In the early dawn, while everyone was asleep, Yevgeny quietly slipped out of the cabin and sat in a corner of the lounge, striking a match.

With a sharp sound, a small flame flickered. He lit the oil lamp with the match, and the soft yellow light illuminated him and the area around the table. Yevgeny took a fountain pen and stationery from the inside pocket of his coat and placed them on the table.

Next, he pulled a cigarette from his trouser pocket, leaned toward the oil lamp, and lit it. As he inhaled, his cheeks hollowed deeply.

He swirled the smoke inside his mouth for a moment, then exhaled forcefully and separated the pen from its cap.

Perhaps because it had been a while, he rolled the pen in his hand several times before finally beginning to write calmly on the unfolded sheet of paper.

His eyebrows rose slightly in concentration. The sound of high waves crashing against the surface of the water kept bothering his ears. Glancing out the window, he saw the darkness of dawn obscured even further by thick fog. Yevgeny lowered his gaze again and focused.

Since it was something he had recited to himself dozens, even hundreds of times, it didn’t take long to write. He carefully read the letter from the beginning to check for any mistakes, then added a postscript asking for a favor.

After sealing the letter, he straightened his posture and stood up. The sound of his shoe heels scraping across the wooden floor echoed.

Passing through the tightly closed door, he immediately went downstairs to stand before the dozing attendant.

Knock, knock, knock.

He rapped the table briskly. The attendant, startled by the loud noise, shuddered and woke up. Blinking in confusion, he recognized Yevgeny and shot up from his seat.

“Y-yes, Sir Yevgeny, is there something you need?”

“I need a carrier pigeon. A very well-trained one.”

“Yes! Understood. We’re close to the mainland now, so the letter should reach the central post office within half a day. On land, a person will carry it instead of a pigeon, so delivery to areas outside the capital may take about a day.”

“…”

“And, as you surely know… you cannot receive a reply. Also, though rare, pigeons sometimes get lost or letters go missing.”

“I understand. Please take care of it.”

Yevgeny nodded slowly, barely listening to the man’s words, and handed over the neatly folded letter. He watched as the attendant placed the letter into the drawer as carefully as if it were gold, then turned away calmly.

‘Rochelle.’

Thinking of her, sleeping soundly on the bed, made his steps unconsciously quicken.

***

To the most esteemed General Bledoneur Regine of Castiya, this is Yevgeny Beneff. I wish to honestly inform you of the current whereabouts of Rochelle Kotov, a wanted fugitive of the Brittany Empire who abandoned her parents and fled…

***

Awakened by the clear chirping of baby birds near her ear, Rochelle opened her eyes. The bright light led her to the window.

Resting her arms on the window frame, Rochelle smiled faintly. Before she knew it, Yevgeny had come up behind her and wrapped his arms around her slender waist, burying his face in her shoulder.

“Rochelle.”

“Yes.”

“Let’s hold the wedding as soon as possible. But only after winter passes and spring arrives.”

“But winter has just begun, you know? Are you really that impatient?”

She asked, and Yevgeny smiled gently, lifting the corners of his lips. His elegant smile made her blush. Embarrassed, Rochelle pressed her palm to the frosted glass. The chill pierced through the glass and touched her skin.

The cold was sharper than she expected, making Rochelle flinch. As she hurried to pull her hand away, a large man’s hand covered the back of hers. He slowly traced each of Rochelle’s fingers with his own.

“It’s not impatience… I just said it.”

Trying to calm her racing heart, Rochelle worked to match Yevgeny’s pace. Hugging her and leaving a short kiss on her neck, Yevgeny whispered softly.

“I’m so grateful to have you in my life, Rochelle.”

“Do you really mean that?”

“Of course. If my mother, who left us first, could see us now, she would be truly happy.”

“I wonder what kind of person your mother was, Yevgeny. What kind of life did you and your mother live in the past, and what memories did you share?”

“It’s not a very pleasant story.”

“I don’t want a pleasant story. I just want to know you more deeply.”

As she spoke, Rochelle turned her hand and interlaced her fingers with his.

Sighing softly, Yevgeny moistened his dry lips.

For some reason, Yevgeny couldn’t help but feel pity for Rochelle. Lady Rochelle Kotov, such a pure soul who trusted people so easily and was so easily deceived.

“My mother was a maid. She would leave at dawn and return very late at night, living out dull and exhausting days. So my earliest memory is waiting alone in a dark room for my mother.”

“…”

“Still, I always obeyed her warning not to be curious about the outside world. At least until I was seven. But I was human, too. As I started to think for myself, resentment grew inside me and I suddenly opened the window. I saw, far away, a boy who looked just like me, wearing a coat and running freely in the garden.”

Rochelle covered her mouth, holding back tears as she listened to his lowered voice. It was a darkness she dared not interrupt.

“I knew nothing. I didn’t understand why my mother was shunned there.”

“…”

“In the end, I was dragged away and beaten. Being the child of a concubine, and having a face identical to Ivan and my father, it must have been an eyesore for them. My mother hugged me, soaked in blood, and wept, but they pointed fingers, saying I was just getting the punishment I deserved for my foolish desires.”

“…”

“Even so, my mother forgave them. Her body grew weak, her face filled with worry, but she even loved Ivan. She could never have imagined that she and her son would die in a fire set by those two. Rochelle, is that enough?”

“Thank you for telling me such a hard story, Yevgeny.”

Turning her body, Rochelle carefully embraced him. Her blue eyes, as if to comfort him, glistened with sadness. Yevgeny, at a loss, tried to push her away, but instead sighed softly and wrapped his hand around her head.

He hadn’t meant to go this far.

He hadn’t wanted to tell her so much. But the play was reaching its climax, and after all the effort of the past few days, he figured it wouldn’t be so bad to play along with her for a while. A subtle smile spread beautifully across his lips.

***

That day came upon them like a thief. Rochelle closed her eyes and opened them again, her whole body trembling at the loud, pounding sound of her heart. In the distance, she could hear the murmurs of a crowd.

The ship had not yet reached the dock, but everyone had already packed their bags and climbed onto the deck, laughing brightly as they faced the cold wind. Some waved their hands widely. On the other side, those waiting for their loved ones smiled warmly, and some were even crying.

Watching the swarming crowd, Rochelle shuddered, curling up and covering her face with both hands. The nightmare of that day kept coming back. She tried to forget, but those memories would not fade.

After blinking for a long time, Rochelle finally lifted her head and looked around. Early in the morning, Yevgeny had left at Owen the servant’s call and had not yet returned. Rochelle was now completely confined to her room.

Trying to erase her loneliness and anxiety, Rochelle gazed out the window. Without realizing it, she raised her hand and pointed at the tiny figures in the distance. The group standing straight with red epaulets on their shoulders were clearly revolutionaries.

“Why are they…”

‘Yes, Yevgeny. Had they come to meet Yevgeny?’

…But the revolutionaries she saw were all inspecting the cruise ship’s passengers with stern expressions. The two men at the very front held thick ropes for arresting criminals.

Her legs gave out from tension, and Rochelle’s body tilted to the left. In her collapsing vision, she saw one man. He was at the very front of the revolutionaries. Their eyes met.

“…”

“…”

The loud noise from far away grew closer and closer. Rochelle, collapsed on the floor, took deep, ragged breaths. They were striding toward her.