Jet-black hair and blue eyes.

His hair, soaked from coming through the heavy rain, covered his forehead, but that gave him a strangely appealing charm.

The person standing before her was the man she had seen in her dream that had repeated five times. She could have thought it was someone who looked similar, but she was certain.

This man was identical to the one in her dream. Otherwise, there was no way even the cut on the back of his hand would be the same.

As soon as that thought crossed her mind, her heart, which she thought had gone cold, began to beat hotly.

Riena felt a strong urge to talk to this nameless man. Simply because he was the same as the man she had seen in her dream.

It was a ridiculous reason even to herself, but at the same time, she felt it was a valid one. What were the odds of actually meeting the man from her dream? This didn’t seem like mere coincidence.

“Sir, please step aside so I can speak directly.”

Riena said firmly as she dismounted. The knight captain hesitated for a moment but eventually stepped aside. Then the black-haired man approached Riena closely and bowed.

“I apologize for the rudeness at this late hour.”

Riena finally realized why his voice was familiar. His voice was also exactly the same as the one she had heard in her dream.

If there was one difference, it was that unlike the voice in her dream that was filled with despair, his voice now was filled with joy.

Even in her confusion, Riena found that strange. Though he was apologizing, his voice didn’t sound like someone who was sorry at all.

However, her thoughts didn’t last long. The man took out a letter from his pocket and handed it to her. As if it had been enchanted with a preservation spell, the letter remained intact and dry even in this heavy rain.

Riena didn’t take the letter right away and asked cautiously.

“Why is this……”

“It’s a letter that Count Dyke sent to me before he passed away. Please read this before we talk.”

Riena snatched the letter almost before he finished speaking at the words ‘Count Dyke’. It was a rude action, but she was too confused to realize it.

‘A letter from Father?’

If what he said was true, this could be her father’s last letter.

Riena unfolded the letter with urgent hands.

To Cassel.

The first visible writing was indeed in her father Count Dyke’s handwriting. Not elegant, but strong and sharp letters. The handwriting of her father that she had missed so much.

“Really, really……”

Riena couldn’t read any further and burst into tears.

After hearing the news of her father’s death, she couldn’t keep her sanity. It was a sudden death that came without time to prepare mentally. The shock was that much greater.

For days, she denied reality and cried until she fainted. She went through the funeral in a daze, and by the time she barely came to her senses, over a week had passed.

During that week, her stepmother, the Countess Dyke, had cleared out all of her father’s belongings. As if disposing of ominous objects, everything without exception.

When Riena, belatedly grasping the situation, confronted the Countess Dyke, she didn’t even bat an eye. She even retorted by asking what was so wrong about clearing things out because it was painful to see the belongings.

Riena didn’t get angry anymore, knowing that her father’s lost belongings wouldn’t return just because she got mad at her. Instead, she started searching around the mansion for things that had traces of her father.

Her father’s handkerchief that had mistakenly ended up in her closet, her father’s memo tucked between book pages, her father’s cufflinks hidden in the attic while playing treasure hunt as a child.

She cried silently every time she found each of those small things. But even that didn’t last long. No matter how much more she tried to search, her father’s things were nowhere to be found, and Riena despaired each time.

What if her father’s memories gradually faded someday at this rate? His face, voice, warmth. What if all those things she didn’t want to forget were forgotten?

Riena was afraid of that.

But just reading the one line ‘To Cassel’ in her father’s handwriting, it felt like she could hear her father’s voice speaking right beside her.

The black-haired man, whose name was surely ‘Cassel’, did not rush her as she cried. He didn’t ask if she was okay or offer warm comfort, but he waited for her silently.

Though Riena didn’t know much about the man, she thought he seemed to be a man with deep consideration, even if he wasn’t good at expressing it. He had been like that in her dream too.

“I’m sorry. I was reminded of my father.”

“I understand.”

Wiping away what might have been rainwater or tears, Riena began reading the letter again.

To Cassel.

I heard you inherited the title. You must be heartbroken after suddenly losing your father. William was a peerless friend to me. It’s hard to say he was a good father to you, but please remember that he worried about you until the end.

Only after reading the letter did Riena realize what the man’s “I understand” had implied earlier. It wasn’t just an empty phrase, but comfort drawn from his own experience.

She continued reading the letter. Below that were contents about William, Cassel’s father.

It went on with personal stories about how diligent and capable William was, how much effort he put into making Cassel a worthy successor, and so on.

Just as Riena was about to stop reading, feeling like she shouldn’t be seeing such personal content:

Do you perhaps still remember my daughter, Riena? That tomboy Ria who stayed with you when you were young.

Riena unfolded the letter she was about to close at the sudden appearance of her own name.

Moreover, they stayed together as children? She swore she had no memory of this man. There was no way she could have forgotten a man with such a strong presence.

But it must not be a lie since it was her father’s words.

She turned 20 this year. If my memory serves me right, there’s a 1-year age difference between you two. I’m not saying this because she’s my daughter, but she really grew up to be pretty and lively. To the point where some strange good-for-nothing is persistently pursuing her.

Good-for-nothing? What was that about?

It was all incomprehensible. As far as Riena knew, there were no men approaching her romantically. She didn’t even have the chance to meet such men in the first place.

If there was anyone who came to mind…

‘Could he be referring to Sir Belliard?’

But who in this empire could refer to Johannes as a ‘good-for-nothing’?

Riena tried to stay calm and continued reading the letter.

When you were young, you came running with flower rings saying you promised to marry when you grew up. Even as I laughed it off as a promise between kids who didn’t know any better, I thought it was a good thing. Because you two looked happiest when you were together.

Flower ring, marriage…

Something was trying to surface from those fragmentary words.

I even talked about it with your father, William. William also agreed. But then you suddenly left Dyke territory and became the heir to your family, so I couldn’t bring it up anymore.

But Cassel. I’ve been so worried lately as I get older. If something suddenly happened to me, how heartbroken would Ria be to lose her father overnight? There’s no one in this world to protect that child.

So I want to give her a new family as soon as possible.

So, if you happen to remember Ria and the childhood promise, would you take responsibility for that child?

I’m not forcing you.

Just, if something were to happen to me, and Ria were left alone in this world, I wanted to ask if you could become her family.

By the time she read that far, Riena felt like crying. Judging by the contents of the letter, Count Dyke must have worried about his only daughter until his last breath after the accident.

Even if that wasn’t the case, could you take care of Riena like family?

The letter continued after that, but no words entered Riena’s eyes.

In summary, this letter was a kind of marriage proposal.

It didn’t matter why Count Dyke had done this without telling her.

Only one thought filled her mind.

‘If something were to happen to me… he says.’

It was as if Count Dyke knew something would happen to him.

No, perhaps such an ominous remark had caused it to happen?

She looked up at the man, Cassel, with a confused face.

Was that some kind of signal?

When Cassel nodded to the knight standing behind him, he took something out of his bag and handed it to the man.

The man carefully received it and knelt on one knee in front of her. Unlike in the precarious dream, he now looked very solemn.

“Get up, please. Your pants will get wet.”

Riena hurriedly tried to make him stand up, but Cassel didn’t budge. Instead, he held out the bouquet he had just received from the knight.

Three small sunflowers surrounded by white baby’s breath.

The bouquet was a bit crumpled and wilted, probably from rushing here. But Riena liked that somehow. It seemed to contain this man’s sincerity.

As Riena received the bouquet as if entranced, Cassel now took out a small box from his pocket.

Inside the box was a fairly large diamond ring, and the diamond sparkled brilliantly even in the darkness.

‘Could it be…’

Only then did Riena realize what Cassel was trying to do now.

He was trying to propose now. To Riena Dyke, whom he had never properly seen before.

As Riena looked back and forth between the ring and the man’s face with a slightly dazed expression, he muttered in an apologetic voice.

“I couldn’t prepare a new ring because I came in such a hurry.”

“……”

“Still, it’s my mother’s engagement ring. It has special meaning to me, so I hope you won’t be displeased.”

Displeased? That was nonsense. Riena knew how meaningful it was to receive a proposal with a parent’s or grandparent’s ring in noble families.

Cassel said he was sorry for not being able to prepare a new ring, but this ring was actually more valuable.

Riena debated whether she should stop Cassel before he opened his mouth, or if she should listen to what he had to say first.

Unable to make a decision, she was just moving her lips when Cassel spoke first.

“Lady Dyke, I know this is sudden. But I ask you, despite the rudeness.”

His blue gaze fixed on Riena’s eyes.

She couldn’t remember when or from whom she had heard it, but she had heard about blue flames before. Unlike the commonly known flames, these had a cool blue color.

However, despite their appearance, those flames were said to be much hotter than ordinary red flames.

The moment she saw Cassel’s eyes, Riena thought that perhaps that saying was true.

His eyes were hotter and more intense than any eyes she had seen in her entire life.

She couldn’t tell if what was contained in them was deep affection, lust, desire, or some other intense emotion.

But Riena felt a thirst, as if her throat was burning, just from meeting his eyes.

Cassel didn’t even blink as rain poured down his face.

Would there ever be someone else who would give such a blind look after today?

As Riena unconsciously swallowed, Cassel opened his mouth again.

“Will you marry me?”

It really was a proposal. Riena held her breath for a moment.