“My name is Elaina Aswald. Nice to meet you.”

The face of the girl who smiled warmly like spring sunshine and extended her hand was a complete mess.

A bruise staining the area around her eyes blue. Swollen red cheeks, as if she had been hit. And black hair disheveled as if randomly pulled and torn.

“You’re not saying anything.”

“……”

“Then can I just sit quietly next to you? Actually, I was looking for a place to shelter from the rain. I managed to run away to here, but as you know, there’s nothing around except this tree.”

“……”

“Hmm… I’ll take that as permission.”

There was no hesitation in her actions. Young Elaina sat down right next to the boy and shook out her hair, which was soaked with rainwater.

Yes, this was how Elaina entered Sinclair’s life. Completely on her own terms.

On a summer day when a downpour was falling.

In the valley connecting to the Hilden River, where she had gone praying to find her mother’s body that no one else was looking for…

“You look like you’re in a lot of pain.”

The bandage wrapped tightly around his head, oozing with pus. Fingernail marks he had scratched on his own face in a state of madness. He was clearly not in good shape to anyone who looked, but it seemed young Elaina felt she had no right to say such things.

“Do you come here often?”

When there was no answer, young Elaina began to chatter like a bird.

“Actually, I come here almost every day. I get beaten every single day, so at those times I have to run away somewhere less noticeable. But no matter where I go, they find me like ghosts.”

“……”

“So I came to this valley. Because my family are the kind of people who wouldn’t bother going to such trouble because of me. Anyway, if I wait until nightfall and go back, everyone will be asleep, so I just have to endure a little. But I didn’t expect it to rain so suddenly…”

“You said you come every day?”

Young Sinclair, who had been silently listening to Elaina’s story, moved his cracked lips.

“Then… haven’t you seen anything?”

“What kind of thing?”

Elaina tilted her head and asked, and young Sinclair hesitated briefly.

“I’ve seen various things. Like deer, rabbits, flowers…”

“A corpse.”

This time Elaina hesitated.

“A woman’s corpse…”

“……”

“Have you perhaps not seen it…?”

He must have been curious. This boy asking if she hadn’t seen a corpse of all things.

So if it had been someone else, they would have questioned further. Asking what he meant.

“I’m sorry. I haven’t seen any corpses.”

But Elaina didn’t do that.

“But as I said earlier, I come here every day, so if I happen to see anything, I’ll definitely tell you. I’ll even make a promise.”

Here.

Elaina said seriously as she held out her pinky finger, and young Sinclair looked at it for a moment…

Then slowly extended his own finger as well.

“Then I’ll come every day too. Since we don’t know when you might find it.”

“Okay. With two people looking, we should be able to find it soon.”

“…Yeah.”

“And if it’s alright, could you tell me your name? It feels a bit awkward not knowing what to call you.”

Young Sinclair seemed to hesitate for a moment, but finally answered, moving his pale lips slightly.

“…Ren.”

“Ren?”

“That’s my name. Ren.”

You know what, Elaina?

The reason I couldn’t tell you everything back then was because I couldn’t trust anyone at that time.

I was scared, afraid, and terrified.

Everyone in the world seemed like people sent by Yuria.

Dream Sinclair smiled wryly with a sorrowful expression.

“I see. That’s a really nice name.”

But Elaina, not knowing the truth, smiled kindly and complimented him, and young Sinclair, no, Ren, gave no response.

“Elaina is my real name too, but my mom called me Elli.”

“……”

“I like that better. Because whenever Mom called me Elli, she was always smiling so brightly. So it made me feel happy too. But now I won’t get to hear it anymore, which makes me a bit sad.”

“Why?”

“Because my mom is dead.”

Elli said with a somewhat sad expression.

But that sadness didn’t last long. She smiled as if it was okay and continued speaking.

“But it’s okay. Mom said she’d always watch over me from heaven.”

“……”

“No matter where she is, she really loves me, so I should never forget that.”

[I really love you, Sinclair.]

“Me too… That’s what…”

[Always remember that, okay?]

“My mom… said that too… before she died…”

Ren muttered in a breaking voice.

But is it really true? Does Mother still love me? Or is she actually resenting me? After all, it was my fault that Mother passed away. Because I let go of her hand. Because of me. All of it…

“Then your mom must be watching over you from heaven too, Ren.”

Elli, who had been silently looking at Ren, parted her lips in a gentle voice.

“She always told me, ‘Elli, a parent’s love for their child never changes no matter what happens.’ I think your mom must have felt the same way.”

And she went on to say.

“She also said that whatever happens, it’s not because I did something wrong. So I shouldn’t blame myself.”

The words that Ren from back then so desperately wanted to hear. But that no one had ever said to him…

“You should think that way too. Actually, I’m trying really hard at it myself.”

“……”

“I’m sure your mom would want that too, don’t you think?”

“…Yeah.”

“Don’t you think so too?”

“Yeah… My mom… would definitely want that…”

With those words forced out, Ren began to cry pitifully. Without even properly understanding the source of those tears.

Perhaps it was because it was the first time in his life that someone’s comfort truly resonated with him.

Or maybe it was because your attitude towards me, Elli, was so warm. So heartbreakingly kind that the tears I had been holding back came pouring out.

Or perhaps it was both…

“Oh, the rain has stopped.”

The downpour that had been falling relentlessly had stopped at some point. Elli muttered in a cheerful voice as she stood up.

“There’s still some time before evening, so shall we go and search along the valley?”

What do you think?

At Elli’s suggestion, Ren quietly nodded. Then he got up and they slowly began walking towards the valley.

…That day, it wasn’t just the merciless downpour that had stopped.

The ruthless hand that had been tearing, breaking, and cruelly digging into the fragile young boy’s heart also ceased.

That hand was none other than Ren’s own.

“Because you said those things…”

The words Sinclair uttered scattered futilely into the air.

“Because you comforted me so sincerely…”

From that moment on, I stopped tormenting myself, Elli.

…Of course, not long after, I started breaking myself with an even stronger hand.

“But still…”

It was warm.

I loved hearing your endlessly chattering voice.

Your face, always bright and cheerful even when you looked like you had been beaten badly, was lovely.

You probably never knew… Elli.

Deep regret showed on Sinclair’s face.

…And so Sinclair became Ren, and Elaina became Elli. The boy and girl who had nowhere to belong became friends, and before long, became each other’s refuge. The only place where they could rest.

“Elli, let’s sit here for a moment before we search the valley today.”

When Sinclair slowly closed and opened his eyes, the scene had already changed.

Ren and Elli were sitting on a large rock near the valley, directly facing the heat of summer and the harsh sunlight.

The two seemed much closer than when they first met.

“Why? What’s the reason?”

As Elli asked with round eyes, Ren rummaged through his belongings instead of answering.

Then he pulled something out, clutching it tightly in his hand.

“Wow.”

Seeing the dazzling object she had never seen before in her short life, Elli’s eyes sparkled like jewels.

“…It’s a keepsake from my mother.”

Ren muttered with a bitter expression.

“I’m giving it to you, Elli.”

“You’re giving something like this to me?”

But it must be incredibly precious to you. Elli waved her hands as if to say that was impossible.

“You told me recently that you wanted to run away from the Aswald family someday, if you saw the chance.”

“Yeah. It’s not an impossible idea. My mom told me. I take after her, so I’m really fast on my feet. So no one would be able to catch me.”

“Right. That’s why I’m giving it to you.”

“Huh?”

“Even if we suddenly get separated, if you have this ring… I’ll be able to recognize you.”

“……”

“Then even if it’s not in this valley, I might be able to find you and come back to you. I promise. No matter how much you’ve changed. No matter where you are…”

That ring was the most meaningful keepsake among those left by his mother.

It was the thing she cherished most as she longed for her homeland. But a place she could never return to.

That’s why he wanted to give it.

Because at that time, Elli was the most precious thing to Ren.

So even if they were separated, he wanted to meet again no matter what.

“……”

Elli made a slightly troubled expression. But it didn’t last long. The girl nodded as if understanding, and carefully accepted the ring Ren held out.

“Ren, I’m not accepting this ring because I know it’s valuable.”

Then she said with a serious face.

“It’s because I know what your feelings are in giving me this ring. Because my feelings are the same.”

But I have nothing I can give you. I’m really sorry. At Elli’s sincere apology, Ren smiled brightly.

It didn’t matter if he received nothing in return.

Just the fact that Elli’s feelings were the same as his was all that mattered.

“You know, Ren. I’m definitely going to leave.”

“……”

“When I succeed in escaping from the Aswald family, I’ll come back for you too. For sure.”

“For me…?”

“Yeah. You said so too, didn’t you? That you want to abandon your family and leave. That it’s too scary, frightening, and hard.”

Yes, I seem to have said something like that. Just omitting the fact that that family was actually the imperial family of Eden Bell…

Ren smiled fleetingly.

“I like you, Ren.”

And Elli continued slowly, with a slightly reddened face that didn’t suit her.

“More than anyone else in the world.”

“……”

“You don’t have to say anything in response. It’s just how I feel.”

Sinclair looked at such an Elli with a sad expression.

You probably had no idea, Elli.

How much I regretted after returning to the imperial palace that day.

That I should have kissed those lovely cheeks flushed pink. That I should have told you I felt the same way. That I actually wanted to say it first. And that I should have held your hand tightly.

“Let’s go now, Ren. We need to search the valley again.”

“…Okay.”

Elli smiled brightly as she took the lead, and Ren hurriedly followed behind her.

Ren reached out towards that small white hand swaying lightly in the air, but the boy ultimately lacked the courage.

He only hoped that the sound of his pounding heart wouldn’t reach Elli’s ears…

“Ren, the weather is really clear today. Somehow I have a good feeling…”

Maybe we’ll really find your mother today! Right?

Elli’s cheerful voice settled in Sinclair’s ears like a dream. He wanted to hear that voice, see that lovely face like fluttering flower petals, and feel that warm gaze looking at Ren a little longer. So Sinclair reached out his hand just as Ren had done, but…

In the blink of an eye, Sinclair was standing in the middle of that day.

The very day when Elli was permanently broken because of him,

And thus, the day he lost Elli forever.