Yuri blinked rapidly, appearing taken aback.

“Well, of course.”

“Then there’s no problem.”

At my response, Yuri’s cheeks flushed slightly.

Just then, the owner approached us with a large bowl, looking quite pleased.

“Here you go, the spicy lobster dish is ready.”

Inside the bowl, a steaming red lobster was submerged in a spicy soup along with broccoli, corn, and other ingredients.

The lobster resembled a giant crayfish, but with a few differences. For one, its whiskers were incredibly thick, and its front claws were quite plump.

“Wow, it’s huge. What’s this? Are these whiskers? Its legs look strange.”

Crayfish usually just have small pincers.

When I tapped it lightly, I found the shell to be very hard.

‘How am I supposed to eat this?’

As I examined it from various angles, the owner chuckled and explained.

“Are you from an inland area? It looks like it’s your first time eating lobster, so let me explain. First, you split it between the head and the body, then flip it over and peel the thin shell on the belly to eat it.”

“The head?”

The owner took the lobster out of the red broth, flipped it over, and left. As he had said, there was indeed a gap between the thick head and the plump body.

But to separate the head right away?

“…Poor lobster.”

Even with crayfish or shrimp, you start by removing the head, but because of its size, it felt cruel to have to detach the head.

‘And why does it have so many legs near its belly? It’s creepy.’

With smaller shrimp, having many legs wasn’t so bothersome, but with lobster, the densely packed hairs were vividly visible, which was off-putting.

As I fidgeted with my fingers, Yuri rolled up his sleeves and said,

“I’ll do it, Titi.”

Yuri, who had grown up just as delicately, would he be able to manage?

Contrary to my concerns, as soon as Yuri grabbed the lobster, he separated the head from the body. He quickly set aside the detached head with its dark green innards, then peeled the shell and legs along the belly.

The lobster’s beady eyes seemed to stare at me from the table. I murmured gloomily,

“The lobster probably didn’t know it was going to die until it was caught. It might have a family too.”

I must have been getting tipsy, saying things like this.

Yuri, having removed all the shell except for the tail, offered the lobster meat to me.

“Just eat this.”

I accepted it without resistance. The lobster’s tail was white with red stripes, and it tasted chewy yet had a rich, nutty flavor similar to coconut flesh.

Despite feeling sorry for the lobster, I mumbled as I chewed the tender meat in my mouth.

“It’s sad, but it’s delicious…”

Hearing my mumbling, Yuri leaned forward, his shoulders shaking with laughter. When he looked up again, tears had gathered at the corners of his eyes.

“Stop being so cute. It makes me want to pick you up and leave right away.”

“That won’t do. I can’t leave such a delicious lobster behind.”

“……”

Yuri shook with laughter again.

My first time eating lobster was a great success. Not only was the lobster’s firm meat delicious, but the accompanying vegetables were tasty too. The spicy broth, speckled with chili flakes, was too hot to drink directly, but the well-cooked broccoli and corn had just the right amount of spice.

Spicy food paired well with beer, so our glasses emptied quickly.

Patting my full stomach, I tilted my head.

“It’s strange. I’m supposed to be on a business trip, but is it okay to be enjoying myself like this?”

My stomach was full, the sea breeze was cool, and the air was filled with cheerful laughter.

Turning my head, I saw a street with a violinist, a girl selling flowers, and couples strolling hand in hand. I felt oddly out of place in this leisurely scene.

The sudden leisure felt unfamiliar, and I fidgeted with my fingers until Yuri placed his hand over mine with a smile.

“I’m right here with you. As long as you’re with me, you can do whatever you want.”

“……”

“Titi?”

Although it wasn’t anything significant, the alcohol made me feel overwhelmed and emotional. I rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand, and the tears that had just welled up dampened my skin.

“…No, I just wish there had been someone to say things like this to me when I was a child.”

Reflecting on it, my past life seemed like an endless struggle. Not for some grand ideal, but simply to live with dignity.

‘If there had been even a hint of kindness, it wouldn’t have been so miserable.’

I briefly recalled my unhappy past, then shook my head to clear away the memories.

“What does the past matter now? I’m content just being able to be with Yuri.”

What truly mattered was right here in my hands.

Yuri, who had been watching me with a sympathetic gaze, softened his eyes. He gently took my hand and kissed the back of it.

“It’s an honor to be part of your life.”

He looked so princely, like someone out of a fairy tale, that I blushed.

***

The eyes of a woman passing by darkened. Her ordinary brown eyes gleamed sharply from under her hood.

‘It’s her.’

The woman was glaring at none other than Yuri and Titiana.

She stared unblinkingly at the two, who were having a tender meal by the roadside, with a gaze filled with determination.

It was understandable. To her, or rather to Princess Sabina, these two were unforgivable enemies who had ruined her once-brilliant life.

The emperor had officially declared Sabina exiled from the country, but in reality, she was hidden away in the distant south, far from the capital.

As she was being sent off to the south, the emperor clicked his tongue audibly and scolded her.

“Tsk, foolish girl. You should have lived quietly as Countess Esrenche.”

“Hide yourself and live as if you’re dead. Until time passes and your brother takes pity on you. Do you understand?”

Her beauty wasn’t something that could be hidden easily, but fortunately, the royal family had an ancient artifact handed down through generations. Using it, she changed her beautiful, lustrous golden hair to a common brown.

Thanks to that, no one could have imagined she was Princess Sabina.

Life as Sabina, not the princess, was so boring it made her yawn. So Sabina kept her temper in check and stayed quiet. She desperately wanted to return to the palace.

‘As long as my face resembles my mother’s, my father will never turn his back on me.’

The emperor’s last words still echoed in her ears.

“At least it’s fortunate that there are no burn marks on your face.”

The emperor had said it was fortunate, but Sabina felt her insides boil.

‘Fortunate? What fortune! Burns on me!’

The burn scars that remained on her leg continued to ooze, causing her pain, as if reminding her never to forget that day.

‘Once I return, I’ll kill them all. Everyone who treated me like that, I’ll get rid of them all.’

Fueled by hatred, Sabina hid herself in the south, biding her time.

However, today was different. She couldn’t let it go. Ever since she heard about a beautiful man and woman with silver and pink hues appearing in the south.

With doubt, she mingled with the crowd on the streets, searching for them. And indeed, it was Titiana and Yuri.

Sabina ground her teeth.

‘Everything went wrong after that woman appeared.’

She still didn’t consider any of her own wrongdoings.

‘I’ll make them suffer the same.’

By now, she resented Yuri too, but not as much as Titiana. If she could kill Titiana, she felt she wouldn’t mind never returning to the palace.

Sabina, consumed by the rage she had momentarily forgotten, lost her composure in her thirst for revenge. Her eyes were frighteningly fixated on the two.

The place they headed after their meal was none other than a hotel. It was also a place where Sabina occasionally dined. Perhaps because of this, no one suspected her when she followed them inside.

‘They must be drunk.’

She wondered why they were heading to a hotel before sunset, but Titiana was leaning against Yuri, unable to stand properly.

‘How typical.’

Sabina twisted her lips. Drinking the kind of alcohol only commoners would drink and getting drunk. It was a disgraceful sight, but for Sabina, who intended to kill her, it was a perfect opportunity.

The two went up to their room. Through the slightly open door, she could hear Yuri and Titiana’s conversation.

“Titi, are you okay? You’re not dizzy, are you?”

“My head hurts.”

“I thought you were enjoying yourself, so I didn’t stop you. I should have.”

It was a gentle and affectionate voice he had never used with her. Everything about it annoyed her.

At the perfect moment, Yuri got up from his seat.

“I’ll get you some water. Just lie down for a bit.”

“Okay.”

Sabina hid in the corridor. Yuri passed by without noticing her.

Once his footsteps had completely faded, Sabina entered Titiana’s room.

Inside, Titiana was lying on the sofa, fast asleep, oblivious to the world.

‘If I kill this woman, Yuri will weep tears of blood and regret it, won’t he?’