At that moment, all the life in the forest—trees, grass, flowers—seemed to stir and move as if waking up. Simultaneously, a familiar and vivid fragrance was carried by the wind.

‘Adel’s scent…!’

Hastening his steps following her scent, at the end of that path, a space like a garden of gods unfolded.

In the midst of a space filled with various flowers, a large tree rose as if covering the sky. Under that tree, Adel leaned against it with closed eyes, peacefully asleep.

‘Thanks to the fragrance, I was able to find Adel, but…’

He couldn’t tell her the truth. It was because of Count Fleure’s words stating that a scent reacting to a specific person is called a curse in the family’s ancient manuscript.

‘To think that the scent unique to her, which only I can smell, is considered a curse…’

It was an absurd story. However, from Adel’s perspective, it could be a story that could cause significant distress.

Like Count Fleure feared, he didn’t want to make Adel go through hardships again within the family that had just acknowledged her.

Deciding to keep the fact that she emits a fragrance a secret, Kairon slowly opened his mouth.

“Well… I walked in the direction that attracted me among the various paths. I guess I was lucky.”

At his circumvented words, Adel widened her eyes.

“Various paths? When I came, I only saw one path… Is it true that if you’re not of the Fleure lineage, the forest spreads out like a maze?”

She, who had been pondering, clapped her hands as if realizing something.

“Your luck was probably because the fairy forest knew about it?”

“What does it know?”

“That you came to find me. So, the forest led you to where I was.”

“A mysterious forest… It could have been.”

“Absolutely.”

Adel believed. She was confident that there was the existence of a benefactor living in the fairy forest… Even though that existence disappeared as if it were a dream, she was sure it had been by her side.

‘Maybe… that being was a fairy.’

If the guess was correct and the presence she had encountered was indeed the protective flower fairy for her family…

‘Someday… we’ll meet again…’

Adel vowed once again to meet that presence.

[Dash] Your unyielding and strong heart will surely fulfill true love someday.
That presence whispered affectionately into her ears as if bestowing a blessing while she slept. However, Adel believed that she was already experiencing true love.

‘Even though this may not be what they meant by “fulfilled”…’

Even if the love she was currently feeling didn’t evolve into mutual affection, it was okay.

‘My feelings for him won’t change.’

Derived from her pure mindset, her firm inner self manifested as her emerald green eyes sparkled vibrantly. Her straightforward gaze directed towards the man in front of her.

When she smiled dazzlingly like a blooming flower at him, for a moment, her fragrance seemed to intensify. Kairon clenched his fist at the feeling of dizziness.

‘Surely, the scent has become more intense than before.’

The scent he only felt when Adel was nearby was now noticeable even from a distance in the fairy forest…

However, he couldn’t resist the heightened fragrance emanating from her, which seemed to have become stronger since their time in the fairy forest.

Though he thought he had become somewhat accustomed to having her close by, she pulled him in like it was the first moment they met.

Perhaps tired from the coming-of-age ceremony and banquet last night, Adel had fallen into a deep sleep. He had spent the night watching over her as she slept soundly.

He couldn’t take his eyes off her deeply sleeping figure, as if admiring her beauty. She looked as lovely and charming as a flower that had just bloomed.

Even though the fluctuations in the feelings towards her were different from before, Kairon, as himself, could only interpret this intense feeling of longing for Adel in one way.

‘Is this… withdrawal symptoms?’

He had deliberately or unintentionally distanced himself from Adel due to various incidents. The time he spent with her, using the duty of the Grand Duchess as an excuse, also seemed distant.

‘Can I submerge myself in her scent as freely as before?’

There seemed to be only one method that came to his mind to alleviate this overwhelming emotion.

While he pondered, trying to think rationally and control himself, Adel suddenly approached him.

“Are you really okay? You don’t have a fever, do you?”

Seeing his stiffened face turn red again, she touched his forehead with concern.

As her deeply penetrating scent mingled with the soft touch, he tightly grasped her wrist, feeling a dizzying sensation.

“Kairon…?”

“Actually… I’m not okay.”

Speaking in a low voice, Adel’s face clouded with worry.

“Are you unwell after all? Where does it hurt?”

“It seems like withdrawal symptoms.”

“Withdrawal symptoms? What on earth…?”

Curious and confused, Adel asked, and Kairon’s blue irises deepened. As he leaned closer to Adel’s ear, he whispered something faintly.

“…!”

As if transferred to her, her white cheek also instantly blushed with a rosy hue.