There were five kittens in total.

They were named Seth, Harvey, Hope, Budget and Lemon. Ultimately, Seren’s stubbornly proposed names, Attic and Walnut, were replaced with Seth and Budget.

Whatever names they chose, they were certainly better than Attic and Walnut — yet Seren still seemed unable to understand why her suggestions had been rejected. In her mind, they carried enough meaning.

It was her father who insisted on naming the slightly yellowish kitten Lemon. No matter how one looked at it, once the kitten was fully grown, it would bear no resemblance to a lemon, but Aillen let it pass.

After all, they wouldn’t be able to keep them there until they were grown up.

She didn’t know much about cats, but perhaps once the mother had fully recovered and the kittens were old enough, they would leave of their own accord. No one could claim to understand a cat’s heart, but surely they would make their intentions clear and wander off.

Her father and the twins would probably be disappointed.

So the sudden decision to clean the attic was nothing out of the ordinary. They had chosen to prepare a temporary nest for the kittens in the same place that they had been born.

While the rest of the family bustled about in preparation for their tiny new guests, Aillen seemed idle.

In truth, she was anything but idle. While the others were busy elsewhere, she had to take on even more work in their place. It was simply that her tasks had nothing to do with the kittens.

Though she hated to admit it, Aillen was afraid of cats.

This fear was separate from the fact that she found their bright, gleaming eyes unbearably cute.

It was largely thanks to her that the family hadn’t brought the cats into the cottage.

“Why don’t I just use the attic instead and move the cats somewhere else?”

“No matter how much we tidy it, there won’t be enough space for you to live comfortably.”

“Then we can throw out the things we don’t need. We’ve only been piling them up all this time. I doubt we’ll ever use them.”

“No. You never know what life may bring.”

Her father got to work cleaning the attic and carrying things downstairs. With only her upper body visible through the opening, Aillen rolled her eyes. She had been summoned simply because she was nearby when someone suggested that the dust-covered sheets should be washed.

Meanwhile, the kittens groomed themselves leisurely.

“Here, take these down and put them away. I’ll wash them.”

“It’s fine. You have enough to do. I’ll handle this—just let me rest a little this evening instead.”

“Very well.”

The dust was no small matter. Holding the sheets tightly against her chest, Aillen carefully climbed down the ladder.

However, with her hands occupied and her vision partially obscured, caution was difficult to maintain.

For a moment, her body lurched unsteadily.

Huh?

As soon as her arm reached for the ladder and found only air, someone steadied her from behind.

“Put the sheets down first. Slowly. Be careful.”

It was Seren. She supported Aillen’s back the entire time she climbed down.

“Thank you. Goodness, I underestimated this.”

“It seems you’ll need a bit more practice.”

Seren brushed the dust from Aillen’s hair and shoulders so gently that Aillen surrendered to her touch without a second thought.

Her green eyes widened.

As always, Seren’s face remained composed, but warmth lurked beneath the surface.

“Next time, maybe I’ll just toss the sheets down from above.”

“Be careful they don’t land on your face again.”

“Do I look that foolish?”

Seren tilted her head slightly, as if to say, ‘You never know.’

Aillen responded with an exaggerated roll of her eyes.

Since they had visited her aunt together, they had become almost inseparable.

They had grown closer, but that didn’t mean Aillen could casually slap Seren’s shoulder the way she did with Miriam, nor could she respond to Seren’s teasing with playful scolding. It wasn’t that they were any less close.

It was something else.

There was a quiet tension that lingered between them.

It was as though Aillen could not simply reach out and touch Seren without thinking about it first.

If she kept dwelling on thoughts like that, her unease would only deepen.

So Aillen forced herself to smile lightly.

“If you have time, would you like to watch me do the washing?”

***

Aillen dropped the sheets into a large basin, stepped in, and began pressing them down steadily and rhythmically. Nearby, Seren rested her chin on her hand and watched in silence.

Although Seren had helped Aillen with her chores a few times before, this was the first time she had seen her working outdoors like this.

Aillen had fussed over the bare earth beneath Seren’s feet and suggested she lay down a towel, but she had declined. If dust clung to her clothes, she could simply brush it off. She did not want to appear overly delicate.

Besides, she did not want to risk bumping into someone else while looking for a towel.

The white sheets fluttered in the sunlight like drifting curtains. The light was bright and unrestrained.

Watching Aillen like this, out from beneath the shaded eaves of the inn, felt almost like stealing a private glimpse.

Each time she gathered up her pale orange skirt, soft as newly grown grass, and pressed down on it with all her might, the faint scent of soap was carried gently on the breeze.

Her hair, tied high, kept slipping loose and falling across her eyes, then falling back again.

“I actually quite like this!”

“This?”

“Washing sheets. It feels like splashing in water!”

Her green eyes lit up.

It feels as though she have been placed under a spell.

She found herself staring, momentarily speechless, until a sharp cry rang down from above.

“Sister! Sister! Dad found an artifact!”

“What? What artifact?”

“A really old record! Come up and see!”

“I’m doing the laundry!”

As their voices echoed between the third floor and the ground below, Seren rolled up her trousers. The fabric narrowed towards the ankles, and by the time she had pulled them halfway up her calves, they were snug against her legs. It would do.

“Seren?”

“Go on. You said all I have to do is step on it. It can’t be that difficult.”

“No, it’s fine. The record isn’t going anywhere. It can wait. Seren, just sit and rest. Roll your trousers back down.”

“I want to try splashing too.”

“That’s just an excuse. We can’t have a guest doing this!”

“It should be fine for a friend.”

There was no way to refute that.

Aillen parted her lips, searching for something to say, but her tongue faltered.

How could the word ‘friend’ sound so loaded?

Seren showed no sign of yielding. Ultimately, Aillen had no choice but to step aside.

“You steal far too much of my work, you know.”

“As much as I steal your time.”

“…If you’re on holiday, you should enjoy your holiday.”

“I am enjoying it.”

Steal her time.

If she lost any time at all, it was only when she found herself thinking about Seren in her absence.

She hadn’t meant it that way, of course, but that didn’t stop the warmth from creeping into Aillen’s cheeks.

“Fine. I’ll let you help this once. But in exchange, I’ll feed you generously tonight—so prepare yourself.”

“Then I’d better splash diligently.”

The corners of Seren’s eyes curved upward.

Lately, Aillen had been seeing her smile far more often. She found herself smiling in return without meaning to.

“I’ll be right back.”

“You should at least let me enjoy myself. Take your time.”

The way Seren waved her off, so decisively and as though she had done it many times before, suggested that she had.

Gripping the hem of her skirt, Aillen hurried back towards the inn, inwardly grumbling at her siblings and father.

“See? When you don’t throw things away and keep them properly, you discover treasures like this.”

“Oh….”

As Aillen carefully ran her fingers over the record, Nathan gave a casual shrug beside her. Haila stood close by, her eyes shining with excitement.

The record was spotless — they must have cleaned it as soon as they found it.

It was an album by Aillen’s favorite singer. Much of Aillen’s taste in music came from her parents, which meant that many of the artists she loved were from an earlier era. Because of that, their records were not easy to find.

“This was a limited edition even back then. I walked all the way to Whislen to get it. The crowd was so thick I nearly got trampled.”

Walked all the way to Whislen?

Aillen suspected some exaggeration, but she nodded solemnly.

“You could say owning this is what allowed me to marry your mother.”

“Well, at least you know it.”

Her mother picked up another record from the table. As always, she spoke in a brusque tone, but her face showed the softness of days long past. Her father’s eyes gleamed.

“What do you say? Shall we throw a party tonight?”

“So suddenly?”

“Why not? A little spontaneity now and then isn’t bad.”

Her mother seemed to be considering it.

Aillen tried to steady her racing heart as she watched her. Since returning from the north, she had never welcomed the idea of a party, but this time, she felt an inexplicable sense of anticipation stirring within her.

“Tonight might be difficult… If we’re going to do it, we might as well do it now.”

“Now?”

“Why not?”

No sooner had she spoken than her mother came downstairs and began moving the tables aside. Delighted, Haila and her father set to work, cheering as they did so.

“Riman! Come down here!”

Aillen hesitated.

Should she help move the tables or go and find Seren first?

As if sensing her indecision, her mother turned to her and said—

“You go check on that guest. From what I saw, you left her to do the work. That won’t do, Aillen.”

“It’s not an excuse, but she insisted.”

“Whatever the reason. Go on.”

Aillen darted outside at once.

The moment she spotted Seren, she could no longer contain her excitement, raising both her hands and waving them high in the air. Seren’s shoulders shook with laughter.

“Alright, time to come out. Hurry!”

“Wouldn’t it be better if I simply finished it, rather than switching halfway through?”

“You already switched halfway—what are you talking about?”

“Then we can do it together.”

“Ah…”

Although she thought it was a joke, Aillen was momentarily speechless.

In contrast, Seren appeared as composed as ever.

Could she have said that so calmly because she had no idea how little space there was in the basin for two people?

“You were the one who suggested it.”

If she retreated now, she was certain that her fluster — whatever this bewildering emotion was — would be revealed.

Out of pure stubbornness, Aillen stepped into the basin.

As expected, there was barely enough room for one person. They had no choice but to stand almost pressed together.

The moment she realized that they were closer than they had been while dancing, heat rushed to her ears.

She lowered her head, hoping that her loose strands of hair would hide the redness at their tips.

But at that very instant, her foot slipped on something beneath the water, causing her to pitch forward.

A cool hand caught her firmly at the waist.

Startled, Aillen trembled, causing the hand to tighten its grip instinctively.

An awkward stillness fell between them.

The distance that had slowly begun to soften over the past few days seemed to snap back into place all at once.

“…On second thought, perhaps I should step out. I’ll give you the opportunity instead.”

She attempted a casual tone, moving to leave—but Seren did not release her.

“Seren?”

After a brief silence, Seren replied.

“If we stay like this, there’s no risk of falling.”

Her voice did not sound like a joke, and her companion’s hand on her waist was still holding her firmly in place.

Although she had no idea what Seren was thinking, Aillen did not resist any further.

The washing ended in an awkward atmosphere.

***

It was that vague time of day between lunch and the evening.

The dining hall was quiet. Most of the inn’s guests were busy elsewhere, leaving only Seren and the Grandels.

“The atmosphere’s nice during the day too, isn’t it?”

“It is.”

Although the party was simpler than those held every Friday, it still had a certain quaint charm. Even with the lights dimmed and the curtains drawn, sunlight still filtered softly through.

This added to the warmth of the occasion.

“The music is lovely.”

“It’s my favorite singer.”

“You say that about a lot of singers.”

“Then let’s say she’s the one I love most among the ones I love most.”

“Sister, are you going to dance today?”

Aillen blinked when Riman asked his question while carrying glasses of juice.

‘I haven’t been dancing much lately.’

Riman shuffled awkwardly. His words were accurate in more ways than one.

“Well. I suppose I feel like dancing today.”

She cast a sideways glance.

Seren was seated by the wide-open window, leaning lightly against it. The pale blue lace ribbon tying her hair fluttered in the breeze.

“Would you care for a dance?”

Bending slightly at the waist, one hand dramatically pressed to her chest and the other extended towards Seren, Aillen spoke in an exaggeratedly playful manner.

Seren, who had been using Aillen’s fan as if it were her own, narrowed her eyes.

Playfulness met playfulness.

Even that simple exchange was enough to delight Aillen. Aillen resolved to savor this moment completely.

—so long as she remained within the line, though she had no idea where that was drawn.

Though she had no idea where that line was drawn.

She saw Seren hesitate.

Aillen fought the urge to roll her eyes. Earlier, in the wash basin, Seren had teased her mercilessly, so why was she hesitating now?

Yet, for some reason, even mentioning what had happened that afternoon — even as a joke — felt like crossing a boundary they had silently agreed upon. She swallowed the words trembling on her lips.

After a brief pause, a cool hand brushed against her fingertips.

They began to dance slowly.

Her mother and father occupied one corner of the room. The twins hummed along to the melody, tapping their feet in time to the music. The curtains swayed softly in the evening breeze.

Gradually, Seren’s hand grew warm within hers.

Or perhaps it was Aillen’s hand that had grown warm first.

That evening, a letter arrived from the north.