But Lyon, whose vision had just cleared in the dark, had no leisure to think about such things. With his mind blank, he buried his face in the small shoulder in front of him.

Then, the cool scent that had not changed a bit since that day entered his breath.

.

.

.

“My goodness! The offspring of Count Luwin’s family has grown up so well. It’s simply amazing!”

“He’s the spitting image of the prime minister in his youth. They were always fighting back then!”

“Right. Especially this silver hair…….”

Young Lyon’s stomach turned.

Was it because of the terrible scent on their hands, or their flattering words, or their strangely greedy eyes?

‘I still haven’t gotten better……!’

Whether it was these women or anyone else, he couldn’t understand why his stomach turned whenever people touched him.

According to the doctor, the cause was an incident six years ago, a few days he could not remember, no matter how hard he tried.

But for young Lyon, who never liked dealing with people, this disease was not much of an inconvenience.

The only thing that made him feel the loss of memory was the fact that he couldn’t see his disappointed mother for six years afterward.

He was now 17 years old.

The reason he came to this adult ceremony, a year late, was the hope of seeing his mother, as all the nobles were gathered.

But instead of even glimpsing a hem of his mother’s dress, he was overwhelmed by nausea.

Young Lyon quickly turned to leave the party hall.

Then,

Whether the boy who had been blindfolded bumped into someone or a glass broke, the sound echoed through the banquet hall.

The war had just started, and the atmosphere of the banquet was tense.

Among the many stares, Lyon started to run, a mixture of shame and nausea.

In the end, he stopped deep in the garden, Lyon.

He hadn’t eaten anything, fearing this might happen, so he only dryheaved, but now his frustration was first and foremost.

“At this rate……. I won’t be able to see my mother.”

“How long has it been since you’ve seen her?”

“……5 years.”

Young Lyon unwittingly answered and was startled.

He covered his mouth and turned his head.

There was a blackhaired girl in a white dress like a beam of light, stained with an ugly wine mark.

The girl with cold blue eyes and an unusually expressionless face spoke indifferently.

“Is that so? I won.” I haven’t seen my father in 16 years.”

16 years? Today’s adult ceremony celebrates turning 16.

That means she had never seen him in her life.

‘……Adopted? Or, for some reason……?’

The shock was momentary; Lyon looked at the girl’s dress and only then realized what he had done.

“I’m really sorry!! At such a precious meeting, to leave such a mark……! I will somehow get the dress cleaned and return it to you!”
Compared to himself, who never met her even once in his life, the incomprehensible feeling in the young Leon’s heart grew more regretful.

“……It’s okay. It seems like I won’t see you in the future either.”

The girl’s face was expressionless, but in the beautiful eyes that moved slowly just once, the boy saw a distant loneliness.