The carriage raced through the cold dawn toward the harbour. As it ventured into the rugged forest path outside of Floren city, the carriage began to jostle roughly, but I fell asleep easily, unsurprising after a sleepless night.
Surprisingly, I even saw a dream, and upon hearing the coachmans voice announcing our arrival at the harbour, I felt a sudden urge to cry like a child. It was because I had seen Alan in my dream.
Though I had co to the harbour to et him, battling the re hours ahead seed overwhelmingly futile. When the carriage door opened, a fierce gust of wind rushed in. With a handkerchief scented with Alans cologne in my pocket, I gently placed my hand on my trembling heart and stepped out of the carriage, unwilling to give his scent even a sip to the biting sea breeze. The fragrance imbued in the handkerchief would help endure the vast distance between our nations, drop by drop.
However, there was one problem: I had never bought a ferry ticket before.
Excuse ..
With awkward steps, I wandered along the quay until I spotted the ticket booth, then pushed forward without hesitation.
Hello, Id like to catch a ferry to Lunoa.
This is truly a huge improvent, considering that I was shaking like an idiot last sumr when I was overwheld by the huge hull. Could this also be a wave created within by the wind called Alan Leopold? The earnestness for him makes grow.
We are leaving in a couple of hours. Would you like one?
A friendly attendant in uniform asked, smoothing his gray mustache. I nodded and took money out of my coin purse and handed it to him.
Even though I rode the carriage several tis and even bought a boat ticket, I still had a lot of money left. Even though I brought only a small portion of what Alan left behind as a security guard, it was like this.
If I had brought all that money, I could have spent months travelling all over Sorne.
I might have gone to Whitewood, the setting for Prejudice and Pride, and walked through the winter forest where Rose and Liam enjoyed a secret eting, or perhaps I might have gone to New Ditch, t Tobias, looked at the lake, and eaten potato dishes.
Arent you hoping that I wont co back at this rate?
Why does such a great businessman know so little about the world? A silent smile appeared on my lips as I left the ticket booth, muttering softly. I missed Alan desperately.
I havent been like that for a mont since I left his mansion, but I was anxious to hug him right now. I beca helplessly afraid of the ti I would spend on the sea.
In fact, he didnt spend every day with because he was busy with business. The ti we spent together increased after the season beca colder.
In addition, we were separated for over two months when he went to the Hwa Empire. So its about this week.
But even thinking about it that way, my heart could not calm down. At that ti, I was imrsed in endless questions about how I survived the tis without Alan.
So I stood in front of the railing on the dockside. Then I looked at the deep blue sea with waves for a while. The majestic sight of the transparent wind constantly creating waves, for a long ti until a cold light was engraved in my eyes.
I guess its not even cold.
Its easy to catch a cold like that.
Along with the low vibrating sound of a boat horn, peoples worried whispers could be heard. When I looked around, I saw that everyone who was walking briskly had their bodies cowered.
Its a very natural thing. Unlike Lunoa, Sornes winters are harsh, and the harbour wind never stops. Like the hem of a dancer dancing dizzyingly.
But strangely I didnt feel cold. Maybe its just my heart that feels that way. It wasnt that long ago that I suffered from a bad cold, so it might be a good idea to tighten my collar and go sowhere warm to warm up.
Even though I thought so, I stood in front of the wind in a more upright posture, as if I were hugged by the windy winter wind. He is very tall, so I raised my head to the fullest.
Then, the fresh and nostalgic sll seed to be brought in by the wind.
lissa.
As I listened still to the sound of the silvery waves shattering in the hazy sun, I suddenly heard Alans voice in it.
This isnt a story about the Little rmaid, so Im sure its my mistake, but sohow even the heavy breathing of that day felt good to my ears.
Dont be forced to co back just because I cherish you. Make the choice you want, lissa.
So I answered too. At that ti, I couldnt tell him right away, but I carried my painful and painful feelings away in the fresh wind that painfully pierced my lungs.
All I want is you. Because theres nothing Im desperate for more than that.
* * *
The cabin, which was a bit dark due to the small window, slled like damp wood.
Still, it was a comfortable double room in its own way. Despite the harsh season, the vases were filled with small flowers, the bedding was not new but clean, and there was a small but upright table in the center.
It may not be comparable to a luxury passenger ship like Moonlight, but I thought it was good enough. Especially when I think of the cold outside.
Above all, I was fortunate that the person I would be sharing the sa room with during the trip to Lunoa was a woman of few words.
She was so quiet that all she did when I greeted her was a nod of her head.
Even when I asked for her understanding that I would have to open the door often due to severe motion sickness, or that since I was a writer, I would often use the table (which, by all accounts, was for one person), she responded with a light chin gesture.
I wasnt particularly offended or puzzled. There are many different people in the world, and I will never et this woman again once the ship arrives at Lunoa.
So I spent two weeks with that airy woman. After watching her for a few days, it occurred to her that she was either a foreigner who did not know Sornaes, or perhaps she was soone who could not speak. I didnt ask because I thought it would be rude.
Still, thanks to that consideration, I was able to monopolize the table and write various articles. anwhile, she would sit on the bed and stare blankly out the narrow window or wander around in front of the door.
One of the things I wrote on the ship was a letter to send to the academy. In fact, it would have been better if I had written it while I was in the kingdom, but I couldnt afford it at all. This is because I stayed at the minimum to return to the Principality as soon as possible.
Above all, this letter was not very urgent, so it would not be a problem if it was mailed after arriving at the Principality.
Precious Royal Academy of Sorne,
I have no intention of continuing the novel
Its a letter that starts with a sentence like this.
I wrote that I would not care whether the half-page novel manuscript belonging to the Academy was used as reference material for various contests to be held in the future in the na of promoting the Kingdoms cultural industry or as a textbook for evaluation classes.
In fact, it was a rule that it beca an asset to the Academy upon submission, so it was natural, but I wanted to prevent the possibility of the Academy requesting the completion of the novel.
This is because after Alan burned , which I had been gradually completing, I decided to put that story aside for good.
Of course, I was devastated at the ti, because the story was like my refuge for for a long ti when I was unstable.
But in reality, it wasnt anything special. In other words, it was nothing more than a fantasy with two characters that were cleverly fused together, Alan and .
Having spent all my young and clumsy days loving Alan Leopold, I couldnt reach him, and even more so, I couldnt have him, so I made Troy.
But the real Troy, so Alan Leopold, has beco my lover, and his replacent has lost its aning.
Can a person who is imrsed in a fake that resembles the real person by the side of the real person really be an ideal lover? I just want to be the best I can be to my flawless and brilliant lover.
Now my only refuge is Alans arms. There is no reason or ti to look back on the dark and unstable shadows of the past.
One day, the story I will first present to the world will be a completely different story, even if it looks similar to it.
Its a secret, but my old notebook already contains the beginning of a new story. Its only a few pages since I first started it on the ship heading to Sorne, but Im sure Ill be able to complete it without difficulty. Because its...
Ugh.
I thought it was okay, but then I got that horrible feeling of motion sickness again. I put down the pen and quickly got up.
I didnt have to worry about the woman going through the notes and mos lined up on the table. I dont know why, but she always follows when I go out to the deck.
See, shes following again.
This was the sa when I went out to eat, even though she wasnt staying very close or talked to .
It was certainly strange, but I wasnt an extrovert enough to talk to soone who might not be able to understand, so I left her alone.
However, it was also true that I felt assured by her existence. It is clear that it is quite dangerous for a woman to get on a ship alone to another country. In fact, I almost had a rough ti on the Moonlight.
The voyage, which had been going quite smoothly, is now coming to an end. The identity of the mysterious woman was revealed in an unexpected situation.
One evening, as the sun was just beginning to set, I was sitting at the table when I sneezed and spilled my tea cup, which wet the end of my notebook, causing to jump up in a panic.
As I was frantically collecting the ssy papers to keep them from getting wet, the panicked woman hurriedly ran up to and held out her handkerchief.
Ah!
The handkerchief was quickly recovered with the womans single-word scream, but The familiar seal embroidered on it has already been engraved into my eyes.
The black lion. It was definitely Leopolds sentence.
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