Chapter 23: His Sun

Chapter 23: Chapter 23: His Sun

Lilia said she wanted to go somewhere quiet. Ideally, a place with no one else around—just the two of them. Victor thought for a few seconds before a suitable location came to mind. It was a hillside far from the city limits, so remote that practically no one ever ventured there.

Ever since his parents passed away, Victor’s world had been reduced to just himself. An empty house felt far too vast; being completely alone inside always brought about a bone-deep loneliness. But the wilderness was different. Especially when standing at a high vantage point, looking down at the scenery—for a fleeting moment, it felt as if he could truly abandon everything in reality and sink into an imagined life. Unlike the rooftop of Lien Academy, this place was a secret belonging exclusively to Victor. No one else knew about it.

As evening approached, the temperature began to drop. Lilia, draped in Victor’s coat, gazed up at the towering mountain forest.

Victor offered her his hand. "The path up the mountain is a bit rugged. Let me hold your hand, or it’ll be easy to trip."

Lilia nodded and placed her right hand in his palm. Her sense of balance wasn’t bad, but the little leather shoes on her feet were hardly suitable for hiking. Fortunately, Victor held onto her tightly, pulling her back the few times she nearly slipped.

Stumbling along, they eventually reached a relatively flat clearing. Standing at the edge of the slope, they could take in more than half of the West District at a glance. From this angle, both the crisscrossing alleyways and the rows of towering buildings looked like illustrations in a picture book. Or perhaps... like CG art from a video game.

Lilia shifted her gaze upward to the timeless setting sun. A gentle breeze swept past, lifting the hem of her skirt and her long hair. Victor slightly raised his fingers, letting the black strands slip through the gaps like quicksand.

He looked up at Lilia’s profile. "Are you tired?"

"A little."

Lilia had a weak constitution and rarely exercised. After trekking up the mountain path for so long in ill-fitting shoes, her feet ached, and her legs were sore.

Victor took off his coat and spread it over the grass. Lilia gathered her skirt and sat down. She drew her legs up to her chest, resting her chin on her knees. Her gaze was focused and calm as she stared straight ahead, as if nothing could truly reflect in her eyes.

Victor watched her for a moment before turning his eyes toward the setting sun on the horizon.

"The weather is nice today," Victor broke the silence. "You can see a beautiful sunset from here."

Lilia gave a soft murmur of agreement.

"Compared to the sunset at Lien Academy, I prefer the one here."

As his voice faded, Lilia turned to look at him. The girl still rested her head on her knees, her long black hair cascading down her sides like a waterfall. She looked languid, yet so... real.

Seeing her look over, Victor finally broke into a smile. "It’s strange, isn’t it? Even though it’s the exact same sun, a change in environment and state of mind makes everything in the outside world feel different. And yet, a sunset is just a sunset. It won’t change just because someone likes or dislikes it. The only sun humans can control is the one within their own hearts."

Lilia fell silent for a moment. "That sounds like a line straight out of a philosophy book."

"Was it a bit hard to understand?" Victor averted his gaze. The usually gentle and elegant youth, who handled everything with effortless grace, looked uncharacteristically flustered in that moment.

Lilia tugged at the corners of her lips. "What about you?" she asked softly.

Victor paused his attempt to look away, asking instinctively, "What?"

"What does the sun in your heart look like?"

Victor didn’t answer right away. In that moment, a flood of thoughts came back to him. His beautiful childhood, his loving parents, and the carefree days of his youth.

"It’s probably... memories." Those unforgettable memories.

Lilia said no more, lifting her head once again to watch the sunset on the horizon.

Victor hesitated. Suddenly, he really wanted to ask Lilia the same question, to know what her answer would be. But... looking at those extraordinarily calm eyes, he ultimately swallowed the words.

This was enough. Sitting together, watching the sunset. Feeling a peace and tranquility unlike any before.

The sun gradually dipped below the skyline. Once the last sliver of afterglow vanished, the sky darkened. Victor was just about to tell Lilia it was time to head back when she suddenly stood up and leaned in close to him. The girl’s delicate face magnified in his vision. Completely caught off guard by the gesture, Victor was at a loss for how to react.

"Lili—"

Before he could finish his sentence, night fell completely. The next second, a cluster of flames flared to life in the girl’s palm, illuminating everything around them.

Victor froze. In the darkness, everything else seemed to fade away. The entire world was reduced to just the two of them. To the dancing flames in the girl’s hand. And to those bright eyes reflecting the firelight.

"Look," Lilia held up the tiny fireball, as if showing it off, or perhaps seeking praise from her ’teacher’. "A sun."

A sun...

Victor couldn’t help but laugh.

"What’s so funny?" the girl asked, a hint of dissatisfaction in her voice.

"Nothing." Victor looked at her, his eyes filled with an indescribable tenderness. "It really is a sun."

A tiny sun... One that belonged only to them.

When they made their way down the mountain, the sky was already pitch-black. The mountain path was rugged to begin with; with their vision impaired, it was even harder to navigate. Victor glanced at the abyss-like trail and simply crouched down in front of Lilia. "Hop on. I’ll carry you down."

Lilia didn’t refuse. She had no desire to trip and fall.

The girl wrapped her arms around his neck, and then her soft, warm body pressed against his back. Victor could clearly feel her breath gently brushing against the side of his neck, sending electric shivers down his spine.

"Ready," the girl whispered in his ear.

Her crisp voice trickled in, sending a tingling numbness through him. Victor was exceedingly grateful for the cover of night; otherwise, Lilia would have undoubtedly seen his bright red earlobes. He took a deep breath, suppressing his wildly pounding heart, supported Lilia’s legs to hoist her up properly, and began the uneven trek down the mountain in the dark.

Even after they reached flat ground, Victor didn’t set her down. He tilted his head slightly. "Shall I take you to the station?"

"Mm."

It was getting late, and it was time to go home. After all, they had classes tomorrow.

Hearing her affirmative response, Victor felt an inexplicable sense of loss. He gave a self-deprecating smile and carried her all the way to the nearest carriage station.

Victor saw Lilia onto the carriage, untiringly reminding her to stay safe. Sitting inside, the girl leaned out to wave at him. "I had a lot of fun today. Goodnight, Victor. See you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Lilia."

Victor waved back, watching the carriage until it disappeared at the end of his line of sight.

Upon returning home, he withdrew his gaze.

CLICK. The front door locked.

The entire space was instantly filled with silence. Looking around, the house was incredibly narrow, yet in this moment, it felt astonishingly empty. Victor didn’t go to the kitchen; instead, he headed to his bedroom.

The faint scent of the girl seemed to linger in the air. A sweet fragrance like cake, mixed with... a scent as warm as sunshine.

Victor walked over to his desk. The book Lilia had been reading lay open on it.

However, there was now something new beside it. It was a pure silver bookmark, crafted into the shape of an ash tree leaf, carrying a solid weight in his hand. Pinned beneath the bookmark was a card with a single sentence written on it.

"To the best teacher."

The best teacher...

Looking at the familiar handwriting, a smile gradually spread across Victor’s face.

"I... had a lot of fun today too," he murmured softly. "See you tomorrow."