Summer was an exceptionally kind child. One who had spent her whole life trying to meet the world’s expectations. That’s why she crumbled more easily.

With one finger-pointing from the world, she felt like she had lost everything, and with its insidious praise, she soared above the sky.

“My lady. Nothing is more precious than you.”

“……”

But Mary, why do you say such things? As if it doesn’t matter if I fail at everything and am not the god you expected. Making me misunderstand.

Summer, who had been covering her face with both hands, slowly lowered them.

Mary’s blind affection towards her was overwhelming.

“My lady. Listen to me carefully.”

“……”

“You can create the world.”

“What if I’m just a worthless nobody……”

“You saw it with your own eyes. The power of creation you possess. There are too many beings in this world in the same situation as me.”

“……”

“Dust. Bit players. Something like that.”

“I……”

“Call out their names.”

“……”

“Gently call out their names, the ones they’ve forgotten. That’s enough for us.”

Mary smiled strangely, with a face holding back tears.

Summer, seeing Mary looking so fragile as if she might disappear, instinctively reached out and embraced her.

“I will. I definitely will.”

Names. Summer had lost her name when she came to this world.

Wanting to return to her original world was ultimately about finding her lost name.

Summer slowly released Mary from her embrace.

Mary was crying. Dropping clear tears.

“Mary. You must have had a hard time too.”

Summer wiped Mary’s tears with her thumb. The tears were lukewarm. Like proof that Mary was alive.

“My lady……”

“Let’s call out the names of everyone in the mansion, at least before dawn breaks.”

“……”

“I need your help with something.”

Summer rummaged through the desk drawer, took out a notebook and pen, and handed them to Mary.

“As I call out their names, you write them down here. So they won’t disappear again.”

Summer took Mary’s hand and led her. Mary followed Summer, holding the notebook and pen in one hand.

Summer started calling out names to the maids she encountered as she walked quickly down the corridor.

“Hello, Joy!”

“Hello, my lady. Have a good night.”

“Hello, Bell!”

“Hello.”

“Hello, Luna.”

“Good night, my lady.”

Each time Summer called out their names as she passed by, their faint existence became clearer and bubbled up.

Clear images of people appeared after Summer passed. They greeted Summer with good night wishes as she brushed past them.

The corridor, once filled with a chilly air, became noisy with people’s voices.

“Hello, Philip.”

“It’s a beautiful night, my lady.”

Everyone, without exception, recognized Summer accurately and looked at her. And they smiled back at Summer.

Mary followed behind Summer, sobbing. While diligently writing down their names, she kept wiping away her tears.

It was a dream. The most unrealistic and most longed-for dream Mary had ever had.

Seeing it happen before her very eyes was much more overwhelming than she had imagined.

“Ah. Wait a moment.”

Summer, having gone through the entire mansion, suddenly seemed to remember someone and dashed out the door, crossing the garden.

Mary hurriedly followed Summer but stopped in her tracks when she saw the building.

“Grandfather!”

“…My lady?”

The coachman, who had been looking after the horses, looked at Summer with a puzzled face.

Summer, panting heavily, asked.

“Grandfather, I’d like to know your name.”

“My name is Jack, my lady.”

“Jack, Grandfather Jack.”

“Yes. But what brings you here at this hour, oh my goodness.”

Jack quickly grabbed a napkin and handed it to Summer.

Only then did Summer touch her cheek. She was crying. Not from sadness.

“Thank you.”

Summer sniffled as she took the napkin and wiped her tears.

“Did something happen?”

“No, grandfather. I just wanted to thank you. If it weren’t for you, I would have gone mad much earlier.”

Summer smiled, her eyes crinkling beautifully. She felt relieved.

To the point where she thought she could say farewell now.

Behind Summer, dawn was breaking. Summer, smiling in the blue light, was shining more brilliantly than any summer.

Mary and Summer circled the mansion several times to make sure they hadn’t missed anyone.

By the time they returned to the room, breakfast time had already passed.

Completely exhausted, the two bid each other a brief goodbye with their eyes before retiring to their respective chambers.

Summer rolled over once on the bed. Beautiful baby angels were painted on the ceiling.

“It’s almost a cultural heritage.”

Summer giggled, making a silly remark. Her body was tired, but her mind was wide awake.

It was because the afterglow hadn’t faded yet. Above all, from outside the window, she could hear people’s murmuring voices.

The giggles of a young maid, the chef’s gruff voice checking incoming ingredients, even the chatty conversations of the laundry maids.

Summer lay with her arms spread wide, happily closing her eyes. If only she could open her eyes in the original world with exactly this feeling.

Summer tried to picture her real family in her mind.

She couldn’t even remember the faces of her friends now, only a vague sense of their existence remained. She couldn’t recall the names and faces of her family either.

Now, she had to strain to even faintly recall the vague form of her mother.

“Mom……”

I wonder if you’re doing well. When I go to that world, I’ll naturally regain my name. They’ll find their names, and I’ll go to find mine too.

For that to happen, she needed to find a way for them not to disappear even after she left.

“What, black hair. Haven’t you slept yet?”

“You really came.”

“Of course.”

Fei hopped into the room and plopped down on Summer’s bed.

“You seem quite happy? I thought you’d be gloomy.”

The voice saying that was the one that sounded gloomy.

“Because there’s only one day left. More importantly, Fei.”

“Yes?”

“If I return to my original world, will Mary die?”

“The maid who’s stuck to your side?”

“Yes.”

“Rather than dying, she’ll return to her original state. Like a ghost.”

The voice explaining was calm. As if explaining the fact that ice melts into water.

Summer thought that Fei, who was indifferent to the issue of someone’s existence and disappearance, seemed a bit witch-like.

“Is there… no way to prevent it?”

“No. You absolutely have to be in this world.”

“That’s……”

The corridor outside was a bit noisy. But Summer, with her mind going blank from Fei’s words, couldn’t hear that sound.

Fei glanced towards the door as she continued speaking.

“It seems she’s pulled quite a cute stunt to try and keep you here. Wake up. You’re going back, and the world will return to its original state.”

“My lady.”

Interrupting Fei’s words, Mary’s prim voice cut in. Only then did Summer grasp the situation.

The open door, maids gathered behind Mary. They all had innocent, sparkling eyes, not knowing what was going on.

Summer’s face gradually contorted. She couldn’t protect them. Neither in that world nor in this one, Summer felt herself to be incompetent.

“I……”

“They wanted to meet you. Please forgive us.”

“My lady! Hello, I’m Lia!”

She remembered. It was the first child she had succeeded with. Summer approached the gathered maids and greeted them one by one.

Fei watched this scene with an irritated gaze, while Mary quietly observed Fei.

“Witch.”

Mary secretly approached Fei while glancing at Summer and the maids chatting amicably.

Fei, puffing up like a hissing cat, snapped irritably.

“Don’t talk to me. I’m annoyed to death.”

“I know the despair in your lightness.”

“Don’t act like you know. Before I turn you into a frog.”

“You’ve reached your limit, haven’t you?”

“……”

Fei inhaled sharply, looking as if she’d been caught off guard. It was true.

From the beginning, the power Fei had been using was the remnants of holy power. The leftovers after the god had taken away her power.

Moreover, she had almost exhausted it flying up to the roof with Summer last time.

“Are you confident you can safely send the lady back?”

“…What?”

“I asked if you’re confident.”

Fei had to think for a moment about Mary’s intention.

She couldn’t understand. Doesn’t that maid want to keep Summer here? Then why is she asking such a question?

Does she know something and is testing me? Or is she really willing to accept her own disappearance for Summer’s happiness?

Or both?

Well. It didn’t matter either way. Summer would return anyway. And the world would find stability. That was Fei’s role.

“Of course. Even if it means using up my last bit of power.”

“What happens when you use up all your power?”

“I die, what else?”

Fei spoke of her own death as if it were someone else’s business and exhaled a nonchalant breath.

Mary’s attitude of acting like she knew something really irked her. No, it was beyond irritation, it twisted her insides.

The fact that she had that appearance resembling her own brilliant past and maintained such a proud attitude as if she would live like that forever. It was unbearably infuriating.

“Hey, maid.”

“……”

“You can see it too, right? The black hair.”

“Yes.”

“Aren’t you going to hold her back? She looks like she’d fall for it completely if you tried now.”

Fei glanced at Summer’s face once and sneered.

Instead of falling for Fei’s provocation, Mary brushed past Fei and approached Summer.

“Come on. We have to work.”

“I’m sad to go. Can we come visit again tomorrow?”

As Mary pushed the maids out the door, they looked at Summer with eyes full of regret.

Summer nodded as if it were obvious, then declined with an awkward expression.

“Of course. Ah. I guess tomorrow won’t work.”

Because I have to go back. Swallowing the last words, Summer smiled bitterly.

Mary sent all the maids out and closed the door with a thud.

“My lady. There’s something I want to ask.”

“Hm? Me?”

“My lady. Do you really want to go back?”

“How many times do I have to answer? Of course I want to go back. That’s the real world.”

“And you remember that world well?”

“…That’s.”

As Summer hesitated, trying to spit out the last words, Mary’s bland question hit her from behind.

“No matter what form you might take in the original world?”