“I never even thought it would be like this.”
“I’m glad you liked it.”

Bathed in the joy of meeting Ania, I happily headed to the dining hall.
What awaited me were the neatly dressed servants and the lavishly decorated dining hall.

“It was prepared by Miss Ania.”
“Is that so…”

I looked at Ania, and she was wearing a joyful smile.
It was a sunshine-like smile.

Even during the meal, Ania happily fed me the dishes she had cooked.
Memories from long ago came to mind.

When Ania and I had just married and lived in the mansion, she always did this for me.
It felt uncomfortable and awkward back then, but now it was nothing but happiness.

Then I felt regret.
Why had I been so rude before…?

Anyway, after we finished our meal, as the sky darkened, we walked through the mansion’s garden.

The garden was even more beautiful than before.

As the gardener grew older, I told her she didn’t have to manage the garden daily, but somehow, it seemed exceptionally bright and well-kept.

It seems Ania had been helping.
Indeed a diligent woman.
She was always like this.

As I glanced at Ania, chatting away, she suddenly offered her lips and looked at me.

“You know how busy I was preparing.”
“Busy?
“Yeah. I hurriedly prepared but became flustered when I heard you’d arrive in 10 minutes.”
“So that’s what happened…”

It was amusing to know.

‘Lorendel, you said there was construction work, but I don’t see any signs of that at all.’
‘Ahaha… I must have mistaken the date.’

I almost thought of reducing her salary for making such a simple mistake, but there was a reason for it all.

Poor Lorendel would have been the only one shedding tears if Ania hadn’t said anything.

“Construction work?”
“I heard there was a sudden road closure, so I wondered if there was some problem Lorendel didn’t mention to me. It looks like she went to such lengths just for you.”
“I’ll have to thank her later.”
“You’ve changed a lot, My Lady.”
“Don’t call me that.”

Ania’s fist jabbed into my side.
She was so amusing and cute that I lightly draped my arm over her shoulder.

“You’re teasing me too much.”
“I just like teasing you.”

Ania momentarily pouted and furrowed her brow.
I decided to stop.

I remember watching a drama where a boyfriend teased his girlfriend too much, and they ended up breaking up.

“I won’t do it anymore.”
“I was really about to get mad.”
“Yeah. I won’t do it, I promise.”

Ania dashed away with a smile, but her eyes were cold.
As she ran off with her arms linked behind her back, she looked like a fairy tale character to me, and I chuckled softly.

Ania, who had gone ahead, lightly sat on a bench in the garden and turned to look at me.

“I don’t like being called ‘My Lady.’”
“What’s this all of a sudden?”
“I’m not one anymore. I’ve already discarded Bronte. I’m not Ania Bronte anymore, I’m just Ania.”
“But wouldn’t it be more convenient for the servants to use that title? Imagine suddenly calling your father by his given name.”
“That’s simple enough.”
“Well… Given how wrong I was, I can’t say I don’t understand.”

The once-detested Duke Bronte seemed somewhat pitiable.
To lose such a beautiful daughter forever.

But it was all his fault.
He had to bear the burden of his actions.

But strangely, I felt grateful.

Without such adversity, I probably wouldn’t have realized that I loved that beautiful woman.

Like any other couple, we would have fought over differences of opinion, and in the end, we might have grown tired of each other.

“Then I won’t call you that.”
“Thank you.”

Ania smiled as if satisfied.
I slowly approached her and sat down beside her.
It was time to give her the gift.

“Here, take this.”

As I pulled out a flower hidden behind my back, Ania’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Where did you find this?”
“Find? What do you mean?”
“This flower.”

I glanced down at the pink flower before looking back at Ania.

“I didn’t pick it from the garden. I bought it from a florist in Brandesk’s market.”
“Really?”
“Of course. When I saw this flower…”

I tried not to blush, but I couldn’t help it as I said,

“It reminded me of you. So, I bought it as a gift.”
“Really?”

Ania was so surprised she almost closed her mouth.
She stared at me with satisfied, widened eyes before smiling.

But then, Ania suddenly got up and dashed off somewhere.

“Where are you going?”
“Hold on.”

She bent down and rummaged through the flower bed before pulling something out.

It was a bouquet wrapped in paper.
A bouquet full of pink flowers…

“What’s this? How did you get those flowers?”
“I bought them too.”
“What?”
“From the florist in Brandesk’s market. They were so beautiful that I wanted to give them to you, Edward….”

After a moment of silence and surprise, we both started laughing without anyone prompting us.

How could our hearts coincidentally connect like this?

“It’s quite miraculous.”
“It is. Maybe it’s all fate’s doing.”
“Fate, huh….”

I never believed in fate.
Even though there were fortune tellers as a legitimate profession in this world, I never believed in it.

Destiny… the idea that something like that could change a person’s life is just too ridiculous.

It may be possible.

But when things happen like this, it’s hard not to acknowledge it.

But I have one more thing prepared.

“Wait, one more thing.”

I reached into the inner pocket of my suit and pulled out a small gift box.

Ania’s eyes widened again.

“Another gift?”
“Yeah. Open it.”

Ania fumbled with excitement and carefully untied the ribbon of the gift box.

As her small hand opened the box, a silver butterfly brooch sparkled in the moonlight.

“It’s a brooch. You haven’t been wearing jewelry since coming to this mansion, and I know you used to like them so much.”
“…….”

Ania stared at the gift, unable to say anything, her mouth slightly open.

“Do you like it that much?”
“No… it’s not that.”

Ania fumbled around her dress and pulled out a box from a small pocket on the back.

It was the same type of box as mine.

“Could it be….”

I took the box and hurriedly untied the ribbon.
And as I opened the lid of the box…

“It’s the same brooch.”
“Yes.”

We looked at each other and chuckled as if in disbelief.

“Looks like fate really does exist.”

If coincidences overlap, is it called fate?
Perhaps Ania and I are genuinely intertwined by destiny.

I chuckled softly as I pinned the brooch onto Ania’s dress, right at her chest.
Ania, too, leaned in and attached it to the lapel pocket of my suit jacket.

It felt strange but oddly satisfying to be wearing the same brooch.

We rose again and strolled through the garden.
The cool spring air, neither cold nor hot, passed between us.

We walked silently.
The gentle touch of our shoulders brushing against each other felt nice.
The sensation of our hands grazing lightly was soft,
Her occasional small laughter,
The scent emanating from her hair,
All passed satisfyingly under the pale moonlight.

I wished this wonderful time could last forever.

As we circled the garden and returned to the sparkling garden under the shallow darkness of the night, Ania asked.

“When are you going out again?”
“Huh?”
“This time, you’ve been gone for a week. I’d like to know how long we have this time.

Ania looked up at me.
Seeing her slightly disappointed expression softened my mood as if anticipating a fall.

I smiled softly at her and lowered my head to meet her gaze.

“I won’t be going out for a week. I’ve canceled all my plans.”
“Huh…?”
“I’ll be with you for the week.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Since we haven’t seen each other for a week, it’s only right.”

There are so many places I want to go with her.
So much I want to know.

What she likes,
What she dislikes,
What kind of life she has lived,
I want to know everything, even her small actions and habits.

So, I’ll spend this week just for Ania.

“I’m so glad.”
“I’m lucky to have you. Glad you’re happy.”
“Yeah.”

The disappointment on Ania”s face disappeared, replaced by a bright smile once again.

Like a small leaf floating on a calm lake, small, delicate, and precious,
I felt the desire to have that smile all to myself.
I wanted to keep her by my side, never to leave.

“Let’s go. Anywhere is fine.”

Suddenly, something streaked across the sky, cutting through it.
I glanced up and saw a few more falling before sparkling and disappearing.

Ania followed my gaze and exclaimed, “Wow…”

“A meteor shower?”
“I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

We looked up at the sky.

Countless stars streaked across the sky, igniting themselves.
Swift stars swimming among the stars filling the sky.

“It’s beautiful.”
“Yes, it is.”
“How wonderful it would be to have one of those.”
“……!”

Before Ania could finish her sentence, my head suddenly throbbed.
A pain as if something had struck my head hard.

“Ugh…”
“Edward!”

As I doubled over, Ania rushed to me in alarm.

‘It’s truly beautiful.’
‘How wonderful it would be to have one of those.’
‘If I could hold it in my hands forever…’

Strange memories began to swirl in my mind like a torrent.

My body felt hot.
My eyes burned as if I hadn’t slept for days.
Overwhelmed by the intense heat coursing through my body, I lost consciousness.

Author’s Note (Author’s Commentary)

I’ve always believed in fate and destiny.

With so many things that I’d rather believe were miracles than mere coincidences.

Do you believe in fate?

Translator’s Corner

No.

-Ruminas