The sleeping pills were intended to help her maintain a regular sleep cycle.

Without fixed sleeping and waking hours, she would drift endlessly between consciousness and sleep. The pills therefore acted as a kind of restraint, enabling her to rest and wake alongside others.

On the days she took them, Ilenia became slower and more fragile.

Even when her body woke up and her eyes opened, her mind would often lag behind, leaving her unable to remember what had happened.

Delphius had already heard this from the doctor. He was told that this was normal while she was taking the medication.

He was also told that it wasn’t a harmful side effect and that he didn’t need to worry.

This meant—

Most of what he was about to say, she wouldn’t remember.

And yet, even knowing that…

Delphius spoke anyway.

“I already knew that I didn’t understand what you truly liked. But even so… it was quite a shock to realize that not a single thing I gave you ever meant anything to you.”

“….”

“So I thought about it—what I should give you to truly make you happy. But no matter how much I thought, I couldn’t find the answer. Jewels, flowers—I know all the usual gifts. But my wife… Ilenia Hildebalt… I couldn’t understand what would truly please you.”

“….”

“I hated that, so I went back to the estate in the capital. Even there, it wasn’t easy.”

“….”

“Even when I asked the people who were closest to you, most of them said they didn’t know. They said you were never particularly picky—that there was nothing you especially liked. So, after asking around like that… I brought something for you.”

The yellow thread tangled around his fingers slipped loose and fell.

Delphius pressed his lips softly against her temple.

“…Mm…”

“Go back to sleep. We’ll talk when you wake up.”

It was the touch of someone who had grown tired of her.

She should have pushed him away. But her body felt heavy, as though it were made of waterlogged cotton. She couldn’t move at all.

There was so much she wanted to ask him. So many things she wanted to say. But her eyelids were irresistible and slowly drifted shut.

It was time to sink once more into that deep, consuming sleep.

…

When she finally opened her eyes again, the sun was high in the sky.

Blinking slowly, she turned her head to the side.

The man she had thought was a dream

— was still there.

Even after such a long sleep, he looked exactly as he had in her dream.

Not a single detail was out of place.

Like a noble figure carved to perfection, he waited quietly for her to fully awaken.

“You’re awake?”

Ilenia lifted her gaze to his dark hair.

Through the remnants of sleep, it felt like he had said something to her earlier—but she couldn’t recall any of it.

“…Weren’t you supposed to leave? Because I wasn’t to your liking?”

“Why would I?”

He let out a quiet scoff, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

It was arrogant—yet perfectly befitting a noble.

“Why would I ever do that to you, Ilenia?”

There was no trace of the confusion he had shown the previous day.

When she tried to sit up, he instinctively reached out to support her.

When she pushed lightly against his shoulder as if to keep her distance, he yielded without resistance.

Ilenia looked at Delphius.

He showed no sign of retracting what he had said to her while she was half asleep. Despite him saying so much, none of it remained in her memory — and he didn’t seem to mind at all.

“Are you hungry?”

She shook her head.

Since she was young, she had never been particularly attached to breakfast. She ate because she had to work, because she needed strength—or because others insisted she should.

“Even so, you should eat.”

Just like now.

Delphius rang the bell.

After instructing the servants downstairs to prepare breakfast, he turned back to her.

“There’s something I want to give you.”

He pulled out a piece of paper from his coat.

For a moment, she thought it might finally be divorce papers. But what was written on it was something else.

A train ticket.

And not just any destination.

It was bound for Ouk.

“In two weeks.”

He raised two fingers toward her, as she stared blankly.

“Let’s go see the sea.”

Her eyes widened.

For a second, she wondered if she had misheard him.

She rubbed her eyes—but the ticket remained.

The words Bound for Ouk seemed to shimmer vividly before her.

“You like the sea, don’t you?”

She did.

Even now, hearing the word alone made her heart pound fiercely.

But how did he know?

She had never said it aloud.

After her one failed attempt, she had dismissed the idea entirely and buried the thought of the sea deep inside.

It was a desire she had kept hidden, afraid that wanting it again would only lead to disappointment.

‘I should let it go. I should stop.’

Yet his curiosity had only grown, surfacing in quiet, uncontrollable moments.

Perhaps that was why he had been the one to mention the sea first.

Still, who would have thought he would actually bring her what she wanted?

It felt strange to hear him say they were going.

At the same time, it made no sense.

If he could understand her so easily, why had he pretended not to all this time?

A small, wounded feeling stirred within her.

“Do you not want to go?”

Even then, she couldn’t bring herself to hate him completely.

Instead, she reached out and gently traced the ticket lying on the sheets. The letters printed on the thick paper seemed more beautiful than any she had ever seen.

She knew.

Over something as small as a ticket.

Over a single promise to go and see the sea.

She was falling apart this easily.

She knew it.

And yet—

“…No.”

Ilenia slowly shook her head.

She didn’t hate the gesture he had offered her—not at all.

“I like it.”

She tried to lift the corners of her mouth.

After all, less than a day had passed.

That was all the time Delphius had spent trying to understand her.

He had prepared a gift just for her.

She wanted to thank him properly and show him her sincerity.

She should have smiled more brightly.

But, against her will, her lips began to tremble.

“I… really like it.”

Once her emotions overwhelmed her, she could no longer hold them back.

Tears spilled from her eyes.

Over something like this?

She felt ashamed to be crying so early in the day.

She hurriedly wiped them away with her sleeve, but to no avail.

The moment she lowered her arm, more tears welled up and fell.

A steady, encompassing warmth drew her in.

He pulled her close and gently patted her on the back, as if to soothe her.

Eventually, the tears she could no longer hold back turned into soft, quiet sobs.

These grew louder, as though something long buried was finally being released.

She clutched at his clothes.

She wrapped her arms around his waist.

Each time, Delphius simply continued to stroke her back.

Slowly and steadily.

Until her trembling shoulders finally settled.

It was in that moment—

— that a hope she had believed was completely gone

lifted its head again, if only slightly.

***

From that day on, Ilenia started to play a more active role in her sessions.

The treatment, which had previously made little progress, slowly began to improve.

She even found herself a hobby, something Marlenda had long hoped for.

Of all the refined pastimes available, she chose gardening.

This was inspired by the small patch of earth in the backyard.

However, lacking the confidence to grow flowers, she planted cabbages instead.

As she looked at the fresh green sprouts, she felt a quiet sense of pride. But when Delphius teased her, asking if she intended to graze on them like a rabbit, she promptly jabbed him in the side with her elbow.

She also began eating more. This started after she heard that train journeys were more tiring than she had imagined.

Each day began to feel full.

She tried not to hope too much.

But, as time passed, the anticipation inside her only grew stronger.

The sea.

It was a place she had only ever seen in her dreams.

If she could stand before that vast expanse and watch the endless waves rushing towards her, it would feel as though everything might finally be all right.

And so her days passed.

Until—

Delphius received a sudden message.

At once, his expression darkened.

Urgency flickered beneath his stiffened features.

“I’m sorry, but I think I need to leave immediately.”

“Is it work?”

He hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

“…Yes.”

“Make sure you finish your work properly. You need to earn money so we can go to Ouk, don’t you?”

“Isn’t the train ticket enough?”

“We’ll need money for food and lodging once we get there.”

Even though she knew he already had more than enough money, Ilenia spoke lightly.

If she didn’t, it felt like her emotions would begin to waver.

“It’s in a week.”

“I’ll make sure to come back in time.”

His large hand wrapped around hers. The strength of his grip brought her a quiet sense of reassurance.

“…I’ll be waiting.”

Ilenia saw him off as he hurriedly gathered his things and left.

As she watched him wave, dark clouds gathered overhead.

The rain, which had initially fallen in scattered drops, soon poured down in earnest — and, at that very moment, his carriage set off.