As Mia and Arthur rode together on a single horse, leisurely traversing the vast grassland, the sky was nearing dusk. The fiery hues of the sunset hung low, and a cool breeze swept across the expansive plain, rippling through the waist-high grass in waves. Bathed in sunlight, the scene enveloped them in an indescribable sense of comfort.
Everything felt so calm, serene, and peaceful.
If a lively atmosphere sparks excitement, then this tranquil harmony was the sweetest nectar for soothing the heart and soul. Happiness is rare, but inner peace is even more elusive.
Mia nestled comfortably in Arthur's arms. Though the breeze carried a slight chill, he shielded her carefully, allowing her to fully savor the glow of the setting sun.
After a long silence, Mia spoke first. "Arthur, you're so kind to me without any reason. It makes me uneasy." This feeling was like stepping blindly onto unfamiliar ground, filled with trepidation and anxiety.
She had wanted to wait for Arthur to explain his reasons, but his tenderness was too captivating, too alluring, yet it also made her restless. She feared that one day, Arthur might reveal that their connection was merely a game—a way to pass the time when he was bored.
Mia wasn't naturally suspicious, but she had seen this before. At the Ivan household, the second young master had been exceptionally gentle to a maid, leading others to believe he truly loved her. But one day, he cruelly told her, "Did you really think a sparrow like you could become a phoenix? Stop dreaming! You were just a game to kill my boredom. I'm done with you—stay out of my sight, and the farther, the better, or you'll regret it." Mia had witnessed the maid's desperate pleas and the young master's cold disdain. That night, the maid drowned herself in the river.
When her body was retrieved, her swollen hands still clutched the bracelet the young master had given her. She died holding onto the fleeting happiness she once believed in. When the young master heard of her death, he acted as if it meant nothing.
Even now, Mia often recalled the maid's faint smile before her death. Whenever Arthur treated her kindly or showed her tenderness, that memory resurfaced. She was afraid—afraid she might one day share the same fate. People said the maid was too naive, too trusting in love, and that's why she was hurt so deeply that death became her only escape. But now, facing this herself, Mia understood. It wasn't just blind faith in love—it was the weight of a lifetime of suffering. When someone finally showed her kindness, she clung to it like a moth to a flame. And when that sole pillar of hope abandoned her, her world would collapse entirely, leaving nothing to hold onto, leading to utter ruin.
When she first met Arthur, she saw him as a dream, so she could lean into his embrace without hesitation. But now, it was time to wake from that beautiful dream. She feared sinking deeper into the web of affection Arthur had spun, growing more dependent on him, pinning all her hopes on him. If that love were lost, she would be shattered beyond repair, her fate mirroring the maid's—where only death could bring release.
She was once so innocent, but reality shattered her naivety completely, leaving her unable to believe that hope could ever come true. Though she deeply trusted Arthur, he had never given her any reason to, filling Mia's heart with doubt and anxiety.
If possible, she would rather return to the simple life of a maid than endure the torment of sweetness, bitterness, confusion, and anxiety every day.
The hollow tone in Mia's words made Arthur tightly wrap his arms around her waist again. He buried his face in the crook of her neck and let out a deep breath.
"Mia, please forgive me for not being able to tell you anything now, but please believe me—everything I'm doing is willingly, from the bottom of my heart. Because my heart beats for you."
Arthur gently lifted Mia's hand and placed it on his chest, letting her feel the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, the warmth radiating from him.
Mia couldn't help but gaze into Arthur's deep blue eyes. Perhaps it was the glow of the sunset that made them seem dimmer than usual, but it was this faint, melancholic hue that tugged at her heart. In his eyes, she could glimpse a profound and unwavering love, a selfless devotion buried deep within him. She knew she was lost once again in the sky-blue depths of his gaze, a color that could intoxicate the soul.
She thought of the maid who died with a smile on her face—perhaps it was because she, too, had once felt this kind of fulfillment that she could pass without regrets…
Let it be. To be looked at with such deep affection by this man, to be treated with such tenderness—nothing else mattered.
Mia let out a soft sigh, feeling the hand touching Arthur's chest grow so warm it seemed to melt. "I promise you, I believe you." Even if, in the end, she was like a moth drawn to a flame, reduced to ashes, she would accept it without hesitation. She buried herself deeper into Arthur's embrace, like an innocent infant greedily soaking in a mother's warmth. She stopped thinking about the future—what she had now was enough.