In the end, instead of waiting any longer, Etienne chose to walk inside. If Leharht is waiting inside, he must be hoping for my arrival.

Having made a decision, Etienne moved forward immediately. Despite being uncertain if she could walk well on the dirt path due to her shoes and long skirt, she walked silently into the place.

Around the time when the scent of the grass, which she didn’t notice at first due to paying attention to the ground, became quite strong, Etienne stopped for a moment and closed her eyes. The gentle breeze tickled her forehead, and a smile formed on her face involuntarily due to the fragrance of the grass.

“It’s nice.”
Feeling the refreshing atmosphere of the forest, Etienne momentarily forgot that she needed to meet Leharht. It felt nice enough to stay here and not return.

As Etienne stood there, she heard the sound of someone approaching. With her eyes closed, she remained still, expecting to know who it might be.

If it’s Leharht, he might say something upon seeing me like this. He could ask how it feels just to stand there after telling me to come, or inquire about our agreement to meet here.

Regardless of what it was, she wanted to hear his voice.

However, something was strange. The wind continued to blow, and the scent of grass lingered, but as the person approaching her seemed to freeze, no sound reached her ears. It felt like everything had stopped, but why…

To confirm the situation, Etienne tried to open her eyes.

At that moment, something brushed against her fingers. It felt like warmth, but it happened so quickly that she couldn’t be sure. However, whatever had brushed against her fingers touched them again.

This time, it lingered. The warmth gradually spread between her fingers, teasing her palm, and then, as if tickling her hand, it soon enveloped her hand.

“Do you know where this is?”

At Leharht’s voice, Etienne drew a gentle smile.

“The place where I died.”

However, as she heard the location, her smile disappeared.
“I had a dream last night. Can I even call it a dream? It was like I saw what happened to me. I should have died from falling, but it seemed to show me that I’m alive and well.”

Etienne slowly opened her previously closed eyes.

“I only vaguely knew that I died, but when I vividly saw that scene, it felt strange.”

Leharht took Etienne’s hand and kissed it.

“When you see someone you’ve only heard about in rumors in person, the feeling is different. Um… my death seemed like that.”

Concerned about whether he had been hurt witnessing my death, I examined his expression closely. Despite smiling, it didn’t feel as if he was truly laughing, perhaps due to the somewhat somber atmosphere.

“I feel so sorry for calling you here to this place at such a happy moment, but I wanted to use it just once.”

At his honest words, Etienne released the hand she had been holding. It was somewhat regrettable that the warmth disappeared as much as he seemed to regret it, but it was okay. She would feel an even greater warmth. Etienne hugged Leharht’s neck.

“Feel free to use it as much as you want.”

“Aren’t you upset?”

“Well, when the carriage dropped me off here, it felt a bit awkward. If I knew I would come to a place like this, should I have worn a slightly shorter skirt? To go in here, you know? I had such thoughts while walking.”

Etienne began to talk about the things she had felt earlier on the way here.
“At first, it was a bit difficult to walk… But later, I liked it. The breeze here is refreshing, and the pleasant scent made me feel good. So, I think I’ll miss disliking this place more.”

Feeling Leharht’s initially heavy breathing gradually calming, Etienne hugged him even tighter.

“So, remember this place as where we embraced each other like this and shared warmth.”

Wouldn’t this place become more likable then?

‘I should have learned more about what happened when he died.’

She had only heard that the prince died from a fall and didn’t ask further. That’s why she didn’t immediately realize when they came here. Feeling sorry for not understanding Leharht’s feelings, Etienne whispered with heartfelt sincerity.

“Thank you for being alive.”

Etienne loosened the grip from the arm that embraced him. The rest, she wanted to say while looking at his face.

“Our family survives not just because you’re alive. I’m so happy that I can love someone. Thank you for allowing me to spend a day like a gift.”

Seeing joy filling Leharht’s once quiet eyes, Etienne closed her eyes in relief. Soon, his warmth touched her lips.