Erina returned to the mansion aimlessly and moved wherever her feet took her.

The place she arrived at was the dining room, which had been decorated adorably to celebrate Revil.

Though this place should have been filled with happy energy, Erina’s mood sank endlessly.

Erina stood alone at the entrance of the dining room, quietly gazing at the beautiful cake the chef had put his heart and soul into making.

She thought a happy life would come if she could just escape from the Iolls.

But when she thought she had escaped, she learned something else, and something else ensnared her.

The truths tangled and twisted, weighing down on her shoulders and not allowing her a moment’s rest.

Erina stood blankly in place, hugging herself in the face of the sorrowful reality.

Then someone approached and gently embraced Erina from behind.

From the cozy and familiar scent that made her want to lean in, Erina couldn’t help but know who was embracing her.

“…Sandes.”

“Why are you so sad?”

Erina didn’t answer and quietly leaned her back against his body.

Strangely, just the fact that he was there seemed to lift her sunken mood a little.

“Where’s Revil?”

“Don’t worry. Heila is happily playing with him, glad to see him after a long time.”

Erina nuzzled the back of her head slightly against him as if spoiled, burrowing deeper into his embrace that was warmly enveloping her from behind.

Sandes then placed small kisses on the side of her head and said.

“Did you decorate like this for Revil?”

Sandes, who had been calling Leorvil ‘Leo’ all along, gladly accepted when the child himself asked to be called Revil.

It seemed Revil didn’t want to forget the warm time he had with Erina, even if it was brief.

“It’s been a while. The three of us together.”

“Yes, it has.”

After Erina returned to the Medelia County, she had met with Sandes several times but hadn’t been able to meet Revil.

That’s why she was even more excited to meet him and Revil.

Although the happy excitement was shattered because of her uncle’s family.

“Sandes.”

“Yes, Erina.”

“I understand your feelings.”

Sandes too, on the day he learned the truth and met Mirea, had come to Erina, unable to overcome his painful heart.

Erina understood why he did that, why he couldn’t even properly reveal his inner feelings.

“I just wish they would all die.”

Erina couldn’t understand why she was so sad at the words she instinctively uttered because of her anger-filled heart.

She couldn’t understand herself, why tears were flowing while cursing that she wished they would die.

“I wish they would suffer and be in pain just like my parents were.”

Clear tears began to fall one by one from Erina’s eyes.

The fallen tears rolled down her cheeks and dropped from her chin, wetting Sandes’s arms that were embracing her.

Sandes held her tighter without hurting her and whispered in her ear.

“It’s all okay. Erina, I understand your feelings.”

At his gentle whisper, Erina bit her lip to keep from sobbing as tears continued to flow, overwhelmed.

Sandes repeated to Erina the words she had whispered to him on that painful day.

He wanted to let her hear that one phrase that had comforted him.

“It will be okay.”

At Sandes’s words, Erina couldn’t hold back anymore and turned around in his embrace to look at him.

His eyes, resembling a clear and wide sky that seemed to embrace everything, curved gently.

Erina couldn’t resist and hugged him tightly, her heart fluttering at the beautiful sight even amidst her sadness and frustration.

Sandes firmly supported and deeply embraced her fragile body that was clinging to him mournfully.

“Erina, we’ll be okay. Because you and I are together.”

Erina realized anew how sweet and beautiful the words ‘we’ and ‘together’ could be.

She no longer had to fight alone and lonely, nor bear painful and sad things alone.

There was someone firmly embracing her, ready to lend his comfort anytime.

Erina lifted her head to look back at him, who was still gazing at her warmly.

Just as he had done when they first shared a breath, Erina’s hands carefully held both of Sandes’s cheeks.

Then Sandes’s head moved carefully.

Erina stood on her tiptoes to get closer to his face that was slowly approaching.

At her lovely gesture of trying to reach him, Sandes could no longer hold back and urgently entangled their breaths.

Sandes swallowed everything that escaped from between her lips, craving her sweet breath as if it were his last.

Erina clung to him, unable to gather her senses at his somewhat urgent kiss.

Sandes grasped her swaying waist and embraced her even more deeply.

The more he swallowed her breath, the stranger it was that he felt more thirsty.

Not wanting to miss even what flowed between their two lips, he stole her lower lip and then exhaled.

Erina, regretting the brief gap, called out to him while exhaling.

“Sandes.”

Sandes responded to her call, placing small kisses on her wet eyes.

“Yes, Erina.”

Sandes, who had answered while bringing his lips to her peach-like cheeks that had turned slightly red, was surprised and stopped breathing at Erina’s following words.

“Don’t go.”

Sandes looked into her eyes that he was facing.

He couldn’t escape from falling into her eyes that were shining beautifully enough to captivate his mind, with sparkling tears welling up.

Did she know that she had invited him into a beautiful prison in an instant?

“Stay with me, just for today.”

Sandes could no longer hold back at her words and once again stole her breath.

Sandes struggled to maintain his composure at her mournful gesture of clinging to him once again.

The two were intoxicated with each other for a long time.

[This is the timeline separator]

Erina, Sandes, and Revil, who ended up having a late luncheon due to unexpected visitors, gathered in the dining room.

“Revil.”

“My lady!”

As soon as he entered the dining room, Revil approached with bouncing steps, seemingly delighted to see Erina.

In the time they hadn’t seen each other, Revil’s cheeks seemed to have gotten a bit chubbier and he seemed to have grown taller.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you.”

Still, his ruby eyes sparkling towards Erina were as cute as ever.

“It’s been a while.”

Erina approached Revil, bending down to meet the child’s gaze.

The child, who had blossomed from receiving abundant love, seemed to have grown to the point where he couldn’t remember when Erina first met him.

His body and mind had grown a little, but it seemed he had learned to express his feelings a bit more childlike.

“Oh my. Have I been too informal with young Kerenik?”

At Erina’s playful words, Revil’s cheeks turned red and he fidgeted with his hands.

“Still, I’d like it if you called me Revil like before, my lady.”

Erina responded to Revil’s cute request with a bright smile.

“Revil, I’m so happy to see you.”

“Me too. I’m really happy!”

Unable to resist the child’s lovely greeting, Erina slowly stroked his fine light brown hair that resembled Sandes’s.

Sandes stepped back, watching the two with a smile before leading them to their seats.

As the three took their seats, the prepared luncheon dishes were served warm.

While they were eating and asking about each other’s well-being, Revil quietly called out to Erina.

“Um…, my lady.”

When Erina responded to Revil’s call, Revil hesitated for a moment, seemingly shy, then bowed his head and said.

“Thank you so much for finding my family.”

Erina’s eyes widened in surprise at the child’s greeting.

It seemed he had wanted to express his gratitude, as he had been opening and closing his mouth as if pondering something throughout their conversation.

“Revil.”

“If it weren’t for you, my lady, I would never have known until the end. Thank you so much.”

At the orphanage, they had recorded Revil’s age as 8 instead of 7 to hide that he was Leorvil.

At 7 years old, Revil was still at an age where it would be understandable if he whined like a child, yet he had matured early.

Erina felt proud of the child’s maturity, but also found it somewhat sad.

“I’m grateful too, Revil.”

Because of Revil, she was able to be a bit more resolute about leaving the Iolls, and could be tougher with them.

“And congratulations on having a family.”

At Erina’s words, Revil, with a flushed face, spoke to Erina as if boasting.

“I have a father now, my lady.”

When she congratulated him again, Revil, as if he had been waiting for this, started to share one thing after another.

“Uncle said he would become my family and be my father.”

“Oh, really?”

Although everyone knew, she asked as if she didn’t know for the child’s sake, and the child continued with joy.

“He said I used to call uncle ‘father’ when I was younger! So he said he’d become my real father.”

The child’s eyes and voice were filled with happiness and love as he looked at Sandes.

Erina looked at the child fondly and took a sip of champagne from her glass.

“Then does that mean you’ll be my mother, my lady?”

But at the child’s innocent question that followed, she was surprised and put down the glass she was tilting, coughing.

“Cough!”

Sandes handed Erina a napkin with a fond smile.

Of all days, she had just told him not to leave today, so she ended up reacting strongly to Revil’s words.

“Re, Revil.”

“Revil, you’re making the lady flustered. You should ask slowly.”

As the flustered Erina called Revil, Sandes spoke firmly to Revil.

From Sandes’s relaxed attitude, she realized who had said such things to the child.

“Sandes!”

Erina’s face turned red with embarrassment as she quietly scolded him.

Thanks to the two of them, Erina forgot her gloomy feelings and spent a meal time intoxicated with happiness.