"How could you be so foolish?" she said. "If it weren't for you back then, my sister would never have become your girlfriend, and then she wouldn't have run away from the wedding. She could have pursued Brother Marcel openly and rightly. Now look, my sister's elopement has made your family resent her; they don't like her anymore. What are she and Brother Marcel supposed to do now? Is there any hope left? And if there's no hope, what will my sister do? You big idiot!"

Glades Horne was stunned.

He had not expected that Julia Bluen, upon coming to her senses, would scold him like this.

"I... um, I indeed made a foolish mistake once."

"However..." "I am relieved now," Julia Bluen said, her voice, as small as an ant's, reaching Glades Horne's ears.

Even if a drunken bout of nonsense had led him to trick her into registering their marriage, holding a wedding, and becoming a true husband and wife, she still cared deeply that Glades Horne had once loved her sister. She chose to trust Glades Horne and believe he wouldn't abandon her if her sister returned. Nevertheless, a flicker of trepidation remained in her heart. Now, suddenly knowing that she was his true love, her nervous heart was instantly soothed.

Outside the room, the night deepened, and a cool chill washed over everything.

One had laid bare their emotions; the other had swept away the shadows.

Though the threads of destiny may tangle, eventually they all converge. When the heartstrings pull taut, love proves stronger than gold.

The night quietly flowed by, but the emotions remained, everlasting and unerasable.

Adele Horne lay in bed wearing her nightgown, covered only with a thin quilt. She had set the air conditioner to its lowest setting, filling the entire bedroom with a chill.

Although she slept, the cold made her rest uneasy.

After an unknown amount of time, she finally succumbed to a deep sleep. Her head had grown heavy, and her eyelids felt as weighty as lead. She had neither the strength nor the inclination to open them, desiring only to sink deeper into slumber...

「The darkness passed, and the white sky returned.」

The sun rose as usual, though it carried none of summer's swelter, always so exceptionally gentle.

The heat of late summer had been driven away, and early winter was setting in.

The winters in T City actually aren't that cold, especially not in early winter. The daytime temperature hovers around twenty-five degrees, which is quite comfortable.

Glades Horne was the first to awaken.

As soon as he opened his eyes, he habitually turned his head to look at his beloved wife, locked in his embrace. Seeing her beautiful, peaceful oval face made him feel like the luckiest man in the world. Indeed, waking up every day to see the woman he loved most was a very happy thing.

He gently got out of bed, changed into tidy clothes, and after freshening up, returned to bed.

The moment she opened her sleepy eyes, she met Glades Horne's profound gaze. Seeing her awake, Glades Horne smiled softly. "I woke you," he said. Then, with a bit more strength yet still tenderly, he pressed her closer into his embrace. "It's still early. Sleep a little more."

As soon as Glades Horne spoke, Julia Bluen smelled the fresh scent of toothpaste.

Still early?

Julia Bluen turned her head towards the floor-to-ceiling window. The curtains had already been drawn apart slightly by Glades Horne, letting in soft sunlight that cast a few forked streams of light, giving off a warm feeling.

In early winter, such bright sunlight signaled it was not early at all. It had to be approaching eight o'clock, at least.