eply unsettled. I seek only one promise from you, my beloved Edith! With this promise, I can continue to hold steadfast to all that I believe in. As long as there is still a glimmer of dawn ahead, no danger shall be daunting to me!"
It had been several days since she last spoke to him, but in this moment, he seemed to pretend that everything were as it used to be. Seeing her silence, Andre cautiously took out the diamond ring, tenderly pulling her fingers.
Edith''s hand instinctively recoiled, barely noticeable. "Where did you get such a valuable?" she asked.
He hesitated, his gaze falling downward, and whispered, "It''s nothing more than a replica."
"But it''s so fresh red!" she murmured, gazing at the resplendent gem.
"I thought you would appreciate this colour. Like a flag, isn''t it?" he replied softly.
"Like blood," she uttered, her expression void of emotion.
Andre didn''t respond to her remark.
"You haven''t given me the answer I beseech yet, Edith," he maintained that sincere smile, raising his gaze to meet her eyes as if nothing was amiss.
She saw her own face, devoid of any trace of a smile, reflected in the luminous and translucent ruby, mirrored once again in his crystalline blue eyes.
In an instant, the ardent and profound love of the past year surged within her heart. Countless words floated on the edge of her lips, but in the end, she could only muster a tremulous voice and utter a poignant question:
"Raphael... He''ll be alright, won''t he?"
The smile faded ever so slightly from Andre''s lips, his head gradually lowering, golden locks cascading down.
"You don''t want to answer?" She paused for a moment before asking again.
"Do we have to talk about him now?" he still spoke with a lowered head.
Edith pushed the ring back to its original position. "If you can''t give me a reassuring answer, Quenet, then I''m afraid I can''t give you o