Chapter 159
Everyone slowly turned their heads in one direction. A bright light cut through the darkness, and someone’s gasp broke the silence.
“Wow…”
Selena had been staring blankly at the light, then began to move slowly as if Jane’s gasp had been a signal.
She walked toward the white lighthouse emitting the bright light.
With each step closer to the lighthouse, her heart pounded harder. It was a sensation she hadn’t felt in a long time. It felt like greeting a mirage, exciting and nostalgic….
Despite this, Selena didn’t stop. The tension and trembling in her hands conveyed the firm texture of the flower basket she was holding.
Step, step. The sound of Selena’s steps on the cobblestones echoed as Aiden hurried to follow her.
“Miss.”
Selena, who had been looking up at the sky, glanced back at Aiden’s call.
“This is it…. Where you called me. This is the place I saw in my dream.”
Her voice trembled with emotion. Selena rarely cried, yet had tears welling in her eyes…
Aiden gently took her cold hand in his, and the warmth of his touch made the tears that had gathered spill down her cheeks.
“This is it. This place… you called me.”
Just then.
A strong wind blew, and the bright light from the distant lighthouse turned and flooded over the four of them. The light was so bright they had to close their eyes. The wind swirled around them for a while.
After the strong wind calmed down,and as the light slowly faded, they cautiously opened their eyes.
* * *
“Mma!”
A pair of short legs moved rapidly. The round, blue eyes sparkled like gems on the child’s mochi-like white face.
Reaching out to catch the child running toward me, I smiled as the child threw herself into my arms with a beaming grin.
“Angelina, it’s dangerous to run like that.”
“Dangerous? Mma’s here!”
“Yes, I will catch you, but it’s still dangerous. If you walk over next time, I’ll lift you even higher.”
“Next time, I’ll walk!”
“Yes, yes.”
Burying my face in the hair that shimmered like threads of melted gold, I blew gently, causing Angelina to burst into laughter.
A moment later,
“Angelina!”
Sweat dripping from her brow, a woman came running.
With bright golden hair and a gentle smile on her fair face, just like the child’s.
Ariel Franklin, the original novel’s female lead. Now, she was my brother’s wife and my new family member.
She was Angelina’s mother.
“Running like that is dangerous! Who does our speedy Angelina take after?”
At the princess’ question, Angelina tilted her head in thought, then pointed her tiny finger at me.
What? Me? You think you got your speed from me?
I gently held her cute little finger, barely the size of an adult pinky, and shook my head.
No, Angelina. I’m slow. I’m as slow as a snail. If we had a running race right now, I’d forfeit. I’d give up after just two steps.
“Mma!”
Despite that, Angelina called me again, her faith in me was strong. I began to seriously wonder if I should start practicing running from today.
Just then, I heard a soft laugh beside me. Turning toward the sound, I saw Princess Ariel covering her mouth.
Her unshielded eyes curved into crescent moons. Angelina was beaming, while I had a serious expression. I guess it did look funny.
Shrugging, I slipped my hands under Angelina’s arms. As I reached out, Princess Ariel effortlessly took the child into her arms.
That’s what being a two-year veteran mom looks like, I suppose.
She looked so natural and warm. Rubbing her nose against the child’s, the princess spoke to Angelina’s bright face.
“Angelina! Not ‘Mma,’ but ‘Auntie.’ Auntie. Now, say it. Auntie.”
“Auntie!”
“Well done. Again, what do you say instead of ‘Mma’?”
Turning Angelina to face me, Princess Ariel encouraged her. I stroked the chubby cheeks of the child with my fingers.
Angelina burst into a fit of delighted laughter, her voice still tinged with amusement as she responded.
“Mma!”
Alright, alright, our baby.
* * *
Princess Ariel and I sat across from each other at the greenhouse table. Angelina hopped about, hand in hand with Jane, amidst the blooming flowers of the greenhouse.
As Princess Ariel wrapped her hands around her teacup, she watched Angelina. Suddenly, she turned around to wave back at Angelina, who was cheerfully waving at us. After that, the princess took a sip of her tea and shifted her gaze to me.
“Angelina seems to really like Selena.”
“Does she?”
“Yes. It’s a secret, but… Angelina actually likes me more than Aaron. She says I’m the best Mom in the world. So, she calls everything she loves ‘Mma.’ To her, it means she likes it.”
So, that was the secret behind ‘Mma.’ No wonder the quick-witted Angelina, who was more advanced than other kids, kept calling me ‘Mma’ instead of ‘Auntie’ ….
It wasn’t a bad secret. The little mochi called me ‘Mma’ because she loved me so much…
Honestly, it’s natural for a child her age to struggle with words a bit.
Yes, exactly. So, for the next five years, being called ‘Mma’ shouldn’t be an issue. I concluded, nodding my head while sipping my tea. The fragrant aroma made me feel even more content.
Princess Ariel, having set her teacup down, glanced around the greenhouse before leaning in closer to me, her eyes sparkling with mischief. Her sudden secretive behavior made me raise an eyebrow in curiosity.
“When are you planning to get married, Selena?”
Cough.
“Cough, cough, hack, cough.”
The black tea I was drinking caught in my throat, causing me to cough violently. Fortunately, I managed to turn my head just in time to avoid spraying tea all over the princess. Startled, Ariel handed me a handkerchief. I took it with a shaky hand and nodded my thanks.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to surprise you like that… It’s just, with your engagement reaching its two-year mark and….how much you adore Angelina… I was just curious.”
“Ahem. No, it’s fine… I just choked a bit.”
“Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked… Let’s just pretend I didn’t say anything. I don’t want to be the tactless older sister.”
Princess Ariel gave me an apologetic glance. Seeing her this way made it clear where Angelina got her cuteness. Watching her tap her teacup and sneak glances at me, I could bet there isn’t a person in this world who could dislike her.
Of course, I mean metaphorically.
I smiled reassuringly and neatly folded the handkerchief she had given me.
I’ll wash it and return it to her. And, well, it’s another chance to see our Angelina.
“Really, it’s alright. It’s natural for family to be curious. As for the wedding…”
I trailed off, my words hanging in the air. A wedding… a wedding…
Princess Ariel blinked at me, waiting, but then she nodded her understand and changed the subject.
I gratefully accepted her consideration.
We continued chatting about everyday things. We talked about the adorable Angelina, the charming Aiden, and… my dear older brother? Anyway, as we exchanged these light-hearted stories, one word lingered persistently in my mind.
‘Wedding.’
A wedding… It left me with a complicated feeling.
* * *
“F… fin… m… me….”
What…? What are you saying…? Where am I…? What is this place…?
“Gasp.”
I woke up. The vivid, swirling reds vanished, replaced by the dim, familiar ceiling in my view.
‘Another… dream…’
I rolled my eyes, realizing it was still early dawn. That time of day when the world is tinged in blue, just before the sun fully rises.
Whoo, I took a deep breath and slowly sat up.
I felt dizzy.
For days, no, for weeks, I had been having this dream. Red, then blue, then white, all passing in sequence with that strange voice.
“Why is this happening again…?”
Having such strange dreams was something I hadn’t experienced since the time I lost consciousness due to the black flower, nearly a year and a half, or about two years ago. Recently, my mind has been cluttered, and these bizarre dreams were only adding to the burden…
I sat up in bed, catching my breath, and then slowly pulled back the covers and got out. The early morning air was chilly against my legs. Shivering slightly, I grabbed a blanket and, with slow steps, left my room.
The mansion was quiet in the early dawn.
I wandered the empty halls like a ghost. This was a familiar routine, part of my daily life. Walking like a ghost through the halls, carefully descending the stairs, and standing silently before a familiar door, turning the handle quietly to open it.
Then, tiptoeing into the room, step by step, toward the bed by the window in the simply furnished, blue-lit room to see the person sleeping there.
I quietly sat down beside the bed. Draping the blanket over my shoulders, I settled in and gazed at the sleeping man’s face.
Tousled platinum hair, eyelids hiding green eyes, lips that softly breathed in sleep.
I slowly took in his handsome face before gently resting my head on the bed, waiting for Aiden to wake.
This had become a natural habit for us, our own silent promise and mutual waiting. After waking from what felt like a deathlike sleep for such a long time, this was our routine, our connection. Whenever one of us woke first, we would quietly go to the other’s room, sit by their bedside, and wait.
Just to confirm that our loved one had awakened safely once more.
Two years ago, on a spring day, we both woke from our long sleep. I woke a day earlier, and the next day, Aiden followed suit.
When we woke, we held each other and cried our hearts out, just like children.
Life felt overwhelming, as did the people waiting for us, and the warmth of my lover. So we cried together, blessing each other’s lives.
But it wasn’t just us who blessed our lives with tears.
My mother cried so much that she seemed to risk dehydration, and my father also shed constant tears. Even my brother, who had tried so hard to hold back his tears, eventually couldn’t help but cry. Sir Lucas, Priest Ian, Jane…. even Vivian, who visited us late after hearing the news—all of them wished for our recovery.
I smiled and thanked them.
Unlike when I had regained consciousness after jumping from the tower, there was no sense of alienation. No strange guilt.
Surrounded by those who blessed me, I was happy as Selena, just Selena. Those were truly good days.
Our secret habit began in those good days.
Life was so wonderful, and we blessed each other’s lives so much that we worried even more about each other. Having both come back from the brink of death, we took turns watching over each other’s bedside.
The field of white flowers in full bloom was unforgettably beautiful, but compared to the living world, it was too foreign. To ensure that we didn’t send each other back to that intoxicatingly fragrant place, we guarded each other’s mornings diligently.
Even now, two years later.
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