Lacey had wished that she could be separate from Wayne. To stand upright on her own two feet and live in a way that wouldn’t cause him to worry. She shut her own desire to be with Wayne into a box and sealed it away, wishing only for his happiness.
They cared so much for each other, yet neither of them had realized that this was love.
This was the second time Lacey was crying and wailing in front of Wayne. As the two of them lay under the twinkling stars in a field that seemed to stretch on forever, this time, Wayne was able to hug her.
“This isn’t anything to cry over. Don’t cry. C’mon, don’t cry...”
But since he couldn’t wipe away her tears, he just let out a helpless murmur and pressed her tiny head against his chest. He smiled at her as she broke down, her shoulders twitching. He stroked Lacey’s head again and again. And he’d keep doing so.
∗ ∗ ∗
One day, Wayne stopped by Plume Village.
Once it gets warmer, Brooks will have lots of energy, so he might drop by soon, he thought as he headed to the mansion. Standing in front of the place was a boy he recognized.
He was taller than the last time they’d met. He must’ve been going through puberty. The cheerful, orange-haired boy with freckled cheeks was swinging a hammer and staking some kind of sign in front of Lacey’s mansion.
“Yo, Allen.”
“Hey, it’s Lacey’s boyfriend.” After replying, Allen stared dubiously at Wayne and tilted his head. “You’re definitely blond, right? Your hair doesn’t look black or brown to me...”
It was probably the effect of the concealment magic. “Never mind that. What are you doing there?” Wayne asked back.
“Oh, this is, uh...”
“Thanks, Allen. How’s it look?”
“Hey, big sis Lacey. It’s super-duper perfect. Take a look.”
Lacey had just opened the door and come out. “Wayne, you’re here?” She suddenly smiled with delight.
He had unintentionally compared her against Allen, but it seemed like Lacey had gotten a bit taller as well. Wayne suddenly felt a jolt near his heart and was confused by it. It shouldn’t be a surprise. She’s almost sixteen. Of course she’ll get taller. She was just too short before.
Completely unaware that what he’d just felt was a “flutter,” Wayne approached like usual and took a look at what Allen was proudly standing next to. The sign was engraved with “Anything Shop.” Below that was a word he hadn’t heard before.
Lacey caught Wayne’s gaze. “Um, I have money saved up from making sachets, so I decided I should use it on something...”
“You didn’t have to pay me for this. I’d be willing to make as many of these as you wanted for free.”
Lacey was usually thrifty. She’d probably come up with this after significant pondering.
Wayne was surprised by how much a single sign could change the vibe of the whole place. Much like the old Lacey, the mansion had an aura that spurned visitors. That had gradually cleared once Lacey started living in it, and now it was so bright and welcoming that it was as if the house had forgotten all about how it used to be.
“What’s this say?” The one flaw was that the sign was somewhat low. Wayne stooped down and pointed at the letters underneath the carved “Anything Shop” part.
Lacey blushed a little and put her hands together. “Um, well, Granny said that what’s important is how you move forward alongside a name, so I tried writing, um, a goal, of sorts...” She didn’t sound very self-assured. She was red to the tips of her ears.
In other words, this was the shop’s name.
“Why not? It’s pretty, and I think it suits you.”
“R-Really?”
“Yeah.”
“Could you guys stop ignoring me?” Then Allen murmured, “And besides, I’m the one who carved it.”
“Sorry!” Lacey hurriedly apologized, then reopened the mansion door. “Once again, Wayne, welcome. And good job, Allen. I’ve got tea and snacks made, so you can come on in if you like.”
“Score!” Allen sprang up and ran into the mansion as fast as he could go. When Wayne saw this, he started to have doubts that if he wasn’t careful, Allen might take his place as the mansion’s most frequent visitor.
Like usual, Tee was riding atop the boar, and the two of them were running around the field going “kwee kwee” and “grr-oink.” It was good to see them having fun. Wayne nodded and entered the mansion as well.
The cool breeze blowing through the room was probably Lacey’s magic. She’d gotten really flexible at using it.
“Um, Wayne? Actually...”
“Hm?”
“I know it’s late, but I’m writing letters.”
Wayne wasn’t so uncouth as to ask who she was writing to. He swiftly placed his palm on top of Lacey’s head. “I see. Things’ll be lively again when they get here.”
“Do you think they’ll come?”
“’Course they will. In fact, they’ll probably be a little angry. And they’ll get angry at me too and demand to know why we didn’t tell them,” he laughed with good humor.
Seeing this, Lacey lowered her eyes anxiously. “I wonder...”
Her fingers trembled a little as she addressed the letters. But of course, she didn’t have any regrets. With a mix of excitement and worry, she followed after Allen.
∗ ∗ ∗
Not too many days after Lacey sent the letters, they plunked into several mailboxes. It took a long time for one of the recipients to notice. As for the other one, someone informed her that the dragon post had arrived. She leaned her head and softly thanked the messenger.
She looked at the address label. She always received stacks of letters.
To the Saint of Light, Dana.
She didn’t recognize the handwriting. She received plenty of unnecessary letters, so she was inclined to toss it before checking the sender.
From anything shop Starseeking.
Again, she didn’t recognize the name. But strangely, her fingers unsealed it without hesitation. Her plump lips opened a little in surprise.
Then her mouth softened into a smile.
“Say, is it all right if I take a trip?”
While reveling in the exclamations of surprise, she eagerly made preparations for her journey. I’ve been so busy that I haven’t traveled anywhere in a while. Well then, what shall I bring? Her excitement grew as she packed her luggage.
One chance had brought forth another and then continued to proliferate.
Lacey didn’t know about the many precious connections that she would gain in the future, but she would steadily learn at a low-key pace.
Like walking across the glittering starry sky. One step at a time.