Rael was the type who would cringe at the sound of a child crying even on the street.

“Why is there a child in a dressmaker’s shop?”

When the dressmaker’s daughter threw a tantrum and cried in her mother’s shop, Rael openly showed her irritation.

She would even threaten that if they couldn’t provide proper service worth the money when customers were present, she would never come back.

“I hate children so much! They’re noisy, dirty, and dramatic!”

When shopping with Melissa, she would nearly have a fit if a lost child on the street tried to grab her skirt.

But that same Rael changed after meeting Clara. Clara was louder than other children and often had dirty hands from playing in the garden.

Above all, unlike other children who feared Rael, Clara was strong-willed and quite articulate, never backing down, making her personality quite dramatic.

How frustrated must Rael have been to run around the castle at her age? Though that was partly due to Rael’s own immaturity…

Melissa decided not to think about it further.

The two ladies were still bickering in front of her.

They were giggling while smearing whipped cream on each other’s faces, and Melissa burst out laughing when Clara stuck out her tongue to try to eat the dollop of cream on her nose.

Clara laughed along when she saw Melissa and Rael laughing. The three of them giggled until their stomachs hurt, and then Melissa’s eyes met Rael’s. Melissa spoke calmly.

「…You’ve changed, Rael.」

「Me? How?」

「It seems you don’t drink anymore.」

Rael leaned her elbows on the table while looking at Clara.

「I don’t have time to drink. This little one runs around so much during the day that I’m exhausted by nighttime.」

Rael gently pinched Clara’s chubby cheek. When cream got on her hand, she said they should go wash up because it was dirty.

When Rael extended her hand, Clara hopped down from her chair and grabbed Rael’s right hand. The two girls giggled as they rubbed their hands together, both covered in slippery whipped cream.

Rael seemed to have completely forgotten about her injured left hand.

“We’ll be back, Melissa!”

As Rael waved her gloved left hand in farewell, Clara tried to imitate the Sys language.

“We’ll be back, Melisa!”

Melissa smiled softly and waved back.

It was a bright summer day. Sitting on the terrace and quietly basking in the sunlight made her body feel drowsy.

She started nodding off in her seat.

“My lady, please go to bed to sleep. Please?”

Nora came to clean up the messy desserts and shook her shoulder, but despite her will, Melissa couldn’t stay alert.

In her half-asleep state, she felt Reizen carry her to bed. Reizen lovingly stroked Melissa’s hair after laying her down.

“…Your Highness.”

When she blinked her sleepy eyes, the man smiled gently and kissed her forehead. She felt his warm, soft breath.

“Rest well. We have to go to Glinford tomorrow.”

Melissa nodded with her eyes closed.

Today too, butterflies waited in her dream. When she spread her arms, a white butterfly flew in and nestled softly in her embrace.

Melissa felt the butterfly was so precious and beautiful that tears came to her eyes.

* * *

The next day, the group set out before dawn.

“The luggage has already been sent to the hotel, so we just need to go ourselves.”

Rael said as she got into the back seat of the car.

Reizen was driving. Reizen and Melissa sat in the front seats, while Rael and Arthur’s father and daughter were to sit in the back.

“I’m sorry, whew.”

Arthur came running from a distance. Clara was still sleeping, so the thin man seemed to have carried her draped over his shoulder like an animal pelt as he ran.

“She fussed so much it took forever just to dress her.”

It was obvious what had happened. Clara must have thrown a tantrum while Arthur struggled helplessly trying to dress her.

“You little troublemaker.”

Rael laughed while poking Clara’s cheek in the back seat. Clara frowned deeply and buried her face in Arthur’s chest.

She looked every bit the child she was.

“Let’s go.”

Reizen started the engine and drove. While Melissa had seen cars from afar, this was her first time riding in one. It spewed black smoke and made loud noises. Sitting in the seat, she could feel every bump and vibration.

But firsts were always exciting.

How amazing was this carriage that moved on its own?

Melissa was busy taking in the scenery rushing past. Then she suddenly remembered Reizen’s words about how she always looked elsewhere.

She turned her body toward Reizen.

“…”

The woman, who had taken off her hat and was holding it carefully with both hands to keep it from flying away, watched him intently.

Even though the road was still somewhat dark before sunrise, Reizen drove smoothly. He had been terrible when he first took the wheel in front of the hotel, but his skills seemed to have improved since then.

It was an hour’s drive to Glinford.

Reizen didn’t seem to mind the gaze from beside him as he wore a gentle smile. No one spoke, perhaps to avoid waking Clara who was sleeping in the back.

Rael must have mixed feelings about leaving the homeland where she was born and raised, and Arthur’s heart must be heavy knowing he would have to carry out Reizen’s orders when he returned next.

In contrast, she couldn’t tell at all what this man was thinking. Just as Melissa was tracing his perfect jawline and neck with her eyes, Reizen spoke.

“It’s a gift, Melissa.”

She wondered what he meant.

The black car was now climbing uphill. The vehicle groaned and whined as it laboriously carried its five passengers up the slope.

By then, Clara woke up, rubbing her eyes from the noise.

「Is the car broken?」

Arthur covered Clara’s mouth, saying no.

Honestly, Melissa wasn’t fond of Glinford. After visiting Glinford, she and Reizen often argued about his relationship with Roana Florence.

But she didn’t want to just send Rael off without seeing her departure. So she had reluctantly come along to bid farewell…

Clara let out an exclamation.

“Wow!”

The meaning of Reizen’s words about a gift became clear when they reached the top of the hill.

“Ah.”

Even Rael, who was rarely moved, had tears in her eyes. It was the sea. The sun was rising at the edge of the dark blue sea’s horizon.

Unlike the setting sun, the rising sun gradually dyed the entire sea in a brilliant vermillion. The sea swallowed by the sun was dazzlingly magnificent.

It was a very brief moment.

Melissa’s heart pounded with emotions she had never felt before. It was a marvelous color that humans could never hope to imitate.

Though the sea quickly returned to blue after the sun rose, Melissa and the others were still immersed in the afterglow of what they had just witnessed.

“How is it?”

“Words can’t describe it.”

Melissa sat up straight and marveled again as she emerged from her daze. The man smiled as he turned the steering wheel and said:

“Does this make me a page in your life story too?”

Melissa’s eyes quietly turned to his face.

“Since you’ve given me such a wonderful memory.”

Her hands gripped her hat tighter. Though she tried to keep her expression calm, her eyes looking at him grew slightly moist.

“…Yes. It was a wonderful gift.”

Melissa answered with a choked voice and sat up straight. From the back seat, Rael exclaimed dramatically.

“I didn’t know, brother-in-law is such a romantic! I always thought you were just a perv…”

“Rael!”

Melissa turned around to try to cover her mouth.

“Dangerous, Melissa.”

Reizen restrained Melissa, and Arthur laughed out loud for the first time while holding Clara.

The Glinford Hotel was now in sight.

Roana Florence was waiting in front of the luxurious hotel with her servants to welcome them.

“Welcome, everyone!”

Reizen, who got out of the car first, extended his hand to Melissa. Melissa took his hand without hesitation now and stepped out.

Florence was wearing a revealing dress that exposed her chest more than usual today. Her lavish accessories that made her look like a wealthy aristocrat sparkled in the sunlight.

She quickly approached Reizen when she saw him.

She extended her hand to shake his as usual, but Reizen seemed not to notice as he was focused on minding Melissa’s dress hem.

“Be careful, Mel.”

Florence’s eyes wavered slightly.

“Your Highness.”

When she tried to greet him, Reizen smiled and nodded in acknowledgment.

“Should we load the luggage onto the ship first?”

“Yes.”

Florence blushed and smiled brightly at Reizen’s response. It was obvious she was trying her hardest to stay close to Reizen as soon as he arrived.

She hadn’t noticed before, but now she could see how one-sided it was from Florence’s side.

As Reizen walked ahead, Florence desperately tried to claim the spot beside him.

Watching the two from behind, Rael suddenly jabbed Melissa in the side.

When Melissa stumbled on the stairs, Rael called out loudly.

“Oh my, brother-in-law! Sister’s ankle seems to be really bad! What should we do, she can’t climb up!”