Stepping back gracefully might have been a choice. Ciel’s feelings belonged to those first borne by a 13-year-old girl. Moreover, there was a saying: First love often remained unfulfilled.

So, she could've consoled herself, saying it was inevitable, and moved on. Ciel knew she was no longer the child she once was.

There was a transition from being a child to an adult, the process called aging. It involved learning through various experiences, the time one lived, and the years left ahead.

Going forward, she might realize how insignificant the emotions she harbored as a child were. She could have sought solace in the thought of inevitability. If she deemed it a matter not meant to be, despite it being her first love, then even if she cherished those feelings…. If the other built affection with someone not her, then perhaps….

She didn't want to label such things as victories or defeats.

But what if she was forced to acknowledge it as a defeat?

She was still young, and the world was vast. Maybe someday….

Maybe, just maybe.…

"What…?"

But Ciel Lionheart didn’t desire such consolation. First loves often remain unfulfilled? What nonsense were they talking about? Sure, some might bitterly murmur these clichéd, trivial words.

But Ciel did not think that way.

Who was to say that the feelings of a 13-year-old were trivial? Why did the time ahead matter more than the time past? Did it matter more because there was more time left ahead of her? Utter nonsense.

If anything, the longer life she had to live made relinquishing her current feelings impossible. Through her experiences and coming to better understand the world, she found conviction in her feelings. With age, her emotions had only deepened. As an adult, she deeply cherished the feelings she'd held since childhood.

Thus, she couldn't...