Epilogue
AS my second spring in Solalitika arrived, I received a letter from Airia and her supervisor. The contents differed drastically from prior missives and warmed my heart with relief. Clumsy as it was, her letters showed signs of growth.
Airia was working at one of Lucas’s sewing factories southeast of the royal capital. Instead of educating her as a lady, I thought it was best for her to learn a skill and mingle with the rest of society so she could learn how to live while working. Since girls of similar age from around the kingdom would gather at the factory, I thought it was a good way to stimulate her because she’d start without any friends.
She couldn’t blend in with the crowd at first, but now she could do the bare minimum and had gotten used to living in the dorms. If she could grow and become independent, I would feel a lot better as her older sister.
Mikhail had been arrested again. Lucas tracked him for a while, but my former fiancé had been cut off by the first prince’s faction and expunged from high society. Lucas told me nothing further about him after that. The dogs who had betrayed the first prince’s faction would work on Lucas’s merchant vessels until matters died down.
“My silver hair doesn’t stand out overseas, so it’s much easier.”
“If I ever return home, I’d have to dye my hair, but I feel free and happier.”
And with that, they left the port with a bit of pep in their step.
Just as I was thinking that everything had settled down, one afternoon, Lucas invited me to see the ocean.
I changed into a less formal, light dress with a flap collar and followed him. He led me to an unmaintained beach away from the port. In contrast to the rowdy parts of the harbor, the sea here was calm and quiet, away from all the people.
The spring breeze brushed against the surface of the water, and the emerald sea was so clear and beautiful that I could see the depths even from a carriage. The fine grains of sand made a beautiful shore as the crabs and waterfowl left their footprints behind.
“No one comes here, so even if you show your legs a little, no one will see,” Lucas said, leading me ahead.
I descended the stairs from the stone-paved road and took off my shoes. When he pulled me ahead, I gingerly stepped into the water.
“Eep!” I cried, the cold waves washing over my bare feet.
“Is this the first time you’ve entered the ocean?” Lucas asked.
He’d already removed his shoes and rolled up his pants. He seemed used to this as I clung onto him with both hands, excitedly feeling the waves on my feet.
“Yes,” I replied. “Recently, some aristocratic ladies have started going into the ocean as an outing, but I’ve never…”
While he supported me, I couldn’t help but be surprised by the sensation of my feet in the water. Lucas laughed at me with delight. Every time the waves came in, the sand glided between my toes, and my ankles felt comfortably cold.
“The bottom of my feet feels a little ticklish,” I observed.
“There are seashells around here. You could get hurt if you step on them, so be careful,” he replied.
“I see. Ah, look, a crab.”
I gazed at my feet and saw a crab scuttling around. I slowly got used to the water and stared below the surface, making out shellfish, seaweed, small fish, and rocky terrain.
“So beautiful,” I murmured, the words tumbling out of my mouth.
The skies and ocean continued endlessly, and the ship that sailed in the distance was nothing more than a small dot. I took a deep breath, getting a taste of how vast the world was. When I turned to Lucas beside me, he was gazing at me with squinted eyes.
“You’re amazing, Lucas,” I said. “You know about the lands beyond this sea. You must be seeing a different world than I am.”
He was so brilliant in my eyes as I again gazed at the horizon. I quietly lost myself in my thoughts. Just what kind of man is Lucas’s father? Why did he come to this kingdom? What caused Lucas to be born and end up holding my hands like this? Had even a single cog gone awry, we may have never met.
“Iris?” Lucas called as I fell silent.
I was about to say that it was nothing when something scuttled across my feet.
“Eek!” I reflexively pulled my foot away and lost my balance.
I tugged Lucas down with me, and we both fell into the shallow water. We were soaked and quietly stared at each other in shock.
“Iris, are you okay?” he asked.
“I am. I-I’m sorry I got you wet…”
“Ha ha ha! This is the second time we’ve tripped together!”
My husband rolled up his drenched sleeves as he let out a hearty laugh. I felt guilty, but when he laughed, happiness filled my heart, and I giggled with him.
“Goodness, even our faces are wet.” I wiped away the sea spray.
Suddenly, Lucas’s face neared mine. Before I knew it, his lips brushed against my own. He licked his lips as he chuckled.
“Salty,” he said.
“I’d guess as much,” I replied.
I saw myself reflected in his amber eyes. He was so beautiful that my heart panged with guilt—I was monopolizing his gaze. Lucas stared at me for a while before he grimaced and spoke out loud to himself.
“I shouldn’t have kissed you back then,” he said. “If I were to kiss you in front of others, it should’ve been during a better moment.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked.
“During your abduction.”
“Ah…” I thought back and remembered that it may have been the first time we’d kissed in front of others.
“I wanted to show the world that you’re mine, Iris,” he said sulkily like a child.
“I think they know that very well,” I replied with a smile.
“You think so?”
“Of course. Since…”
I trailed off, realizing I’d said a bold lie back then. Lucas wasn’t there, and it was to unnerve my former fiancé, but I can’t believe I said it…
“Hm? What’s wrong?” my husband asked quizzically.
“Er…” I replied, falling silent.
Lucas looked at me sternly, clasping my shoulders and peering into my face. Feeling bashful, I couldn’t meet his eyes, but my attitude worried him even more.
“Did he do something?” Lucas asked. “Did he force you to say something? Tell me.”
“I-I-I, um, well…it’s very, quite…shameless…”
“Shameless?!”
His voice carried a hint of anger. When I finally looked at him, his amber eyes had a fiery glare to them. Oh no… If I keep hiding it, I’ll only make him worry.
“Um, well, I told my former fiancé he shouldn’t assume you and I were still in a mariage blanc… That’s all,” I managed to say.
Lucas was silent for a moment before he said, “Huh?”
“I-I’m sorry. I know it was quite shameless of me! You’ve been so gentlemanly with me, and yet I implied…”
I was so embarrassed that I tried to look away, but he grabbed my chin. Before I knew it, he placed his lips over mine. His amber eyes were so close to mine as he gazed at me, and I shut my eyes, unable to hide my embarrassment.
“Heh…” Lucas murmured.
His kiss was a little rough as the salty taste of the sea slowly melted away. After he released me, I gingerly opened my eyes and saw Lucas, his face and ears red, while he sighed deeply and caressed my face.
“Lucas?” I asked.
“Those were the best words you could’ve said to him. But give me a break… I-It took me a year to finally…kiss you, you know…”
“I-I apologize for my irresponsible remarks. I didn’t even receive your consent to say them. Other than my former fiancé, only ‘dogs’ were around, so I don’t think rumors will spread.”
Lucas fixedly stared at me before he clicked his tongue and extended his hand. “It might be spring, but you can still catch a cold. And I won’t be able to resist the temptation much longer. Let’s go.”
“Temptation?” I asked.
“Don’t think about it. It’s nothing.”
“A-All right…”
He pulled my left hand and helped me stand. We continued to hold hands as we walked barefoot along the beach. When I stopped and turned around, I saw our two sets of footprints in a straight line behind us. The waves were shimmering under the afternoon sun.
“Iris?” Lucas said.
“Nothing,” I replied, shaking my head with a smile.
We again walked forward together, feeling the ticklish sand under our feet.
“I was just taking in how happy I am,” I said.
“I get it,” Lucas replied. “Will you stay by my side from now on?”
“If you will allow me, I shall happily do so.”
Like a brace of partridges, we enjoyed our time of peaceful happiness together, by each other’s side. We never doubted that we could always live like this, our hands interlocked with each other.