Sweet Love 2x: Miss Ruthless CEO for our Superstar Uncle-Chapter 174: The Melting Snow

The house felt different that morning.

Franz noticed it before he fully opened his eyes.

The silence was not the same as the night before. It no longer had the strained edge of interrupted sleep or the uneven rhythm of fever and restless movement.

He remained still for a moment, listening.

There was no crying. No shifting against the sheets.

Franz opened his eyes.

The curtains had been left slightly open. A band of pale light stretched across the bed, catching along the edge of the blanket where Leo’s hand still rested loosely near his sleeve.

The boy had shifted during the night. He was no longer curled tightly against Franz’s side. Instead, he lay on his back, one arm stretched above his head, his breathing slow and even.

Franz turned slightly.

On the other side of the bed, Lily lay pressed close to Arianne, her face buried partially against the pillow. The flush that had colored her cheeks the previous night had faded. Her breathing, too, had settled into a steady rhythm.

Arianne remained asleep. Her posture had softened from the rigid stillness she had held through most of the night. One arm still rested across Lily’s back, though her hand had loosened, no longer holding as tightly.

Franz pushed himself up slowly, careful not to disturb the children.

He reached first for Leo. His palm rested against the boy’s forehead.

Cool. Not completely, but enough.

Then he leaned across and checked Lily.

The same.

The fevers had broken.

Franz exhaled quietly. The tension that had lingered somewhere at the back of his thoughts since the previous morning eased without needing acknowledgment. He hadn’t realized how tightly he’d been holding it—the worry, the vigilance, the constant alert that had kept him half-awake through the night.

He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood.

The floor felt colder than expected.

When he stepped into the hallway, the house greeted him with the same quiet stillness that had settled overnight. Light filtered through the tall windows lining the corridor, reflecting off the white-covered grounds outside.

Franz moved toward the kitchen.

The kitchen lights remained off. Morning light carried enough visibility through the wide window above the counter, illuminating the polished surfaces and the condensation gathered along the glass.

Outside, the snow had begun to soften.

Franz filled a glass with water, then paused. For a moment, he simply stood there.

The previous day had been full of movement.

This morning felt still.

He opened one of the cabinets and retrieved a small pot, setting it on the stove. His movements were quieter than usual, unhurried in a way that suggested he was still adjusting to the absence of urgency.

He remembered what Aunt Estella had said. They should eat something when they wake.

Franz filled the pot with water and turned on the stove.

A simple breakfast would be enough.

By the time Arianne entered the kitchen, the water had begun to steam.

She stopped near the doorway.

"You’re awake."

Franz glanced over his shoulder. "So are you."

Her hair had been tied back loosely, though a few strands had fallen free near her face. The fatigue from the previous night showed in the slight delay of her movements, the way she paused before stepping fully into the room.

She leaned one hand against the counter. "How are they?"

"Better."

Arianne nodded. "I checked Lily earlier. Her fever’s down."

Franz reached for the container of oats. "Leo too."

Arianne moved toward the cabinet, retrieving two cups before placing them beside him. "I’ll prepare something light."

Franz shook his head. "I already started."

She paused. Then nodded again, stepping back without insisting.

For a moment they worked in silence.

Arianne poured water into the cups while Franz stirred the pot, adjusting the heat when the water began to rise. The silence between them felt natural. Not empty. Just steady.

This was new, Arianne thought. Not the silence—they’d had plenty of that over the months. But this kind of quiet, where they moved around each other without thinking, without performing, without guarding. It felt like something she could get used to. Something she already was getting used to.

Small footsteps sounded from the hallway.

Lily appeared first.

She moved more slowly than usual, one hand trailing along the wall as she stepped into the kitchen. The blanket from earlier still wrapped around her shoulders, slipping as she adjusted it.

"Aunt Aria."

Arianne turned. "You’re up."

"I’m hungry."

Her voice sounded clearer than the night before.

Franz glanced down at the pot. "Good timing."

Lily moved toward the table and climbed into one of the chairs with a small effort.

Leo followed shortly after.

He walked more steadily than Lily, though his movements remained careful. When he reached Franz, he paused before lightly touching the edge of his sleeve.

Franz looked down. "Hungry?"

Leo nodded.

Then he reached for the tablet resting on the counter. The screen lit up.

Hungry.

Franz allowed a small exhale. "That makes two of you."

Breakfast took longer than usual.

Lily ate slowly. She held the spoon in both hands at first, as though still uncertain about her strength, before gradually settling into a steadier rhythm. Every few bites she paused, glancing toward Arianne as if confirming she was still there.

Arianne remained beside her. She didn’t rush her. Just adjusted the bowl when Lily shifted it too close to the edge of the table.

Leo sat beside Franz. He ate quietly, though not without pause. Between bites, he leaned toward Franz, resting his shoulder against his arm for a few seconds before sitting upright again.

At one point, he turned the tablet toward him.

Stay.

Franz read the word. Then placed his hand over Leo’s.

"I’m not going anywhere."

Leo watched him for a moment. Then resumed eating.

Later, the sitting room regained its place as the center of the house.

The twins settled on the couch with blankets wrapped around them. Lily leaned against Arianne’s side, her head resting near her shoulder while she watched the slow melting of snow outside the window.

Leo sat cross-legged near the other end, tablet resting against his knees as he typed intermittently. The quiet tapping filled the room.

Franz stood near the window. From there, he could see the edges of the garden paths reappearing beneath the snow, thin lines of stone cutting through the white.

Behind him, Arianne checked her phone. A message appeared.

Ellie.

She opened it.

How are they today?

Arianne typed a brief response.

Fevers broke this morning. They’re eating.

The reply came quickly.

Good. Let them rest. Call if anything changes.

Arianne set the phone aside. "They’re recovering."

Franz nodded. "That’s obvious."

Lily shifted. Then looked up at Arianne.

"Aunt Aria."

"Yes?"

Lily hesitated. Her fingers tightened around the edge of the blanket before she spoke again.

"Can we have a piano here?"

The question came quieter this time. Less impulsive than before.

Leo paused his typing.

Franz turned from the window.

Arianne didn’t answer immediately. She looked at Lily. Then at Leo. Then toward the window where the snow continued melting in uneven lines along the glass.

Her hand rested against the back of the couch.

"We’ll see."

Lily nodded. That was enough. She leaned back, settling into the cushions.

Leo typed something. Then turned the screen.

Piano good.

Franz glanced at it. "It might be."

The house remained quiet.

Outside, the snow continued to melt across the Rochefort estate, slipping from branches and collecting in small pools along the stone paths while light slowly returned to the winter sky.

Arianne’s phone buzzed again. She glanced at it.

Work. She set it aside without answering.

Franz watched her for a moment. Then returned his gaze to the window.

Behind them, Leo typed another sentence, the soft clicks filling the space between breaths.

Lily’s eyes had grown heavy. She fought it for a few seconds, then surrendered, her head dropping fully against Arianne’s arm.

Arianne didn’t move.

Didn’t adjust her.

Just let her sleep.

Franz crossed the room and sat on the opposite end of the couch. Leo immediately shifted closer, not touching, but close enough that his knee pressed against Franz’s leg.

No one spoke.

The melting snow continued its slow work outside.

Franz thought about the piano. About what it would mean to have one here. About Lily’s voice when she asked—not demanding, not impulsive, just asking. He looked at Arianne. Her profile was soft in the winter light. Whatever she was thinking, she kept to herself. That was fine. They had time.

By afternoon, the twins had drifted in and out of sleep enough times that the hours blurred together.

At some point, Aunt Estella appeared in the doorway. She observed the scene for a long moment, then nodded once and disappeared without a word.

Gio called. Arianne spoke to him briefly, her voice low, then returned to the couch.

The tablet sat dormant on Leo’s lap. He had fallen asleep against Franz’s shoulder, his breathing steady and light.

Lily remained curled against Arianne, one hand still gripping the edge of her sleeve the way she had the night before.

The light outside shifted gradually from pale gray to something closer to silver as the clouds thinned.

Franz’s phone vibrated. He ignored it.

Arianne’s did the same. She ignored hers too.

They sat together in the quiet room, the four of them arranged across the couch like survivors of something smaller than a disaster but larger than a normal day.

Which, Franz supposed, they were.

Evening arrived without announcement.

The lights in the sitting room had not been switched on. The fading daylight through the windows provided enough illumination to see by, though shadows had begun collecting in the corners.

Lily stirred first.

"Aunt Aria."

Arianne looked down. "Yes?"

"I’m thirsty."

Arianne shifted carefully, extracting herself from beneath Lily without fully waking her. She stood and moved toward the kitchen.

Franz watched her go.

Leo stirred against him but didn’t wake.

When Arianne returned with a glass of water, Lily drank slowly, then settled back against the cushions.

"Thank you," she murmured.

Arianne smiled. "You’re welcome."

Franz met Arianne’s eyes across the couch.

Neither of them said anything.

They didn’t need to.

Later that night, after the twins had been moved to their own bed and the house had settled into its usual evening quiet, Franz stood in the hallway outside their door.

Arianne joined him a moment later.

"They’re asleep," she said.

Franz nodded. "For now."

She leaned against the wall. "The piano."

"What about it?"

"I think she’ll ask again."

Franz considered that. "Probably."

Arianne was quiet for a moment. Then: "There’s one in storage. From the old house."

Franz looked at her.

She didn’t elaborate.

But she didn’t have to.

"Something to think about," he said.

Arianne nodded. "Something to think about."

They stood there for another minute, neither moving, neither speaking.

Then Arianne pushed off the wall.

"Goodnight, Franz."

"Goodnight."

She walked toward her room.

Franz remained where he was for a moment longer, listening to the silence of the house, the absence of coughing, the steady quiet of children sleeping peacefully.

Then he turned and walked the other way.

Outside, the last of the snow continued melting beneath the dark sky, water tracing thin paths across the stone, carrying the storm away piece by piece.