The chill in the evening air clung to the open platform, accompanied by the low, mechanical hum of the waiting train. Shadows stretched long across the stone pavement as Frederick stood tall in his dark coat, a plain white box balanced carefully in his gloved hands.
Sui shifted nervously, her boots tapping softly against the platform. She hesitated for a fraction of a second before speaking up.
"Um, and..." Her voice was barely louder than the ambient noise of the station, laced with quiet hesitation. "If you don't mind..."
Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a neatly folded, thick cream-colored scarf. She held it out with both hands, her eyes fixed on the wool rather than his face.
"I heard the winters in the Republic of Victorberek are terribly cold," she said softly, her breath forming faint wisps in the cool air. "I knitted this myself with the sturdiest winter yarn... I hope it keeps you warm."
Frederick's amber eyes widened slightly. For a moment, the usual stoicism in his gaze melted into quiet surprise. Without taking off his leather gloves, he gently reached down, taking the soft scarf from her outstretched hands.
With deliberate care, he unfurled the knit and wrapped it around his neck, tucking the plush cream fabric neatly into the collar of his coat.
"Thank you," he said, his deep voice carrying a rare, soft warmth.
He holding the box securely in one arm, looked down at her. "I was always deeply indebted to you, Sui. I was always grateful for the coffee you would occasionally make for me yourself while I was staying at the manor, too."
He paused, offering a faint, respectful nod. "Take care."
Sui's heart thrummed with a bittersweet ache. Tears welled at the edges of her eyes as she forced a gentle smile, trying to imprint his parting words into memory.
"You too, Mr. Frederick...!" Her voice trembled slightly, though she tried her best to steady it. "Always stay healthy. Please take good care of yourself."
With a subtle turn, Frederick stepped toward the carriage doors. The heavy metallic clunk of the train door signaled his departure as he boarded, disappearing into the warm, dim light of the cabin interior.
Sui remained standing on the platform, her coat wrapped tightly around her against the gathering breeze. As the train's wheels began their rhythmic clack against the tracks, slowly pulling away into the distance, she continued to watch until the last carriage faded into the dusk.
On the street outside, Sui leaned against a grand stone pillar, burying her face into her hands. The tears she had managed to hold back in front of Frederick finally spilled over, heavy with grief and unexpressed longing. Watching him walk away felt like letting go of a piece of her soul—a painful, aching reminder of everything left unsaid.
Meanwhile, under the warm, dusky hues of sunset on the grand terrace, Serena stood leaning lightly against the stone balustrade. Her dark hair was styled into an elegant half-up bun, and her pink gown caught the soft evening light.
A shadow fell over the balcony as a sharp, familiar voice broke the silence.
"Hello, Serena."
Serena stiffened. Slowly, deliberate in every movement, she turned her head. Standing near the towering grand pillar was a man in a tailored dark suit and brown coat. His striking blue eyes fixed upon her, cool and unreadable.
"It's been a long time," he added smoothly.
Serena's jaw tightened. She stared at him, her violet eyes glinting with a volatile mixture of disbelief and deep-seated bitterness. Silence stretched between them, heavy with unresolved history.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" he asked, a subtle, almost patronizing smirk hovering on his lips. "Did you forget my face because you haven't seen me in a while?"
The utter audacity of his tone ignited a spark in her chest.
Me, forget your face? Her mind screamed through a rush of old memories. You bad guy, do you have any idea how much I... I missed you every single day without fail...!
Instead of letting those unspoken emotions show, Serena straightened her back and looked down at him cold, defensive contempt.
"You're alive," she remarked dryly, her voice dripping with sharp sarcasm. "I thought you went somewhere and died since you didn't contact me at all."
She turned fully to face him, the delicate lace of her gown doing nothing to soften the intense fury radiating from her posture.
"You disappeared right after we got divorced and didn't show your face once," Serena continued, her tone growing sharper with every word. "So why are you suddenly appearing and acting like you know me? What makes you think you can just show up smiling like you did something right?"
Her gaze locked onto his with an icy glare.
"Aren't you the one who was determined to forget me?"
"What makes you think you can just show up smiling like you did something right?" her voice trembled, sharp and defensive against the evening breeze. "Aren't you the one who was determined to forget me?"
His eyes softened, eyes closing briefly as a quiet, exasperated sign escaped his lips. The composed facade faded into something weary yet tender.
"As if I could," he murmured softly.
She clenched her jaw, frustration bubbling over. What's with that relaxed attitude? she thought, her pulse hammering against her ribs. I'm the only one who's mad again.
He opened his eyes, searching her expression. "Are you very mad?"
"Come here," he said calmly, offering a slight motion.
"You come here," she snapped back, tears finally welling in her eyes and spilling over her dark lashes. "If you know I'm mad."
A soft smirk played at the corner of his lips. Without a word, he closed the distance between them, his dress shoes clicking softly against the stone floor. Before she could push him away, he pulled her into a warm, firm embrace, leaning down to rest his face gently against her head.
"I missed you," he whispered quietly into her hair.
She stood frozen, buried in his chest. Tears streamed freely down her cheeks, soaking into his dark coat.
"...Liar," she choked out, her fists tightening as she grabbed at the fabric of his coat. "Does someone who misses a person disappear for months without a word? I told you I hate it when you leave suddenly. I absolutely hate breaking up when I'm not even ready."
Her grip tightened further, her knuckles turning white against his coat.
"Do you know how long I waited? At first, I seriously considered turning the whole kingdom upside down to catch you... but I held myself back. You know?" She sniffled, her voice muffled against his chest. "Where on earth were you, making a person wait this long?"
He didn't pull away. Instead, his hand gently rested on the back of her head, stroking her hair as he listened to every ounce of her spilled grief.
"I thought I'd return to the kingdom soon," he murmured softly, his tone heavy with regret. "But the matters I had to resolve took longer than expected, and I was busy with that for a while."
"You weren't in the kingdom all this time?" Serena pulled back slightly, her wide, tear-stained eyes searching his face in bewilderment. "…What is it this time? You let everything go, so what were you so busy doing now?"
He met her gaze calmly, his voice steady. "With Dustin's death, I had to handle some long-overdue matters. There's a business my maternal grandfather left behind in the Kordellen Kingdom. I returned to the kingdom today because of that, and that's why I attended the embassy event."
Serena blinked, processing his words as a sudden chill ran down her spine.
"Your maternal grandfather's business? Who is your maternal grandfather?"
"Clinhard Wiester," he replied simply.
The name echoed in her mind. Clinhard Wiester? Where have I heard that... Her breath hitched, her eyes dilating as the memory snapped into place like a violent missing puzzle piece.
"Don't tell me... it's Clinchard Riains Wiester?!" She gasped, tilting her head up in utter shock as she stared at him. "That person is your maternal grandfather?!"
"You don't need to know all that right now," he brushed off smoothly, unbuttoning his thick outer coat.
"Is it true? Really?" Serena insisted, her heart hammering against her ribs as she looked up at him. "That small, old villa... it belongs to him?"
"It's a long story, and that's not what's important right now," he murmured softly. Ignoring her questions, he gently draped his warm coat over her bare shoulders, wrapping it securely around her to shield her from the evening chill.
As the familiar warmth of his coat enveloped her, a ghost of a memory surfaced in her mind.
She remembered his intense, unwavering gaze from back then—a desperate promise made in secret.
> "Even if it takes time, I can get all of this back. Trust me."
As he gently held her face, her chest tightened. Was this what he was trying to say back then?
…I really still don't know a lot about you, she thought, her pulse thumping softly against her ribs as she looked at him.
The weight of his coat was heavy on her shoulders, filled with his faint, familiar scent, but the mystery of his identity seemed to widen the rift between them all over again.
"Don't ever leave without a word again," she pleaded, her voice trembling as she looked up into his calm, striking face. "I'd rather wait a long time, it's fine... Just please, never disappear without saying anything."
Her breath caught, the unspoken grief of those long, silent months rushing back to choke her throat.
"It's hard to endure now," she whispered, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "Promise me. Promise me that you won't leave without a word, and that you'll never again..."
Whistle—
A sharp, piercing sound cut through the cool night air. A streak of golden light shot straight into the dark sky above the balcony, trailing brilliant sparks behind it.
BOOM!
The sky exploded into a dazzling cascade of colors. Brilliant gold gave way to a sudden shower of vibrant fireworks, lighting up the grand expanse of the estate grounds below.
Serena turned her head slightly, caught off guard by the sudden burst of light.
Above them, magnificent blooms of fire painted the night canvas—that beautiful thing, flashing over and over again, washing over his sharp silhouette. As the fireworks burst in rhythmic succession, the light reflected across his features, shifting with every dazzling explosion.
First, his face was illuminated in a cool, mesmerising bright blue.
Then, a sudden burst painted him in a warm, intense red.
And finally, a brilliant shower of sparks turned the dark balcony a glowing green.
Standing under the shifting spectrum of light, she looked at his profile, caught between the secrets he carried and the unspoken promise lingering softly in the air between them.
…and green.
It was only a single instance, a fleeting flash of light amidst the darkness, yet the sight felt overwhelmingly, painfully familiar.
The exact shade of his eyes had lingered as an ache of deep curiosity inside her sixteen-year-old heart. Back then, masked at the grand masquerade, she had embraced him fervently—clinging to a phantom stranger without ever realizing he was her first love. In the years that followed, she had painted that version of him dozens, no, hundreds of times over. Every brushstroke on canvas was an attempt to capture a memory that refused to fade.
Eiser.
Looking at him now, bathed in the shifting glow of the night, the reality of him took her breath away. Those cruel yet radiant eyes—sharp enough to freeze her whole world with a single cold glance, yet capable of melting her heart until she was completely helpless.
She knew the future held uncertainty. His gaze would surely bring many more days of ice and warmth, sharp distances and quiet tenderness.
"...I promise," he spoke softly, his low voice cutting through the thundering booms of the fireworks overhead.
Her chest swelled with a poignant, overwhelming emotion. Even so, Serena thought, her eyes glittering with tears as she looked up at his handsome face, I want to willingly share every single one of those moments with you.
Before she could speak the thought aloud, Eiser leaned down. His fingers brushed gently against her chin, tilting her face toward his.
Then, under the cascading violet light of the exploding sky, his lips met hers.
It was a deep, breathtaking kiss—firm yet exquisitely tender, sealing the unspoken vows suspended between them. The night surrounding the balcony dissolved into a haze of purple ember and glowing sparks as he pulled her close, his hand cradling the back of her head to deepen the embrace.
When he finally pulled back just an inch, his lips resting impossibly close to hers, Serena blinked, her eyelashes trembling as she whispered against his breath:
"Is that an answer?"
Before the word could fully leave her lips, the quiet stillness of the balcony gave way to motion.
Instead of an answer, Eiser wrapped a firm hand around her waist and led her down the secluded staircase, sweeping her away into the quiet sanctuary of the waiting vintage sedan parked beneath the shadows of the estate trees.
The moment the car door clicked shut, shutting out the cool night air and distant echoes, the atmosphere shifted entirely. Warm, dim purple light filtered through the tinted glass, enveloping the intimate space in a heady, electric haze.
Eiser pulled her into his lap. Serena gasped softly as she found herself straddling him, her dress fanning out around them in delicate silk folds. His hands were warm and steady—one cupping the back of her head, the other resting firmly against her waist as he pulled her flush against his chest.
He leaned up and claimed her lips once more, deeper and more intoxicating than before.
The kiss was consuming, melting away every shred of distance that had ever existed between them. Her arms instinctively wrapped around his neck, her fingers tangling into the soft hair at the nape of his neck as she yielded to the quiet intensity of his touch.
When he finally parted from her lips, his breath brushed warmly against her cheek, heavy and uneven. Dark, piercing eyes held hers in the dim cabin light.
"Did you drink?" he asked softly, his voice low and laced with an irresistible rasp.
Serena blinked, her cheeks flushed a deep, feverish pink. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she looked down at him.
"...A little. Why?" she murmured, her voice barely a whisper.
Eiser's gaze darkened slightly. He leaned in again, his lips brushing lightly against the corner of her mouth, capturing another slow, lingering taste before whispering against her skin:
"It tastes sweet inside your mouth." He shifted his trail of soft kisses down her jawline. "Cherry flavor."
A shiver ran down Serena's spine at the sensation. She squeezed her eyes shut for a brief moment, fighting the sudden wave of lightheadedness that threatened to overwhelm her. Through the haze of intimacy, a realization suddenly sparked in her mind—a playful suspicion that made her lean back slightly to meet his gaze.
"You…! Be honest," she breathed out, her hands resting against his solid shoulders as she looked into his eyes. "From the start, you offered to bring me back personally..."
She gripped his shirt a little tighter, her expression a mix of affection, suspicion, and breathless accusation.
"...just to do this, didn't you?"
Eiser didn't answer right away. Instead, a faint, dark smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
"Hm?" he hummed softly, completely unbothered by her playful confrontation.
Without giving her a chance to press further, he buried his face into the crook of her neck, pressing a deep, lingering kiss right against her sensitive collarbone. Serena gasped, her head tilting back as another spark of warmth flared deep within her chest, completely erasing whatever argument she had left to make.
A sharp, quiet gasp escaped Serena's lips as Eiser's hot breath grazed the sensitive dip of her collarbone. His lips trailed possessively up her throat, leaving a trail of fire in their wake.
"Personally..." Serena managed to breathe out, her voice trembling slightly as she clung to his broad shoulders, "just to do this, didn't you?"
Eiser didn't immediately deny it. A low, gravelly hum vibrated in his chest against hers.
"Hm?"
His lips press firmly against the delicate curve of her neck, drinking in her warmth and the sweet lingering scent of cherry. Serena arched back slightly, her breath catching in her throat as a dizzying flush bloomed across her cheeks and chest. Her fingers tightened instinctively on the fabric of his dress shirt.
Slowly, Eiser pulled back just enough to look at her, his dark, mesmerizing eyes ablaze with an unyielding intensity.
"I was going to let you go obediently, but..."
His low, raspy voice filled the dim, violet-hued interior of the car, sending a shiver straight down her spine. Serena sat breathlessly on his lap, her gaze locked onto his as her heart hammered wildly against her ribs.
He lifted a slow, deliberate hand to his neck. With agonizing precision, his long fingers hooked into the knot of his dark tie, loosening it with a single, smooth tug. His shirt collar parted slightly, revealing the sharp line of his jaw and throat.
His piercing blue eyes never left hers for a single second.
"...I changed my mind."
TIPIS
- THE MARRIAGE BETWEEN THE WIESTER FAMILY
- AND THE GRAYAN FAMILY WAS AN ARRANGED
- MARRIAGE FINALIZED AFTER YEARS OF NEGOTIATIONS. - AFTER THE WEDDING, DUSTIN GRAYAN VIOLATED THE - MARRIAGE CONTRACT, BUT THE MARRIAGE ITSELF
- WAS MAINTAINED SOLELY ACCORDING TO LETE
- WIESTERIS WISHES.
얇은
- 위스터 가문과
- 그레이언 가문의 결혼은 정략결혼이었습니다.
- 수년간의 협상 끝에 결혼이 성사되었습니다. - 결혼 후 더스틴 그레이언은 결혼 계약을 위반했지만, 결혼 자체는
- 전적으로 레테에 따라 유지되었습니다.
- 비저의 소원.