Unexpectedly, Sesenia was blown quite a distance by the wind.

Passing through the gaps between the tents, Sesenia looked at the woman standing in front of her with surprised eyes.

“Ha… Looks like Mastopju is playing again.”

She might be around 40 years old. Or maybe she was even older. The woman extended her hand to Sesenia as if incidents like this happened frequently, given Sesenia’s disheveled hair due to the strong wind.

“Surprised a lot, huh?”

“Ah… No, it seems incidents like this happen often.”

“Not really often… Mastopju does this sometimes, sending necessary items or people in this way.”

“I see.”

“Then, young lady, what kind are you? Do you need something? Are you a person? Or did Mastopju play a prank?”

“I don’t know. Mastopju said there would be something interesting.”

“Then, it must be a prank. I don’t know who it is, but young lady, you have my sympathy.”

The woman slowly brushed Sesenia’s hair. At that moment, as the woman was stroking Sesenia’s silky black hair, her expression changed. Everything about her stopped for a moment.

“Why are you…?”

“Oh… No. I just… Just remembered something.”

“Ah, I see. Anyway, thank you.”

Sesenia smiled as she brushed her own hair with her hand. The woman also awkwardly smiled in response. With somewhat common brown hair and blue eyes, the woman stared intently at Sesenia, who seemed to stand out strangely with her perfectly black hair and the woman’s gaze was returned by Sesenia.

Perhaps one of those helping with tasks in Mastop, her attire was not much different from others in this tent. The only difference was the ink on her hands and skirt.

“Oh my, my appearance… It’s shabby, isn’t it?”

“No, it’s not. Ink must be hard to erase… How did you get so much ink on you?”

It was strange. Sesenia had always found it difficult to make friends. She was treated as a nuisance in the Vestel estate, and there was no chance to meet anyone in particular. It was the same after becoming the Empress.

So, Sesenia, who had almost never had a comfortable conversation with someone she met for the first time, found today peculiar. A woman she had never seen before. Though familiar, the conversation with this woman she met for the first time was not difficult.

As if to inquire about her well-being as if she would ask about a living person.

“Ah… I write. But today, because of the wind blowing, ink got spilled like this.”

“Oh, are you a writer?”

“In a way… Yes.”

“I see…”

That was all. Sesenia enjoyed reading books, but she didn’t want to know about the author. What she was curious about was the story in the book, not the personal life of the person who wrote it.

If she was too concerned about the framework, she wouldn’t be able to fully enjoy the book. Knowing that, Sesenia didn’t ask any more questions.

Meanwhile, Rizbeth and Teddy came running to her.

“Master, are you okay?”
“Young lady…!! Are you hurt anywhere?”

“Yeah.”

“No, what kind of wind suddenly blows like that! Really… I don’t know how surprised I was.”

“Indeed. Then let’s go back.”

Rizbeth looked at Sesenia with a smirk.

“Mastop… No, didn’t they ask you to visit other tents? So, we should go…”

“I think this place was the destination.”

Only then did Rizbeth look at the woman in front of her. It was strange. Rizbeth, too, felt strangely familiar with the woman she was seeing. Comfortable yet uncomfortable. But there was nothing she remembered, nothing that came to mind.

As if preventing something from coming to mind. So, Rizbeth’s expression also stiffened.

“Ah… Who is this person?”

“I don’t know. Just felt like the destination was here. So let’s go. Since it doesn’t seem like there’s anything interesting here as that person mentioned. Excuse me, then.”

Sesenia bowed her head slightly to the woman in front of her.

“Oh. No, it’s not an inconvenience. Um… Young lady, can you tell me your name before you go?”

“My name?”

“Yes.”

“Sesenia Vestel.”

“I see.”

As if she had expected it, the woman smiled awkwardly.

“My name is… Pietà.”

“Have mercy. It’s an unusual name.”

“That’s right. It’s both my words to God and God’s words to me. Everyone says that to me.”

The puzzled woman smiled and took a step back.

“I hope to see you again, Sesenia.”

“Me too.”

That was the end of it. Sesenia didn’t delay any longer and returned to the carriage. And in the place where Sesenia had left, Pietà, holding the edge of her clothes, said, “Has your life become a little more… bearable, my dear.”

Like the wind scattering, her melancholy voice quickly disappeared. Tears filled her eyes. The weather, which had been fine just a moment ago, began to change rapidly, as if rain was about to fall immediately. Thick clouds filled the sky, like sad raindrops resembling someone’s tears.

“It looks like it’s going to rain. It was fine just a while ago.”

Rizbeth, sitting next to Sesenia, made a somewhat rough sound.

“Seems like it’s going to pour.”

Unlike the two worrying about the weather, Teddy stroked his head quite seriously.

“Teddy, are you okay?”

“Oh, yes… Master.”