Chapter 103: Forward
Chapter 103: Forward
A month quietly slipped by.
Life had a way of moving forward even when the heart wished to remain in the past.
The days gradually settled into the same familiar moments and little by little, Celia found herself returning to the ordinary routines she had almost forgotten.
Her strength had fully returned, the lingering fatigue caused by the coma had finally disappeared, and her doctors had officially declared her recovered.
Physically, there was nothing left to heal.
Emotionally...
That had taken much longer.
During the first few weeks after leaving the hospital, there were mornings when she would awaken expecting to hear hurried footsteps racing through the corridors of the Valen Estate. More than once, she found herself instinctively waiting for one of the maids to knock on her bedroom door or for Ren to appear with breakfast while grumbling that she had overslept again.
Instead...
She would slowly open her eyes to the familiar ceiling of her apartment.
The faint sound of passing cars drifted through the open window, replacing the distant chirping of birds that had once filled the gardens surrounding the estate. The scent of freshly brewed coffee from a neighboring apartment replaced the aroma of tea served every morning inside the noble household she had once called home.
Reality always greeted her gently.
And every single time...
Her heart needed several quiet moments to remember which life truly belonged to her.
The dreams never completely disappeared either.
Some nights she dreamed of Sebastian sitting silently across from her, staring intently until he could no longer stop himself from calling her name. Other nights she dreamed of Ezekiel arguing with her over until they somehow forgot what they had originally been debating, only to spend hours discussing completely unrelated topics instead.
Sometimes Matthias appeared.
She would catch him practicing with his sword beneath the sun and before she could turn around, the hound of a knight has already started chasing her after smelling her scent from far away.
And almost without fail...
Ren would appear.
Sometimes he was carrying several shopping bags while complaining that she had somehow tricked him into becoming her personal porter yet again. Other times he simply smiled at her with that familiar warmth that had always made her believe everything would somehow work itself out.
Those dreams always ended the same way.
She would wake before she could reach him.
For a while, she fought desperately to preserve every single memory.
She filled sketchbook after sketchbook with drawings she hoped would keep those faces from fading. The Valen Estate appeared countless times beneath her pencil. The grand staircase. The elegant tea room. The gardens where she had spent lazy afternoons.
Even the place she had poured so much effort into planning to turn into a boutique found its way onto page after page.
She sketched beautiful dresses she had seen in that world.
Jewelry she had never seen before.
Architecture that belonged nowhere on Earth.
Occasionally...
Her pencil wandered toward the silver forests of the Elven Kingdom where everything had finally come to an end.
Those sketches always took the longest.
Not because they were difficult.
Because she often found herself staring at the unfinished pages for hours before she could continue.
Eventually...
She closed the sketchbook, not because she wanted to forget, but because she had begun accepting something she never thought she would.
Perhaps...
It truly had all been nothing more than an extraordinarily vivid dream.
The human mind was mysterious.
Doctors had explained it to her.
Perhaps...
She had simply been one of them.
The thought hurt.
But clinging to a life she could neither prove nor return to hurt even more.
So little by little...
She let herself move forward by learning to carry those memories without allowing them to stop her from living the life she still had.
After all...
If those memories truly had been nothing more than creations of her own unconscious mind...
Then perhaps they had existed for one reason alone.
To teach her how to live.
And this morning marked the beginning of another Chapter.
Celia stood quietly inside the spacious reception hall of one of the country’s most prestigious fashion houses, her portfolio held carefully against her chest.
The building itself was breathtaking.
Towering walls of glass reflected the clear blue sky outside. Large digital displays showcased seasonal collections created by internationally recognized designers, while carefully arranged mannequins exhibited breathtaking garments that looked more like works of art than clothing.
It almost didn’t feel real.
Receiving an interview invitation alone placed her among an incredibly small percentage of applicants.
Even now...
Standing inside the building itself felt surreal.
She quietly glanced around the waiting area.
Dozens of aspiring designers occupied nearly every seat.
Some wore impeccably tailored suits.
Others boldly showcased outfits they had designed themselves, using their own appearance as part of their portfolio. Conversations floated softly throughout the room, many discussing luxury textiles, current runway collections, sustainable fashion, and industry trends with an ease that only made Celia feel increasingly small.
She unconsciously lowered her eyes toward her own clothes.
A neatly pressed ivory blouse.
High-waisted charcoal trousers.
Simple black heels.
Nothing particularly eye-catching.
Nothing that screamed creativity.
"...Maybe I should’ve listened to Lilith."
The memory immediately made her smile.
Earlier that morning, her younger sister had nearly emptied their apartment trying to assemble what she called "the perfect future-famous-designer outfit."
In the end...
Celia had stubbornly chosen practicality.
Lilith had eventually surrendered, though not before dramatically declaring that once Celia became famous, she would personally take responsibility for upgrading her wardrobe.
The memory made her smile.
Celia slowly looked around once more.
Everyone here seemed so accomplished.
So confident.
And compared to them...
She still felt like a beginner.
Her thoughts were interrupted when her attention drifted toward one of the company’s showcased evening gowns displayed inside a nearby glass case.
Without realizing it, her designer instincts immediately took over.
Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
"If the waistline had been lowered just a little..." she murmured to herself, unconsciously tracing the outline of the dress in the air with her finger. "It would’ve balanced the shoulders better. The embroidery’s beautiful too... but it stops too abruptly. It would’ve looked more natural if it flowed toward the neckline."
She caught herself talking out loud and let out a quiet laugh.
"...Oops."
Old habits.
Whenever she looked at clothes, everything else seemed to disappear. She forgot she was waiting for the biggest interview of her life.
Fashion had always been her comfort.
Suddenly, a calm voice interrupted her thoughts.
"You possess a remarkably discerning eye."
The unexpected voice startled her enough that she almost dropped the sketchbook she was holding.
She turned.
Standing only a few steps away was an exceptionally tall man dressed in an immaculate black suit beneath a long tailored overcoat. A black mask concealed the lower half of his face while a pair of thin-rimmed glasses rested neatly across his nose. The only visible part of him was his fierce, dark eyes.
There was something about the way he stood that immediately caught her attention.
His posture was flawless.
Even the way he folded one hand behind his back while speaking felt strangely... old-fashioned and refined.
Like someone who had grown up surrounded by etiquette books and formal banquets.
And then there was his deep, familiar voice.
Every syllable was pronounced with almost aristocratic precision.
For one ridiculous second...
She was reminded of someone she had promised herself not to think about anymore.
"...Ah."
She awkwardly cleared her throat.
"I didn’t realize I was saying that out loud."
"It is of no consequence."
His tone remained perfectly composed.
"On the contrary, I found your observations rather enlightening."
She smiled sheepishly.
"I just... tend to overanalyze clothes."
"I should instead say that you observe what many overlook."
She laughed lightly.
"I don’t know about that."
"I assure you," he replied without hesitation, "I do not offer praise lightly."
Something about the way he said it made her straighten instinctively.
He wasn’t flattering her.
He genuinely meant it.
"...Thanks."
For a brief moment, neither of them spoke.
The silence wasn’t awkward.
If anything...
It felt strangely familiar.
Then the man inclined his head ever so slightly.
"It is a pleasure to see you again."
She blinked.
"...Again?"
"Indeed."
His eyes softened almost imperceptibly.
"We have crossed paths before."
Her brows furrowed.
"...Really?"
She looked at him more carefully.
Tall.
Well-built.
Impossibly elegant.
Surely someone like this would’ve been unforgettable.
"I’m sorry..." she admitted with an embarrassed smile. "I honestly don’t remember."
"There is no need to apologize."
His response was immediate.
"I did not expect you would."
"...You didn’t?"
"It was... a fleeting encounter."
She tilted her head.
"When?"
"I’m afraid answering that question would only make matters more complicated."
She laughed.
"Now you’ve made me even more curious."
His eyes curved faintly, suggesting a smile beneath the mask.
"My apologies."
"You say that, but you’re not actually going to explain, are you?"
"Regrettably..."
He paused with elegance.
"...I cannot."
She stared at him for another second before sighing dramatically.
"Well... now it’s going to bother me all day."
"I sincerely hope it shall not."
His choice of words made her blink.
"...You talk like you’re from another century."
The comment escaped before she could stop herself.
For the first time...
The man actually chuckled.
Before either of them could continue, several applicants nearby began whispering.
"Who’s that?"
"Is he one of the executives?"
"He looks like a model."
"No, models don’t stand like that."
"Maybe he’s from management..."
But none of the murmurs seemed to reach him.
His attention never wandered from Celia.
After a moment, he straightened to his full height.
She found herself looking up much farther than expected.
’Wow... He’s seriously tall.’ She thought.
Then, with effortless elegance, he extended a gloved hand toward her.
"Miss Celia." His voice became even gentler. "If you would be so kind... would you accompany me for a short while?"
She stared at the offered hand.
Then back at him.
"...Uh... how did you know my name?" A nervous laugh escaped her.
"If you walk with me, I shall tell you. Please... walk with me."