My father fell silent for a moment before whispering in a slow and calm voice.

“I don’t distrust you.”

“I know.”

“I would let you do anything you want, but there’s no need to do something unpleasant if you don’t want to.”

A slight smile spread across my face.

“Shouldn’t you ask me that first, Dad?”

“… do you want to go?”

“Yes, I want to go.”

“…”

“Please make sure to ask Eciel, Dad. The Crown Prince invited her as a playmate, so you should ask if she wants to go too.”

I wanted to go to that place.

Because I was my father’s successor. Eciel would definitely want to go, but I couldn’t send her alone.

Most importantly, because I knew Sisana would be there.

I wanted to see with my own eyes what a child raised as an Astariol and a member of the great nobility from birth would be like.

My father stared at me with an unreadable expression. A mix of mild surprise and deep curiosity.

But his apology came without a moment’s hesitation.

“I’m sorry, Claire. I said it was for your sake but didn’t ask you first.”

“It’s okay.”

“I’ll make sure to ask Eciel too. She wanted to receive an invitation, so I’ll start by writing that.”

Only then did I open the gift box still on the table.

Several sheets of ivory-colored stationery and a few simple wooden pens. It looked humble for a gift to Duke Chelsiers.

But Dad didn’t show any sign of disappointment. Instead, he smiled faintly.

“Is this for writing a letter?”

I nodded once and opened my mouth.

“Eciel wrote letters to the fairy every May.”

Even with the abrupt beginning, Dad’s response was gentle and calm.

“Really? What was Eciel’s wish this year?”

“Dad.”

The long silence piled up.

I quietly watched Dad, who rarely found himself at a loss for words. After waiting a bit, I continued softly, seeing he wasn’t going to speak.

“So, you don’t need to try so hard to grant our wishes. You already granted Eciel’s wish from the moment you first met her.”

“….”

“But please write Eciel a letter. She never received a reply from the fairy before, so she’s really looking forward to it now.”

As I finished speaking, I observed Dad again.

When we first met, Dad seemed like the winter sea and the cold season shaped into a human form.

Amid the bright spring of May, a cold and harsh presence trapped in human form.

And over time, winter melted.

The smile he gave when we made eye contact. The embrace he offered now and then.

Like a long winter night finally meeting the first day of spring, the warmth combined with the dignity he had sometimes felt rather peculiar.

Just like now, when I realized he could make such expressions.

Dad asked with difficulty.

“What about you, Claire?”

“I’m fine. I never made a wish because I don’t believe in the May Fairy, and you’ve already granted all my wishes, Dad.”

My father remained silent for a long while, then slowly whispered.

“His Highness the Crown Prince officially invited you, so you’ll have to introduce yourself. You can’t do that without a baptismal name, so let’s get one in advance. It won’t take long.”

His voice swelled like a sail embracing the wind.

 

* * *

 

As my father assured me, my baptismal name arrived shortly after.

The box was plain and simple, made of undecorated wood with just a latch.

Compared to the box containing Dad’s gift from Galamad, it looked humble.

But what was inside was beyond comparison in its value.

“Open it yourself.”

My father gently urged.

As I reached for the box without much thought, Eciel suddenly stopped me with a serious expression.

“Wait!”

“Why?”

“You didn’t choose this name yourself, right? I picked mine with Mom and Dad… what if you don’t like it? You can’t change it once you see it.”

I smiled faintly at her innocent worry.

Eciel had discussed and chosen her middle name with our parents. She must be worried about my lack of choice.

‘But there’s no way the name would be bad.’

Dad soothed Eciel with words that echoed my thoughts.

“You don’t need to worry about that, Eciel.”

I glanced at him.

He looked like an ordinary father, calming and comforting Eciel with a gentle expression and touch, but…

‘… Dad completely overhauled the higher echelons of the temple, so there’s no way….’

He would have made sure it was a good name, not one that would be uncomfortable to hear.

“Claire, go ahead and open it.”

Mom urged me kindly. I reached for the latch, the clicking sound of it opening was refreshing.

My baptismal name was clear on the stiff card, written in elegant script.

Lucy.

My mother whispered instead of me.

“… it’s a beautiful name.”

Pure admiration. Even Mom, who usually avoided anything related to the temple, praised it.

‘It’s more than just a good name.’

The name <Lucy> itself was an ancient word for <light>. Like all baptismal names, it was taken from the scripture.

Lucy. The sister of Rosanna. The unyielding light in the era of despair.

While Rosanna sought stars in the endless sky, Lucy guarded the path for her sister’s return to the earth.

At first, Lucy stayed in the house where she waited for her sister to come back. When her sister didn’t return for a long time, Lucy went to the village.

Still unable to find her, she crossed mountains and rivers.

Continuously going to meet her sister, she eventually reached the end of humanity.

At the place left with only despair and suffering from the endless flood of evil, she stood on the battlefield for the first time.

Only to protect the way back for her sister.

While her sister sought stars in the sky, Lucy became the light of humanity, finally welcoming her sister and the salvation she brought.

This was the story in the scripture, <Advent>.

As her sister guarded humans on earth and her sister prayed for salvation in the sky… stars accepted Rosanna’s wish into the Milky Way and supported it high.

The highest risen wish of Rosanna shone most brilliantly, awakening the god from the long and deep sleep since creation.

The god, awakened by Rosanna’s wish, shattered himself to save humanity, thus Astariol descended to this world.

And Lucy and Rosanna were enshrined as saints of February.

Right before the dawn of spring, when no one believed salvation would come.

They endured the harsh times with faith, leading humanity.

‘I thought they would send a good name, but this is… not just a good name.’

They were twin sisters.

<Lucy> would be the most suitable baptismal name for a first-born Astariol of February.

But… was this really my baptismal name? How?

As far as I knew, Astariols of the same generation took their baptismal names from the same scripture.

For my generation of Astariol, it was naturally Lady Sisana.

Lucrezia Yere Sisana.

And <Yere> was…

‘… an archangel in <Creation> rather than <Advent>.’

I couldn’t help but glance at Dad.

As our eyes met, his deep gaze held a beautiful smile.

In his purple eyes, there was a deep glow of inevitable affection and soft expectation.

Ah.

I realized in that instant.

This was a name Dad chose.

“… thank you, Dad.”

The realization struck my mind like lightning, but my gratitude was slower and clumsy.

Yet Dad smiled happily.

My mother, who also realized and had been staring at Dad, smiled too.

I was a little surprised.

The trust and affection beyond that smile were laid bare.

‘If it was the first day we met Dad again, Mom would have frowned instead of smiling.’

She would have tried to distance herself by any means, searching for excuses and picking faults.

I had noticed Dad had noticeably softened since meeting us again, but… was Mom also becoming slightly weak toward Dad?

Then, could we still be together even after a year?

As these thoughts rippled through my mind, Eciel asked curiously, unaware.

“Why did you thank Dad?”

“Because Dad chose the name.”

“Dad?”

Eciel blinked and looked at Dad.

The face that seemed as cold as the winter north wind and as distant as the far sea smiled again. A smile layered with all the plausibility and persuasiveness in the world.

So Eciel asked no more and turned back to me.

“It’s a relief Dad chose it, Claire.”

Her kind congratulations touched my heart. I wanted to say something to make her happy.

So, I spoke softly.

“Now our names are twins too, Eciel.”

“Huh, really? Why?”

“You remember your name, right?”

“Eciel Rivesa Reze Tolona Disandos.”

Unlike Astariols, who only had their baptismal name as a middle name, Eciel’s name followed the usual noble naming convention and was much longer than mine.

She frowned, not knowing which part was the twin name.

I quickly pointed it out.

“Reze.”

“Reze?”

“That’s the nickname for Rosanna, Lucy’s twin.”

“But isn’t it Rose?”

“Rose is pronounced Reze in the old way.”

Eciel’s face lit up as she looked at our parents. They smiled warmly, saying a few affectionate words to Eciel, who finally understood.

In that perfect, comfortable scene, I suddenly regretted one thing.

I should have bought my own stationery in Galamad. Eciel would have been happy if I wrote a letter with our twin names side by side.

And that opportunity came sooner than I thought.