Debra handed wine cups to the bashful newlyweds and raised her own cup high.

“May the master of Growen look kindly upon the land of summer. Let us all give thanks to the master of dragon blood and raise our glasses in fervent celebration!”

With a thunderous cheer, everyone raised their cups toward Raymond and Yerpi.

“To Growen! To summer!”

“To summer!”

Clinking glasses echoed amid the wave of cheers, creating a fresh burst of excitement.

It was astonishing to see so many people raising their cups toward her and Raymond.

Though they were still on official visit, today was a day to fully enjoy and drink their fill.

Raymond extended his cup. Their glasses clinked lightly, producing a cheerful sound. As the wine touched her lips, a pleasant fragrance tingled her nose.

‘Delicious.’

It was a cool, sweet fruit wine. So delicious that after a few more sips, warmth flushed her cheeks.

It felt almost like a beverage, yet the alcohol content seemed stronger than expected.

Naturally, her tension eased and her mood lifted. The people of summer were reveling in joy.

Watching others play in the water, she too felt the urge to join them.

“You seem a little drunk.”

“Don’t be silly. My cheeks are just a bit flushed. Ah, I want to go into the water.”

Yerpi shook her head and stepped into the pool. Raymond steadied her slightly wobbly body and entered the water with her.

“It’s refreshing.”

The water was perfectly cool, instantly lifting her spirits.

The once-passionate music had now softened to a lively but gentle rhythm. Under the moonlight, Yerpi playfully splashed water at Raymond.

“Cold, isn’t it?”

She would never have dreamed of such mischief before. Was this why people called alcohol the magic that brings freedom?

But overindulgence was always to be avoided. As she reached for another cup, Raymond tried to take it away.

“I’m not drunk yet.”

“Wait just a moment…!”

A series of splashes drenched Raymond’s clothes and the cup he was about to take.

Inside the rippling cup, the full moon shimmered. Sighing, he gave up on taking the cup.

“Just one more cup.”

“Yes.”

Seeing her obediently agree, he couldn’t help but smile, as if she were a well-behaved child.

Even if the wine wasn’t her true goal, simply sharing this moment with him made her happy.

The music that had announced the festival gradually softened, and the lighting dimmed to a gentle glow.

Under the pure white moonlight, the people of summer danced—lovers, parents with children,

and friends sharing bonds deeper than love, all wearing joyful smiles.

Their unrestrained, spontaneous dancing suited the name “summer night” perfectly.

Her flushed cheek reflected in the wine cup. Yerpi reached out her hand to him.

“Shall we dance together?”

In the central social circles, a woman had to wait silently for a man to invite her to dance. It was considered shameful for a woman to make the first move.

But not here. The land of Growen had gifted her with freedom.

“Yes.”

Raymond took her hand. There was no need to leave the water. The two began to dance waist-deep in the pool.

Following his lead, stepping on submerged tiles, the fabric wrapped around her swayed gently with the water. The tingling, pleasant sensation continued in rhythm with their slow dance.

Placing her hand on his chest, she felt his heartbeat. Dancing so close, feeling each other’s pulse, was like life itself.

It feels like a dream, she thought.

“Feels like a dream.”

For a moment, she thought her own thoughts had slipped out loud.

Unaware that Raymond was feeling the exact same way.

“I thought you would hate me.”

At those words, Yerpi gave a bitter smile.

“I didn’t expect anything.”

A marriage sold into bondage, a future with a known ending. Could anything be worse than this?

She was already rushing toward a future already decided. Toward an ending known to her alone in this world.

Remembering this, a bitter taste filled her mouth. Yet the gaze they shared was so sweet, it made the distant and uncertain future fade away.

“This is the first time I’ve ever danced with someone. I was too shy to enter high society.”

She had vaguely assumed she’d never dance with anyone else ever again.

“Same for me.”

“Huh?”

Before she could respond, Raymond’s face caught her eye. Moonlight outlined his profile like a sharp cliff beneath the moon.

‘Maybe I can understand, but why him?’

She had always believed Raymond’s life was perfect—unlike her own, which had been dismissed as madness due to confusion between past and present lives. But that wasn’t true.

“My parents always favored my elder brother. They never expected me to become the next Grand Duke. And neither did I. I never thought he would pass before me.”

He had lived as his brother’s shadow. His face, as he confessed this, remained calm and detached.

Her knowledge of Raymond came entirely from the life story of the person named Yerpi.

But the Raymond standing before her now was someone different. She couldn’t predict his past or even his present.

Yet on this night, where so much remained unknown between them, the two of them were perfectly in sync.

“So we’re both debutantes in high society.”

Knowing a predetermined end didn’t mean she had to give up on everything.

That was why she was moving forward, seeking a new path. And Raymond was walking it with her.

The calm music slowly increased in tempo.

Just like their heartbeats.

Just like the flowing moonlight, their dance deepened.

Dante, having thoroughly enjoyed his ice-made bed, spotted them.

Thinking he was the only one left out of the water play, he leapt energetically toward Yerpi.

“Dante, wait a moment!”

Though the height might have been safe for an adult, it wasn’t for a young dragon. Yerpi staggered backward as she hurried to catch the child.

Raymond swiftly wrapped an arm around her waist and used his other hand to catch Dante mid-air.

Her body tilted sharply backward from the unexpected weight. Their distance was now dangerously close—perhaps even closer than during their dance.

Her lips, tilted toward him, met his.

Lips soaked in moonlight tasted like a night in early summer.

No words were needed. It happened naturally.

This was the domain of summer, where many guests from each of the other seasons had also been invited.

People watching the couple kiss under the moonlight broke into exclamations.

“Goodness, I thought both of them were shy.”

“Turns out they’re quite passionate.”

The rumor that the Grand Duchess had fallen off a cliff and landed on a haystack had been famous across all seasonal domains.

But now it seemed all just baseless gossip. Everyone whispered among themselves, agreeing that some things could only be understood when seen firsthand.

Some envied them, others admired them. What everyone agreed on was that love shone clearly in the eyes of the Grand Duke and Duchess.

Thus, the heated night of celebration slowly came to an end.

***

It was the early dawn, before the first light of day.

The soft bed cradled her entire body. But when she turned over, a headache struck as if an earthquake had hit.

“Ugh. My head hurts.”

Her first hangover was strong enough to jolt her out of deep sleep.

She couldn’t remember how she’d returned to the guesthouse.

Raymond must have brought her back—but the space beside her in bed was empty.

Looking around, she saw Dante snoring on the sofa cushion. But Raymond was nowhere in sight.

“Where did he go?”

Rubbing her eyes, Yerpi got up from the bed.

It was too bright for a pre-dawn morning. The source of light came from outside the window.

“Why is it so bright…?”

As Yerpi approached the window, her words trailed off. Beyond the guesthouse wall, a line of torches was moving in formation.

The murmuring noise that accompanied them was clearly unusual. Her hangover-stricken mind suddenly snapped into clarity.

Yerpi quickly put on her shoes and rushed outside.

The torches belonged to the knights of the summer domain, just returning to the estate. But that wasn’t all. The people welcoming them were ones she recognized.

“Raymond? Even Debra…?”

Beyond the open gate, Raymond’s figure came into view. His face, standing beside Debra, looked deliberately serious.

As he received a report, Debra’s expression grew increasingly grim. She ran a hand over her face and clenched her teeth.

“Sehera is missing.”

Sehera Core. She was Debra’s eldest daughter and the future heir who would lead the summer domain.

For the first time, news had arrived that Sehera, who guarded the烈 desert, had been swallowed by abnormal phenomena in that region.