"Marriage?" Vivian asked, his nose wrinkling slightly.

"Yes," Charlotte nodded.

"Our engagement should have happened a long time ago, but many things got in the way. Now there is nothing stopping us. So… how about we get married?"

She spoke calmly, but there was a quiet firmness in her voice.

Three years ago, everything had been prepared.

Yet because of the war, the academy, and countless other problems, their engagement never took place.

Charlotte did not want to delay it anymore.

She wanted to marry him and settle things once and for all.

Vivian went silent.

"Hm…" he let out a low sound as he leaned back, his thoughts slowly turning.

He did not dislike the idea of marriage.

In fact, he had already accepted, deep in his heart, that Charlotte would be the one beside him for life.

That part was never in doubt.

But there were still many things weighing on him.

The estate needed him.

His responsibilities to his family, and the strange condition he still could not fully explain.

And most importantly, the war was far from over, and the future felt uncertain.

After a long moment, he looked at Charlotte.

"Charlotte," he said gently, "how about we wait for a few more years?"

He raised his hand slightly, as if to stop her from misunderstanding.

"It's not that I don't want to marry you. I do. I just feel that right now, there are too many things I must take care of first. I don't want to rush something this important when my mind is not fully at ease."

His voice was calm and honest.

"Give me a little more time," he said.

"When things settle down, when I can stand properly on my own feet… then I want to marry you without worries hanging over us."

He looked at her quietly, waiting for her answer.

Hearing him, Charlotte felt a sting of disappointment.

She truly wanted to marry him and put everything in place, to finally stop waiting.

Still, deep down, she understood why he was not ready yet.

She lowered her gaze for a moment, then looked back at him.

"Alright," she said softly. "How many years do you need?"

Vivian thought for a while before answering.

"Three years," he said at last. "I need three years. After that, I will marry you."

His voice was firm. He had already made up his mind.

There were many things he needed to settle, many paths he had to walk, and three years would be enough for all of it.

Hearing his answer, Charlotte let out a quiet sigh.

"Okay," she said.

That was the end of it.

After that, they talked about other simple things.

Small matters, everyday thoughts.

Time passed without them noticing, and slowly, the morning light faded away.

After a while, Vivian stood up and stretched his back.

"Charlotte, I'm going for a walk," he said. "I'll be back in a few hours."

Charlotte nodded. This was his usual habit.

He would go out alone for some time and return later, so she did not think much of it.

"Come back before lunch," she said.

"Alright," Vivian nodded.

Then he turned around and walked out.

After Vivian left, Charlotte let out another sigh, this one much heavier than before.

She knew why he was not ready to marry.

It was simple.

In the past three years, he had not made a single breakthrough in his cultivation.

So many things had changed during that time.

She herself had reached the Arch Mage level, equal to the Swordmaster stage, and had even taken a small step beyond it.

Others had moved forward as well.

Yet no matter how hard Vivian trained, no matter how much effort he put in, he remained stuck at the early stage of Swordmaster.

Three long years.

No progress.

Charlotte lowered her head and stared at the spot where he had walked away.

"Haa…" she sighed again, rubbing her temple. "That's why I wanted you to marry me, you dummy."

Her voice was quiet, almost lost in the empty yard.

Meanwhile, Vivian had already left the academy grounds.

He walked until he reached the large lake beside it.

The water was clear and calm, and there were no people around.

He lay down on the grass near the shore and stared up at the sky.

The wind brushed through his hair, cool and gentle.

Vivian closed his eyes and let out a slow breath.

"Still no breakthrough…"

Even though he had not made any breakthrough, Vivian had not lost hope.

For three whole years, he trained without rest.

His swordsmanship grew sharper, and his control over mana became far better.

Yet aside from that, nothing truly changed.

The reason he came to this place every day was tied to his attempt to step into the Grandmaster stage.

Three years ago, when he was still at the fifth star, he had come to this very lake. That was when he saw it.

A woman sitting on a small boat, playing a veena.

At the time, the music felt strange and deep.

He could not understand it back then. It was too complex, too distant.

But now, after three years, he felt that if he could hear that music again, it might help him take that final step.

It was only a theory.

Nothing was certain.

Still, it was the only lead he had.

Yet no matter how many times he came here, no matter how many days passed, he never heard that music again.

"Haa…" another sigh escaped him.

"I don't thin—"

"Viv…?"

The sudden voice cut him off.

He blinked a few times, surprise flashing across his face.

Then recognition dawned on him.

Vivian pushed himself up from the ground and sat upright, a smile spreading across his face.

"Marinate," he said warmly. "What are you doing here?"

Marinate walked out from behind him, her hands held behind her back.

Her long, snow-white hair flowed softly as she moved.

She stopped beside him and sat down on the grass, close but not too close.

Over the past three years, Marinate had slowly moved on from the pain of being rejected.

She no longer avoided him, and from time to time, they would talk like this.

For Vivian, that alone was a relief. He had always felt guilty.

He knew he was at fault for letting her get close, for allowing her feelings to grow.

Seeing that she had healed, even if only a little, lifted a heavy weight from his heart.

As Marinate settled beside him, she smiled.

"I've noticed you come here often," she said lightly. "Is there a reason?"

Vivian returned the smile and turned his gaze toward the calm lake.

"No," he replied after a moment. "Nothing in particular."

Then he looked back at her.

"What about you?" he asked. "What are you doing here?"

"I was just passing by," Marinate said.

"When I noticed you here, I thought I'd say hi on the way."

"Oh," Vivian nodded lightly.

They both looked at the lake. The water was still, reflecting the pale sky.

After a short while, Vivian spoke again.

"Marinate, your major is bow mastering, right?" he asked.

He remembered clearly. Marinate was also a warrior, and the bow was her chosen weapon.

She was already at the fifth star now, enough to be called a true bow master.

Marinate nodded. "Yes."

Vivian did not turn to look at her.

If he had, he would have seen the softness in her eyes, a gentle warmth that often reminded him of Charlotte.

Marinate let out a quiet sigh as she looked at him.

He believed she had moved on. But the truth was more complicated.

She had only learned how to hide her feelings in front of others.

They had not faded, not even a little.

And she had not come here by chance.

She wanted to see him.

She knew he came to this lake every day, and so she came too, using "passing by" as her excuse.

Marinate stood beside him for a while.

The sound of the water filled the silence between them.

The lake was calm, with small ripples moving slowly as the wind passed over it.

Vivian kept his eyes on the water, as if lost in thought, unaware of the quiet storm in her heart.

She wanted to speak more, but the words felt heavy.

Being close to him made her chest feel tight, yet warm.

She remembered how he used to smile more, how he once looked at people with ease.

Now he felt distant, like someone standing far away even when he was right there.

After a while, Vivian broke the silence again, his voice low and steady.

He spoke about training, about how hard it was to move past the fifth star.

To him, it was just normal talk.

To her, it was a gift.

She nodded and replied softly, listening to every word as if it mattered more than it should.

She knew he still did not look at her. Still, she stayed.

Just being near him was enough for now.

She told herself this was fine, that this quiet moment by the lake was all she needed.

But deep inside, the feelings she had buried stayed alive, beating slowly, refusing to fade.

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