-31-
In the fleeting moment when emotions brushed against each other, he flinched and pulled his hand back. He missed the chance to rein in the horse, and the next moment, the wildly galloping horse tripped over a stone and lost its balance.
The sudden jolt from the abrupt halt transmitted directly to the woman riding it, and before she could react, she was thrown off the horse.
“Sister…!”
He froze as he watched her fall helplessly to the ground. The last thing he saw was her collapsing unconscious after hitting her head, blood pooling beneath her.
After the accident, their father placed him under house arrest. He stayed quietly in the annex, overwhelmed and uncertain of what to do after the unexpected incident.
For two weeks now, her last image lingered endlessly in his mind. His sister still hadn’t woken up since the accident.
“Is it because of me? It’s my fault. Because I said those things.”
Telling her to disappear… to never show herself again… How could he say such things to the only sister he had?
Even if she had changed, even if she treated him coldly, he shouldn’t have said that.
Could he ever be forgiven? He wanted to apologize—but what held him back was the look she gave him, that final gaze.
Those eyes, filled with contempt, had seemed to say: “You’re nothing to me. You’re not my brother.” For two years, she had completely ignored Lennox as if he were a stranger.
Their relationship had become irreparably broken—so fractured, they might as well be strangers.
Because of that look, Lennox hadn’t been able to reach out to stop her at the end. And so the guilt crushed his chest.
The image of her collapsed and bleeding overlapped with that hateful gaze, burned into his mind like an afterimage.
Two months passed. His house arrest was lifted, and he was finally allowed outside again, but he still couldn’t go see her immediately. While wondering about the strange atmosphere in the house, Lennox was summoned to Edwin’s office.
Edwin watched him silently, his expression heavy, before cautiously speaking.
“If you’re going to see Tiana… prepare yourself.”
“…Pardon?”
“She’s lost her memory again.”
“…Father. What do you mean…?”
Lennox was too shocked to speak. She lost her memory—again? He had feared something might be wrong, given how long she’d been unconscious. But this was far more than he expected.
She wouldn’t remember him again.
Would he have to see that same cold gaze again?
The hope he’d been holding onto dissolved in an instant.
Watching Lennox stand speechless, Edwin sighed. This was the second time she’d lost her memory due to an accident. No wonder Lennox was in shock.
Even if this had been a freak accident, Lennox had been closely involved. He was with Tiana at the time. If only he had grabbed the reins in time, maybe the accident could have been avoided.
Still, it wasn’t right to place the blame on Lennox. Edwin knew he must have panicked in that moment—just as Edwin himself might have.
Still… the emotional toll couldn’t have been nothing…
The house arrest had been for Lennox’s sake. Edwin feared that seeing Tiana’s condition would only make him blame himself more, so he’d kept them apart to give him time to stabilize.
It was meant to help him clear his mind and find calm—but Edwin wasn’t sure if it had been the right decision.
Now, two months later, Tiana had recovered enough, and with the wedding soon approaching, Edwin figured it was finally okay to let them meet again. But… was it too late?
Seeing Lennox standing frozen, Edwin said gently,
“She’s much better now. Don’t worry. She might not be the person you remember.”
“…What do you mean?”
“I’m not entirely sure myself… but she’s starting to regain her original memories. The memories of who she truly is.”
“…! Is that… is that true? She’s really…”
Coming back?
The flicker of hope that had died out suddenly sparked again. Lennox placed a hand over his chest, feeling his heartbeat intensify—proof of how excited he was.
Seeing that faint joy return to Lennox’s face, Edwin smiled slightly and added,
“I wanted you two to meet sooner, but there were complications. The marriage talks, which almost fell through, are back on track thanks to Tiana. The wedding will happen soon.”
“Oh… So the engagement with His Grace the Grand Duke is finally settled. When is the ceremony?”
“In a week.”
“So soon…”
“She’s better now, but I didn’t want to burden her with news about you. I thought keeping it from her was best… though maybe I was wrong. I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s alright.”
Lennox shook his head at Edwin’s apology.
“It’s not like we’re out of time. And she’s not disappearing forever just because she’s moving into the Grand Duke’s household.”
They still had a week. And even after the wedding, he would still have chances—however rare—to visit her.
For two years, he had longed for this moment. If there was a chance to be with his old sister again, he could bear a little impatience.
Edwin nodded, seeing the light return to Lennox’s eyes.
“Yes. There’s still plenty of time. Take it slow.”
“I will.”
“But I’m guessing you want to see Tiana right now, don’t you? She’s in the garden.”
“…Yes, thank you.”
As Lennox hurried out of the office—failing to fully hide his anticipation—Edwin chuckled softly and murmured,
“That kid really can’t do anything when it comes to his sister.”
The two had always been close since childhood. They weren’t far apart in age, and Lennox had always adored his sister.
Maybe… he should’ve let them meet sooner. Edwin couldn’t shake the guilt that he’d neglected Lennox while dealing with everything else.
With a bitter taste on his tongue, he sighed deeply and muttered without thinking,
“…Being a father really is hard. Just like His Majesty once said.”
He recalled the former emperor’s tired smile as he joked about how nothing ever went right when it came to fatherhood. That image tugged at him now more than ever.
