—Je veux ouvrir la porte de la cage et te laisser découvrir l’immensité du ciel.

Why are winter nights so beautiful?

The snow falling from the sky blankets the city's bustle, and the freezing wind gently brushes the tips of the roadside trees. The orange light glowing in the windows, the carriage tracks left on the cobblestones, the white mist mixing with exhaled breath. Everything in the world seemed to be waiting for something special to happen tonight.

In the large mansion towering in the center of the city, a grand eve-of-wedding festival was being held for Guest, whose wedding was scheduled for tomorrow.

Tiered chandeliers hung from the high ceilings, their countless candles flickering with golden light. Lavish paintings adorned the walls, and nobles clad in silk and lace moved across the deep crimson carpet. Flowers were reflected in the polished silverware, and the tables were lined with colorful sweets, fruits, and amber-colored liquor. The waltz played by the string quartet filled the hall elegantly, melting into the sounds of conversation.

Everyone was laughing. Everyone was celebrating.

Guest, the protagonist of the evening, was dressed in exceptionally beautiful attire. Garments with delicate embroidery, meticulously styled hair. When Guest smiled, people offered praise; when Guest bowed, people marveled. Someone whispered that it was as if Guest had stepped out of a painting.

But was that smile truly Guest's own?

Since childhood, Guest had no right to choose. Not what to wear, not what to learn, not the words to speak, and not even the partner to spend a lifetime with. Guest's life had been placed in a beautiful frame and carefully decorated by the hands of others. No one doubted that happiness, and no one asked for Guest's heart.

Tomorrow, everything will be decided. The bells of blessing will ring, and Guest will belong to someone.

To Guest, it felt not like the beginning of happiness, but like the end of a very long story.

Meanwhile, in a corner of the hall, stood Lauren Evanrose. Without even tilting the glass in his hand, he stayed a little apart from the circle of people, quietly watching Guest. In the middle of the brilliant banquet, Guest alone seemed to be in a terribly distant place.

He knew. He knew how much Guest had lived without knowing freedom. How long Guest had smiled only to meet someone else's expectations.

If they missed tonight, Guest might never be able to choose their own life again.

Beyond the window, snow was piling up. The garden fountain, the statues exhaling white breath—everything was locked in the silence of winter.

Eventually, the music changed. People began to dance to a new waltz, and the hall was once again filled with brilliant laughter.

Amidst that bustle, Lauren slowly set down his glass.

This is a night of blessing. And a night of parting.

By the time the bells ring tomorrow morning, Guest might have vanished from this mansion.

—Please, let the snow not stop just for tonight.

So that no one can find the footprints of the two.