The heavy scent of Earl Grey tea and freshly baked pastries hung thick in the ornate air of the Serenity Hotel's White Lounge, but it did little to mask the palpable tension shimmering between the high-society young women.
Rowain toyed with the delicate rim of her teacup, her expression a mix of longing and frustration. "My mother is set on a traditional Dalincourt ceremony," she sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly under the weight of family expectation. "She talks endlessly about the sacred, solemn atmosphere. But honestly? It feels so ordinary, so stifling. I want something freer, more glamorous... a modern hotel celebration where the ceremony is simple and the party lasts all night."
For a fleeting second, her eyes drifted across the opulent, gold-trimmed furnishings of the lounge before landing sideways on Serena. A nervous, playful flush dusted Rowain's cheeks. "In fact... I was thinking a hotel like this would be absolute perfection."
A quiet hush fell over the table. One of the friends blinked, exchanging a bewildered look with the others before speaking the unvoiced truth aloud: "Wait... you want to hold it here? But hasn't it been absolute ages since Serenity hosted a wedding? Besides, with everything the hotel has been through, that's not something anyone can just pull together overnight."
The reminder hung heavy in the golden sunlight filtering through the tall arched windows. Everyone at the table knew the fragile state of the Serenity empire, the scandals, the restructuring, and how far the iconic establishment had fallen from hosting grand elite affairs.
Rowain's face fell, a shadow of embarrassment replacing her earlier excitement. She quickly lowered her gaze, forcing an understanding smile. "Ah—of course. I-I suppose it can't be helped. I'll just have to find another venue..."
She didn't want to burden Serena. Not here. Not now.
"I'll do it for you."
The words dropped softly into the silence, cutting through Rowain's self-reproach like a silver blade.
Rowain's head snapped up, her eyes widening in sheer disbelief as she met Serena's steady, unyielding gaze.
Serena sat back against the plush velvet cushions, her posture composed, a quiet strength radiating from her presence. Memories flickered behind her dark, expressive eyes—the cold, suffocating walls of detention, the isolation, and the terrifying unknown of the trial. But amidst that darkness, these were the faces that had fought for her, the voices that made her day in court even remotely possible.
"You all helped me through the worst of it," Serena continued, her voice remarkably even, carrying a deep, understated sincerity. "You're the ones who made the trial happen. If hosting your wedding is a way to repay that, I would be more than happy to."
A subtle, determined spark ignited within Serena's chest. Beyond gratitude, a deeper ambition stirred. She had already been contemplating breathing life back into the hotel's dormant event and wedding business. If Rowain trusted her enough to be her very first client, it wouldn't just be a wedding—it would serve as a powerful, defiant fresh beginning for the Serenity Hotel, and for Serena herself.
("Though... it certainly won't be possible overnight," Serena thought internally, offering a soft, reassuring smile as her friends dissolved into gasps of touched excitement). "Let's start this new chapter together."
"Oh my, any date is fine! Thank you so much!" Rowain beamed, her face resting softly in her hands as a flush of sheer excitement warmed her cheeks. Having a wedding at the Serenity Hotel thanks to a dear friend felt like an absolute honor for her family—it truly felt like stepping straight into the main characters' shoes of a grand romance.
Serena offered a reassuring smile, adding, "It won't be possible right away. We still have the old system from before, so it shouldn't take too long, but there are plenty of things that need to be rebuilt, so we'll need some preparation time."
As the conversation flowed, a deeper wave of introspection washed over Serena. Thinking back on the convoluted web of her emotions—trying to understand her feelings for Frederick—it was oddly enough Rowain's words that had helped untangle the confusion in her heart. It had led her to realize her true feelings for Eiser, arriving neither too late nor too early, but right when she needed to understand them.
The atmosphere shifted as business matters arose. "The matter you mentioned last time has been fully resolved," an attendant noted, holding out a box while Serena stood elegantly in her black dress and pearl-embellished heels. "In addition, I have prepared what you requested. Would you like to see it?"
"...That's not necessary," Serena replied softly, her gaze drifting.
"Yes. We've completed all the necessary arrangements so that he can be safely summoned, so he will most likely return to the Republic of Victorberek soon," the voice continued. "Although things won't be completely smooth after he returns because of his stay in our royal palace, now that the charges have been settled, once everything is complete, at least his life will be safe."
"...Alright," Serena murmured.
That's a relief.
Out in the crisp, endless snow, footsteps crunched softly against the winter floor. He must be wandering somewhere in this endlessly vast and lonely country, so it was only right to give him back his freedom. Once he learned the restrictions were gone, he could finally go wherever he wanted—knowing that no one would ever be able to hurt him or look down on him again.
serena pov
The snow fell softly over the wrought-iron gates, coating the silent grounds in a pristine, blinding white. Inside the warmth of the moving car, a gloved hand rested lightly against the patterned fabric of a coat, while dark eyes stared out the frosted window toward a figure standing alone in the cold.
So it's only right to give him back his freedom.
She watched him through the glass, her heart heavy with a mixture of sorrow and final resolution. Once he learned that the restrictions binding him were gone, he could finally go wherever he wanted. No one would ever be able to hurt him or look down on him again.
I hope he leaves the past behind and finally lives as his true self.
Her mind drifted back through the fog of memory—to the agonizing days of survival, to the shared trauma that had bound them together, and to the tragic shadow cast by Lise. "If it weren't for your help..." she whispered softly to herself, recalling the warmth of his hands, the desperate shelter they had offered one another in the dark, and the crushing vulnerability of those days. "How could I ever have survived those days?"
What had happened to them because of Lise was an accident—a cruel twist of fate that had scarred them both beyond recognition. For you, and for me.
"Even if it's a memory we'll carry for the rest of our lives," she murmured, her gaze lingering on the man standing outside in the snow, "I hope it never becomes the whole of our lives."
So please, I only wish for you to find peace too.
Outside, standing rigidly against the chilling wind, Frederick stared out past the gates as the car began to pull away. His dark hair dusted with snowflakes, his amber-gold eyes held a deep, lingering emptiness. He stood motionless, wrapped in his heavy trench coat, letting the cold seep into his bones.
A crunch of boots on snow broke his trance.
He turned slightly as a man in a structured military-style coat and cap stepped up beside him, breaking the solitude of the winter morning.
"It has been a long time," the escort said, his voice measured and professional. "I have come to escort you."
Frederick remained silent, his expression blank as the official added, "The director wishes to see you."
For a moment, Frederick said nothing. He looked back one last time down the snowy road where the car had disappeared, letting go of the heavy ghost of yesterday, before turning forward to face whatever waited ahead.
The cold wind swept over the snow-covered paths, carrying the faint, distant hum of the world moving on without them. Frederick stood wrapped in his heavy coat, his amber eyes reflecting the pale winter light as the final words echoed in the silence.
...
I will return.
However,
There is one last place I must visit.
The vintage white car idled on the snowy avenue, its headlights glowing softly against the falling flakes. Inside, peering out through the glass with quiet, sorrowful eyes, she watched him make his detour.
Frederick turned his steps away from the main road, walking alone beneath the bare, frost-laden branches of the trees. Ahead of him stood the grand, solemn architecture of The Serenity Family Cemetery. The iron gates bore intricate carvings, dusted with white powder under the grey sky, guarding the quiet rest of those long gone.
Stopping before the hallowed grounds, Frederick bowed his head in a silent, respectful farewell. The snow continued to drift down onto his dark hair and coat, blurring the boundaries between the past and the present.
With one last lingering glance toward the cemetery gates—and a final, fleeting look back at the car waiting to carry him away—he turned his back on the memories. He would return, but first, he had laid his ghosts to rest.
The heavy train door hissed shut, closing off the platform and the biting winter wind. Inside the carriage, Frederick stood with his dark coat brushed by snow, his gaze resting momentarily on the polished interior before turning toward the small white box in his hands.
The box had arrived in a rush of breathless desperation—a final, echoing voice calling out across the station platform.
"Frederick! Please wait!"
"Sui...?" He had turned, his amber eyes narrowing in surprise as she rushed toward him, clutching the package to her chest.
"I have something to give you. Lady Serena sent this."
With gloved fingers, Frederick lifted the lid. Inside, nestled against white tissue paper, lay a pair of delicate pink satin pointe shoes. Embossed neatly along the inner sole was a single name: Lise.
The sight brought back a quiet, poignant memory—the image of those very same shoes left quietly in the corner of a locker, serving as Lise's final farewell. They were a symbol of a dream she had carried, a passion she could no longer keep holding onto, and a chapter of their lives that was now irrevocably closed.
Gazing down at the signature script, Frederick closed the box, holding a piece of the past as the train began its slow, steady pull away from the station.
Chapter: The Final Return and the New Horizon
Standing on the quiet, snowy platform, Frederick looked down at the white box in his hands.
"So I'm returning them to you as well."
"I hope this will be enough to serve as my final goodbye to you, too."
With his amber eyes carrying a profound, quiet weight, he accepted the closure. It was time to leave the past behind and move forward.
Months later, the warm, glowing lights of the grand banquet hall filled the evening air. Waiters in crisp black tuxedos moved gracefully through the crowd, carrying trays of crystal goblets as soft music drifted through the room.
Laughter and polite conversation buzzed among the dignitaries and elites gathered to celebrate a monumental international partnership.
"We look forward to the successful completion of the new hotel in Atiazen."
"Thank you, Ambassador," Serena replied smoothly, standing elegantly in a soft pink gown with a delicate white wrap. "I heard that not only the hotel, but an enormous new city is also being developed throughout Flo Marina. The project is on an incredible scale. It couldn't have been easy."
An ambassador smiled warmly, nodding in agreement.
"Yes. It was a difficult journey," Serena continued, her gaze steady and refined. "But thankfully, thanks to my husband's years of traveling between both countries, we were able to come this far. It would have taken far longer if I had been doing it alone."
"I also heard the new hotel will be nearly five times larger than the Serenity Hotel in Welnberg," another official remarked with admiration. "It truly sounds like a historic project for both our nations."
"Once it's finished, I'll definitely come see it," the ambassador added.
"Then I'll make sure you receive the first invitation," Serena answered with a poised smile, her eyes shining with confidence. "We'll do everything we can to live up to your expectations."
Across the room, Serena's gaze caught on a familiar silhouette among a group of men chatting near the window. A sudden flash of panic and longing gripped her chest.
...Eiser?!
She froze, her heart hammering against her ribs, her mind racing with a mix of desperate hope and disbelief. But as the man turned around, the resemblance dissolved.
Ah... It's not him.
...That scared me. I'm such a fool for hoping. There's no way I'd run into him here.
Realizing her mistake, she pulled herself together, though her fingers tightened anxiously around her crystal glass. Beside her, the counselor continued speaking about the development timeline.
"Ah, I apologize, Counselor. What did you ask just now?" Serena murmured, forcing her attention back.
"Ah, I was asking roughly when the project is expected to be completed," the counselor replied politely.
"We're still coordinating the schedule. Since the hotel is so massive, we'll most likely open the main building first, then the remaining facilities one by one."
As she spoke aloud of the grand project, an internal monologue of frustration flared deep within her mind:
The one who leaves is the one who feels the loss, the one left behind goes on living just fine. Who said I was desperate to see him?
He left the moment we divorced. Not even a call, let alone showing his face.
It's not like I'm disappointed or anything. I don't even care.
She continued explaining the grueling details to the counselor, noting that even the chandeliers, carpets, and the city itself would take decades to reach final form. But the lingering bitterness proved too much to mask any longer.
What a jerk. Just wait. I'm absolutely never going to look for you first.
Idiot! Moron! You really are the worst b--
Abruptly, unable to stand another second of the stifling atmosphere or her own conflicting thoughts, Serena spun around on her heel. Her white fur wrap slipped from her shoulders and tumbled onto the floor as she stormed away, leaving the counselor and the surrounding guests completely stunned.
"L-Lady Serena?!" the counselor stammered, scrambling down to retrieve her discarded wrap as she swept out of the hall.
The heavy doors swung open, spilling the golden light of the corridor across the stone floor as Serena hurried through, breathless and disoriented. She stopped, casting a frantic, anxious look around as she tried to catch her breath.
"I'm sure it was this way...!"
She whispered to herself, her heart still hammering against her ribs, her mind spinning from the phantom glimpse she thought she had caught inside. The delicate lace and intricate beadwork of her pink gown rose and fell with her rapid breaths.
Suddenly, a voice cut through the quiet air of the hallway, halting her in her tracks.
"Who are you searching for so desperately?"
Serena froze, her profile turning sharply toward the source of the sound. A wave of raw emotion washed over her, and before she could stop them, a single tear slipped from her eye, tracing a wet path down her flushed cheek.
The steady sound of approaching footsteps echoed against the stone—tap, tap, tap—as someone closed the distance between them. A deep, familiar voice broke the silence once more, carrying a weight she hadn't felt in an eternity:
"It looks like you've been doing well."
She slowly raised her gaze. Standing right before her, framed by the warm light, was Eiser. His piercing blue eyes met hers with an unreadable intensity, completely shattering the resolve she had built up over all this time.
As he looked down at her, a faint, bittersweet smile touched his lips, bringing a long-awaited chapter back to life.
"Hello, Serena."
"It's been a long time."
CHAPTER 137 END.
- TIP'S:
- THE SERENITY FAMILY CEMETERY HAS - STOOD IN A QUIET CORNER ON THE = OUTSKIRTS OF WELNBERG CITY FOR MANY YEARS. BELLATIA SERENITY, TAIRAND WINDSOR, AND HAPERS SERENITY
137장 끝.
- 팁:
- 세레니티 가족 묘지는 웰른버그 시 외곽의 한적한 곳에 오랫동안 자리 잡고 있습니다. 벨라티아 세레니티, 타이랜드 윈저, 해퍼스 세레니티