The “lake” was beautiful.

Unlike the sea that constantly crashed against the shore, this place remained perfectly still, frozen in time.

Vivianne sat huddled on a mat, staring blankly at the water’s surface where sunlight shattered into fragments.

She hadn’t actually wanted to go for a walk, but Matilda had insisted so much that she was practically dragged out.

“Try some of this, Vivi.”

“…Okay.”

It was a sandwich. Though she had no appetite, she quickly accepted it, took a large bite, and kept chewing.

No matter how hard she tried not to think about it, the incident in the lobby that day kept coming back to her, weighing heavily on her mind.

At first, she thought it must have been because he was tired. Matilda had said that a long sailing schedule would exhaust anyone, and told her not to worry too much.

Though somewhat surprised by his suddenly cold attitude, she had silently nodded in agreement.

Kian, who had told her to go upstairs, didn’t return to the bedroom that night.

The next day, she heard that Kian was leaving for the capital. He supposedly had matters to attend to after completing the final voyage. She received this news through Matilda, not Kian himself.

Going to the capital would take at least a few days, yet he hadn’t said a word about it. Kian, who had always told her where he was going and how long he’d be gone, had reverted to his former self.

A few days later, Kian returned to the mansion, but it became difficult to see him.

He must have a lot of backed-up work, she reasoned. Even Matilda had been overwhelmed with accumulated tasks when she returned from vacation. She understood completely.

No matter how intently she listened, she couldn’t hear Kian’s footsteps.

‘He’s not doing this on purpose.’

Even as she tried to think positively…

‘Did I do something wrong?’

Worry kept seeping in.

Was it a problem that she had hugged him without warning in front of the employees?

That couldn’t be the issue—Kian normally didn’t care about others watching when they were together.

He would kiss her unhesitatingly even when Matilda was present, and he’d even sucked on her collarbone when Theodore was around. He’d even pressed her against walls all over the mansion for a while, making life quite difficult.

‘Then what exactly is the problem?’

No matter how much she pondered, she couldn’t figure it out. But then again, what was the point of thinking about it?

It was always the same pattern. She thought she would get used to it eventually, but dealing with these emotions remained awkward.

This wasn’t even the first time. Why did it feel so empty and painful each time?

She wanted to gather her courage and ask, but her hesitation only grew. That momentary coldness when he pushed her away was so chilling that it felt like it would shatter if touched. Honestly, she was too scared.

She could see Allen, her new escort, sitting some distance away. Matilda shared sandwiches with him too. Seeing this suddenly reminded her of when she had asked Theodore to go on a picnic together, the three of them.

It would be nice if she could confide in Theo. As soon as that wishful thought crossed her mind, she shook her head vigorously.

Theo was no longer a friend.

Remembering this made a corner of her heart sting, feeling torn away.

* * *

On the way back to the mansion, a sudden downpour began. According to Allen, there was a temporary outpost nearby that the knights had used. The group decided to take shelter there until the heavy rain passed.

Though it was daytime, dark clouds had gathered, making the surroundings gloomy. Perhaps because it was rarely used, the outpost had an eerie atmosphere.

“…There’s a bird. It must have come in to escape the rain.”

Vivianne pointed at a bird on the wall, her eyes wide with curiosity. There was a taxidermied eagle mounted on the wall.

“But why isn’t it moving? It must be sick. I think we should help it.”

No sooner had she finished speaking than Vivianne reached out to touch the eagle.

The sensation against her fingertips was strange. It was hard and felt odd, more like touching an object than a living creature.

“Ah, that’s because it’s already dead.”

After her repeated concerned questions, Allen cleared his throat and carefully answered.

“Dead, you say?”

“Yes.”

“…Oh no. Why are its eyes still open? That’s so sad. We should close its eyes so it can rest peacefully.”

Vivianne’s face fell with sympathy at the mere sight of it.

“It was deliberately made that way. This is taxidermy.”

“Taxidermy?”

This was an unfamiliar word.

It was also something she’d never seen since coming ashore. Vivianne tilted her head habitually as she asked again.

“Yes. It’s when something dead is preserved with chemicals to prevent decay, making it look alive.”

“Why?”

“It’s a kind of trophy.”

“Trophy?”

The conversation was becoming increasingly incomprehensible.

Am I the only one who doesn’t understand?

She turned toward Matilda with a perplexed expression.

“Allen understands all your questions. I suppose this must be Vivi’s first time seeing taxidermy.”

Matilda simply gazed at her with affection, seemingly charmed by her curiosity.

Apparently, this was nothing unusual or strange to humans—just something ordinary.

“It’s made and kept as a memento of a successful hunt. People who enjoy hunting take pride in capturing impressive game.”

Wasn’t hunting done to obtain food?

She found it increasingly difficult to understand, but humans and mermaids were different, so there were bound to be some differences.

“…Still, it’s so pitiful that it can’t even close its eyes. Its gaze looks somewhat sad.”

If only they could let it close its eyes. Unable to bear looking at it any longer, she lowered her head.

* * *

While sleeping, she habitually reached out to feel the space beside her. It was cold. A sigh escaped her with disappointment.

Once again, Kian hadn’t returned today. Vivianne drowsily opened her eyes in the pitch darkness.

After returning from the picnic, she had washed up and barely managed to fall asleep. Perhaps because of the pitiful sight she’d seen earlier, she found it difficult to sleep deeply.

‘I should sleep with An.’

When she had trouble sleeping in the early morning, Vivianne habitually sought out her puppy. An was warm, soft, and fluffy. Sleeping together somehow eased the lonely, empty feeling in her heart.

“…An.”

Vivianne patted the bed, calling An’s name. Normally, An would jump up from sleep, wagging her tail and running over.

With her short legs, she still couldn’t climb onto the bed by herself, but she loved being picked up and placed there.

“An.”

But something was strange today. No matter how many times she called, An remained silent.

Maybe she was in a deep sleep? Or perhaps she was sulking because Vivianne had left her alone earlier?

“An?”

Vivianne sat up in bed and looked around. The cushion where An usually slept was empty.

* * *

An had disappeared. When she went out, she noticed the bedroom door was half-open—An must have slipped through that gap.

Was it a mistake not to lock the door in case Kian returned? She had fallen asleep early before it got completely dark and hadn’t paid attention to securing the door.

How foolish. Why had she done that?

No matter what, she should have checked that the door was properly closed before going to bed.

The guilt was unbearable.

Vivianne wandered through the main building wearing only a negligee with a shawl draped over it.

“…An! Where are you?”

The main building was quiet as a grave. Only Vivianne’s desperate calls for An echoed through the space.

Since it was past lights-out, all the employees would have returned to their quarters.

Kian would be in his office.

Despite being the only two people in this large main building, somehow seeking his help felt distant.

Oh, please. She has to be in here somewhere.

What if she went outside the main building? How would she find her then? The overwhelming uncertainty made her head spin.

How frightened An must be with her tiny body. Moreover, she was a young puppy who had never been outside the room alone. The thought nearly brought tears to her eyes.

After wandering for quite some time, she heard a faint sound near the stairs leading to the third floor.

…Whine, yip!

As she moved toward the inner corridor, An’s sounds grew louder.

“An!”

Vivianne rushed from the end of the third-floor corridor toward An, whose eyes gleamed in the darkness. She scooped her up and held her tight.

“I thought I’d lost you. You can’t just wander off like that.”

Yip, whiiine—

“You were feeling cooped up, weren’t you? I’m sorry.”

An squirmed continuously in her arms.

Come to think of it…

She found herself in front of a room. Third floor, at the innermost part of the corridor. She had been here before.

The night before their voyage, she had come here looking for Kian when she woke up to find him gone.

For some reason, Kian hadn’t been pleased about her entering this room.

She should return to her room quickly rather than risk arousing suspicion.

[…Help me.]

As she was turning to leave, she heard a strange sound from inside the room.