Thanks to the man shielding her with his robe, she escaped to a somewhat quieter area without getting hurt.

“Th-thank you…”

She had thought she should greet him first once she could move freely. However, when she turned her head to look, that person had already disappeared.

“……”

He had saved her from what could have been a serious injury, but she was too flustered to even offer proper thanks. While she looked around with regret, she heard a familiar voice.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”

It was Matilda. She was even sweating from desperately searching after they lost hold of each other’s hands.

“Yes, I’m fine, Matilda.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t expect people to suddenly crowd in like that.”

“It’s not your fault, Matilda. It couldn’t be helped. Still, someone caught me so I wouldn’t get swept away and helped me escape.”

“What a kind person. Anyway, I’m relieved. I was terrified thinking I’d lost you, Vivi.”

Matilda grasped both of Vivianne’s hands with relieved eyes.

“From now on, wherever we go, I’ll stick right by your side, Vivi. Let’s never get separated again, okay?”

It was Vivianne who found herself speechless at that tender voice.

She should tell her that when the red moon rises, she’ll return to the sea. But she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

‘I’m sorry, Matilda. I’ll disappear soon.’

Vivianne looked at Matilda while repeating words she couldn’t yet share.

Before she knew it, the sky had grown completely dark. The surroundings stirred with music heard from afar.

“Vivi, look at the sky now. The fireworks will start soon.”

“Fireworks? Are they flowers that bloom in the sky?”

“Yes. They’ll bloom very beautifully.”

She had seen flowers blooming on land and flowers blooming in rock crevices. She had seen coral reefs blooming in the deep sea, but flowers blooming in the sky?

She had never heard of such flowers before. Her heart pounded with anticipation.

With a bang, colorful fireworks began embroidering the dark night sky.

“Wow.”

They were beautiful enough to make her jaw drop. Seeing fireworks for the first time, Vivianne couldn’t take her eyes off the sky like a young child.

She was momentarily mesmerized watching the lights shot into the night sky trace arcs before scattering and disappearing.

She had only thought of disappearing as something frightening and sad.

But fireworks weren’t like that. Rather, because they disappeared, they seemed to sparkle more and feel more brilliant.

She would probably never forget this for a very long time. No, even if she turned into sea foam and disappeared, she felt like she could never forget tonight’s memory.

“Make a wish, Vivi.”

“What? Why?”

“They say if you make a wish while watching fireworks, it comes true.”

“Really?”

“Of course.”

Vivianne clasped her hands together and made a wish.

‘Please let my remaining days be as happy as today.’

It was both Vivianne’s modest wish and her earnest hope.

‘And…’

She didn’t know about other things, but she desperately wanted this one thing to come true.

‘Please let me remain as a beautiful memory like those fireworks to everyone I love.’

* * *

Kian received news about Vivianne.

It was news that Vivianne had asked Matilda on a date.

They would go to a dessert shop to eat sweets, stop by a general store to buy ribbons, and watch the fireworks.

These were all things Vivianne would like. She would chatter away with annoying questions and delight like a child even at trivial things. He could picture it clearly.

To be able to date such a lovely lady. Just the two of them, no less.

‘How nice for Matilda.’

Honestly, he envied Matilda.

‘She never once asked me on a date first, did she?’

When his thoughts reached that point, he felt petty jealousy for no good reason. When he had no right to be jealous. Even he thought himself truly narrow-minded and pathetic.

He couldn’t watch from close by, but he wanted to make her smile even a little. So he had arranged things along their planned date course in advance.

Originally he hadn’t planned to watch, but he couldn’t resist his curiosity about how Vivianne would react to the surprise gifts.

What expression would she make without him there? Could she smile a little more comfortably?

He didn’t want anything else. He just wanted to see Vivianne laugh without a care.

So Kian watched them from a distance while wearing a robe.

Perhaps because it was the most famous dessert shop in the downtown area, they had a wide variety of desserts. Vivianne pondered for a long time before finally choosing just one cake and one mont blanc.

Knowing her appetite, that was ridiculous.

She seemed to be restraining herself since Matilda was buying.

“You’re our 77th customers today. As a commemoration, we’re serving our shop’s special menu.”

There wasn’t actually any ‘special menu’ to begin with.

He had slipped money to the shop owner and told them to give all the desserts in the store when Matilda and Vivianne came, and they made up a plausible excuse. Money really was good, it seemed.

She waved her hands saying they couldn’t eat it all. Sure enough, she got it all over her mouth again while eating.

He had told Matilda to wipe Vivianne’s mouth well. But she just left it for a while, grinning to herself. Well, he understood. It was too precious a sight to keep to oneself.

Thanks to Matilda, he also got to feast his eyes on that cute face.

When they entered the general store, he watched from outside the window.

As expected, Vivianne chose the plainest one. Looking back, she always did that. Even when he offered to buy her clothes.

Saying she had plenty so it was fine was Vivianne’s standard excuse.

This time too, he had bribed the clerk. The ribbon covered in pearls wasn’t something the general store normally carried. It was a limited edition ribbon made by a designer who supplied the imperial family.

It suited Vivianne perfectly indeed. When her hair was tied up high with the ribbon, her long neck line was revealed like a doe’s. He wanted to embrace her from behind and kiss her white nape and lovely fine hair like he always used to.

When they came out of the general store, it had grown dark outside. Perhaps because it was the best place to see fireworks, the plaza was packed with crowds wanting to watch the fireworks display.

They would need to be careful. In a place like this, one wrong move could lead to a fall and serious injury. Her slender legs didn’t have much strength to begin with. She was always getting scraped and falling, requiring quite a lot of attention even while being cared for.

Vivianne firmly grasped Matilda’s hand and walked looking straight ahead.

Kian also followed her round head and the gently swaying pearl ribbon. His heart raced for no reason, like a child chasing a butterfly.

“…Matilda!”

Had she lost hold of her hand? A panicked Vivianne shouted. When he noticed people suddenly crowding in, his body moved before he knew it.

He ran and caught Vivianne. It was by a hair’s breadth. If he had been even a step later, she would have fallen and been in serious trouble.

“Ah…!”

Her small body swayed greatly before falling into his arms. A subtle rose scent lingered around his nose. It was the fragrance he had longed for so much. It was Vivianne’s natural body scent.

Actually, he had only planned to watch from afar, not knowing he would end up embracing her like this.

Kian worried whether the cigar smell he had smoked earlier might have lingered on his body.

It’s not like she would turn around to see who it was anyway, so what did it matter?

It was a situation where she couldn’t turn around anyway, caught between people.

He had thought they would never be able to touch again. His heart pounded uncontrollably at this unexpected fortune.

“Oh, I-I’m fine…”

Fine? He was the one who wasn’t fine.

Crowds were the most frightening thing. There were many men around too. He hated the thought of even a hair on Vivianne’s head being hurt, or her touching or brushing against strangers, so he shielded her body with his robe.

Though Vivianne trembled not knowing what to do, she seemed to understand that he was helping her and obediently stayed in his embrace as they moved. Her body was still slender and soft.

Really, she had no sense of caution at all.

That made him even more anxious.

Seeing her pale nape and her ear that had turned red with heat gave him complicated feelings.

‘But just what kind of guy does she think I am to be embarrassed?’

Really, she was hopeless. She wasn’t even his anymore. She wasn’t a child either. Why was he feeling jealous without substance or target, and he wasn’t some beast either. The fact that his lower abdomen tensed just from their bodies touching was the same.

Worried that Vivianne might be shocked if she found out, he quickly separated from her the moment they escaped to a quieter area.

He could see Vivianne looking around constantly, seemingly wanting to offer thanks.

He forcibly restrained his desire to run over, embrace her again, and take her away.

Come to think of it, she had unintentionally separated from Matilda. Could she get home alone? 

He felt anxious like watching a young child left by the water’s edge.

Just as he resolved to either send his carriage instead or help in some way while watching, Matilda appeared.

Whether fortunately or unfortunately, with Matilda’s appearance, his role was now over. Even while secretly watching, he let out a bitter laugh at his regret.

Soon, the fireworks display began. Perhaps because it was her first time seeing fireworks, Vivianne could hardly take her eyes off the spectacular scene unfolding in the night sky.

Kian wasn’t paying any attention to the fireworks at all, only looking at Vivianne.

She was consistently beautiful. She was beautiful beyond comparison with mere fireworks.

Even while holding her in his arms, he had worried she might disappear. That she might leave. Even just watching her made him anxious.

Foolishly, he had constantly tried to confirm his existence within her.

After watching in fascination for a long time, Vivianne clasped her hands together and began to pray.

Vivi, what wish are you making right now?

Once I was your wish, and now you have become my only wish.

Forget someone like me and smile purely white like today.

Even if I disappear from this world.

You must remain here and always be as happy as you are today.

That was all he wished for, over and over again.

After the fireworks ended, Kian confirmed Vivianne boarding her carriage and leaving, then stood there blankly for a long time. In the sky hung the waxing moon that had already begun to fill.

Soon the red moon would rise.