Chapter 225: Starry Dreamscape

Elara:

Once I had finished appreciating the breathtaking scenery surrounding me, I finally turned my attention to the man who had created this entire dreamland just for me.

Esme.

I crossed the elegant white marble bridge that stretched over the still water, my footsteps making no sound against its polished surface. At the other end stood a beautiful marble pavilion, positioned at what seemed to be the very edge of a vast lake. Above it, the night sky was adorned with a huge, luminous full moon and millions of sparkling stars, their reflections scattered across the water like countless diamonds. The entire place looked as though it had been taken straight out of a fairytale. And, knowing Esme, he had probably spent quite some time weaving every little detail into existence.

He was seated on a large couch inside the pavilion, dressed entirely in white. The silver moonlight fell over his long black hair and illuminated his handsome features, making him look almost unreal. I had seen him in countless beautiful settings over the past few weeks, but somehow, he still managed to take my breath away.

I settled down beside him, allowing my gaze to wander around the pavilion once more before looking at him. "This is different," I remarked, unable to hide my surprise.

Usually, the dreamscapes he created for me were filled with beautiful greenhouses, flower gardens, or peaceful meadows. They were places where I could sit for hours without feeling the need to leave, but this was the first time he had brought me somewhere that looked so much like a private paradise beneath the stars.

A soft smile bloomed on his lips as he turned toward me. "I didn’t want you to get bored of seeing the same scenery every time," he explained. "So, I thought I’d make something different for tonight."

I glanced at him, then at the view again, appreciating the thought he had put into it. "Well, I don’t think I could ever get bored of your greenhouses and meadows, but I like this too."

His smile widened slightly, as though my approval had made all the effort worthwhile.

I leaned back against the couch and looked up at the night sky. A gentle breeze drifted through the pavilion, carrying the fresh scent of early spring and making a few loose strands of my hair flutter against my cheeks. I inhaled deeply, allowing the cool, fragrant air to fill my lungs. The longer I sat there, watching the moonlight shimmer across the water, the more relaxed I became.

It had been an exhausting day, and I hadn’t realised just how badly I needed a moment like this until I finally had one. The Rune class had taken us outdoors for fieldwork, which involved considerably more walking and practical exercises than I had anticipated. Later, Jasper had made absolutely certain that I didn’t get comfortable during Combat Arts. My blood knight had apparently decided that my progress entitled me to even more demanding training, and he had shown no mercy simply because I had already spent most of the day on my feet. My private session with Professor Fenrith had been just as tiring, although it had ended with some rather wonderful news.

Professor Fenrith had finally announced that I had caught up with everything I needed to learn about magic in general to bring me up to the level of my peers. Unless there were any new developments in my magical abilities, I wouldn’t need to attend further private sessions with him.

I had been both happy and sad about the announcement. Happy because it was proof of how far I had come in such a short time and how much I had managed to learn under his guidance. When I first arrived at Moonveil Academy, I had barely understood the world I had been thrown into, let alone the complicated magic system everyone around me seemed to take for granted. Now, I could at least hold my own in discussions, understand the fundamentals, and recognise where my knowledge was lacking.

But I was also sad because I had genuinely enjoyed learning from him. Professor Fenrith was one of my favourite people at the academy, and over the first term, he had developed just the right pace and patience to teach someone who had spent twenty years completely unaware of magic. I was going to miss those sessions, even if I was grateful they were no longer necessary. At least he would still be my Elemental Studies teacher, so I wasn’t going to lose his guidance entirely.

A deep sigh escaped me as I let the back of my head rest against the couch’s headrest. "It’s beautiful," I whispered, my eyes still fixed on the moon.

"Indeed beautiful," Esme agreed softly.

Something about the way he said it made me turn my head. And just as I had suspected, he wasn’t looking at the scenery at all. His green eyes were fixed entirely on me, and there was a tenderness in them that made my breath catch. Our gazes locked, and for several long moments, neither of us said anything. The quiet between us wasn’t uncomfortable. If anything, it was the kind of silence that made me increasingly aware of the person sitting beside me, of the small distance separating our shoulders, and of the warmth in his expression.

Finally, I parted my lips. "Esme..."

"Yes, Snowdrop."

I wanted to say something. Anything. But the words I had been trying to find for days refused to come out. No matter how many times I rehearsed them in my head, I couldn’t bring myself to say what I knew he needed to know before I confess my feelings or give him an answer.

It had been three weeks since the night Esme confessed his feelings to me, and three full weeks since he had begun fulfilling his promise to court me. He hadn’t made grand public declarations or tried to force me into giving him an answer.

Instead, he had chosen to make himself a gentle, consistent presence in my life.