The waves curled around her calves.
The hem of her skirt swayed beneath the seawater.

Beyond the sea swallowed by darkness, everything stretched into a distant, pitch-black void.
Ophelia stared quietly at that silent horizon.

At the place where the sea and sky met, only the faintest traces of sunlight remained scattered across the darkness.

Cold.

Even though it was the height of summer, the parts of her body submerged in the water felt like ice.

When the water rose to her waist, she paused briefly and looked back toward the shore.

The dim beach, cloaked in twilight, was still not that far away.
For some reason, that made her feel resentful. Biting her lip, she turned back around and continued walking forward.

This beach had never been opened for swimming in the first place because of its steep slope.

Just as the warning sign at the entrance had stated, with every step she took, the water climbed higher as though it meant to swallow her whole.

What am I trying to do right now?

The thought drifted faintly through her mind.

Am I trying to die?

Well… it was not as though that had been her intention.

But even if she ended up dying like this, she did not think she would mind.

The lace sewn onto the chest of her nightgown floated upon the water’s surface, fluttering softly with the gentle waves.

Soon, the water reached beneath her chin.

The moment she took another step, her feet no longer touched the ground.

Ophelia gasped sharply as she struggled.
Her toes barely brushed the seabed before floating away again.

Crash—

A wave swallowed her face whole.

The seawater she inhaled forced a harsh cough from her throat. Before she could recover, another wave crashed over her again.

Breathing became difficult.

Now, her feet could no longer reach the bottom at all.

Ophelia let herself drift with the current, slowly spreading her arms as she stopped struggling.

Goodbye.

Goodbye, Hemian.

Her consciousness gradually blurred.

The sensation of sinking beneath the water was not unpleasant.

If anything, it almost felt warm.

“……!”

At that moment, someone grabbed her arm.

With overwhelming force, her body was instantly pulled back above the surface.
The oxygen she had been unable to breathe rushed deep into her lungs.

Hahk! A ragged breath burst from her lips.

“Ophe!”

A voice she loved terribly, and hated just as terribly, rang in her ears.

The very person she had just been thinking of…Her husband.

…Hemian?

“……My lady! Madam!”

“Ah….”

What a foolish delusion.

Of course… there was no way you would come for me.

Though it lasted only for an instant, bitter mockery toward herself rose within her chest.

Ophelia slowly closed her eyes.

***

The first thing she saw upon waking was the familiar pattern on the ceiling.

The familiar furniture, the scent lingering in the room, even the texture of the bedding—

I’m alive.

Her still-damp hair told her that not much time had passed since then.

A hollow feeling wrapped around her body.

Then the chills came.

Ophelia curled her arms around herself and trembled violently.

‘Even dying is not something I can do as I please.’

The clearer her consciousness became, the harder it was to endure the emotions crashing over her.

Tears she did not even realize had begun to fall refused to stop.

The thought that nothing in her life could go the way she wanted made her heart pound anxiously in her chest.

As she silently swallowed back her sobs—

The bedroom door opened.

She did not bother checking who had entered.

She merely sat there like a corpse, clutching herself tightly.

“……Ophe.”

A low voice sounded above her head.

When she refused to turn her head, a rough hand seized her chin.

“Look at me.”

Unable to resist the force, her face turned toward him. Naturally, her husband Hemian’s face filled her vision.

Perfectly groomed wheat-blond hair.
Beneath it, vivid blue eyes stared down at her.

Even while suppressing his anger, his face was so beautiful it almost hurt to look at.

The man who had begun as her childhood friend and walked beside her through more memories than she could ever count…Her first love.

“Can’t you stop doing these pointless things already?”

His low voice scraped harshly against her ears.

Ah, that voice again.

Ophelia pressed her lips tightly together and avoided his gaze.

“Mother said you tried to throw yourself into the sea. Is that true?”

“…….”

When she stubbornly refused to answer, Hemian let out an openly mocking scoff.

“As if. What kind of courage would you even have for that?”

At his cold ridicule, Ophelia’s shoulders trembled faintly.

“Should I send you to a mental hospital or something? Honestly, what are you doing? You’re not a child.”

“…….”

“Answer me.”

“……I want to divorce you, Hemian.”

“I knew you were going to say that tiresome line again.”

She tried desperately to hold it back, but warmth burned at the tip of her nose, and tears spilled out once more.

The tears trailing down her temples quietly soaked into the pillow.

“Haa…”

A low sigh followed.

Soon after, warm fingers brushed gently across her cheek.

Please… don’t be kind to me.

Ophelia repeated the words inside her head like a prayer.

“Is this because of Laura?”

His voice softened, as though trying to soothe her.

Her eyes trembled involuntarily.

Laura…

Even if she answered yes here, what would change?

At first, she had tried desperately to deny the relationship between him and that woman.
She had tried to trust her husband’s words.

But after their secret affair continued for more than a year, Hemian no longer even seemed interested in hiding it.

Just a few days ago—

Ophelia had seen her husband embracing Laura in front of the marital bedroom.

It had not been the sort of embrace exchanged out of polite social courtesy.

Their bodies had pressed tightly together, burning as though sparks were flying between them.

And that was not all.

A few weeks ago as well. Before that too…

As though recalling something horrifying, Ophelia squeezed her eyes shut.

Not all of this miserable pain came solely from her husband’s mistress, Laura.

But no matter what she said now, Hemian would never try to understand her.

When she continued to remain silent, Hemian released an irritated sigh.

“You’re not mute, for God’s sake…! Hah, forget it.”

Not long after, several sheets of paper fell onto the blanket covering her.

Still curled up like a shrimp, Ophelia fumbled weakly until she grasped one of them.

Divorce papers.

Signed by Hemian himself.

“If that’s really what you want, then fine. Take them. Isn’t this exactly what you’ve been begging for?”

His sharp voice continued relentlessly.

“But Ophelia, do you really think you’ll have anywhere to go if you divorce me?”

“…….”

“You don’t even have a house to stay in, let alone money to live on. Sure, maybe you could survive for a day or two. But what about a month later? A year later? Do you honestly think you’ll live even a single moment better than you do now?”

As always, the conversation drifted toward reality.

Ophelia knew that already.

She knew exactly how powerless she was.

Hemian was convinced she would never truly give up this marriage.

And honestly, she could not entirely blame him.

Their story stretched too far back, too deep into the past.

For Ophelia as well, leaving Hemian required tremendous courage.

But…

If she stayed by his side, she felt she would become a pathetic person who forgave him no matter how cruelly he shattered her.

That was why she wanted to leave her husband.

Even if it was nothing more than a fantasy straight out of a fairy tale, she did not care.

“Go ahead and take those precious divorce papers to court. I won’t overlook it anymore either. You already know people have been talking about me remarrying Laura Blanche anyway.”

As though frustrated by her foolishness, Hemian’s voice only grew louder.

“I protected you all this time, even taking Mother’s insults for your sake, and this is what I get in return? Childish tantrums like this? Pretending to drown in the sea just because you wanted attention? How dare you?”

It had already been a long time since his cruel words had begun tearing her heart apart like blades.

She had always believed she would eventually recover.

But now, she could no longer be certain.

Perhaps she never would.

Her heart, so mercilessly shredded and trampled, had fled somewhere even she herself could no longer reach.

“You’ll never leave me.”

Grinding the words out between his teeth, Hemian stormed out of the room.

Ophelia stared blankly at the bedroom door after it slammed shut with a violent crash.

All the while, she still clutched the divorce papers he had left behind tightly in her hands.