Vivianne sat at the table writing in her diary.

– Baked cookies with Matilda. Added nuts this time.

She wasn’t making them for anyone in particular. She simply disliked focusing all her attention on her healing wounds.

– Went to the beach with Theo and An. An got covered in sand, so I gave him a bath.

Walking together in silence had been pleasant enough. She knew they were deliberately treating her normally, pretending nothing had happened. She understood why—sometimes acknowledging certain sorrows feels too overwhelming. That’s why Vivianne also smiled back, pretending nothing had happened.

– What if I could return to when I lost my memories?

– No, what if I could lose my memories once more?

She wrote these lines knowing they were pointless hypotheticals.

– Could I be happy then?

No, that would be impossible. Forgetting doesn’t make things disappear. Perhaps that’s why she thought it better to disappear herself. She had tried to take her own life—a method she’d once read about in a book. She couldn’t believe she’d found the courage to do such a thing.

– In my dream, Annabel told me to die.

– Does Annabel hate me too?

It would be understandable if she did. Vivianne had not only caused her death but also the death of her baby. Vivianne had once resented herself too, for repeatedly making the wrong choices.

– I’m still alive.

She looked down at her bandaged wrists.

– It doesn’t matter. I’ll disappear into sea foam when the red moon rises anyway.

So even if she wanted to die, she didn’t need to make the effort. Still, she didn’t want to worry Matilda and Theodore again.

– Let me spend the remaining time happily with the people I care about.

Vivianne wrote with determination, pressing the pen firmly against the paper.

– I’ll tell Matilda and Theo that I’m returning to the sea.

Telling them she would turn into sea foam would make them too sad. A white lie was necessary.

– What should I tell Madam?

– I wish we could all stay together until that day.

There must be a solution. First, she would return to Baldwin now that Kian had given his permission.

– What about Kian?

– Will Kian be alright?

Kian wouldn’t know anyway. He might suffer briefly, but eventually her existence would fade from his memory, and he would live on normally.

– Was Kian also sad about losing the baby?

The day she had screamed in front of Kian, his voice had clearly been tearful. Had the baby been precious to him too?

He had never shown such emotions before, which troubled her. No, these thoughts were futile. Whether he had cried or not made no difference now.

The time when she had made a contract with the witch and struggled desperately to win Kian’s heart felt distant now. It might have been the wrong decision, but she wouldn’t regret it.

She would have made the same choice even if given multiple chances, that was just who she was. She needed to accept that. Perhaps this moment too was another wrong choice.

– Don’t fear my own choices.

Vivianne wrote one more line with determination. Suddenly, she noticed the compass hanging around her neck. She opened the lid and murmured while touching the engraving.

“…Vivianne von Larson.”

That name pointed toward what she had once desperately wanted, and what Kian still wanted now. Vivianne snapped the compass shut and removed the necklace, placing it on the table.

VIVIANNE

Then she wrote her name, “Vivianne,” in her notebook. Feeling the space beside her name looked empty, she drew a ribbon next to it.

“What an ugly ribbon.”

No matter how she looked at it, she clearly had no talent for drawing.

“Well, who cares.”

It didn’t matter anyway. A small, meaningless laugh escaped her lips.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

“Vivi, it’s Matilda.”

Vivianne quickly hid the notebook in the bedside drawer and opened the door. Though Matilda had only been gone briefly, her worried face was evident despite her attempts to hide it, glancing around anxiously.

“Matil-da!”

She threw herself into Matilda’s arms like a puppy, wanting to quickly reassure her.

“I have a favor to ask. Will you do it for me?”

“What favor? I’ll do anything Vivi wants.”

Matilda smiled warmly.

“Could you tie a ribbon on this? I can’t do it myself.”

When Vivianne extended her bandaged wrist with the request, Matilda beautifully tied a lace ribbon over the bandage.

“Do you like ribbons that much, Vivi?”

“Yes, they’re pretty.”

She shook her wrist excitedly, making the ribbon flutter.

There was no shame in being herself. Even if she was flawed and imperfect, she would love herself for who she was. She no longer wanted to have Kian’s baby just to survive.

She didn’t even know if she could get pregnant again, and she didn’t want to waste her limited remaining time struggling to survive.

Things with Kian were over. She didn’t want to forcibly reconnect their misaligned fate. Even if it was the wrong choice, she wouldn’t regret it if it was her own decision. She wanted her future to be determined solely by herself, not by others.

That’s why Vivianne had decided to become sea foam on her own terms.

She would live her best life until the day she became sea foam.

Even when a candle burns away and disappears after illuminating its surroundings, its warmth remains. If she could provide a small warmth to someone during her remaining time, if she could shine even briefly, that would be enough.

When she turned into sea foam, she thought she could say that even for a moment, she was glad to have lived.

For some reason, her heart swelled with emotion and tears welled up. If Matilda saw this, she would worry again. Vivianne turned her head away and wiped her eyes with her palm. Then, with a somewhat refreshed face, she smiled at Matilda.

“The weather is lovely today, Matilda. Do you think the weather is nice in Baldwin too?”

This was her true self, Vivianne thought.

* * *

Late at night, Kian visited Vivianne’s bedroom. Since that day, Vivianne had been sleeping soundly without tossing or turning.

He remembered how she had once whined when he was getting dressed to leave.

“Don’t go back to your room. Sleep with me in bed.”

Should I sleep with you? But what expression would you make if you woke up and saw me in the morning?

“I don’t have any sleeping habits. I sleep like the dead.”

When he refused to sleep together, she had pouted, mumbling boastfully. Ironically, now Kian didn’t want to see her like that. He would rather see her tossing and turning than looking deathly still.

The sound of steady breathing filled the room. Kian carefully caressed Vivianne’s cheek while confirming her even breathing.

He had returned Vivianne’s diary to the drawer after reading it countless times. He had promised to send her to Baldwin once she recovered.

– I’m still alive.

– It doesn’t matter. I’ll disappear into sea foam when the red moon rises anyway.

Seeing her act normally these past few days had given him a glimmer of hope. But ultimately, her determination to face death when the red moon rose remained unchanged.

– Let me spend the remaining time happily with the people I care about.

Granting her wishes was probably the right thing to do. He had read in books that pregnancy might not come easily after a miscarriage.

– What about Kian?

– Will Kian be alright?

It was laughable that she worried about him even in this situation. In a way, it was very characteristic of Vivianne.

– Was Kian also sad about losing the baby?

No. On this point, he could speak clearly. Losing a baby he had never met was far less painful than losing her—unbearably less painful.

That’s why, even knowing he was deceiving her, he had persistently tried to get her pregnant. Looking back now, it was all futile.

“…Goodbye, Vivi.”

He would probably hover around her until the red moon rose, wanting to see her even for a moment, but he needed to start practicing now.

Just as she had saved him, he would save her. Being able to become a sacrifice solely for her sake was a blessing he didn’t deserve, Kian thought.

“I love you.”

I love you. A cliché phrase, but he loved her more than his own life. Call it pathetic sentimentality or regret for what he’d lost—he didn’t care.

“…I love you.”

He kept repeating words she couldn’t hear. It didn’t matter if they never reached her. He was grateful just to be able to speak toward her. Despite his forced smile, tears streamed endlessly down his cheeks. Kian retied the ribbon on her bandage to make it prettier and fiddled with it for a long time.

* * *

“You’ve worked hard all this time.”

In the Duke of Larson’s office, Alice bowed her head respectfully. She had heard that Vivianne would soon leave for Baldwin.

“It’s nothing compared to the kindness you’ve shown me, Your Grace. Thanks to you, I was able to successfully treat my child.”

In truth, she felt somewhat ashamed to be praised for her work, considering Vivianne had attempted to harm herself. The Duke, who had appeared composed during most of their meetings, now seemed somewhat dazed.

“…There’s something I want to ask.”

“Yes, please inquire.”

“Do you also know how to break the contract?”

Kian wanted to confirm through her what he vaguely knew to be true.