“How many times do I have to tell you that you’re terrible at chess? It’s impossible for you to beat our sister! Just give up!”

“But Sister said she’ll stop arranging those tedious matchmaking meetings if I beat her at chess. I must win at chess. I have to…”

“Oh, Lily! When did you get here?”

The two of them turned their identical wide eyes towards me when they finally noticed me. While Rose warmly greeted me, Zen seemed to freeze up and then abruptly started offering excuses.

“Li, Lily, about those matchmaking meetings, my sister just—”

“Speaking of which, Zen, you’re not engaged yet? Shouldn’t you hurry?”

I asked curiously, and Zen pulled a pained face. Beside him, Rose burst into loud laughter.

“…?”

With Zen looking distressed and Rose laughing uproariously, I couldn’t quite follow their reactions. So, I just awkwardly smiled and took a seat.

Rose continued laughing so hard she was gasping for breath, eventually wiping away tears and muttering,

“Oh, this is too funny. Look at my brother’s face. Puhaha! I won’t tell Sister about this out of loyalty. Aren’t you grateful, brother?”

“…Yes, very grateful.”

I didn’t know all the details, but it seemed like they had some family matters to discuss. Accepting this, I called a maid to bring fresh, warm tea. Then, turning to Zen and Rose, I smiled warmly and asked,

“How have you two been?”

Zen and Rose stayed for a good while, chatting and having fun until they left around 3 PM. Although the atmosphere was cheerful, I couldn’t help but notice that Zen seemed a bit down.

Given his age, he might be feeling the pressure to get married, but it wasn’t my place to interfere. The Delacroix family would handle it.

‘Well, now…’

As I turned back after seeing them off, I thought about spending some quiet time in the library reading a book since I had finished my work in the morning and had some time off….

“Viscount! Urgent news! It’s about Lady Naillo…!”

Suddenly, unexpected news came rushing in.

* * *
“You’ve come, Viscount Arendelle.”

A faint, almost extinguished voice greeted me. Standing at the doorway, I composed myself before approaching Lady Naillo’s bedside.

She lay there peacefully, and when our eyes met, she smiled warmly. As always, there was an air of dignity and gentleness about her.

Even in her final moments, Cecilia Naillo remained composed.

“I was perfectly fine just yesterday. It seems my husband wants to take me early…”

In the corner of the room, her family wept quietly. Among them was my aide, who had taken a few days off to be with her.

Seeing him, usually so efficient and composed, now with swollen eyes and tears streaming down his face, was surprising.

But… it was understandable.

Lady Naillo was his mother, the mother of his siblings, and the grandmother of their children.

I knew very well how much respect and love she commanded.

I, too, deeply respected her and had grown very fond of her.

Sometimes, I wondered if this was what having a grandmother would feel like…

… So I couldn’t help but shed tears as well.

“Oh dear, now I’ve even made Viscount Arendelle cry. Don’t cry, Viscount.”

“Lady Naillo…”

“When the time comes, we all have to leave. There’s no escaping it. No one lives forever. We all say goodbye to this world eventually.”

Lady Naillo gave a faint smile and continued,

“But you know, I do feel a bit cheated. Life really….isn’t fair. Bad people live long, full lives while good people die young. My husband was such a good man, but he passed away too early…”

“….”

“So, even though I never said it out loud…. I’ve always had a deep respect for Viscount Arendelle. You remind me of my daughter, and you’ve done such a remarkable job making sure bad people face justice.”

Lady Naillo chuckled softly, then began to cough, struggling to breathe. The doctor rushed over to tend to her, which seemed to help a little, but her complexion had become noticeably paler.

“Anyway… Viscount Arendelle.”

“Yes, Lady Naillo.”

Tears streamed down my face as I held her hand. Despite trying to hold them back, they kept coming and blurring my vision.

“You’ve gone through so much… being so young and tender-hearted.”

“….”

“In my experience….life isn’t about grand achievements. It’s about having loved ones by your side and finding happiness for as long as you live. Don’t be lonely, and be happy for a long, long time. Promise me that.”

“….I promise. Thank you, Lady Naillo.”

Lady Naillo then spoke quietly with her family.

And slowly, she seemed to drift into a deep sleep…

An hour later, she passed away.

It was a very peaceful and quiet death.

__