I went down to the first floor and headed straight for the drawing room.

Although Veronis and Brienne were geographically close, it wasn’t a distance one could cover in just an hour.

Of course, using magic tools or riding non-stop could make it possible to arrive much faster.

And my intuition told me that Theodore had likely chosen the latter.

“I have served him some warm tea. He seemed to have faced a lot of cold wind…”

Even though it was already May, the night air was still quite chilly.

Traveling for an hour non-stop was hardly ideal.

With a soft sigh, I nodded to the servant.

The servant gave a short nod in return and slowly opened the door to the drawing room.

The air inside was quite cozy warmed by the fireplace. I walked slowly into the drawing room. Almost simultaneously with the sound of the door closing behind me, Theodore turned to look at me.

He wasn’t sitting on the sofa. On the table, a cup of tea was left steaming, slowly cooling down in solitude.

Standing awkwardly by the window, Theodore cautiously approached me as if mustering his courage. Through the large window behind him, I could see the frosted glass.

“Lily…”

“Yes, Theodore. Did you really ride here on horseback for an hour?”

“I received the necklace…”

Theodore, his cheeks flushed from the cold wind, fidgeted nervously. Unable to hold back any longer, I stepped closer and cupped his cheeks with my hands. His skin was still cold from being outside.

“I told you to come see me when you got the necklace, but I didn’t mean for you to do it like that.”

“But… I wanted to see you as soon as possible.”

“You could have waited and come in the morning. Foolish…”

Theodore’s blue eyes were glistening with emotion. He looked at me with a mix of awe and disbelief, as if he couldn’t fully accept the reality of the situation.

“I never really believed… you would accept me.”

“….”

“I thought that even if you ignored me forever, I would silently accept it…”

Tears began to well up in Theodore’s eyes. As he looked at me and smiled faintly, a tear rolled down his cheek. Unable to contain his overwhelming emotions, he began to speak rapidly.

“I will live for you until the end of my days.”

“….”

“I will exist only for you, forever.”

“….”

“You are… an incredibly special and unique person to me.”

I didn’t answer immediately. After a moment of silence, I looked into his eyes and finally spoke.

“It’s the same for me too.”

“….”

“You are special and unique to me as well.”

You are someone irreplaceable in my life.

The only person who makes me feel this way… is you.

And now, I’m ready to fully acknowledge that uniqueness.

“…One day, I realized that there was an empty space in my life where you should be.”

“….”

“And that space couldn’t be filled by anyone else.”

“….”

“I want you to fill that space again.”

“…Yes.”

“….”

“Yes, Lily…”

Theodore nodded eagerly, his lips trembling as he tried to speak through his tears. His hand, which carefully clasped mine, was slightly shaking. I took a deep breath and continued.

“…But there’s something you need to know.”

“Yes, please tell me.”

“…If we become husband and wife again… I won’t leave Arendelle Castle or Brienne.”

Theodore’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. I thought he was shocked by my determination to stay in Arendelle and Brienne, but I soon realized it wasn’t that.

“We, we would be married again…”

“…”

Seeing his face turn red and his flustered expression left me momentarily speechless.

“…It’s important, so listen carefully. I love this place. It’s where I felt peace for the first time in my life.”

A light of understanding dawned in Theodore’s eyes. He nodded quietly.

“So, if you want to see me, you’ll come here, and if I want to see you, I’ll go to Valentino Castle.”

“Yes, we’ll do that.”

He smiled faintly, showing no signs of dissatisfaction. His easy agreement was almost surprising.

I hesitated for a moment before finally saying the most important thing.

“…Then, please properly propose to me again.”

Theodore’s eyes widened like full moons as he stiffened in surprise.

I looked straight into his gaze and continued each word clearly.

“Not out of obligation… but now, truly…”

“…”

“Let’s marry because it’s what you and I genuinely want.”

In the past, we failed from the very first step.

But this time, we won’t fail.

Because this decision is made of our own free will, free from anyone’s interference or influence.

Tears welled up in Theodore’s eyes again as he slowly bent down on one knee.

Looking up at me as if in prayer, he pleaded with a desperate voice.

“Lily Arendelle…”

“…Yes, Theodore Valentino.”

“I…love you.”

“…”

“I want you.”

“…”

“I don’t know if I dare to be this greedy, but…”

“…”

“Will you… marry me?”

With a small smile, I nodded and took his hand.

…I thought I could handle this calmly, but my eyes were welling up with tears.

In a voice tinged with a bit of sobbing, I replied.

“I accept your proposal.”

Finally, it was May. The season of new blossoms.

__