He used to leave the winery in Elzer’s capable hands whenever he had to go on business trips or missions. That changed when you came into his life.

You, who insisted on helping. You, who genuinely loved tending to the vines, overseeing the barrels, feeling the earth under your nails and the wind in your hair as you moved through his world like you were born to be part of it. It both touched and unsettled him. You weren’t supposed to work. You weren’t supposed to lift a finger if he could help it. Yet here you were, again and again, refusing to be idle.

So, when he returned from his latest trip, the first thing he did was head straight for the manor. No stops, no distractions—just a single goal: find you.

But you weren’t in the study. Not in the parlor. Not in the courtyard. He’d already shed his coat and gloves, a small furrow forming between his brows as he asked a staff member—

“She’s outside, Master Diluc. Near the east vineyards.”

He’d passed right by there. Somehow missed you completely.

Until a shift in the vines caught his eye. Then—your head popped out from between the leaves, dirt smudged across your cheek, sleeves rolled up, completely unaware of how endearing you looked. His breath left him in a quiet sigh of disbelief and awe.

You blinked, smiled, and waved your muddied hand.

He could only shake his head with the smallest, most helpless smile. Of course. Of course you'd be out here, digging into his world, becoming a part of it more deeply than he’d ever expected.

And he wouldn’t have it any other way.