“Are you alright, Aden?”

Ludmila casually inquired about Aden’s well-being as he appeared at the breakfast table, impeccably dressed and groomed.

Aden, holding a freshly poured cup of coffee, calmly nodded.

Ludmila bit her lip as she watched him sip his coffee as if nothing was amiss.

Last night, Ludmila had trouble falling asleep after hearing that Aden was working late.

Salom had informed her that Aden had been skipping sleep for several days.

He was so busy with work and had so much to handle that he was economizing even on sleep time to get things done.

Although Salom had subtly hinted at wanting Ludmila to make Aden sleep, she could only dismiss it with a simple acknowledgment.

It wasn’t because it was Aden’s decision and his choice.

It was because she knew that even if she tried to stop him, she couldn’t.

Aden was walking towards death on his own. Watching it from the sidelines was a grueling task.

Ludmila bit her lip as she reflexively surveyed the scenery outside the window.

Beressa’s voice, mentioning that she had adjusted the patrol schedule of the Frost Guard, suddenly flashed through her mind.

“You don’t look well.”

The moment that thought crossed her mind, Ludmila spoke. She didn’t forget to carefully suggest that he take a rest.

Aden, listening to her voice, which was as gentle as a spring breeze, nodded willingly in response.

Since he had answered, she couldn’t continue the conversation any further.

Ludmila swallowed a small sigh and then continued with their usual conversation.

Most of the talk was about business plans and transactions.

How to organize these in the future, and preparing new potential business partners in case of unforeseen circumstances.

Just like when she first came here, and when she said she would prove herself. This time too, Ludmila faithfully carried out her duties.

The things she had to do from where she sat. As if that was her only path.

As she was watching this scene, breakfast was served.

Unlike Ludmila, who had only a simple soup and bread, Aden had appetizingly grilled meat.

Ludmila’s gaze lingered for a moment on the meal, different from the recent days.

After quickly finishing the meat and rinsing his mouth with water, Aden stood up from his seat.

“I have a meeting at noon and a lot to prepare, so I’ll excuse myself first.”

Ludmila gave a short nod.

As she watched his retreating back, Ludmila shifted her gaze to her own bowl, which she had barely touched, after Aden disappeared.

Come to think of it, is this the first time she’s eating alone like this?

As Ludmila stirred her soup with a spoon, she suddenly realized that he had been waiting for her all this time.

Being a slow eater, it took Ludmila quite a while to finish even this small amount.

In contrast, Aden always held a cup in his hand. As if waiting for her meal to end, he would just gaze at her, backlit by the sunlight, within that radiant glow.

That’s the kind of man he was.

A man who could wait for her as long as she asked.

As her thoughts reached this point, Ludmila became certain that it was she who had brought the situation to this point.

If she had shown Aden a bit more of her true feelings and asked him to wait for her, would the future have changed?

Could they have looked forward to a slightly better future without driving him to death?

While repeatedly pondering these now meaningless hypotheticals, the soup continued to cool.

When she put a spoonful in her mouth, only the staleness of the hardened soup remained.

Just like her and Aden’s relationship, which had missed its timing.

As her thoughts reached this point, Ludmila stood up from her seat.

She left the dining room, pushing aside the bowl that was not even half empty. Only the gentle sunlight lingered over the table.

After breakfast, work, then another meeting. More work and another meeting.

The consecutive schedule ended long after the late dinner time had passed.

Unable to endure the fatigue any longer, Aden finally rose, massaging his neck.

Moving away from the desk, he sat on the couch and sighed, looking to the side.

Suddenly, he recalled the past days when he had fallen asleep with his head on Ludmila’s lap right here.

Though he thought he wouldn’t fall asleep, he was drawn into closing his eyes by that softness and warmth.

The palm covering his forehead. The fingers stroking his hair. Even her voice felt in between.

Recalling those dream-like memories, Aden smiled as he caressed the couch. Then he raised his gaze again to look at the tactical map on the wall.

It was filled with detailed defense plans for the three gates.

The size of the imperial army and their own numbers. Even calculations of the probability of winning the war considering all these factors.

Underlying all these efforts not to miss even the smallest details was the fact that his plan would ultimately fail.

His intention to prevent the war by taking all responsibility and stepping down from this position using Kurto and his group was exposed on the first day.

It would have been good if there was room for negotiation, but what they wanted was only one thing: Ludmila’s return.

Knowing that Aden would not allow this, Kurto persistently demanded it while emphasizing that he should continue the legitimacy of this family.

He didn’t forget to say that abandoning Ludmila was what he should do for the family, Habertz, and the Khan clan.

Kurto’s words were just and persuasive enough to even entice Neser.

That’s why it was dangerous. Eventually, as time passed, things would flow in the direction Kurto wanted.

A situation where they had no choice but to give up Ludmila. Things that had to be given up. As such things pile up, public opinion naturally forms.

Would he be able to protect Ludmila even when that time comes?

He had already witnessed a situation where Ludmila nearly died right before his eyes.

Moreover, before coming here, she had been addicted to drugs and had been on the brink of death.

Sending Ludmila back was also a declaration of will that he wouldn’t care even if she died.

Aden turned and reopened the letter that had just arrived.

The photo inside was of Beressa and Ludmila. It showed the two of them engaged in some conversation.

Watching this silently, a bitterness crossed Aden’s lips.

Heaving a deep sigh, he couldn’t bear the frustration and left his office.

Walking down the corridor lit by soft lamps, Aden didn’t return to his bedroom.

There was a meeting in the Nuber region tomorrow evening, so he should have rested well tonight, but his feet refused to go to bed and kept moving away from the bedroom.

It was then that a small humming reached his ears.

As the song tickled his ears, his slowing steps seemed to gain momentum. He climbed the stairs, lifting his body upwards.

Though his body was heavy, strangely, his legs felt lighter as the humming grew louder.

Finally, when he reached where the humming was coming from, Aden stood still.

Through the slightly open door gap. What he saw was Ludmila, receiving the silver radiance with her whole body.

Without any common lamps or lights, only moonlight filled the room, yet it created an illusion that the surroundings were bright.

Ludmila was sitting in front of a painting, quietly moving her brush.

Yet, beautiful humming continuously flowed from her mouth.

Her lips curved up gently and her eyes softly bent, as if something was so enjoyable.

Her beautiful golden hair was tinged with silver, turning into platinum blonde.

She looked so beautiful, like the moon goddess from mythology, that Aden forgot he was watching silently and took a step forward.

Thud-.

The door touched by his shoe opened with a sound.

At that moment, the humming stopped and Ludmila’s gaze turned towards him.

As the softly shining red eyes turned to him, Aden felt a moment of regret, but soon smiled at the sight of Ludmila’s bright smile.

“Why aren’t you sleeping?”

The voice that had been humming now flew towards him. It was then that a drowsiness, as if drugged, washed over him.

The memory of falling asleep with his head on Ludmila’s lap that day also came back.

At that moment, a foolish sigh escaped.

“You look sleepy.”

Ludmila put down her brush and turned completely to look at Aden.

At her soft voice, Aden’s eyes narrowed and then quietly closed.

“Yes, I’m sleepy.”

“Do you want to come over here?”

Just like when she had led him to the couch, it was the same this time.

It was as if he was drawn to her gesture of bringing a chair and patting it. The moment he sat down, Ludmila lightly patted his shoulder.

“Lean on me.”

“There?”

“I’m quite sturdy, you know.”

As Aden stared at the slender shoulder that was shrugging, Ludmila rolled her eyes as if to say ‘hurry up and lean’.

Finding it both amusing and cute, Aden’s head slowly tilted diagonally.

When his head touched her shoulder with a soft thud, he felt her flinch for a moment, but Ludmila calmly continued moving her brush.

He opened his eyes and looked at the picture she was painting.

A peaceful cabin. A huge willow tree standing next to it and a full moon floating in the sky.

There were no people. Just the house, tree, moon, and river. That was all.

A somehow familiar scenery. As he gazed at it intently, Aden slowly closed his eyes.

As darkness settled, his senses became even clearer.

Ludmila’s moving shoulder and arm. The thread-like fine hair brushing his face with each movement.

Her steady breathing and the faint scent of Ludmila.

“Will you sing for me, Ludmila? Humming like before is fine too.”

The only thing missing was sound. Like a child asking for a mother’s lullaby, Aden continued in a whining tone to Ludmila.

For a moment, her body hesitated, but soon soft humming filled his ears again.

Sometimes, he imagines as if dreaming.

A summer day after winter has passed and the sweltering heat has arrived. Sitting face to face with you like this, drinking cool beverages under an awning.

Imagining that day, so ordinary and unremarkable to others that it would pass by unnoticed, Aden slowly drifted off to sleep.

As if trying to see in his dreams a moment that would be a luxury to him and would never come, very slowly.