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In the afternoon when the sunlight creates long shadows, when looking at the piercing sun.

On a muffled rainy afternoon, when looking down at falling raindrops.

When drinking tea, wrestling with documents, or sometimes mingling with people outside the imperial palace, exchanging trivial conversation or laughing.

Always at that time, as if his heart was constricting, Riina would come to mind, and he would miss her.

Each time, he wanted to run to see her in one breath, but because she wanted to keep her distance from him—no, she wanted to shake him off—he endured and endured…

“I don’t know what time that is, but I’m right in front of you now, so feel free to look as much as you want.”

Feeling sorry for her sharp words that had just sprung out unnecessarily, Riina now spoke softly with crescent-shaped eyes.

As the breaking water droplets around her smiling face scattered light to create a rainbow—

“If I were to say that now is that time.”

He looked up at Riina, squinting slightly as if gazing at something too brilliant.

As only he filled her slightly widened blue eyes completely, he felt a shiver running down his back as he opened his mouth.

He had tried to hide it. He had worked to conceal it. He hadn’t confessed his feelings because she didn’t want him to speak.

But once that protruding hope—

That terribly sweet hope that she might accept him—lightly mocked his patience and snapped it.

He didn’t know how to put back the sincerity that had cut through his chest and leaped out.

Einar moved closer to Riina sitting on the fountain and looked up at her fervently.

“If I told you that in a world entirely gray, you are the only one who appears in vibrant colors, and when you move, the whole world is dyed in those colors.”

Einar shared his overflowing sincerity piece by piece.

“If I told you I want to do anything for you. If I told you I could do anything if it would make you even slightly happy or smile.”

He slowly moved his hand from caressing the tips of her hair to tenderly caressing her earlobe with the utmost care.

The sight of the soft flesh being crushed between his fingers gradually turning red was truly magnificent.

“If I told you that on rainy days, I want to watch the rain with you, and on sunny days, I want to enjoy the sunshine with you.”

And thus, all those days…

“In all your days, whether clear or cloudy, in the hot day and the cold night. From blooming flowers to fluttering snowflakes. If I told you I want to be with you in all those times.”

His voice was gradually lowering, gradually becoming moist.

“What should I call all those feelings?”

Einar removed his hand from Riina’s warmed earlobe and covered her cheek, which had turned even more appealingly red, with his entire palm.

“Yes. Now is exactly the time I think of you.”

Perhaps after this time, not just this moment, but every moment, he would think of Riina.

Though he wouldn’t show it because she would call it creepy if she knew.

“Riina.”

It was just calling the name he always called, but both their hearts pounded as if about to explode simultaneously.

Their breathing was so loud that Riina wanted to cover her ears, and just as she realized she had leaned down so close that their breaths could almost touch, she was about to widen the distance—

“I love you.”

With his confession, a water droplet that had been precariously hanging at the tip of her wet hair fell with a drop.

“I love you, Riina.”

Einar, with his eyes filled entirely with only her, took hold of the tips of her hair as if handling the most precious thing in the world and lowered his lips.

Though there was no way she could feel sensation from her hair, Riina felt as if his lips had touched her bare skin, and all her nerves stood on end.

He confessed his true feelings again and again.

“I love you so much. I am in love with you.”

And her tightly wound nerves melted away at his pouring confessions that were too sweet, and she couldn’t come to her senses, as if she had eaten too many candies that might melt her tongue.

Riina’s lips were half-parted, but no words flowed out.

Only very faint breaths escaped and scattered.

Riina did not return Einar’s confession with an equal declaration of love.

Only her face, red like a ripe tomato, and her full lips that opened and closed intermittently as if about to say something, then not.

They say that nothing is conveyed if not spoken, but one cannot deny what can be felt from gazes and gestures.

Einar smiled with narrowed eyes and took a deep breath.

Then he inhaled her deeply, very deeply.

She had not rejected his confession.

She didn’t push him away saying he shouldn’t be by her side or run away, nor did she tell him indirectly not to do this or get angry asking if he didn’t understand.

Riina was here right now.

By his side. With him.

So for now, it was enough.

Einar gently pulled the back of Riina’s neck as she was about to timidly retreat with her reddened face.

He softly placed his lips right beside the lips of the startled, rabbit-eyed Riina and whispered in a voice filled with satisfaction beyond measure:

“You are all my seasons.”

Lione was in the middle of following the owner of the shadow who was walking briskly with an anxious heart from within the shadows.

Just about 10 minutes ago…

‘Tea time? Ah, that one with the shadow.’

Becky, while still looking at Lione with disapproval, freely told him everything in detail about Jane and Riina’s tea time.

‘It’s like a device that can inject or put something into the teacups or food, so much so that I couldn’t notice even though I was watching continuously.’

Becky also briefly summarized the relationship between the mechanical device, Jane, and Hans.

Riina had informed Becky that she had spotted Hans—the large man who had threatened Becky—at the auction house, and also told her that he was related to the mechanical device.

Furthermore, since she already knew that Hans had met Jane several times, avoiding the eyes of the mansion’s people, it wasn’t difficult to conclude that Jane, the mysterious mechanical device, and Hans were deeply connected.

It was also rather sloppy, as if they never intended to hide it…

After finishing the general story, Becky asked:

‘But why are you asking about this?’

This time, Lione shared the story about Jane’s “real and fake” talk.

Becky, who had been listening to this parade of nonsense with a blank face, couldn’t hold back and jumped up, exclaiming:

‘I need to meet that big guy! To think that a woman who sincerely says such crazy things is the shadow! Goodness!’

Of course, Lione tried to dissuade her.

‘What are you planning to do by meeting someone who threatened you?’

‘Since the reason for the threat is gone, there’s no need to be afraid anymore. Besides, now he should be afraid of us. What do I plan to do? I’ll kick his shin and find out what they’re plotting!’

‘Why are you naturally including me when you say “us”?’

Ignoring Lione, who might as well have had “troubled” written on his forehead, Becky retorted primly:

‘If you don’t want to, I’ll go alone. However, if I get hurt in the process of finding out where that big guy is hanging around, Lady Riina, who doesn’t keep other servants close, would be inconvenienced.’

Becky neither overestimated herself nor rashly rushed forward with only thoughts and will leading the way.

She simply spoke articulately, poking Lione’s side and pushing his back.

‘If we were to grab the shadow now and demand she spill her delusions and plans, she wouldn’t talk willingly. So we should first target someone much easier than the shadow.’

Even logically persuasive in her own way, Becky’s reasoning made Lione give in with a long sigh.

‘Fine. Then I shall take the lead.’

‘That’s not right.’

Shaking her head gently, Becky didn’t spare a look of contempt toward Lione, who was making an incredulous expression, and added:

‘Would that big guy open up to you, who looks like a young master from a noble house even when rolling around? Or would he open up to me, someone he’s even threatened before and finds easy?’

Again, it was a statement worthy of nodding in agreement, but Lione shook his head left and right instead of nodding.

‘Still, I will take the lead.’

‘Did you not hear what I just…’

‘I heard. I understood too. Still, I will take the lead.’

As Becky was about to speak, furrowing her brow as if frustrated, Lione was quicker:

‘If the investigation doesn’t go well, we can use other methods. But if you get hurt, we can’t use other methods. I’m prioritizing your safety.’

Becky’s mouth, which was about to snap back at his eyes filled with genuine concern and his words steeped in goodwill and consideration, closed tightly.

This man, who had suddenly rolled in and seized a place by Lady Riina’s side, was truly someone difficult to dislike even when trying to find fault.

Come to think of it, had he said the reason he always moved half-submerged in shadows—no, hiding in shadows—was because he was suffocating from receiving excessively one-sided love?

She still couldn’t understand what was so lovable about such a man, but…

Becky, who had been staring at Lione, nodded obediently, but true to her nature, she didn’t follow his suggestion.

‘I understand what you’re saying. But I still need to take the lead. We don’t have time to waste. So, can you watch over me from here?’

Pointing at her shadow with the corner of her lips raised, Lione couldn’t bring himself to say he couldn’t do that.