To say in advance, I was very happy that you gave me a gift, but even if you hadn’t, I wouldn’t have been disappointed. We were the kind of friends who didn’t need to expect such things from each other.

It’s secretive to explain to others, isn’t it?

Anyway, as you said, I put my ear to the empty hole and stayed still. To be honest, I’m not sure if that’s the sound of the ‘sea.’

Of course! How could I fully accept it, no matter how elaborate a sea you gift me, when I’ve never actually encountered it? I’m not that gullible.

But, Asha. My thoughtful friend.

It was very nice. That sound resembles a strong blowing wind. It also resembles the moment when that wind brushes through thick leaves.

I put my ear to that seashell and gazed at Marso Cella’s sea for a long time. When I sit leaning against the wall, the sea looks much bigger. It feels like the foam created dot by dot by the deceased might wet my ankles.

I wish you could see it too.

No, perhaps you wouldn’t be interested since you have a real sea right in front of you?

When is your birthday? I’ll make sure to congratulate you in time.

Not knowing what to do with joy, Carol]

[To Asha who has no time to open her eyes

You told me at first. If you don’t reply, it’s probably because you’re sick. That you wouldn’t arbitrarily stop writing.

So I tried to wait patiently. Wondering when a neatly folded letter might fly in through the open window.

I’m not doubting your promise. We, I, clearly fabricated several things nicely, but we will certainly keep our ‘promises’ like this with integrity.

So, I, but.

I’m worried about you.

You’ll say it’s a common occurrence, but I’m worried about you. Out of concern for you, the letters that used to flow easily have become crooked. Words I could easily recall the day before now float around in my head.

Unable to catch the floating letters, I can’t think of even simple words.

I’m not trying to blame you. It’s not your fault, nor is it your problem. I’m not making excuses for missing homework during class either.

No, I don’t even know why I’m saying this.

You said you get sick often because your body is weak. I can’t dare to imagine your pain, but with no reply from you, I’m experiencing part of that suffocation. Is that a naive illusion?

Will you be able to read this letter? I want to know how you’re doing, even a little bit. If you can read letters even if it’s hard to pick up a pen, I’ll prepare various interesting stories for you.

Actually, nothing great happens in a small village. But if you want, shall I tell you about when I fell off a pony at the age of ten?

My clothes just got dirty, nothing broke. My brothers shook their heads saying I had a sturdy body, and Dad cried saying it was divine luck and then banned me from the stables for a month.

Saying ‘You could have died if things went wrong!’ I didn’t understand because I wasn’t hurt anywhere. Now I think ‘I could jump off better.’

I don’t tell Dad this. He would definitely forget my age and ban me from the stables for three years.

Falling isn’t always bad. It’s best not to fall, but sometimes you have to fall inevitably, right? Like when a horse suddenly bolts, or when you hit an unavoidable obstacle.

When falling is better than holding on, for those times, there’s a way to fall as safely as possible. Protecting your body, especially your head, to increase survival chances.

Would you say you wouldn’t ride a horse at all?

From what I hear, you might find it hard to even sit because of your weak stamina. But it’s okay once in a while. If someone supports you from behind.

The elevated view might be scary, but you’re someone who sends letters flying up to the clouds.

I’m sure you can do well.

At first, I was just blindly happy to receive your gift, but after a few days, belated worry came to me. I heard that the rain on Iota is harsh and long—was it coincidentally just when you were looking for the seashell that the rain stopped?

Or did you go through the rain? Or……

Of course not, right? I think I’m worrying unnecessarily. You seem to treat your body with care, so you must have been cautious.

Still, I can’t help but worry. Please hurry and denounce my worry as ‘useless.’

I’ll wait for your reply.

Wishing for your recovery, Carol]

[To Asha

Summer is ending, Asha.

As you well know, summer in Kasoche is particularly short. The sticky wind becomes cool again, and thin outerwear worn only a few times is replaced by clothes woven with leather and fur in the closet.

Recently, we decorated the mansion. My second brother returned long ago after his vacation ended, and Dad and I mainly helped with the decoration.

There are people who take care of the mansion, but we don’t have abundant hands. Especially changing curtains or fixing furniture is almost my responsibility.

Our family members—though I love them—have almost no aesthetic sense. If I’m not paying attention, they’ll hang red tapestries on blue carpets! What a terrible combination!

But I can’t decorate the mansion entirely by my standards. Having no sense doesn’t mean having no taste.

In particular, our mother has a very strong will. That determination has grown the merchant guild to what it is now and has fed and clothed me and my siblings richly, but……

Just randomly placing expensive statues doesn’t make everything good. I wish someone would explain this to Mom. She never listens to me.

Treating me like a child saying ‘What would a little one know?’ But the fact that I can touch the house decorations is thanks to Mom ‘treating me like a child.’

With the feeling of ‘Okay, if you want to do it that way, try it.’ Dismissing it as me being spoiled. Normally, I would deny it vehemently and explain again, but this time I decided to just be grateful for being able to be involved in the decoration.

I don’t think black wallpaper with red lighting and blue furniture works no matter how I look at it. Black, red, and blue are all good, but why don’t they understand that those three don’t go together?

Does Mother want to spread ominous rumors about ghosts wandering in the mansion? What do you think, Asha?

Of course, Mom isn’t making such meticulous and terrible plans with intent. In her eyes, it really looks pretty.

I think this is the most terrifying part.

Seriously.

You’d be surprised to know how long I’ve struggled to decorate my room entirely by myself. It’s fortunate that she’s generous about changing bedding.

As I talk, I wonder how your room is decorated. My bedroom is overflowing with odds and ends to an embarrassing degree. I’ll have a chance to explain these things in detail someday.

Since bulky clothes and books are in other rooms, the room is quite spacious. I’ve carefully placed my miscellaneous hobby items in drawers.

Now, ink and stationery are neatly gathered in the top drawer.

This time I tried ink that was recently released in the capital, how is it? If you tilt the letter, you might see a subtle purple color.

Both matte and glossy have their own charm, so choosing ink is always enjoyable. The ink you’ve been using lately also suits my taste perfectly.

I’ll wait for your reply.

Sending you luck, Carol]

[My friend

It’s dawn, and I’m endlessly gazing at the fire in the fireplace. Everyone has long gone to bed, and the mansion is immersed in darkness.

With a slight sense of liberation and a slight loneliness, I read through the letters you sent. It was a surprisingly short time.

It was strangely brief, enough to make the rapidly changing seasons feel unfamiliar. Your generosity, saying it doesn’t matter if it’s false, eased my hesitation.

You probably won’t judge whether even these words are true or false. You’ll accept what I say as ‘truth with falsehood in mind.’ That subtle difference provides comfort like a well-made couch.

I hope you feel the same. Since wanting to have the same heart as a completely different person seems like excessive greed, I won’t say I truly ‘wish’ for it.

Though you might ask what difference it makes when I’ve already written it all.

At least I want you.

I want you to suffer less.

At a time when the moonlight rises high, your friend

P.S. I’m enclosing dried flower petals. They say it’s good to drink when you lack energy, but I’ve never tried it because I’ve never been in that situation. But it’s nothing strange! My eldest brother and grandmother often drink it, and in Kasoche, every household keeps a jar and brews it as tea, so you can rest assured.]