Note: This is the last chapter. Read Chapter 79 first if you haven't read it, since I published the last two chaps at the same time. Thanks and happy reading!

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"Hanni, make the most out of your trip, okay?"

My parents lovingly embraced me with their arms. After exchanging tearful goodbyes with them, I boarded the carriage with my personal maid, Emma, who looked more excited than me.

"My lady!" Her eyes twinkled. "Are you ready?"

I yawned. "To be honest, no."

"What? No can do!" She shook me rather violently, making me feel dizzy. "This is your first trip as an adult! Show some avidity!"

Ugh... I want to die. Every day is such a hassle.

"Okay, I'm sorry. I cannot wait to go to the north, where I'd probably die from the cold. My god, I'm so excited for this trip that my parents planned without my consent." I said in a monotonous tone.

"My lady!" Emma scolded me.

I blew a heavy sigh. Just as she mentioned, this was my very first trip after my coming-of-age ceremony. Though if it were only me, I would have preferred to spend my first day as an adult quietly, in the corners of our home.

But no, my parents had other ideas. They told me that I should go out and venture the north, where the paternal side of my family hails. Retrace our history, as they quoted it. I wasn't really interested.

I was born from the branch family of the imperial family of the Cecilian Empire. My father, Alexander Hardin de Averill, is a descendant of the fifth emperor's consort. He got married to a count's daughter, who happens to be my mother... and poof! I came into this world against my will.

"My lady, why are you so indolent?" Emma asked with genuine concern. "At your age, you should be laughing, crying, and showing more interest..."

I shook my head. "So you wish for me to cry?"

"I wish for you to show more emotions!" She pouted.

I chuckled heartily. She truly acts like a brat.

It was true, though. I had always been like that.

For some reason, I felt empty like there was a void in my heart that I couldn't fill no matter what I did. I was blessed with a loving and well-off family, yet it all felt lacking.

I was searching for something. There was an irremediable longing within me.

I caught a glimpse of my reflection on the window of the carriage. Ebony black hair and a pair of amethyst eyes... I hated them for reasons unknown to me. They make me feel uneasy.

"How irksome," I whispered to myself.

When Emma saw me staring daggers at my reflection, she closed the curtain of the window.

"Why do you hate your appearance so much?" My personal maid questioned sadly. "My lady, you're so pretty. Have you seen how noblemen drool over you?"

I simply clicked my tongue in response.

"Besides, don't you know what the legend says?" Emma smiled childishly. "They say that your face is the depiction of the person you fell in love with in your past life!"

I hissed. "What nonsense."

"It's true!" She insisted like a petulant child.

Oh, good lord. I can tell that this is going to be a cumbersome trip.

It took us a week to arrive in the north. I could only curse under my breath upon being greeted by the indiscriminate cold. They say that the only constant thing in Chioni is winter. I suppose it's true that the sun never reaches this land.

"Welcome, my lovely niece!" My father's sibling, Uncle Jeremiah, welcomed me at the entrance.

"Greetings, Uncle." I said with what little energy I have left.

The middle-aged man guffawed. "About time you came out of your room. I thought you'd be growing old in there!"

"Haha," I faked a laugh before secretly rolling my eyes.

"Come inside before you catch a cold, my child!"

And so, we arrived at the Averill duchy.

In truth, it was my first time coming to the north. My family runs a business in the capital, and so I was born and raised there. Only my father went here to visit the current grand duke, his older brother.

Now that I'm finally here, somehow... I feel heavy. Why is that?

The mansion was simple yet remarkable. At one glance, you can tell that it's home to a military clan who's been guarding the north for centuries. There are notable swords and shields displayed on the interior, and there are also paintings plastered over the wall.

Thankfully, the grand duke noticed how tired I was. He told me to rest for today and save my energy for my tour tomorrow. My god, I wish tomorrow never comes. I'm so tired.

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"Since it's your first time to the north, I shall give you an overview of our family's brilliant history!" Uncle Jeremiah beamed first thing in the morning.

"Wow." I said monotonously. "I do not mind, but please make it brief. I beg you."

"Haha! You're just as lazy as my brother told me!" My uncle commented.

I glanced at Emma over my shoulder, and she was giggling in secret. Look at this girl. She's enjoying my suffering, huh?

We passed by a cluster of paintings on the wall. Most of the paintings are portraits of the previous generations of the Averill duchy. My uncle halted in front of the fifth family portrait.

"The Averill duchy has always been the shield of the north," Uncle Jeremiah narrated. "But I dare say that it was only until his rule that it prospered."

The family portrait featured a man with silver hair and golden eyes. He was standing with a black-haired boy in front of him. Next to them was a woman seated in a regal seat, with jet black hair and purple eyes. On her lap, there is a female toddler with silver hair.

"Do you know who they are, Hanni?"

"My apologies, but I don't." I admitted.

"Well, remember their names from now on, then. Because they are the pillars of our family, the ones who walked for us to run." Uncle Jeremiah pointed the man. "That is Alistair Kirsten de Averill, the seventh ruler of the estate. He was the grand duke during the time when the devil ravaged our lands.

"Next to him is the fifth emperor, Louisiana Odette Von Solaris. The two of them got married and gave life to Prince Ares and Princess Leslie. They are the ones who led our empire to prosperity."

For some reason, I couldn't take my eyes off the former grand duke's face. Despite his strong and impressionable appearance, he had this very gentle and loving expression on his face.

"He looks so happy and content. I'm glad."

Huh?

I was taken aback by my own words. I'm glad?

Why?

What is this? My heart feels heavy all of a sudden.

It feels as though I'm forgetting something.

"Hanni, is something the matter?" Uncle Jeremiah asked out of concern when he noticed the pallor of my face.

"Uncle, I feel a bit stuffed in the mansion." I told him, which was actually true. "Can I go out now?"

"Oh, is that so?" He seemed flustered. "Very well, then. I'll let one of my knights escort you..."

"There's no need for that. Emma will be with me."

I didn't even wait for him to speak. I stormed out of the mansion, with my personal maid trailing closely from behind. Emma seemed worried.

"My lady, what's wrong? Do you feel sick?"

I ignored her. I couldn't control the rise and fall of my chest.

I kept walking and walking aimlessly until my feet hurt from the cold. For a moment, I stopped and stared at the snow, feeling anxious and queasy.

"My lady?" Emma called out from behind.

"I knew it. Coming here was a bad idea." I said through gritted teeth, my hands trembling. "What was my father thinking, sending me to this place?"

"W-What's wrong with this place?" My maid cluelessly asked.

"I don't know! I just hate it!" I screamed at her.

My legs weakened and I sat on the snow. The people passing by were looking over my direction with mild interest. They must be intrigued, seeing a noble lady throwing a tantrum in public.

Thankfully, Emma was used to my episodes. She patiently waited by my side while making sure that I wasn't cold. I felt bad for making her wait for me in the snow.

After composing myself, I stood up and walked around once more. I figured there was no point in complaining since I'm already here, so I might as well make the most of it.

"What am I supposed to do here?" I scoffed while looking around. "There's nothing here but snow."

Emma giggled. "Come with me, my lady."

I was running out of energy, so I let her drag me around. After walking for a bit, we finally arrived in the center of the duchy's fortress. And then...

"It's true that there's nothing here but snow..." She pointed the statue in front of us. "Still, he's also here, and every noble in the empire must have ventured into the north at least once in their life just to meet him."

I stood rooted to my position, dumbfounded.

"The Paramount Mage, Haniel Calypso Astana."

At that moment, it felt like time slowed down.

I could almost follow the heavy snowfall with my eyes. As I stood there, my feet buried on the snow, my heart pounded in a dangerously fast pace.

The statue before me was made of limestone, depicting a man with long hair wearing a robe.

There was a mole under the corner of his left eye, and there was a small smile on his face. For some reason, he looked awfully familiar in my eyes.

"Did you know, my lady? Apparently, they built a statue of the paramount mage on this spot because he stood here everyday, waiting for someone."

My throat dried.

"It's a famous story of love. No matter what he did or where he went, Sir Haniel always came back to this spot at the end of the day. At first, the people were concerned about him staying out in the cold... but as time went by, they realized that nothing could stop a lovesick man from waiting."

And then it happened.

"Not even the everlasting winter could stop him."

A string within me snapped and a wave of memories suddenly flooded into my mind.

Under the statue, there was a letter and a flower sealed within glass. It only took two words. He only wrote two words and I was already crying.

'Welcome back.'

Before I knew it, my eyes were filled with tears.

"You fool," I placed my head over the feet of the statue, feeling defeated. "You're such a fool."

I was too late. I came back centuries late.

How could I forget about everything? The novel, the characters... Alistair, Ruth, and even Haniel.

Up until now, I had lived a normal life. Indeed, ignorance is bliss. All this time, I was wasting my days while Haniel stayed here, waiting for me.

I was rewarded with a new life, but I was not happy. I was content, but I was never happy.

It always felt like there was something missing.

Now, I know what it was. Or rather, who.

I broke down into tears. "I'm sorry."

I know it's way too late, but I kept my promise.

"Haniel," I said in between sobs. "I'm back."

At that moment, footsteps emerged behind me.

"Hmm," A baritone voice spoke. "You're here."

With that, I looked over my shoulder at the sound of the unfamiliar voice. I was expecting to meet him, only to find a man I'd never seen before.

"Huh?" I blinked many times. "Who are you?"

He had ocean blue eyes and ruffled blonde hair.

At that moment, the words of Emma echoed in my mind. 'They say that your face is the depiction of the person you fell in love with in your past life!'

"Took you long enough. I've been waiting."

A small smiled dawned on his face.

"Thank you for coming back to me."

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