The world softened into dawn. Outside, clouds drifted across the morning sky, their edges glowing with the sun's first fire. They sailed southward—a silent, shifting fleet, forever changing shape as gaps widened and closed between them.
Leo awoke to the gentle light spilling across the bed. The memory of the nightmare was a distant echo, soothed away by the warmth beside him. He turned his head to find Rina still sleeping, her features peaceful in the new day.
"Morning, Riri," he greeted softly as her eyes fluttered open.
Rina stretched, a slow, sleepy uncurling of her limbs. "Morning, Leo," she murmured, her voice still thick with sleep. "I hope you managed to rest a little."
"I did," he said, his voice full of a quiet gratitude that went beyond words for a peaceful night.
"Thanks to you." Leaning over, he pressed a gentle, lingering peck to her cheek.
A faint shiver ran through Rina. For a moment, her body went still, before a warm blush crept up her neck. She looked away, a subtle smile playing on her lips even as she sought to steer the moment back to the day's sober reality.
"It was my duty," she said softly, then added, "Let's go see your mother."
Leo nodded, the simple gesture heavy with unspoken understanding.
After taking turns bathing and dressing, they left the sanctuary of his room. The journey to the main hall was a walk through a house in mourning. They passed maids and retainers whose usual cheerful greetings were now subdued, their eyes filled with a profound and aching pity for their young master. The air itself was thick with a shared grief; the tragedy had not struck an individual, but a family, and every single soul within the Roschild estate felt the fracture, bound together in a silent, collective sorrow.
Noticing the subtle hardening of her lover's expression, Rina placed a calming hand on his back. Her voice was a soft, steady anchor in the storm of his emotions.
"It will be alright," she reiterated gently. "We are all here for you."
A genuine smile, warm and full of gratitude, softened Leo's features.
"Thank you, my sweet Riri." From the depths of his heart, he felt a profound sense of blessing. In that moment, he silently reaffirmed his vow to never let this woman go, feeling himself fall more deeply in love with her with each passing trial.
When they finally arrived at the main hall, Leo pushed the heavy doors open and gestured for Rina to enter first. Inside, his mother was seated on a plush sofa, her face gaunt and etched with a grief that had clearly lasted through the night. It was a devastation anyone could understand—to lose both the love of one's life and a child one had borne, loved, and watched with immense pride.
Yet, upon seeing her youngest son and Rina enter, a faint light rekindled in her nearly soulless eyes.
"Come closer, Leo," she whispered, her voice fragile. "Let your mother touch you."
The words were barely out before Leo crossed the room and fell into her open arms, surrendering to the desperate comfort of her embrace.
A tender smile touched Rina's lips at the sight before she stepped forward to greet her mother-in-law.
"I can feel you," his mother murmured into Leo's hair, her arms locked tightly around him. "You won't disappear on me, will you?"
"Never, Mother," Leo vowed, his voice firm against her shoulder. He could feel the raw, trembling insecurity beneath her words—the terror that her last remaining son might also be stolen from her. It was heartbreaking to see the woman known as the Gale Wind Princess Amelia Rostchild, one of the family's gentle pillars, reduced to such fear. Though not as powerful as her late husband, she was a Tier 3 Master Mage (A/N: Tier 3 equal to Peak Stage), a force not to be underestimated.
"Good," she breathed, holding him so tightly it seemed she wished to merge their very beings, to keep him safe within her grasp. "I believe you."
From her place to the side, Skye watched the scene, her own emotions swirling in her chest.
After a respectful moment, Rina bowed her head. "Good morning, Mother."
"Good morning, Riri," Amelia replied, her smile returning as she beckoned.
"Come here." Rina obeyed, and soon she was drawn into the embrace, completing the circle. It had to be said; Leo's mother was deeply content with this girl she had watched grow up. She would make the perfect wife for her son.
The three of them shared a long, wordless hug before finally separating and settling onto the sofa to talk. Leo then exchanged a quiet greeting with his elder sister, Skye, and Rina followed suit, the morning's difficult rituals of love and loss now properly observed.