunlight, Idren nodded.

“You’re right.”

“I also have a promise to the Lady of Lohos, so Netepel must die.”

“Of course.”

He had to take responsibility for misusing his hands. He had committed a sin with a part of his body, so he had to pay with another part of his body.

Ophelia stared at him for a moment as he agreed, staking his values. She asked.

“What’s today’s date?”

“It’s the seventh day of the twelfth month.”

Ophelia frowned at that. Although she didn’t open her mouth, Idren felt as if he had heard her astonishment. The voice saying, “It’s already that time?” was vivid in his ears.

Thinking how amusing it was to imagine the other person even when they were right in front of him, Idren kissed the woman’s cheek.

“How about going outside today? It might be difficult to go completely outdoors due to the snow, but it should be fine to walk in the corridors.”

Moreover, the corridors of the castle were quite a sight these days. Ophelia wouldn’t know since the space she stayed in was decided to be touched last, but the castle was in the midst of preparing for the end of the year and the upcoming new year.

He might be able to leave her with good memories around the new year. The local official Ophelia had dispatched to Leden – Deos Rakmata, he recalled – had also said she would come to see her.

Although he didn’t know exactly what relationship the head of the Rakmata family had with Ophelia, Idren knew that Ophelia liked her.

He kissed her cheek again to urge an answer to his suggestion. Ophelia frowned as if it was excessive, but eventually accepted his opinion.

She agreed with a sigh.

“Alright.”

After walking through the castle corridors for a while, Ophelia realized why Idren had wanted to bring her outside.

At first, she thought he was urging her because he was concerned about her staying only in the room, but once outside, she realized he had something to show her.

The corridors of the castle, which had looked a bit cold due to their age despite frequent human traffic, were decorated with colorful fabrics and lanterns.

“Are you preparing for the end of the year?”

She asked as they passed walls lined with red and yellow decorations. The warm-colored ornaments gave just that feeling.

As she briefly recalled the year-end in Aglante in her mind, Idren said,

“It might start that way, but it will end with the new year.”

The man’s voice as he said this was filled with anticipation for the coming year. Still holding her hand tightly, he whispered,

“Do you know that lovers grant each other’s wishes at the end of the year?”

“Do you have a wish?”

If he had thought of granting her wish, he would have asked if she had a wish instead of mentioning the year-end or whatever.

It was a guess on her part, but Idren chuckled softly at her response.

“It seems we look like lovers in your eyes too.”

Ophelia slightly glared at the man who, after she had been considerate, interpreted things to his liking and extracted a different fact first.

“I guess you don’t need a wish then?”

“No, I do need one.”

His quick response seemed anxious, as if she might take back what she had said.

Although she intended to grant whatever he said as long as the situation allowed, there was no rule saying she couldn’t tease him, so Ophelia scolded him.

“How greedy.”

“One must knock on the door for it to open.”

That wasn’t wrong. Instead of continuing the wordplay, Ophelia asked,

“Is there something you want?”

“There is.”

And then he slightly glanced at her, seemingly gauging the situation.

At another time, she would have urged him to speak without hesitation, but Ophelia decided to enjoy this question-and-answer with him.

She asked,

“Is it an object?”

“No.”

“Is it an action?”

Previously, he had asked for permission to kiss her once.

Now she thought it would be fine to do more than that, but since he was old-fashioned in that aspect, he might want to ask for permission again.

But instead of affirming, Idren furrowed his brow.

“It’s ambiguous.”

“Is there something you want to hear?”

Since she said “I love you” a lot, he might want to hear the same thing.

And Ophelia tensed a little. If it was that, she didn’t think she could readily agree to grant it.

It was true that she liked Idren. He was indeed the most desirable person she had seen in her life.

But she had never told anyone she loved them before. Even to Haslen, the boy she had loved the most, she hadn’t made such a confession.

Moreover, the things she did with Idren were things she hadn’t done with Haslen. So the saturation of saying “I love you” in this relationship would also be different.

But the man, who had hesitated for a moment, shook his head.

“This is ambiguous too.”

“…I don’t know, so just tell me.”

She needed to know in order to make a decision.

And Ophelia waited for the other to reveal the answer. Idren stared at her intently with eyes like the brightest star. Finally, he opened his mouth.

“Will you stay with me even when the new year comes?”