Whoosh.
The pleasant friction of the sea foam bursting woke her up.
The maid opened the curtains, and bright sunlight poured in.
The sunlight reflected on the sea surface was brighter and more splendid than on land.
Sepia got up.
“Are you awake? I’ll prepare some wash water for you.”
The maid, whose small body and face were covered in freckles, smiled brightly.
Since arriving at the castle, Lucy had been serving Sepia.
Perhaps because the sea was close, all the residents here had healthy, tanned skin.
While the maid brought the wash water, Sepia leaned against the window and looked down at the sea.
“It still doesn’t feel real.”
The fact that she wasn’t in the imperial palace, but in Leopold at that.
The horizon seemed endless.
The sea was more mysterious than she had imagined.
She had seen the same scenery every morning since coming to Leopold, but it was always new and never boring.
Sepia felt free while looking at the sea.
'...It feels like I've left the Beastkin Empire.'
Was the weight of the Empress's crown heavy?
She thought she had always run with all her might, but she had always suffered from insufficiencies.
Above all, Demios was not here.
She felt liberated just by being in a place where he couldn't find her.
'It must have been empty for a long time.'
The bedroom she was staying in was clean, and all the furniture was new.
It seemed that Roxanne had taken care of it while staying in the estate.
'Come to think of it, are the rumors okay?'
None of the employees in the castle seemed to avoid or despise Roxanne.
More than anything, the bright atmosphere made her feel at ease.
"I brought you washcloths."
"Yes."
Lucy thoroughly wiped Sepia's hands and feet with a towel soaked in hot water.
The maid, who had just become an adult but still looked young, sparkled with wonder.
"This is the first time I've seen your skin so pale."
"The sun isn't this strong in the capital."
“Still, I think you're the fairest in the capital, and I wish I could be.”
The pleasant friction of the sea foam bursting woke her up.
The maid opened the curtains, and bright sunlight poured in.
The sunlight reflected on the sea surface was brighter and more splendid than on land.
Sepia got up.
“Are you awake? I’ll prepare some wash water for you.”
The maid, whose small body and face were covered in freckles, smiled brightly.
Since arriving at the castle, Lucy had been serving Sepia.
Perhaps because the sea was close, all the residents here had healthy, tanned skin.
While the maid brought the wash water, Sepia leaned against the window and looked down at the sea.
“It still doesn’t feel real.”
The fact that she wasn’t in the imperial palace, but in Leopold at that.
The horizon seemed endless.
The sea was more mysterious than she had imagined.
She had seen the same scenery every morning since coming to Leopold, but it was always new and never boring.
Sepia felt free while looking at the sea.
'...It feels like I've left the Beastkin Empire.'
Was the weight of the Empress's crown heavy?
She thought she had always run with all her might, but she had always suffered from insufficiencies.
Above all, Demios was not here.
She felt liberated just by being in a place where he couldn't find her.
'It must have been empty for a long time.'
The bedroom she was staying in was clean, and all the furniture was new.
It seemed that Roxanne had taken care of it while staying in the estate.
'Come to think of it, are the rumors okay?'
None of the employees in the castle seemed to avoid or despise Roxanne.
More than anything, the bright atmosphere made her feel at ease.
"I brought you washcloths."
"Yes."
Lucy thoroughly wiped Sepia's hands and feet with a towel soaked in hot water.
The maid, who had just become an adult but still looked young, sparkled with wonder.
"This is the first time I've seen your skin so pale."
"The sun isn't this strong in the capital."
“Still, I think you're the fairest in the capital, and I wish I could be.”
Lucy muttered, as if she didn’t like her tanned skin.
“You look healthy and pretty.”
“Really? Thank you.”
Lucy’s cheeks flushed as if she was happy with the compliment.
Sepia, who had been looking at the young maid with affection, opened her mouth at the following words.
“It’s an honor. To be serving the Duke’s fiancee. The Duke kicked out the lord. That’s why I love the Duke so much.”
“...fiancee?”
“Oh, no?”
Lucy’s eyes widened.
Sepia was more surprised than the maid who was flustered, wondering if she had made a slip of the tongue.
‘Because I can’t reveal my identity.’
Here, Sepia was a noble lady visiting the estate with the Duke.
She didn’t know exactly how she was introduced, but there was no better position to disguise herself than as his fiancé.
“...That’s right.”
“Oh, thank goodness. I thought I was rude again. I often get scolded for making slips of the tongue.”
Lucy brushed her chest as if relieved.
'Fiancee.'
The unexpected word left her speechless for a moment.
Was this the reason for the cautious attitude of the people of the lord?
Now she knew who the young lover in her memories was.
And why he hadn't come back to her.
However, it was difficult to define the exact relationship with him.
'I think it would be better to think less.'
The distracting thoughts always followed one after another. '
'Now that I think about it, you seemed busy.'
While she was trapped in the Ghost Palace, Roxanne seemed to have been preparing something in Leopold.
Except for the first day, she hadn't seen Roxanne much while she was resting here.
Sepia, who suddenly thought of him, had one thing on her mind among Lucy's words.
'...Chasing the lord away. What does that mean?'
Instead of Roxanne, who had been away on the battlefield for a long time, her bald eagle uncle, Rapikan, had taken over as the temporary lord.
Could it possibly have something to do with Roxanne being busy?
"Would you like to eat at the restaurant today?"
"Yes. Let's go down."
"Yes. I'll show you around."
Lucy cheerfully led the way down the hallway.
After a good rest, it seemed like it would be nice to take a look around the castle.
Sepia followed Lucy down the long corridor.
The sea was visible through the arched windows.
To the left of the castle was a forest. To the right was the sea.
No matter where she looked, a beautiful sight unfolded before her eyes.
It was a quiet and prosperous estate.
The castle had some worn-out parts from the sea breeze, but some parts seemed to have been recently renovated and repainted.
'What kind of childhood did he have here?'
Roxanne was reminiscing about his hometown.
There must have been peaceful days before the plague.
Suddenly, she wondered.
The past appearance of Roxanne that she didn't know.
'Because back then, he borrowed Demios's appearance.'
Even after learning the truth, she still couldn't believe it.
The young lover in her memories.
And the current Roxanne.
"You're here."
Was it because she had drawn him?
Roxanne appeared before her eyes.
"I called you to have breakfast with me."
He was wearing a light shirt with his sleeves rolled up.
Maybe because the sea was close, summer came a little earlier here than inland. Maybe it was a secret, but Lucy was laughing playfully.
It was a little awkward to meet him after such a long time.
“Do you have any plans today?”
“Yes. I’ve been busy since yesterday.”
At that time, Sepia felt like she had gone back to her childhood and let it go, but when she met him again, it was hard to let it go.
‘I don’t know how to treat him.’
It was hard to define their relationship, whether she should treat him as a past lover or as her friend. But he seemed natural. Her reaction was colorless.
“Please sit down.”
“Yes.”
Sepia sat down on the chair Roxanne had pulled out for her. She felt the servants were watching her.
‘Did he really say I was his fiancee?’
She couldn’t ask because they were watching her. The restaurant had a clear view of the ocean. Seafood salad and salmon. Since the ocean was right next to her, she could find many unique and fresh ingredients. And the fruits were also hard to find inland.
“Does it suit your taste?”
“Yes. It’s delicious.”
The food had a different feel from the capital, but it all suited her taste.
“Thank goodness. We hired a good chef in advance.”
He offered a dish of thinly sliced salmon wrapped in thin bread. The tension naturally eased as he ate the delicious food.
“I heard about the temporary lord from the maid.”
The sudden remark made the people flinch.
“He was exploiting the people of the territory based on rumors about me.”
“Rumors?”
“He raised the harvest and taxes in large quantities, saying that the plague would spread again when I returned to the capital. I collected evidence and stored it underground.”
“That...”
This was why Lucy was furious about the lord.
“But he’s not.”
He exploited them by talking about plagues, but he seemed to know nothing about beastification. Then who had instilled such words in the beastified test subject?
The meal was over. Roxanne suggested that she take a walk.
“Would you like to take a walk? The white sand of the beach is beautiful.”
“Okay.”
Sepia nodded. Behind the castle, there was a path leading down the cliff.
‘Salty smell.’
The sea breeze blew in from across the sea. The refreshing smell of the sea wafted from an unknown source. Below the cliff, a white sandy beach was spread out.
“You’d better take off your shoes. You’ll get sand in there.”
“Oh, yes.”
Two pairs of shoes climbed up the stone steps. Sepia had seen the ocean before, but this was her first time walking on the beach.
“It tickles.”
The thin, soft sand tickled between her toes. Footprints left with every step. The emerald waves crashed shallowly, along with the cool sound of the waves. Beneath the clear water were seaweed and small fish whose names she didn’t know. Colorful shells and five-cornered hairpins were floating around. Roxanne held them up to show them.
“They’re called starfish. They’re safe.”
“It’s just like a star.”
When she touched it carefully, the rough texture felt unfamiliar.
Touching things she had never seen before on the beach, she felt like she had returned to being a child.
A high laugh mixed with the white foam spreading out.
How long had it been since she had laughed like this?
‘Back then, I couldn’t move around this freely.’
She had to always hide from the palace maids’ eyes.
Her childhood lover was standing in front of her, a full-fledged adult. She suddenly remembered the confession from the workhouse.
‘How did he endure it?’
The long time it took to become perfect strangers and become close.
Waiting for the other person to remember.
The endless wait was as blurry as looking ahead while drunk.
Sepia stared at the debris of the waves flowing by.
The foam resembled the alcohol she had drunk that day.
Suddenly, a moment she had forgotten came to mind.
The kiss that day.
Along with the words that she wouldn’t treat it as a kiss.
‘Why now of all times.’
Her face turned bright red.
“Sepia?”
When she stood frozen, he approached her, asking her a question. She instinctively stepped back, and her flustered body tilted back.
He reached out his arm in panic, but Sepia was the first to grab Roxanne’s hem.
“Ah...!”
The sand was soft and painless.
Roxanne was on top of her fallen body.
Their eyes were too close.
It seemed like their noses were touching.
Maybe even their lips.
Their breaths were intertwined with each other’s gazes.
Her childhood lover was standing in front of her, a full-fledged adult. She suddenly remembered the confession from the workhouse.
‘How did he endure it?’
The long time it took to become perfect strangers and become close.
Waiting for the other person to remember.
The endless wait was as blurry as looking ahead while drunk.
Sepia stared at the debris of the waves flowing by.
The foam resembled the alcohol she had drunk that day.
Suddenly, a moment she had forgotten came to mind.
The kiss that day.
Along with the words that she wouldn’t treat it as a kiss.
‘Why now of all times.’
Her face turned bright red.
“Sepia?”
When she stood frozen, he approached her, asking her a question. She instinctively stepped back, and her flustered body tilted back.
He reached out his arm in panic, but Sepia was the first to grab Roxanne’s hem.
“Ah...!”
The sand was soft and painless.
Roxanne was on top of her fallen body.
Their eyes were too close.
It seemed like their noses were touching.
Maybe even their lips.
Their breaths were intertwined with each other’s gazes.
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