A fairly large general store stood in the bustling downtown area.

“Captain, please take a look at this,” Theodore’s adjutant Allen said, looking more serious than ever.

“Which one do you think is prettier?” he asked Theodore, holding up two women’s hairpins, one in each hand, for comparison.

“Are these actually different?”

“I believe they are.”

Allen sighed deeply at Theodore’s indifferent response.

“Please look more carefully. Last time I bought just anything, I only got scolded for it.”

The items sold at the general store weren’t particularly expensive. They were ordinary hairpins with nothing special about them.

Theodore had heard that Allen was caught drinking with the other knights after using an overnight duty as an excuse. He seemed to be selecting a peace offering for his wife’s forgiveness.

Theodore needed some fresh air to clear his complicated thoughts, so he had followed Allen when he mentioned going to the general store.

Would it really matter which one he chose?

Though skeptical, Theodore knew he had to pick something to quiet Allen’s persistent questioning. He stared at the display case before picking up one item almost as if entranced.

“Wouldn’t this be better than that?”

It was a white lace ribbon.

“This… is for tying hair?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm. I’ve never seen someone wearing a ribbon before. Do women like these?”

“They do.”

As he spoke, Theodore thought of a woman who always wore ribbons.

He had heard she loved ribbons. She would half-braid her light-colored hair loosely and let the rest flow down, adorning it with a ribbon.

“It looked pretty.”

Whenever he walked behind her, his gaze would always fix on that ribbon. Watching the delicate lace ribbon flutter in the breeze as she took small steps made him feel inexplicably happy.

When walking beside her, he couldn’t stare openly, but when following behind, he could look all he wanted.

“Then I’ll trust your judgment and buy this one, Captain.”

Allen was a simple man. Now that Theodore had made a selection, he wouldn’t bother him anymore.

Or so Theodore thought. As Allen was about to pay, he stared directly at Theodore.

“What?”

“Aren’t you going to choose one too?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You know what I mean. That pretty woman who likes ribbons. Since we’re here, you should buy her one too. Is she a maid?”

“What?”

Oh no. Allen seemed to have misunderstood something.

Allen grinned continuously, looking like he’d discovered something interesting.

“You rarely go out except for knight business. You’re usually stuck with me. I’m wondering when you found time to meet a woman. She must be someone in the mansion, right?”

“It’s not like that, so stop talking nonsense.”

“Could it be that you’re still pining after her?”

Theodore’s head throbbed at Allen’s excited face.

“Will you cut out this crap?”

“Your strong denial makes it even more suspicious.”

It wasn’t a crush, nor was it love at all.

Objectively speaking, she was pretty. Not just pretty but breathtakingly beautiful, so denying her beauty would be ridiculous. However, acknowledging someone’s beauty and loving them were entirely different emotions.

“I already said it’s not like that. She’s just… someone I know,” he emphasized once more.

It might be sympathy, but not that kind of emotion.

He reconsidered his thoughts.

Yes, if anything, she was someone who weighed on his mind.

During the recent knighthood ceremony, Vivianne had given him cookies. She probably hadn’t come just to deliver cookies. Usually, when she sought him out first, it was because she had something to confess.

What had she wanted to say? Though her master had sent her away with gentle words, her dejected appearance kept bothering him.

Vivianne’s daily life was extremely monotonous.

It must have been about her master.

He’d heard that her master had been ill recently but was now better.

It was about time to invite her for a walk.

Somehow there had been no news from her.

Was she feeling depressed alone?

Like most grown men, he wasn’t particularly affectionate with his mother. It would seem ridiculous for someone usually so taciturn to suddenly start asking probing questions because of her.

“So, Captain, you’re not buying anything?”

Allen continued to tease.

Theodore put his hand in his pocket. His fingertips touched something small and round, which he pulled out slightly to look at.

It was a white seashell he had received at the beach long ago.

Come to think of it, I’ve always been on the receiving end.

“…”

Theodore hesitated for a moment.

Because that woman came to mind as soon as he saw it. Because the ribbon would suit her better than anyone else. Because he’d only been receiving things and wanted to give something small in return. Because he felt sorry for not telling her in advance about the ceremony that day.

Because it was just an ordinary ribbon, not a ring or necklace, so it didn’t mean anything special.

Yes. What’s the big deal anyway?

His mind was filled with flimsy excuses.

“I guess I’ll buy one.”

Theodore impulsively purchased a ribbon.

* * *

After making love all night in the study, Vivianne dozed off on the sofa. When she opened her eyes, she found herself in Kian’s bedroom.

“I’ll be back. Wait for me.”

In her hazy state, she heard Kian’s voice.

“And don’t put on any clothes.”

Vivianne couldn’t tell if he was joking or serious as he mischievously whispered in her ear while pulling the blanket over her.

She felt his hand stroking her hair, but the sensation of sinking deeper into the bedding made it impossible for Vivianne to get up.

Half-asleep, she heard the cleaning maids whispering, but she ignored them and fell back asleep. As usual, Matilda came to bathe and dress her in a clean negligee.

“What’s wrong, Vivi? Are you uncomfortable?”

Matilda asked with concern as Vivianne examined her attire. She remembered Kian pointing out yesterday that her n*pples were visible through the fabric.

“I’m worried it might be too thin and see-through.”

“It’s just sleepwear. Who’s going to see?”

“Still…”

“You worry about the strangest things, Vivi.”

Matilda gently pinched Vivianne’s somewhat dejected cheek and smiled brightly.

“But you got to spend time with the master yesterday after so long, right? How was it? Did you give him the cookies?”

“…Yes.”

He’s probably in his study.

Kian had said they were merely products of anxiety, a useless gesture. She didn’t want to think about what had ultimately happened to those cookies.

“Why so glum? Vivi, did something happen?”

“Nothing happened. I’m just a little tired.”

Despite her low spirits, Vivianne didn’t want to worry Matilda.

She forced her lips to curl upward, “Kian said he’d enjoy the cookies with his tea.”

That was a lie.

It was merely what she had hoped for until the moment she gave them to him.

“That’s wonderful. They’ll definitely be delicious since they’re made with the chef’s special recipe.”

Her lying skills must have improved, as Matilda didn’t seem suspicious.

“Will Kian come in the evening?”

“I suppose so.”

“Then I’d like to go to my room and read fairy tales.”

He had told her to wait. Somehow she didn’t want to wait.

“And I want to change clothes. Please dress me in something other than this nightgown.”

He had told her not to wear clothes. She wondered what was the point of having so many clothes in the wardrobe.

“Are you sure? The master said you would be in this room.”

“But I… never agreed to that.”

“Pardon?”

It was an impulsive response, but also sincere.

“Waiting for Kian in this room is too stifling. During the day, I want to do my own things in my own room.”

“Alright, Vivi. Shall we go to your room?”

It was still daytime, and her room was right next door. Nothing would go wrong.

Still, Matilda tilted her head, perhaps because Vivianne’s attitude seemed unusual.

* * *

Vivianne was reading a fairy tale, dressed in an indoor dress adorned with ribbon decorations.

“Your role is to eat only what I give you in my room, wear the clothes I buy you, and wait obediently for the sound of my footsteps.”

The words she had heard last night kept coming back to her. Though her heart felt numb and the text barely registered, she forced herself to read.

It was the same old story of a princess and prince falling in love.

Finding it impossible to focus, she flipped to the very last page.

[They married, had children, and lived happily ever after.]

This was Vivianne’s favorite part.

But today…

No matter how many times she read it, her mood didn’t improve.

Fairy tales and reality were different.

“I want to see your belly grow round with my child, to see it with my own eyes.”

“Then there’s no need to find out. Who you are.”

She had said from the beginning that she remembered nothing but her name, and that she would become human once she bore a child. There was no need to reveal her identity as a mermaid.

Kian didn’t seem interested in probing further. As he said, once she bore a child, it would no longer be an issue to think about.

Should she feel relieved about that?

Her chest felt unbearably tight.

Recalling Kian’s words that neither his father nor mother had ever wanted him, she felt selfish and cruel for thinking only about having a child without understanding his circumstances.

Even then, rather than asking if he was alright, she had wanted to ask why he was trying to embrace her and if she was truly just his plaything. She felt disgusted with herself for prioritizing those questions.

She hadn’t asked about his condition because she vaguely knew he wasn’t okay.

Is it right to have a child out of my own selfish desire?

But what else can I do? There’s no other way.

If I don’t do this, I’ll turn into sea foam.

From the beginning until now, all she had wanted was happiness. Yet as time passed, her heart sank deeper into hell.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

Vivianne consciously checked her attire before opening the door.

“Who is it?”