At the moment her words ended, the candle closest to them shuddered as if it would go out. Seeing the large, flickering shadows on the wall, Cedillo thought they resembled the hearts of both Meiana and himself.

A tangible but unreachable thing. Clearly visible when there is light, but disappearing when exposed to too much brightness. Shaking and swaying at different rhythms when the wind blows, laughs, and cries, but ultimately realizing there was no substance.

It felt like walking on parallel lines, Cedillo thought. There seemed to be an unbridgeable distance between Meiana and himself, extending far into the distance.

It was something both Meiana and himself had created. It was also something created by others, such as King Elmerat, Housekeeper Jocelyn, Lady Alt Fuhaku.

That invisible line had turned the hearts of the two into formless shadows. They moved together when the body moved, but couldn’t go anywhere alone. It couldn’t be cut off or sent anywhere.

He didn’t like that.

He didn’t want to be entangled there.

“You say that, but it’s a very important issue to me.”

“Why?”

“Why? You’ve already answered that.”

The candle flickered. It seemed that the window was not properly closed, and the wind was coming in from somewhere. Wavering dangerously, dancing like crazy, it eventually went out.

As one extinguished, the next one beside it seemed to wait, and it also dimmed. The shadow on the wall, which was drawn, gradually lost its shape as the light and shadows got smaller.

The two solid shadows that seemed to touch each other mercilessly crumbled, collapsed, and eventually became one lump.

“Because I love you.”

There was a sound as if someone were whistling. At the same time, Meiana’s vision became pitch dark. She wondered if she had lost consciousness for a moment, but it wasn’t that. It was just that the light had gone out.

In the darkness, she couldn’t distinguish her own body from others. She also couldn’t tell what she was touching. The only thing she could clearly feel was Cedillo’s breath getting closer. However, she couldn’t tell if she approached him or he approached her.

Cedillo spoke.

“Because I love you, Meiana Dawson.”

There was a shallow breath. Meiana knew that her hand was moving slowly and unintentionally. The trembling fingertips touched something solid like a wall. Then, from inside that wall, she felt a powerful resonance. It was his heartbeat.

“Do you understand?”

The trembling breath settled amid the silence.

Meiana said, “I think I do.”

The trembling became even closer. They felt each other’s breath mingling. They touched, pulled, entangled, and played uncontrollably. Like a whirlwind.

Look, Meiana thought. It didn’t disappear. It just hid. Avoiding the gaze, avoiding the unnecessary light that solidified the gap between the two shadows.

But there was no light here now. There was no gaze either. The moment she realized that there was no gap between him and herself, the water poured out and could never be turned back.

Just as Cedillo had done, this time Meiana pulled his hand to her chest. Cedillo’s fingers, which hesitated like a child touching soft foam for the first time, gently wrapped around her heart.

The surging waves changed direction slowly and, gradually, faster. Meiana grabbed the soft and sweet darkness as if it would seep into her fingertips, then used that hand to hold Cedillo’s shoulders again. To not sink. To breathe.

“Answer me, Meiana.”
Cedillo whispered. However, what came out of Meiana’s mouth was not words. It was an external sound, a faint cry that seemed like it would disappear at any moment, like a thin light.

“As you desired me, did you also desire me?”

Meiana thought that he seemed to be navigating inside her body. Rowing, touching the waves, unhesitatingly flowing towards the destination along the waterway visible only in Cedillo’s eyes.

“I did.”

She said.

“I wanted you.”

That was the end. Meiana could no longer say anything. Cedillo was the same.

The night reflected in the blurry view was as ecstatic as if it wanted to turn away.

“Don’t want to get up.”

Arianthe murmured, crouching in the cave as if hiding. Ibi, who had prepared water for washing, clothes to wear, ribbons, and shoes, looked expressionless at Vainti.

Vainti said, “Why do you always look at me with that expression? Do you have any complaints?”

Ibi replied, “No, Lady Vainti. I have no complaints. I just asked with my eyes how to deal with the awkwardness.”

“If that’s an awkward expression, I don’t want to think about a non-awkward expression, kid. Oh, Lady! It’s midday! Aren’t you going to have breakfast? You’ve been avoiding it since the ban on going out!”

The sheet, which seemed like a round hill, moved as if it were shaking, and Arianthe poked her head out. With a bony expression and messy hair.

“Foolish Vainti. Cicada shell.”

Vainti chuckled.

“It might be a cicada shell.”

“No! It’s a cicada shell. I don’t want to get up. I’m sleepy.”