"You can make a wish."


    Leonard looked at the candles and said lightly, "The wishes I made when I was young never came true. Since my wishes don''te true, I''ll make one for you instead."


    He looked up at Ste, his eyes in the candlelight clearer and gentler than she had ever seen them.


    "Summer, may you get everything you hope for, may your path always be smooth, and may you always be met with warmth."


    Ste was taken aback for a moment.


    The man before her seemed to have had his gloom swept away, shedding his usual coldness and mncholy to be clear and gentle.


    For that one moment, Leonard''s image strangely merged with that of the innocent and pure L. It was as if he wasn''t the cruel, irredeemable head of the Lerman family, but simply L, the painter with a pure love for his art.


    Ste found herself inexplicably in a daze.


    It wasn''t until the cat''s meow sounded that Ste snapped back to reality. The little cat had run over at some point and was now chasing a balloon.


    Ste''s gaze flickered in the candlelight.


    She handed him the gift marked ''30.'' "Happy birthday."


    Leonard took it. "Thank you."


    Ste lowered her eyes. "Let''s eat."


    However, Leonard walked over to her and gently extended his hand.


    "Summer, may I have this dance?"


    Ste looked at the hand offered to her and felt a sudden sense of familiarity. Before she could figure out why, Leonard had already pulled her to her feet.


    Ste hated any physical contact with Leonard, but the thought that she would be leaving soon made her endure it.


    Leonard looked down at Ste''s trembling eyshes and suddenly said, "I''ve suddenly decided I don''t want to let you go. What should I do?"


    Ste went deathly pale, the blood rushing from her face as cold horror seized her. "You..."


    Leonard cut her off with a light chuckle. "I''m just kidding."


    Ste was uncertain and suspicious, her eyes fixed on his expression. Leonard had reverted to his usual cold and indifferent demeanor as if his earlier gentleness had been nothing but her imagination.


    Seeing her staring at him, Leonard finally said, "If you keep looking at me like that, I really might not be able to let you go."


    Ste quickly averted her gaze. Yet, for some reason, she still felt an elusive sense of familiarity from him.


    It wasn''t until after they finished


    their meal and Ste was back in her room that she suddenly


    remembered where that familiarity Game from. He was so much like the masked man who had asked her to dance before. No, perhaps they were the same person.


    The next day, not long after Ste woke up, there was a knock on her door.


    Leonard''s voice came from outside. "Get ready. After breakfast, I''ll take you away from here."


    Ste''s voice quickly replied, "Okay."


    A short whileter, Ste came downstairs for breakfast.


    She was empty-handed, carrying nothing, just as she had been when she arrived.


    This wasn''t her home; there was nothing here for her to miss.


    Leonard nced at her. "Let''s eat first."


    After breakfast, Leonard led Ste toward the helipad.


    He took a different path from the one she had takenst time, but it saved more than ten minutes.


    When they reached the helipad, Leonard said to Ste, "Wait here for a bit. I need to run some checks and calibrations first."


    Ste responded with a simple "Mhm." Watching Leonard''s busy figure, she felt a sense of unreality.


    Ste had thought Leonard might


    find an excuse to dy for a few more days, or even just go back on his word entirely. She hadn''t expected him to actually keep his promise and take her away the very next day.