Chapter 36
The ones who found Tyria collapsed that day were the village elders, who came running after hearing the news belatedly.
It was Ruiten, who had witnessed the appearance of the demonic beast from afar, who informed them.
After that day, Tyria remained unconscious in bed for nearly three days, and because of it, Baron Wibin’s temper became sharper than ever.
What Tyria remembered was the tense atmosphere that filled the mansion when she first opened her eyes, and the whispers exchanged among the maids about everything that had happened while she was unconscious.
“I heard the young master of the Portman family went missing too and was only found yesterday?”
“Don’t even mention it. The Baron was absolutely furious and was talking about marching over to the Portmans to demand answers. I think he convinced himself that the young lady had been kidnapped.”
“Well, it’s the Portmans… they’ll probably solve it with money. They’re far wealthier than our barony anyway.”
“Of course they are. Considering how our Baron spends money, isn’t this whole uproar probably just to squeeze some compensation out of them?”
Back then, she had understood nothing except that Elic was safe, and that alone had filled her with relief.
But looking back now…
Her father had probably been glad that he could pin the condition of her battered body on the Portmans.
After all, what good could come from rumors spreading that a family head beat his own daughter?
And on top of that, he had even gained money from the incident.
It must have seemed like the perfect outcome to him.
Of course, none of that meant Tyria herself was safe.
“Do you know how disappointed I am in you?! From today onward, your surveillance will be even stricter! Engrave this deeply into your heart—you are the reason your father has been disappointed!”
The dreamlike days eventually came to an end.
Reality tormented Tyria far more vividly and cruelly than any dream ever could.
Going outside was out of the question.
Even visiting the garden was allowed only for an hour or two under strict supervision, and the lessons accompanied by physical punishment became incomparably harsher than before.
Only one thing had changed.
I’m not sorry.
Tyria had changed.
Only then did she realize it.
She had done nothing wrong.
There was no reason for her to suffer like this.
No reason to be scolded by these people.
Elic had taught her that.
What he had engraved into her heart was the ability to love herself a little more—and to love others as well.
And…
“If you want to become an elegant lady, start by fixing your walk!”
“Yes.”
He had given her a dream.
Now, Tyria no longer questioned why she had to become a fine lady.
She genuinely wanted to grow into one herself.
With the dream of becoming his bride as her foundation, she could keep moving forward.
How could walking through a cave with no end in sight compare to traveling a path while knowing what awaited at its end?
A promised reward lay ahead.
Because of it, she could not allow herself to collapse.
It gave her strength.
And even if she stumbled, she could rise again.
That remained true even after she grew older.
Even after she realized that marrying Elic was an impossible fantasy, those memories continued to support her.
They meant far more than a simple first love.
Those brief memories with Elic had become the pillar that allowed Tyria Wibin to never give up on herself.
He had taught her what it felt like to be loved.
He had shared his warmth with her.
Even in the bitter center of winter, he had shown her that spring would someday arrive.
That was why she endured.
Why she kept living.
And then—
“You are to marry a Portman.”
He returned bearing the name of spring.
Just like the miracle that had come to her in childhood.
* * *
Tyria slowly opened her eyes.
The first thing she saw through her lingering haze was the botanical encyclopedia lying open in a mess before her.
Had she fallen asleep while reading?
It had been a long time since she had such a pleasant dream, and her body felt refreshed.
It wasn’t just her imagination either.
The aching heaviness that had plagued her was almost completely gone.
Then—
“Awake, are you?”
Elic’s voice reached her ears.
Startled, Tyria raised her head.
He was standing by the window, looking at her.
The gentle smile on his face radiated peace.
“I distinctly remember telling you to go to bed early, yet it seems you stayed up late. Why was that?”
Though he tried to sound stern, the playful expression on his face made it impossible to take him as genuinely angry.
A strange sense of disconnect washed over her.
As I thought…
He had become remarkably mature compared to the boy she remembered.
It was still a side of him unfamiliar to her.
If not for the occasional traces of his younger self that surfaced now and then, she might have forgotten he was the same boy she had once loved.
She didn’t know how he had spent the last ten years, but the wild, untamed temperament he once had was undeniably gone.
“My lady?”
“…Ah.”
Running a hand through her hair, Tyria answered carefully.
“I must have fallen asleep early. I don’t remember reading for very long.”
“You’re truly impossible.”
“I’m sorr—”
She stopped herself.
A faint smile surfaced instead.
Don’t apologize without a reason, you idiot. If you apologize first, people will look down on you.
Why was that the first thing she remembered?
Tyria composed herself and wiped the smile from her face.
Then she shut the encyclopedia.
Elic was drawing back the curtains.
Brilliant winter sunlight poured into the room, illuminating everything.
“The weather is nice today. A bit dazzling, actually. Probably because of all the snow.”
“Is that so?”
“Of course. Goes without saying.”
With a swipe of his hand, Elic cleared the frost from the window.
A deep smile rested on his lips.
“Isn’t that just how this place is? Everything sparkles throughout the year. In spring, the seedlings turn green. In summer, they flourish and shine brightly. Autumn paints everything gold, and winter glows with its own clean brilliance.”
After speaking, he hesitated briefly before continuing.
“I think I missed things like that while I was away.”
Then he turned and looked at Tyria.
He was showing such a sentimental side of himself, yet the first thing she worried about was whether he’d forgotten to wipe the sleep from his eyes.
A brief moment of inner conflict passed through her.
Naturally, Elic remained completely unaware.
With a slightly mischievous smile, he continued.
“Which is why I thought of something last night.”
“What is it?”
“Wibin’s scenery is peaceful, but isn’t it a little too monotonous? The inside of this mansion is even worse. The place feels far too bleak.”
Tap. Tap.
Elic knocked lightly on the window.
“So, my lady, how about planting flowers in the mansion garden? When spring comes.”
“Flowers…?”
“You like gardening, don’t you?”
Tyria’s eyes widened.
Her lips parted slightly in surprise.
Her heart clenched, and a pleasant tightness spread throughout her body.
After hesitating, she asked:
“…You knew?”
“Hm? About gardening? I remember hearing about it around the time we got married. Am I mistaken?”
How unfair.
Why did he always manage to catch her off guard like this?
Clutching the blanket, Tyria shook her head slightly.
Elic’s smile widened.
“That’s a relief. I’m glad I remembered correctly.”
Correctly?
“…Thank you.”
He couldn’t even remember what had happened back then, so what exactly had he remembered correctly?
Still, it couldn’t be helped.
He had lost all memory of that day.
She remembered hearing that after he returned from his disappearance, he had forgotten everything that had happened, making it incredibly difficult to piece together the truth of the incident.
“Thank me for what?”
“For remembering.”
“Think nothing of it.”
It was unfortunate that the events of that day had become her memory alone.
But that was alright.
Perhaps it was selfish, but beneath his ear remained the scar from that day—a trace of memories his mind could no longer recall.
The thought that it existed because of her filled her with guilt.
And yet, at the same time, with a strange sense of satisfaction.
It was embarrassing.
But what could she do?
This was simply the kind of person she was.
As she stared at him, Elic tilted his head.
“Why are you staring so intently…? Ah, this scar?”
He rubbed his neck.
“It’s from when I was a child. I used to play pretty recklessly, so getting hurt was common.”
The awkward look on his face nearly made her laugh.
Tyria quickly composed herself.
Then she nodded.
“Yes. I’ve heard stories.”
“For some reason, I doubt they were flattering ones.”
“I don’t mind. More importantly, I’d like to change clothes now. Would you mind stepping outside for a moment?”
“Ah, of course. Your fever seems to have gone down quite a bit as well. I’ll come back later.”
Supporting himself with his cane, Elic left the room.
Click.
Only after the door closed did Tyria place a hand over her chest.
Thump. Thump.
Her heart was beating loudly.
A thought suddenly crossed her mind.
Perhaps half of her dream had already come true.
The moment she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was his smile.
After all these years, that was still the case.
She was living each day wrapped in that sweetness.
“My lady, I’ve brought water for washing.”
“…Very well. Come in.”
…Her face had grown embarrassingly hot.
She needed cold water.
