CH 97

‘Winter’ had arrived on the hill where Heinrich stood.

The grass was now a white snow field, and the green trees were covered with white.

A lot of beautiful snowflakes fell.

The wind was gentle, but the falling snow was real.

It was a mythical landscape that went against nature.

—I couldn’t believe it.

‘…Wow, it’s so pretty and amazing.’

The moment I witnessed the great magic that changed the seasons, a great emotion arose in my heart.

Heinrich stood clearly in the unrealistic landscape.

Silver hair shining coldly against the white snow, and mysterious amethyst eyes beneath it.

His closed red lips were as beautiful as an arrogant nobleman who would never fall.

‘You are so handsome that I am amazed again.’

It was like a delicate glass flower blooming in the snow.

“Sister, you’re here?”

Heinrich smiled without reserve. It was a clear and beautiful smile that only he could show.

“Yes… What is all this?”

“Come on.”

Heinrich grabbed my hand tightly.

We stepped on a soft snowy field and went under a beautiful tree, where there was a fairly unique set of a ‘winter picnic’.

A lace rattan basket decorated with flowers, cute cups on a wooden tray, and a cozy blanket with an adorable pattern (it was small for two people).

There was a colorful wreath made of pretty flowers on a small chair that doubled as a table.

‘This… I’m touched.’

“Heinri… When did you prepare all this?”

“I want to have a party where it’s just the two of us. There are too many disturbances out there, it’s annoying.”

I burst into a small laugh as he let out a grunt while shaking his head as if he was sick of it.

To have a picnic in the winter like this, it was unexpected.

“Thank you, Heinrich!”

Impressed by the sincerity, I quickly sat down on the mat next to Heinrich. The floor was warm, and next to it was a portable stove burning like a bonfire.

“Come on, Sister.”

Heinrich poured cocoa into a mug. Marshmallows were floating on it.

“Thank you.”

When I took a sip of cocoa, sweetness and tiredness flooded me at the same time.

‘Oh, it’s really nice.’

We covered ourselves with the warm blanket and watched the peaceful snowfall.

‘I think I’m going to live. I’ve been tormented by three crazy guys all evening.’

‘Whew, it’s like a break now?’

Heinrich must have prepared it on purpose.

‘He knew I’d be tired.’

‘He’s so delicate.’

Heinrich didn’t seem to have any interest in other people, but the consideration he sometimes showed me was surprisingly appropriate.

I smiled at Heinrich, and he came closer to me with the blanket over him.

Then he whispered in my ear.

“Even if we do something naughty here, no one will see.”

“…Heinrich!”

As I tried to get out of the blanket, Heinrich giggled, then laughed and wrapped me in the blanket.

Thanks to this, with the exception of my face, I was trapped in the blanket, wrapped up like a dumpling.

“I’ll give you all my marshmallows.”

“What the…”

Heinrich, who acted like a wolf (or possibly a fox) earlier and suddenly became a version of ‘my baby’ again, brought marshmallows to my cup.

I melted the fluffy marshmallows to the fullest and drank.

Snow was still falling beautifully in the sky.

Just as if we moved a block of winter to where we are.

“Heinrich, do you remember?”

“What.”

“It was before. Before I left the forest… We were supposed to go to the winter forest together on your birthday.”

“…….”

A few days before leaving the forest, I made an appointment with Heinrich.

“Sister.”

“Let’s go out to the winter forest on my birthday, light a warm bonfire and drink cocoa.”

“We’ll cover ourselves with a blanket, and watch it snow all day long.”

There was that promise, always stinging like a thorn stuck in the side of my heart.

When winter comes, it’s Heinrich’s birthday.

Year after year, over and over again, I kept reminding myself of that promise.

I was worried Heinrich would be upset on his birthday.

“But I’m glad it’s here now. Right?”

It was when I suddenly asked and looked to the side.

“…….”

With trembling purple eyes lowered, Heinrich had a face that seemed like he was about to cry.

“You remembered.”

He said, barely breathing.

“I didn’t forget, and Sister remembered…”

That voice sounded somewhat pained.

…Very much.

━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━

After Annette left.

Heinrich was completely back to the way he used to be. No, he became even more sharp and prickly, a lone boy who put up a wall towards everyone.

He was much worse than before.

At least he didn’t do anything self-destructive before.

He went through days when he couldn’t eat, sleep, or even breathe properly; the boy was ruined.

“Why did you make me love you?”

He felt like he had returned to the time he was abandoned by his father and when his mother had left him.

He solidified the rule that if he liked someone, that person would always throw him away.

Annette left him like an unbelievable lie.

“If you’re going to leave, don’t be nice to me in the first place…”

‘Now you made it impossible.’

‘You taught me what warmth is.’

He resented her for leaving like this, after teaching him what love was.

―The light was even more dazzling because it was brief.

While darkness was terribly deep.

“Annette…”

‘My light, my world, my soul.’

‘It felt like an absurd mistake to dare to lose you.’

Even breathing itself was sinful.

“It would be better to let him be adopted by Marquis Hyacinth as soon as possible. If he stays like that any longer, Heinrich will be ruined forever.”

It was for this reason that the adoption process was swiftly completed for the marquis, who had just announced his intention to adopt.

Even after becoming ‘Heinrich Hyacinth’, the boy hardly improved.

The symptoms got worse in the winter, and when it came to his birthday, he blankly stood in the ‘winter forest’ he had promised to go to with Annette all day from dawn.

Maybe she would come.

But the promise was never kept.

—Actually he knew.

That she was not coming.

But if he didn’t do this, he felt like he was losing her forever… 

If he alone did not keep the promise they made together…

‘I’m afraid ‘we’ are disappearing.’

“Heinrich! t’s cold, but you’re wearing such a thin outfit all day long…!”

By the time Duncan ran to take care of Heinrich, his body was already cold as a corpse.

It was the same year after year.

The longing deepened like a disease.

Every day he breathed, he went crazy.

In the end, after careful research, Heinrich devised a way to make ‘Annette’.

Since then, he came all the way here, focusing solely on research.

Exclusively…

With the determination to get her back.

━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━

“…Of course I remember. Every winter, on your birthday, I think of you.”

‘I’m sorry I couldn’t keep my promise.’

I gently stroked Heinrich’s hair. ‘Don’t look so sad, Heinri. ‘Cause when you’re sick, my heart hurts more.’

Heinrich then looked at me and smiled.

“Sister, even before I came to Bayonaire, I had something to say to you.”

“What is that?”

Heinrich smiled delicately with his charming face, and placed the pretty wreath that was on the chair over my head.

Then he sat me in the chair.

Heinrich sat affectionately in front of me, raised his head quietly, and said,

“Sister, you used to only read fairy tale books with happy endings to me.”

“Right. Because I wanted you to be happy.”

After hearing the happy stories of the main characters, I really hoped that you would be like that in the future.

‘…I lived only for your happiness.’

Back then, that was my life.

Heinrich briefly glanced at the girl’s eyes where a lot of emotions were passing, then answered quietly.

“My happiness has always been you, Annette.”

“…….”

The purple eyes that embraced me darkened like the full moon.

“My world is always complete with you.”

Heinrich slowly went down on one knee in front of me.

A mystical hill with a lot of snow.

A magical moment that went against nature.

In front of the woman wearing a pretty wreath, the man slowly pulled out something.

It was a ring case.

Click—

The ring Heinrich had prepared shone with a deep, calming purple color.

As if it was made by breaking a corner of the quiet dawn of one winter.

“Annette.”

My heart, foreshadowing something, began to race.

“Will you marry me?”

Boom, my heart dropped to the floor.

I was surprised for a moment and didn’t reply.

—Because this was something I never imagined.

Of course, from a very young age, Heinrich had envisioned today.

“I’m going to marry Sister when I grow up!”

He also told Sislin.

Even in class, when sharing his hopes for the future.

“I will be married to Sister.”

—He was the boy who said,

“Sister, you have to marry me later.”

But, I thought he was just saying it because he was young. Has it not changed even after ten years have passed?

I had a hard time opening my mouth.

“…Heinrich, why do you want to marry me? You’ve been like that since you were little.”

We were too young back then to know love.

Heinrich lowered his dark eyes and buried his head in the back of my hand.

Hot breaths swept away fondly.

“Only that way, we can be together forever.”

“……!”

Annette, the whisper of the name was as deep as a sigh, as thick as his despair.

“If death is the way to be with you forever…”

Breathing in, he continued.

“My only dream will be death.”