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Chapter 19
“No, I came because I had something to say… it’s just that…”
At that moment, the fresh citrus scent emanating from him reached her nose. It was the kind of fragrance you would expect from a perfectly ripe lemon.
At the same time, LeBlanc noticed that Erkis’s hair was still damp at the tips and, slightly startled, took a small step back.
Only then did LeBlanc realize how utterly strange the situation was. Late at night, cornering her husband—fresh out of a bath and in his pajamas—against the wall, and suddenly blurted out that she wanted to see him. Anyone would think this was odd.
Moreover, she had just come out after opening “that door,” so it was only natural that Erkis was surprised. Flustered, LeBlanc quickly turned her head and added words before he could misunderstand.
“So, what I mean is… would you like to go see the Snowflake Festival with me? I’ll show you lots of fun things and even buy you something delicious. How about it…?”
Immediately, her body heated up with embarrassment. She was frustrated with herself for acting so foolishly in front of Erkis.
“Show you fun things and buy you delicious food?” It sounded like a date invitation exchanged between a couple in their fifties, which made it all the more humiliating.
Biting her lip, LeBlanc’s voice fell softly toward the floor.
“Of course, it’s fine to say no if it’s uncomfortable…”
“Sure. When would we go?”
“Huh? You really want to go with me?”
Contrary to her expectation that he would refuse, Erkis accepted her proposal without hesitation. Surprised, she asked again, and he gave a small smile.
“You said you’d show me fun things and buy me delicious food, so I have to go. Also, I have something to discuss with the Count that day.”
Erkis’s tone carried a certain seriousness. Thinking he might change his mind, LeBlanc hurriedly fixed the schedule.
“How about tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow? I don’t mind, but you’ve been busy with work lately, haven’t you?”
“Not at all. I can take a day off.”
Hearing his firm tone, Erkis had no choice but to nod.
“Alright. Then see you tomorrow.”
“Yeah, see you tomorrow. Good night.”
LeBlanc returned to her room after giving a tender farewell. She collapsed onto her bed with a sigh of relief.
She had never imagined that Erkis would accept a date proposal so easily. She had even prepared several excuses to persuade him, all of which proved useless.
“I’ll never understand him, seriously…”
After avoiding her like a ghost for days, he now accepted her invitation to the festival in an instant. She couldn’t make sense of his mind, and her thoughts were in turmoil.
Despite her frustration, a faint smile appeared on her lips. Though it wasn’t smooth, she realized that this too was part of falling in love with him, and it felt refreshing.
Everything was opposite from the past, when Erkis used to follow her around. Nothing went according to her plans, but somehow, she didn’t mind.
The next day, a carriage carrying the two of them stopped in front of Lake Gerkal in the north. Unlike other regions, the northern area was still covered in snow, and the frozen lake had been decorated beautifully with colorful lights. LeBlanc alighted from the carriage, looking around with excitement.
“It’s definitely colder up north. Our estate’s snow has all melted, but it’s still pure white here.”
Pern had tried to suggest sending along Shiesha and Lily, claiming it was impossible for the lady of the estate to leave without a guard or maid, but LeBlanc, wanting a private moment with Erkis, refused the offer.
Though she didn’t tell Pern, she didn’t care much about a lack of maids, and her own combat ability was stronger than dozens of guards. She had brought Shiesha to the estate only to avoid using that power openly.
“Yes, I’m glad I wore thick clothes.”
LeBlanc’s eyes glanced over him. Erkis, wearing a thick fur hat and navy jacket, kept drawing her gaze. His reddened nose made him look like a tiny fawn.
Until a few days ago, she had toned down her actions because Erkis seemed burdened by her, but now, standing before him, her feelings wouldn’t obey her.
She resisted the urge to poke his snowy cheeks and pull him into an embrace.
‘Surely, the cute one is me.’
The dependable, thrilling feelings she usually associated with Erkis were replaced by his small, endearing self—a perfect bundle of cuteness and charm.
Though she had missed seeing his childhood due to their late marriage, this small moment alleviated some of that regret.
She even quietly hoped that if they had children in the distant future, they would inherit Erkis’s loveliness.
“Shall we start over there?”
LeBlanc pointed to a place where large sculptures carved from ice were displayed.
This was actually LeBlanc’s first time attending such a festival. Before meeting Erkis, she had no time to care about such things, and after marriage, tending to the estate kept her too busy to go anywhere.
Of course, there were countless places she wanted to visit with him. Every night, they would lie together in bed, holding each other and imagining their future.
Yet, the time they had was too short. Just as the estate stabilized and life settled, Erkis’s mysterious illness began.
Five years were enough to fulfill dreams, but far too short to fully share their love. The happy marriage, which they had thought eternal, ended in only five years.
“Count, look at this. The ice carvings are so intricate.”
They stopped in front of a massive ice angel. Below it, a metal plaque read: “Fate Goddess Pirtia”.
Nearby sculptures represented the continent’s guardian deities. Each of the twelve guardians had a unique form and role.
As LeBlanc examined one sculpture in detail with Erkis, her face suddenly stiffened before a certain statue.
‘Chaos, the God of Darkness.’
The name was all too familiar, and she couldn’t help but scoff. Chaos, the God of Darkness, had both saved her life and driven it to ruin.
In her previous life, LeBlanc had once attempted to take her own life—not for any particular reason, just an ordinary day that suddenly felt suffocating.
It was a stormy day. Watching impurities swept away by the rain, she wished to disappear in the same way. She climbed the mountain almost trance-like and threw herself off a cliff.
That was her first encounter with the damnable God Chaos. She vividly remembered the strange sensation.
A boundless white void, then dark mist as she thought she had died.
Through the thick fog, she saw a faint silhouette and instinctively knew it was not human.
“My gifted child, I, Chaos, bestow my power upon you. Use it to save yourself.”
Before she could respond, the dark mist enveloped her body. When she regained consciousness below the cliff, she had received Chaos’s power.
She briefly thought it was a dream, but her unscathed body and the immense power within confirmed it was real.
That night, a minor commotion arose at the peaceful Arnetio estate. The sharp smell of blood and the gruesome corpses of Lergasian and Verti lay scattered across the floor. LeBlanc merely stood there, dazed.
Though rumors spread that LeBlanc had killed them with black magic, Gate quickly silenced them, replacing all witnesses and servants.
He worried more about the potential damage to the Arnetio family’s reputation than the deaths themselves.
Gate Arnetio resolved the incident by confining his daughter to a convent for treatment.
“Count?”
Erkis’s sudden call snapped her out of her thoughts. Looking at his face, staring at her blankly, she couldn’t help but smile.
“Just… lost in thought for a moment.”
“You seem to like this one best.”
“Hmm, not really…”
Though she had once resented Chaos for interfering in her life, she could never fully hate him. After all, it was Chaos’s grace that ultimately allowed her to stand by Erkis’s side.
