‘Herdin probably doesn’t like desserts.’

In her past life, she had offered him some dessert a few times while eating alone. But he never even touched it.

It was embarrassing to have her desire to share something delicious with him rejected, but she couldn’t force him if that was his preference.

The fact that he brought marshmallows every night meant it was entirely for her sake. Though she didn’t know why it had to be marshmallows specifically.

While Blair was deep in sleep recovering her strength, Herdin returned late every day, likely busy tracking down those behind the kidnapping.

When Blair briefly woke up late at night, he was always sleeping beside her. Along with the ever-burning fireplace.

Then when she opened her eyes in the morning, he was already gone. Because of this, it had been about a week since she had properly seen Herdin.

‘Is he waiting for my body to heal?’

Of course, he wasn’t a heartless person who would embrace and satisfy his desires with someone who was sick, so it was probably partly out of sympathy for her ill state…

But that’s not to say his waiting didn’t include any desire at all.

If so, she had been making him come up empty-handed every time by falling asleep early.

Fortunately, her body had recovered a lot today.

Blair approached the drawer where she had placed the geography book she borrowed earlier, intending to read it while waiting for him. As she casually turned her gaze, she saw the scenery of the balcony.

Beyond the glass doors of the balcony, something pure white was fluttering in the air.

‘…Snow?’

It couldn’t be snowing in this spring.

Looking closely, it was cherry blossom petals floating in the air.

When she saw them the day before the hunting competition, they were on the verge of bursting into bloom, but they had blossomed while she was busy recovering.

Blair approached the glass doors of the balcony. The cherry blossom petals danced in the spring breeze under the moonlight. Like winter snow.

Blair stared blankly at the scene.

“…It’s beautiful.”

Blair’s eyes, which had been smiling faintly, soon sank heavily.

When the cherry blossoms fall and the world is covered in green foliage.

Will Herdin come to hate me like he did in the past? Or will it be different this time since I promised to cooperate with him from the beginning to find the truth?

But either way, the ending was already set.

Once she has Asiel, she will leave his side as promised initially.

Before he comes to hate her.

As Blair gazed at the fleeting scenery, mulling over her plans for the not-so-distant future, she heard the door opening behind her.

Hearing the sound, Blair turned around to see Herdin entering the room, pausing as he saw her awake.

“You’re awake today.”

He approached the table and set down what he had brought. It was a bowl of marshmallows.

“How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine. But what is this?”

“Marshmallows?”

“No, I don’t mean that… Why did you bring this?”

Herdin brought a small candle from a nearby lamp and a lighter from beside the fireplace.

“Have you ever tried roasted marshmallows?”

“…No. Never.”

Roasted marshmallows cool down quickly. Because Blair was afraid of fire, she always ate cold marshmallows or only those in hot cocoa.

Even before the accident, there were many desserts in the imperial palace, so there was no particular reason to try roasted marshmallows.

“Sit down.”

Herdin, who sat down first, patted the seat next to him. Blair sat down beside him, somewhat bewildered.

“Today, we’re going to roast marshmallows over a candle flame.”

Blair blinked at the sudden suggestion, looking at him.

“You said you wanted to overcome your fear of fire, didn’t you?”

Only then did she remember telling him before the hunting competition that she wanted to overcome her fear of fire.

“Lady Lorelaine suggested starting with candles first.”

Of course, overcoming a phobia wouldn’t be easy. But avoiding it altogether won’t help overcome it. They needed to slowly increase exposure to the traumatic stimulus to get used to it.

Herdin pulled Blair’s chair, which was quite far away, with one hand. Though it should have been heavy, the chair was pulled to his side effortlessly.

“If it seems too difficult, tell me now.”

Blair looked alternately at Herdin and the small candle in front of her, then nodded as if she had made up her mind.

“I think I’ll be okay.”

Herdin skillfully lit the candle with the lighter.

Blair watched the candle, tensed up.

As she looked at the fire, a sense of fear overwhelmed her, as if that candle flame might tip over and set the tablecloth on fire. It felt like the growing fire would burn everything in the room.

“Ugh…”

Even though it was just imagination, her hands became sweaty and her breathing quickened. Just like when she couldn’t breathe properly trapped in the fire.

Yet she couldn’t take her eyes off the candle flame. She was afraid that if she looked away, the fire would grow enormously and swallow her up while she wasn’t watching.

At that moment, a large hand covered Blair’s eyes. At the same time, a low voice soothed her.

“Close your eyes, then open them.”

Blair slowly closed her eyes as he said. But even with her eyes closed, the memory remained as an afterimage, lingering.

She reached out with her trembling hands and grasped the large hands gently cupping her face. Then the fear that seemed about to consume her gradually subsided.

At this moment, she wasn’t alone.

“Breathe slowly too.”

Blair carefully followed his voice, calming her rapid breathing.

“Do the same when you open your eyes.”

Herdin removed his hands covering Blair’s eyes.

As Blair slowly opened her eyes and faced the candle flame, her breathing quickened again. This time, Herdin spoke without covering her view.

“Eyes.”

Blair followed step by step, just as he had said earlier. Blinking her eyes, taking deep breaths.

“Now we’ll roast a marshmallow.”

He took a marshmallow on a stick and brought it close to the small candle flame. As he slowly rotated the marshmallow near the flame, its surface began to brown.

Blair was seized by anxiety again, but remembering Herdin’s words from earlier, she squeezed her eyes shut and then opened them.

Herdin extinguished the candle and let the well-roasted marshmallow cool for a moment before offering it to Blair.

“Eat it.”

Blair hesitated for a moment before putting the marshmallow in her mouth. The warm and sweet marshmallow melted in her mouth. Plain marshmallows were good too, but freshly roasted ones were even more delicious.

The fear in Blair’s eyes as she chewed the marshmallow faded, and life returned to them.

Such an expression over just one piece of roasted marshmallow.

Herdin’s gaze softened strangely as he watched her. At that moment, his eyes met Blair’s as she turned to look at him.

“It’s soft… and sweet.”

“Now you try it yourself.”

Herdin handed Blair a marshmallow and lit the candle again.

Blair looked a bit scared but nodded without hesitation.

However, as soon as she brought the marshmallow close to the flame, her hand began to tremble. At the same time, her breathing started to quicken again.

At that moment, Herdin’s hand grasped Blair’s. Their right hands overlapped, putting her in a position of being half-embraced by him.

Herdin’s voice descended over Blair’s head as she stiffened in surprise.

“It’s alright.”

As if by magic, the trembling stopped when his hand touched hers.

Herdin held Blair’s hand and roasted the marshmallow.

After some struggle, Blair stared blankly at the marshmallow she had roasted herself.

“You did well.”

Herdin raised his right arm to gently pat her head, then released her from his embrace. He then extinguished the candle.

Blair held out the marshmallow in her hand to Herdin and asked.

“Aren’t you going to eat?”

But as always, he shook his head.

“I don’t particularly like it.”

And so, this roasted marshmallow was also Blair’s. As she bit into it, a soft and sweet taste spread in her mouth.

As she savored the taste, she suddenly felt a gaze and turned her head to meet eyes with him who had been quietly watching. When Blair blinked, Herdin smiled slightly.

“Is it that delicious?”

Her heart fluttered at his gaze, which was unusually soft compared to usual. It was a very familiar feeling.

And at the same time, she realized.

‘Once again, I…’

Despite disappointment, hatred, and pushing away, after taking a long detour, it was love again in the end.

“…Ah.”

The suddenly realized emotion rose uncontrollably fast and fell drop by drop.

Herdin’s expression hardened as he saw Blair’s sudden tears.

“Do you want to stop?”

“No, no. I’m fine.”

Blair shook her head hurriedly.

But once the tears started, they wouldn’t stop easily. Just like her emotions.

Herdin looked at Blair with a stiff gaze, then let out a quiet sigh as he wiped her tears and asked.

“Then why are you crying?”

Blair stared blankly at him, feeling her heart pounding at his touch.

Crying in this situation, he would surely think it strange. She needed to say something, but she couldn’t think of any plausible excuse.

Blair’s lips trembled before finally blurting out a reason that sounded ridiculous even to herself.

“It’s… too delicious.”

“Huh?”

Hearing that answer, Herdin let out a laugh as if dumbfounded.

Blair smiled brightly on purpose, so he wouldn’t guess her true feelings.

“I want to eat more.”

Her heart ached so much as it beat for him that it felt numb.

Like how a wound that didn’t hurt when you didn’t know about it starts to sting once you become aware of its existence.

Nevertheless, she decided to just smile today, ignoring that feeling.

Because the marshmallow that entered her mouth was sweet enough to make her forget everything except this moment.