The murmuring servants slowly stepped aside as Cecelia moved past them, and the moment she reached the center of the courtyard, the reason behind everyone’s astonishment finally revealed itself completely.

An entire flower field had appeared overnight.

Not a carefully arranged noble garden with trimmed patterns and measured elegance, but a soft, sprawling patch of blooming flowers spreading across the courtyard like a fragment of spring itself had descended upon the cold stone grounds of the Valecrest Manor. Countless flowers swayed gently beneath the morning breeze, their colors blending together beneath the golden sunlight—yellow, white, blue, pink, violet—forming a sea of warmth untouched by a single thorn or sharp edge.

For a moment—

Cecelia simply stood there.

Still and silent.

Then her small hands slowly lifted toward her chest as though afraid the scene before her might disappear if she moved too suddenly.

"...Warm..."

The tiny whisper escaped her lips almost unconsciously.

And then—She ran freely.

Her small figure dashed into the field with clumsy yet eager steps, the hem of her dress fluttering behind her as soft giggles escaped from her one after another, light and unrestrained in a way no one there had ever heard from her before.

"Hehe...!".."Heheheh!"

She moved carefully at first, her hands brushing against the flowers as she passed, before the hesitation gradually disappeared entirely. Soon she was spinning among them, her white hair catching the sunlight while petals danced around her beneath the gentle wind.

The scene looked almost unreal.

A blind little girl laughing freely within a field of flowers larger than herself, her face carrying pure happiness untouched by fear or caution for what felt like the first time.

She knelt beside some flowers only to immediately run toward another cluster moments later, her tiny voice rising excitedly as she spoke to herself in the strange way only she understood.

"T-this one is soft..."

"...Sunny..."

"...This feels sleepy..."

Her giggles rang through the courtyard again, innocent and bright enough that even the servants watching from the edges unconsciously softened their expressions.

"...I’ve never seen young lady Cecelia smile like that before..."

One of the maids covered her mouth lightly, her voice almost trembling.

"Did someone really make all of this just overnight...?"

Another attendant looked across the vast spread of flowers with disbelief still lingering in his eyes.

"This much...? It must have taken an entire team of gardeners..."

"No..."

An older maid slowly shook her head.

"...These flowers weren’t planted randomly."

The others looked toward her.

The old woman’s gaze remained fixed on Cecelia running happily through the field.

"...Someone made this specifically for young lady Cecelia."

***

The entire scene unfolding within the courtyard was clearly visible from the tall windows of the duke’s study, where a lone figure stood in silence behind the glass.

Duke Valecrest.

The morning light fell across his tall frame, tracing over the sharp lines of his posture and the white hair that mirrored Damon’s own, though where Damon carried a colder elegance, the Duke’s presence felt heavier, forged through years of authority and battle. His fierce golden eyes remained fixed upon the flower field below, watching the small figure of Cecelia running among the blossoms while her laughter echoed faintly even this high above.

For the briefest moment—

Something gentle flickered within those eyes.

Then the Duke finally spoke.

"Did Damon ask you to do this?"

His voice remained calm, yet the quiet weight behind it caused the atmosphere within the study to tighten instantly.

He turned away from the window.

And with that movement alone, the warmth of the courtyard seemed to vanish entirely, replaced once more by the heavy silence of the study room.

The head butler stood behind him respectfully, his posture straight as he bowed slightly.

"Yes, master."

The Duke remained silent.

The butler hesitated faintly before continuing.

"To be honest... even I did not understand at first what young master Damon intended to do overnight..." he admitted carefully. "But after seeing this scene..."

His gaze shifted briefly toward the courtyard outside where Cecelia’s laughter still faintly carried through the open air.

"...I believe I understand now."

The Duke’s expression did not change.

Instead, he asked another question directly.

"Did he cause any trouble at the Noble Preparatory Hall?"

This time the butler visibly hesitated before answering.

"...There was an incident involving young lady Cecelia."

The Duke’s gaze sharpened slightly. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

The butler lowered his head further as he continued explaining carefully, recounting how Cecelia had been isolated and bullied by several noble children, how the attendants responsible had ignored the situation entirely, and how Damon had arrived in the middle of it.

"He personally confronted the children involved," the butler said steadily. "One of the girls attempted to threaten him using the name of the Cinderfell Marquisate, but her older brother turned out to be a first-year student from Crownspire Academy... one whom young master Damon had apparently defeated during the placement examination."

The Duke listened in silence.

The butler continued.

"Young master Damon did not escalate the matter unnecessarily. He ordered the person responsible for supervising the children to be reported to his superiors after discovering multiple instances of neglect involving young lady Cecelia..." he explained before pausing briefly. "Though... there was some force involved."

The butler tactfully avoided mentioning crushed fingers directly.

"He also questioned young lady Cecelia personally," he added quietly. "And afterward... he brought her back himself."

Silence followed.

Long and heavy.

The Duke neither interrupted nor commented throughout the entire explanation, his golden eyes unreadable as he stood there listening without visible reaction.

The butler glanced at him carefully before speaking once more, this time more hesitantly.

"I do not believe... young master Damon acted wrongly."

The words had barely left his mouth when the atmosphere within the study sharpened instantly.

The butler stiffened at once, realizing he had crossed a line, and immediately lowered his head deeper.

"I-I apologize for overstepping my boundaries, master."

But the Duke still said nothing.

Several long moments passed in complete silence before he finally spoke again.

"Send a letter to the Cinderfell Marquisate."

The butler’s body visibly stiffened.

Then he quickly bowed.

"...Yes, master."

***

Damon stood quietly upon one of the upper balconies of the Valecrest Manor, the cool morning breeze moving gently through his white hair as he looked out across the vast territory stretching beyond the estate walls. The flourishing lands of the Valecrest Duchy spread far into the distance beneath the sunlight, streets slowly filling with life as merchants opened their shops and people began another day beneath the protection of the territory’s banner.

A warm coffee mug rested in Damon’s hand, faint steam still rising from it as he brought it calmly to his lips and took another sip, his expression distant and unreadable.

Then hurried footsteps suddenly echoed from behind him.

Fast.

Uneven.

Almost frantic.

"Young master—!"

Damon turned his head slightly at the voice and found Sahira rushing toward him, visibly out of breath from running through the manor. Her chest rose and fell heavily as she finally stopped near the balcony entrance, one hand pressed lightly against herself while she struggled to steady her breathing.

Damon looked at her calmly.

"Why are you running around like that?"

Sahira tried to answer immediately, only for her breathing to interrupt her words before she finally managed to speak.

"Y-you... y-you did that for young lady Cecelia...?"

Damon simply looked away again instead of answering, his gaze returning toward the distant territory below as though the question itself held no importance.

But Sahira’s expression slowly brightened on its own.

"You should have seen her..." she said softly, unable to stop the small smile forming on her face. "Young lady Cecelia was running all around the flower field... laughing and giggling..."

Her voice carried genuine warmth as she continued.

"I-I have never seen young lady that happy before..."

Damon remained silent throughout her words.

The only response he gave came after another quiet sip of coffee.

"Prepare breakfast for me."

Sahira blinked once before quickly calming herself down again and nodding repeatedly.

"Y-yes, young master!"

Then she hurried off once more, though this time her steps carried far less panic than before.

Meanwhile, Damon simply turned back toward the balcony entirely, his gaze once again settling over the vast territory below as the morning wind passed quietly around him.

***

Damon stood up from the dining table after finishing his breakfast, the faint sound of the chair sliding across the polished floor echoing softly through the otherwise quiet dining hall. The warm morning light filtering through the tall windows cast long reflections across the white and navy-blue interiors as Sahira remained standing respectfully to the side, watching him in silence.

Damon rolled his shoulders slightly before stretching his body in a slow, relaxed manner, the lingering stiffness from the previous day’s sparring still faintly present within his muscles. After a moment, he exhaled softly and spoke as though simply thinking aloud.

"It seems I ate a bit too much today," he said casually. "I should exercise a little... don’t you think?"

Sahira blinked in confusion at the sudden statement.

"Huh...?"

Damon glanced toward her briefly before continuing in the same calm tone.

"Where was the field where Saffron practices his swordsmanship again?"