The sky was a flawless azure, cloudless and so clear it bordered on transparency.
Yet at the same time, it seemed vast enough to embrace everything, drawing her in with an irresistible allure, compelling her to lose herself in it, to surrender to its gentle hold.
She felt as if she could reach out and touch it, so she tried to extend her hand.
But she discovered she couldn't move a muscle—not even feel the bite of the snow's chill...
She was like a puppet abandoned in the snow; the mere fact that she could stir at all was a miracle, and sensing the cold or warmth was a divine gift.
She groaned in her misery, yet she didn't even have the power to voice it...
Oh, God, who had cast her aside here, and who had granted her the cruel ability to feel joy, sorrow, anger, and grief? If only she could revert to being a true puppet—even if it meant vanishing from this world forever...
She didn't want this body, not when she couldn't even shed bitter tears...
What was that? She suddenly felt something dripping onto her cheek!
What was it? She searched desperately, but even turning her eyes was a luxury she couldn't afford...
God, please don't be so merciless to her—she just wanted to know who or what had left this trace on her face...
God...
Suddenly, a whiteness like the snow itself flooded her vision, and those falling droplets... were tears!
Mia opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw was that shock of white hair, glowing so brightly it seemed to emit light. For an instant, she thought she was still trapped in the dream, carrying the sorrow that had nearly brought tears in her sleep. But when she realized the face before her was Arthur's, Mia threw herself into his arms without a second thought.
"Having a nightmare?" Arthur wrapped her gently in his embrace, his voice soft as he asked.
His warm hand stroked her back lightly, and miraculously, the turmoil in Mia's heart from the dream began to ebb away, calming bit by bit.
"Mm." Mia nodded against his chest.
"What did you dream about?"
Mia was at a loss for words; the dream had been so bizarre she didn't know where to begin. That final, heart-wrenching scene before waking was indescribable, leaving her aching with a sadness that made her want to weep.
A fox—a fox the color of snow—its tears falling one by one onto her face. In that fleeting moment, she had felt the fox's utter despair, and it resonated so deeply within her that her own grief stretched on endlessly.
Her silence seemed to speak volumes to Arthur, and so he murmured tenderly, "It's alright. It was just a dream—forget it."
"Mm." His kindness choked her up, making her want to cry all over again.
Whether it was the night's chill that made everything feel so stark, or the special warmth of his arms, Mia finally truly understood in that moment: his care for her was genuine, from the heart.
His gentleness touched her profoundly, moving her to tears.
She had always thought real life had long since worn away her capacity for tears, but now she realized it wasn't that she had no more tears left—it was that no one had ever made her feel safe enough to cry in front of them.
The sob in Mia's throat made Arthur think she was still gripped by the nightmare's terror, so he held her even tighter. "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid—I'm here. I'll always be here, Mia. I'll stand by your side forever and never let anything unpleasant come near you again."
"Are you really always going to be here?" Mia's voice trailed off, her face buried in Arthur's chest.
"Yes," Arthur assured her.
"Even when I'm asleep, you'll still be here?"
Arthur's reply came after a brief pause. "Yes."
"What if I ask you to hold me until dawn—will you still be here?"
Arthur chuckled, his laugh rich with affection. "I will. And I can do it forever."
"No more sleeping in the study?"
His soft laughter echoed through the quiet night. "No more."
His Mia was being adorably coquettish!
"You promised—no backing out," Mia said, lifting her head to gaze at him, her eyes earnest as they pleaded for his confirmation.
"I promise you—never to regret, faithful unto death." He sealed the vow with a tender kiss on her smooth forehead.
"I believe you—never to regret, come what may." Mia closed her eyes, yielding to his profound love.
With him, she feared nothing.
Not even if it was just for a fleeting lifetime...
Just as the sun—offering little warmth—cast its first rays into the white room, a green-clad figure burst through the door in a flurry. "Ah! Miss Mia, I finally beat you up today. This time, you can't comb your hair by yourself again, can you, Miss Mia... Ah!"
She had expected to draw back the gauze curtain and find Mia's sleepy face, but instead, a cascade of mesmerizing silver strands drifted into view. Then, Arthur's face—expressionless yet strikingly handsome and captivating—filled her sight.
Tina, caught off guard by Arthur's unexpected presence, felt her legs go weak. "L-Leader!"
Just as the trembling Tina was about to drop to her knees in apology, that person—the very one she was supposed to attend to in the morning—appeared behind the man who'd scared her senseless. Her eyes widened as she stared at the two of them on the bed, their clothes disheveled. Could it be... the leader had slept here last night?
Perhaps roused too early from his rest, Arthur's mood soured, his voice laced with a chill. "Tina, how can you be so lacking in decorum? What's with all this racket first thing in the morning?"
Any lingering questions in Tina's mind were swept away by Arthur's icy tone, cold enough to freeze water. She dropped to her knees with a thud, her voice quivering with fear. "L-Leader, I know I was wrong!"
These past few days, his gentleness toward Miss Mia had almost made her forget his ruthless, unyielding side.
"Don't blame Tina—it was me who told her to wake me in the morning," Mia quickly interjected, seeing how pale with fright Tina had gone.
Seeing Mia take the blame for her, Arthur didn't press further to verify the story, but he still issued a stern warning: "Don't let it happen again. If it does, I won't let you off easily."
"Yes—never again, I swear," Tina replied, inwardly heaving a sigh of relief and silently thanking Mia from the bottom of her heart for saving her from a scolding. "Now go prepare the washing things. I'll handle getting clothes for Mia myself."
"Yes." Obeying at once, Tina backed out of the room and hurried away.
The moment the door clicked shut, Mia leaped from the bed, snatching the clothes hanging on the rack and starting to dress herself.
Arthur was stunned by her swift movements, but he reacted even faster, stepping in to block her.
"Mia, let me help you."
"No."
Mia's firm tone gave Arthur pause, and only then did he notice that she'd been keeping her head down ever since the moment Tina entered.