Walking toward the carriage with a wistful heart, I turned around at the sound of commotion and saw Jeremi and Roen running toward me.

No—rather, I saw Jeremi being dragged along by Roen.

“Oh, oh! Master Jeremi! Miss Roen!”

Roen ran up, panting heavily, then grinned widely at us and said,

“Huff… so tired… Oh, are you leaving today?”

“Yes. Surely, Miss Roen, you didn’t come out just to see us off?”

“No! We’re leaving today too!”

“What?!”

“We’ve decided to begin our pilgrimage starting today. Thanks to Lady Yura, I get to go with Master Jeremi here. I’m truly grateful.”

I glanced sideways at Jeremi, who turned his head slightly as if embarrassed and said,

“That’s how it turned out.”

“That’s wonderful!”

Yura quietly whispered into my ear,

“Thanks to you, I even fulfilled my dream of a first kiss, Lady Yura.”

I covered my mouth slightly to hide my sudden chuckle and smiled gently.

“I congratulate you on building such beautiful memories.”

“It’s all thanks to you. Thank you. By the way, you seemed to have had a drink yesterday—today’s meal was only soup and bread. Is your stomach okay?”

“Not stew…?”

Roen tilted her head, clearly not understanding what I meant.

“Stew?”

I looked at Sikar; he flinched and turned his head away as if feigning ignorance.

To double-check, I asked Roen again,

“You’re saying only bread was served today?”

“Yes. Why do you ask?”

“Oh, nothing. Thank you for your concern, Miss Roen.”

“Don’t mention it. Then, shall we bid farewell while hoping for an uncertain future meeting?”

“Oh, if you’re heading the same way, would you like to ride with us? Our carriage has space for two more.”

“No, thank you. We plan to walk.”

“Ah. Okay…”

“Then I’ll look forward to meeting you again someday. May you remain safe under the grace of the gods.”

“May you remain safe under the grace of the gods.”

Roen, carrying no luggage, hooked her arm around Jeremi’s and skipped merrily away.

Even after climbing into the carriage, I couldn’t take my eyes off them until they disappeared from view.

I silently wished, unlike in the original story, that they would find their happy ending.

On the way back to Blake, I asked Kian, half-worried, whether he’d had any nightmares—but he said that while he used to have them often, he no longer dreamed of being chased by wolves in the snowy mountains or falling off cliffs.

I asked Sikar, “So, is Kian really okay now?” and Sikar nodded as if to say, “Seems so.”

I felt deeply relieved, yet a flicker of doubt still lingered.

“Kian. You’re not just saying that to ease my worries, are you?”

“No, Mother. Really. I haven’t had bad dreams for a while now.”

That was truly a relief. Only then did I feel genuine peace.

Kian kept blinking his heavy-lidded eyes, clearly sleepy. He looked so adorable, but I knew it was time for a nap.

I was about to call Sikar to hold Kian, but he noticed immediately and, even before I spoke, naturally gathered Kian into his arms.

“How about you get some rest too?”

“My hangover’s mostly cleared, so I’m fine. But—how did you get the stew?”

Sikar’s face suddenly flushed red, and he turned his head away, avoiding my gaze.

“Well… I paid them, and they made it.”

“But why did you say it came with the meal?”

Sikar glanced sideways at me as if to say, “Do you really not know?” and replied,

“I didn’t want you getting into bad habits.”

Ah—so he meant that if I found out he’d specially arranged stew for me, I might start drinking casually, counting on him to fix things afterward.

“Thank you. I do feel better because of it.”

“I won’t do it next time. So if you drink, do it in moderation.”

Though his tone was cool, his ears were bright red.

He seemed genuinely concerned, but perhaps his emotional expression was just awkward.

Sikar, who had been staring elsewhere, flinched when our eyes met, then quickly closed his own.

“I didn’t sleep well last night because of your drunken antics. I think I’ll nap on the way.”

He didn’t seem genuinely sleepy, but seeing him close his eyes tightly sent a flutter of spring breeze through my heart.

“How long has it been, Lord Duke, Lady Duchess!”

The moment we arrived at the ducal manor, Andrea and the servants came out to greet us and began moving our luggage.

“Have you been well, Andrea?”

“Yes. We’ve been fine.”

“Nothing unusual happened while we were away, I hope?”

“Um… well…”

Andrea hesitated, unsure how to begin, and kept glancing nervously at Kian.

Why was he watching Kian so carefully?

Sikar must have noticed Andrea’s behavior too, because he ushered Kian inside first.

Only after Kian had fully entered the manor did Andrea speak.

“They’ve found the young master’s biological father. Sir Durion and Master Vika Lamberst sent word for the Duke to come to the foothills of the snowy mountain as soon as you arrive.”

So they’ve finally found Valije…

“Understood. Since Vika isn’t here, Andrea, go keep an eye on the young master.”

“Yes, Lord Duke.”

Though finding Valije was fortunate, my heart felt unbearably heavy. Sikar must have sensed my darkening expression.

“If you’re unsure how to tell Kian, I can do it.”

“I’ll do it. It might be hard to say right away, but since Kian relies on me so much, I think it’s best I tell him.”

“You’re probably still recovering from yesterday’s strain. If you’re tired, rest today and leave at dawn tomorrow.”

“No. We should leave today. Kian is a child with strong sense of responsibility. Even if he doesn’t show it outwardly, he’s still tormented by guilt. We must properly retrieve Valije’s remains to ease Kian’s burden—so we leave today.”

Sikar caught my hand as I turned to go. When I looked back, he spoke in a low but clear tone.

“Stay strong. If you need my help, just say so.”

It was such a warm thing to say—I almost wondered if this was really the Sikar I knew.

I gave Sikar a small smile, then went up to Kian’s room. Kian had neatly changed clothes and was putting something away into the wardrobe.

“Hmm? Kian. What was that just now?”

“Oh, this? Grandmother gave it to me.”

“Ah. I see.”

I was curious what it was, but I didn’t want to be a mother who invaded his privacy—so I didn’t press.

More importantly, my mind was reeling over how to deliver the news I had to share. I needed to think carefully about what to say to Kian.

“But what’s wrong, Mother?”

Looking into those bright, innocent eyes staring up at me, I found the words stuck in my throat.

I walked slowly—not to the table, but sat down on the edge of the bed.

“Kian. Come sit here with me?”

Kian looked at me curiously, wondering what I wanted to say, then sat beside me on the bed.

“Please speak, Mother.”

“Kian, it’s just that…”

Kian already seemed to sense something ominous from my expression, his face clouded with worry.

I took his small hands in mine and said,

“Kian. Don’t be startled—just listen, okay?”

Kian nodded solemnly, meeting my gaze.

“Kian… we’ve found your father, Lord Valije Tahigon.”

The moment I finished speaking, Kian’s large eyes widened further. Suddenly urgent, he gripped my hands tightly.

“M-Mother! Is… is my father still alive?”

Though he asked if his father was alive, there was not a trace of hope in Kian’s expression.

He must have realized from my faltering expression and hesitation.

“Kian… Lord Valije has become a star in the heavens. But…”

I couldn’t continue as I watched tears stream silently down Kian’s cheeks. He didn’t sob aloud—he just choked back his breath and let the tears fall.

My heart ached. I pulled him into my arms. Kian must have suspected his father was dead the moment Valije went missing.

But since “missing” doesn’t confirm death, the word “death” hadn’t fully become reality for him.

Only now, hearing confirmation of Valije’s death from me, did his father’s passing begin to feel real.

It broke my heart to see Kian suppressing his grief, swallowing his tears instead of letting them flow freely.

Still stifling sobs, Kian wiped his tears and asked,

“T-then… where is Father’s body now, Mother?”

“They say he’s in the snowy mountain. Master Vika and Sir Durion seem to be guarding him. If you’re willing, shall we go today? What do you think?”

“L-let’s go! Mother! I want to see Father right away!”

“Alright. Let’s leave at once.”

When I brought Kian out of the room, Sikar had already instructed the servants to finish all preparations for departure.

Andrea looked deeply regretful that we, who had just returned after so long, were leaving the manor again for such a reason.

“Since you’re headed to the snowy mountain, I’ve prepared thick coats inside the carriage. I’ll guard the manor well—please travel safely, Lady Duchess.”

“Andrea. I’m counting on you.”

“Yes, Lady Duchess.”

We boarded the carriage again, escorted by the servants.

Unlike the comfort we felt on our return, this time the atmosphere was so heavy that not a single word passed between us.

As we drew closer to the snowy mountain, the temperature gradually dropped. I took out the thick coat Andrea had prepared and helped Kian put it on first.

Kian quietly slipped into the coat without a word. Sikar put on his own coat, then helped me into mine.

We didn’t speak, but we could feel each other’s warmth.

As we neared the snowy mountain, the sun sank lower and lower beyond the mountain ridges.

Even before we reached the snowy mountain, the sun had set behind the white peaks, and thick darkness settled over us.

The carriage raced through the darkness, toward a single distant speck of light.