After hesitating momentarily, Ania opened the door and entered, only to be startled by the smoke filling the room.

Due to the dense smoke obscuring her vision, she initially thought there might be a fire in the room but soon recognized the familiar smell wafting through the air.

Ania covered her nose and coughed softly.

“Edward.”

Through the hazy smoke, Edward appeared.

His fierce eyes were now unusually calm.

Despite having bandages wrapped around his head, Ania stiffened her expression at the sight of Edward smoking a cigarette.

“What happened?”
“… A cigarette.”
“That’s not what I was asking.”

Ania opened the window through the billowing smoke.

The warm spring air gradually replaced the room’s mist.

“What happens if a sick person smokes?”

Still staring at the smoke rising from his mouth, Ania pursed her lips.

“Cigarettes also have pain-relieving effects.”
“You’re talking as if cigarettes were medicine.”
“Sometimes they are.”
“Don’t talk nonsense.”

Edward glanced at Ania’s face as if annoyed, then laughed out loud.

And then he immediately extinguished the cigarette in his mouth.

“I’ll cut back from now on.”
“You should quit, not just cut back.”
“Yeah. I will.”

Edward smiled at Ania.

His demeanor, which just a few days ago seemed as if he could kill someone, now seemed like a lie.

Seeing his smile, Ania’s heart raced, and she laughed along with him.

Ania had long dreamed of a day to talk like this with Edward again.

So, this moment felt like a dream, as if she could wake up at any moment.
A sweet dream that could disappear in an instant.
Sweeter than the scent of wildflowers blooming in the garden, warmer than the gentle spring air,

Ania engraved Edward’s face into her eyes as if she were looking at a fleeting illusion.

Then, her heart fluttered.

Looking back, it wasn’t something she could just laugh off.

Because the long scar remaining on that man’s head was entirely her fault.

Because of her foolish choice to jump off, trying to turn his heart.

So, Ania hoped that Edward wouldn’t hurt any more than this.

“And stop smoking in the room.”
“I will.”

Edward lightly laughed in response to Ania’s words.

“It’s good to rest when you’re in pain.”
“Then, I will rest.”

No matter what she said, he nodded as if agreeing, making Ania smile.

Seeing her smile, Edward chuckled a little.

They laughed with each other.
How long has it been since they laughed like this?

Ania sat on the chair by the bedside and slowly stroked Edward’s hair.

“Aren’t you in pain?”
“I told you. I’ll be fine with a little rest.”
“Still. Just in case you get worse, let’s call another doctor.”
“No need for that.”

Edward lifted his arm with strength.

“How about this? I’m still healthy, aren’t I?”
“Haha… What’s that supposed to mean.”

Proudly displaying his arm, it was slightly less defined than the one Ania had seen two years ago.

As someone who had wielded a sword every day as a knight, he couldn’t help but be different from back then.

Even though she knew this, Ania couldn’t help but feel saddened by his slightly weakened appearance, stifling the tears that threatened to burst out.

“Would you like to eat?”

Ania turned her body to hide her tears and picked up the plate of food.

“Porridge…?”
“Yeah. You said it’s what you should eat when you’re sick.”
“You remembered?”
“How could I forget.”
“……..”

Edward chuckled softly.

“Oh… here.”

Ania scooped up some porridge and brought it to Edward’s lips, but he turned his head away.

“It’s embarrassing.”
“Embarrassing? You used to always do this before, but now…”
“Yeah. That’s right.”

Seeing Edward obediently eat the porridge, Ania smiled contentedly.

Then, memories of the days two years ago flooded back.

The days before their divorce.

Edward, who used to stay by her side when she was sick,
Edward, who used to shyly turn his head away when she fed him during meals.

Everything was just the same.

Of course, two years was not a short time, and now he was the Viscount Radner and the CEO of the Edward Company…

Yet, he hadn’t changed at all.
He was still the Edward she knew.

Thinking this, as she fed him the porridge, she suddenly found the bowl empty.

“I ate well.”
“Did it taste good?”
“Yeah.”
“I made it.”
“That must be why.”

Ania playfully tapped Edward’s shoulder in response to his words.

“You’ve become clumsy.”
“Have I?”
“Yeah.”

With those words, Edward’s gaze softened slightly.

Feeling like she had asked too much of a sick person to talk, Ania got up from her seat.

“You should rest.”
“I’ll get better soon. Don’t worry.”
“But I’m still worried.”
“…….”
“Rest.”

Ania got up from her seat and headed towards the door.

But then she turned back.

Edward was still looking at her with warm eyes.

“Um…”

Ania called out to Edward.

“Yeah. What is it?”
“That…”

Unable to find the words, Ania bit her lip.

“I’m listening. Go ahead.”
“It’s nothing.”

Ania hastily left the room.

She had wanted to say something but couldn’t bring herself to do it.

To ask him to marry her.
To become a couple again and live happily.

But how could she say it so easily?
Especially when Edward was lying in bed because of her own stubbornness.

She didn’t want to be hated for saying something unnecessary.
She didn’t want to lose the affection she had worked so hard to regain.

“Not yet…”

‘Someday, I’ll tell him when I become someone who deserves to be by his side. ‘

***

After a week, Edward’s wounds had healed enough to resume normal activities.

“Wow… I’ve been a doctor for 10 years, but this is my first time seeing a case like this.”

The attending physician marveled at the miraculous healing.

It was already a miracle that he had survived such a severe head injury from falling three stories, but the fact that he was almost completely healed in just a week was remarkable.

Perhaps it was because he had lived as a knight or because of his high magical abilities…
The attending physician speculated but still shook his head in wonder.

Despite this amazement, Edward’s head still throbbed with pain.

This was because the tasks he had postponed for a week had piled up like a mountain.

He had to attend monthly check-ups at various locations and reschedule canceled meetings to attend them.

“Take care.”
“Yeah. I’ll be back soon.”

Although he said he would be back soon, he wouldn’t return to the estate for another week due to his schedule.

“Safe travels, My Lord.”
“The first appointment is…”
“There’s a meeting at the Saunders family.”
“All right. Let’s go.”

As Edward got into the car, he turned to look at Ania.

“Take care!”

He smiled gently as he waved to Ania, who was still waving her hand above her head.

As the car started moving, Ania’s figure grew smaller and smaller.

Edward watched until she became a small dot.

Then, he buried himself in the seat and slowly flipped through the documents Lorendel had handed him.

“Ania…”

For two years, he had lived without a proper day of rest, and he had no complaints about it.

His body was tired, but a moment’s rest would always restore him.

But the thought of leaving Ania, who had returned to his side after such a long time, the beautiful woman whose presence filled his heart just by looking at her, was unbearable.

Now, barely ten minutes after leaving the estate, Edward missed Ania.

“If only I had a phone at a time like this.”

Longing for the convenience of modern technology that he had never felt before, Edward fidgeted and then turned to Lorendel.

“Lorendel.”
“Yes, My Lord?”

“I’ll send a letter to Aria; please write it down.”

Lorendel diligently transcribed Edward’s words onto a piece of paper, folding and sealing the letter with a smile.

“What are you planning to use these for?”

While Lorendel looked at him with skepticism, Edward chuckled softly.

As he continued to read through the documents, Edward’s hand slipped into the inner pocket of his suit jacket.

He casually put a cigarette in his mouth.

But as he reached for the flint to light it, he paused.

A smile appeared on Edward’s face, a sight rarely seen.

Lorendel couldn’t help but be even more curious at the unusual expression on his face.

“Lorendel.”
“Yes?”
“Take this.”

Suddenly, a cigarette case made of iron was placed neatly in Lorendel’s hands.

“Why…? I don’t smoke…”
“Just keep it then.”
“But this is an expensive brand you used to save and smoke…”
“I’m quitting.”

Lorendel was shocked.

“What? What’s gotten into you all of a sudden?”
“Just because.”

Edward chuckled softly.

He needed to be a better person before he proposed to her.

‘Someday, I’ll tell her when I become someone who deserves to be by her side.’