“Did you enjoy today’s shopping, my lady?”

“Of course. Thank you for giving me such a lovely time.”

Regina replied out of courtesy, but Finley chuckled good-naturedly.

“I’m glad to hear that! I may not have the Count’s looks, but looks aren’t everything in a man, right?”

With a mock-wink, Finley flashed a playful grin on his round, affable face. Regina laughed out loud for the first time in a while.

Beyond the pier, the sun – red as overheated iron – slowly sank into the horizon.

Regina wondered: were the bubbles rising from the sea as hot as boiling tea?

Or were they cold and weightless, like waves that had long since lost their warmth?

Then she caught a glimmer in the darkening water.

A glimmer of light, the same colour as Grey’s eyes.

Capturn Port had originally been given to Grey as a slight, a mocking gesture at his sudden rise in status.

But, ironically, it suited him perfectly.

Regina couldn’t help but admire the man who had turned this quiet fishing village into a thriving trading centre.

And yet the admiration brought with it a quiet pain – a growing sense of distance.

It was a strange thing.

She had once loved this extraordinary man with all her heart…

So why did she feel that she alone was growing smaller, more and more invisible?

“You should get into the carriage, my lady. The sea breeze is getting cold.”

As Regina turned to get in, shadows shifted around her.

Weathered fishermen – faces as blank as stone, worn by years of wind and salt – approached without a word.

“Who are you?”

Their expressions were unsettling – eerily devoid of emotion, like eroded cliffs carved by time.

Animals were quicker to sense danger than humans. The horses neighed and reared, their hooves striking the ground as the carriage rocked violently, like a boat caught in a sudden storm.

Weakened by illness, Regina didn’t have the strength to lift herself inside.

The fishermen must have noticed – some stepped forward, blocking the horses’ path completely.

“Stand aside! Do you realise whose safety you’re endangering?”

The coachman raised his whip in warning, but hesitated – he couldn’t strike. Not with Regina still outside.

If the horses panicked and bolted now, there’d be no stopping them.

“My lady,” Finley said, stepping protectively in front of her, “stay behind me.”

Finley, whose face was usually so full of expression, now looked ice-cold.

Finley, usually so expressive, now spoke in a voice as cold as ice. Regina moved behind him without a word and asked quietly.

“Who are they?”

“I recognise them. They’re local fishermen who opposed the development of Capturn Harbour.”

“Then why are they after me…?”

“Because you’re the Countess.”

With that brief explanation, Regina understood the situation. Grey had always approached business with a strict eye on profit and loss. He would never have considered listening to the opinions of the local fishermen.

‘He doesn’t think my opinion matters either.’

So the fishermen must have felt they had no choice but to take drastic measures. They could kidnap her to use as leverage – or worse, kill her as a warning.

A shiver ran down her spine as the full weight of the situation hit her.

“They’re dangerous. Don’t talk to them. Don’t even make eye contact. While I distract them, take the opportunity to climb into the carriage and leave immediately.”

Finley spoke carefully, barely moving his lips.

Then one of the fishermen stepped forward – a rough-looking middle-aged man with a stark white scar near one eye. He asked.

“Are you, by any chance, Count Cabil’s lady?”

“…”

“We mean you no harm. Just give us a moment of your time.”

When Regina didn’t even move her lips in response, the man’s face twisted in frustration. He turned to one of the others and muttered gruffly.

“What now? Looks like she can’t talk.”

“I heard she was sick.”

“Then we’re screwed. Does anybody here know sign language?”

“Sign language? What are you talking about? None of us can read.”

The fishermen huddled together in a strangely earnest attempt to figure it out, leaving Regina rather taken aback.

“This could all be part of a trick.”

Finley jerked her attention back into place just as it began to waver. After all, there’s always one clever mind in every group.

Sure enough, one of the fishermen clapped his hand as if struck by a revelation.

“You idiots! The Countess can’t speak, but that doesn’t mean she can’t hear! What the hell do we need sign language for?”

“Oh, you’re right!”

“We wanted her to hear us anyway, so we just need to talk, that’s all!”

“Well then, you do the talking. I’m not good with words.”

“Go ahead and say it. I’m not good with words.”

Said one of the fisherman, finally settling the matter.

With that, another fisherman stepped forward. He cleared his throat and began to speak with an overly solemn expression.

“My lady, may I ask… are you aware that there are other creatures in this world?”

What in the world?

“Well, you see, the world runs on nature, right? So if there’s a sea creature, there’s a seagull that eats it—

and then there’s my wife, who ends up frying those seagulls and eating them too. It’s all part of the natural cycle, isn’t it?”

Regina’s head began to spin. She couldn’t understand what he was trying to say, which somehow only made her more focused. Sensing that he had her attention, the fisherman raised his voice.

“But you see? If you demolish the whole harbour like this, the seagulls will die, the sea creatures will die… my wife will still be alive, but still – what are we going to do then? Sure, development brings money and that’s great. But if you live long enough, you realise that money isn’t everything.”

“What the hell is he talking about?”

“At this rate, it’ll be summer before he’s done.”

The other fishermen, fed up with his ramblings, pulled him back and pushed him behind the group. Eventually, the scarred fisherman from earlier stepped forward again, now with a look of pure embarrassment on his face. He got straight to the point.

“The development of the port has killed the surrounding sea. Every day the shore is covered with dead fish and the stench of rotting seaweed is unbearable.”

This would certainly be a major problem, threatening the livelihoods of the fishermen. Regina’s sympathy was just beginning to stir.

“That’s why the fishermen get subsidies, isn’t it?”

Finley replied without raising an eyebrow.

“It’s a well-known problem. Normally, fishing near a developing port becomes difficult for about five years – that has been explained and agreed in advance. And if they go out a bit further, they can still make a good catch. That’s why our shipyard in Cabil has been lending out boats – practically for free.”

In truth, the subsidies alone were generous enough for most fishermen to live comfortably for the entire five years.

Where else would you find a lord who took such good care of his people?

And yet – treat them too kindly and they begin to take it for granted.

For all the support offered, they were still grumbling, still discontented.

Then again, judging by their expressions, the fishermen clearly had plenty to say.

“We have spent our lives drinking salt water – we will find a way to survive, one way or another. But we’re not talking about ourselves. We’re talking about the fish! Aren’t they living creatures too?”

“Seriously? You’ve spent your whole life killing fish.”

“We only take a small part! The pollution from the harbour is killing all the fish in the area!”

“And that’s why I’m telling you – go fishing off the coast. Take the boats and go further out.”

Trying to win an argument with Finley – who had graduated first in his class from the most prestigious academies – was a lost cause for the fishermen.

If it had been an arm-wrestling contest, they might have had a chance.

Frustrated, all they could do was pound their thick forearms against their chests in protest.

“See? I told you. There’s no reasoning with this carrot head. Just leave him alone.”

“Countess, please, just hear us out. We’re begging you.”

Eventually they gave up trying to talk to Finley altogether and gathered around Regina instead, eyes fixed on her with a mixture of desperation and hope.

It wasn’t exactly a comforting sight – in fact, it was more intimidating than endearing.

“My lady, this land is where we’ve lived for generations. It’s where we were born… and where we will be buried. Please don’t take away our home.”

“And what exactly do you want me to do?”

Her plea was rough around the edges, but it was sincere, and it stirred something in Regina’s chest.

She glanced at Finley, feeling a little sorry for him –

But the truth was, the fishermen didn’t seem to mean her any harm.

“Gasp! She spoke!”

“Who was it that said she was mute?!”

Look at those innocent reactions. Regina had to force herself not to smile.

“The port expansion has already been completed. It took years of funding and manpower – there is no way to undo it now.”

It was the achievement that Grey had forced into existence, even as he abandoned his wife as she lay unconscious.

But the fishermen shook their heads. This wasn’t what they wanted.