Chapter 64
The sun rose over the horizon, bathing the Mebyum Inland Sea in gold. The newborn sun shone down on Merka Island as well, lighting the window of the Radick mansion halfway up the mountain. The light streaming through the window reached the bed and tickled the face of the woman dozing beneath the covers.
Disturbed by the morning sunlight, the woman tried to escape by curling up like a cat. Her flaxen hair was tousled across the sheets, while her chestnut nightclothes peeked out from beneath the covers. But the sunlight mischievously illuminated her face as she tried to keep sleeping.
Her long, lowered lashes trembled at the sun's teasing. In one last act of resistance, her drowsiness made her frown, but at last she yielded to morning, and her icy-blue eyes opened.
"Morning already..."
I blinked my sleep-blurred eyes several times. As my vision gradually cleared, I saw the ceiling and the window beneath it. Beyond the glass stretched the sea, continuing as far as the eye could see.
I lay on the sheets, gazing blankly at the sea outside the window. This was the Radick mansion, Captain Maurice's home. At first, I had intended to stay at an inn on Merka Island. But Captain Maurice had invited me to stay at his house, and I had already been imposing on him for five days.
I had grown used to the view from this window. Even so, I liked this time each morning, when I could gaze out at the sea in a daze.
I wanted to stay like that forever, but that wasn't possible. I sat up in bed and reached out with my right arm, stretching as far as I could. Then I exhaled and looked around the room.
Perhaps because it was a room for female guests, it contained a fine vanity beside a clothes stand with a red jacket hanging from it, in addition to the large bed and the desk and chair for work.
I slipped out of bed and placed my bare feet on the red carpet covering the floor.
When I went to the desk, I found a large washbasin filled with water. Paula-san had brought it the night before. A clean towel lay beside it, and next to that, a blouse, trousers, and socks had been neatly folded.
I scooped water into my hands and washed my face, then carefully dried it with the towel. After placing the towel on the desk, I took hold of my chestnut nightclothes and took them off.
Among nobles, it was customary to have a lady's maid help one change clothes. However, I had no trained maid around me. Besides, I disliked having others help me change, so I dressed myself.
Once I removed my nightclothes, my sun-browned skin and pale-pink underwear were exposed. I felt a chill as my skin met the air. I quickly picked up the blouse on the desk, slipped my arms into its sleeves, and fastened the buttons one by one. Then I put on my socks and black trousers.
Once I had put on everything but my jacket, I went to the vanity, where a small round stool had been placed.
The vanity was fronted by a mirror, and several combs and brushes, along with a triangular hair clip, had been placed on its surface. A shelf for small items had been installed beside the mirror, and cosmetics such as rouge and perfume were kept there as well.
I sat on the round stool, picked up a brush, and ran it through my flaxen hair. Since I took care of it regularly, the brush passed all the way to the ends without snagging.
After brushing my hair several times, I stared at the brush. A girl named Ann, whose face bore burn scars, came to mind. Her hair had been so unkempt that I could not tell when she had last run a comb through it.
I idly rolled the handle of the brush around in my hand.
After a while, I resumed brushing my hair. Once it was thoroughly groomed, I gathered it at the back while looking in the mirror. Then I picked up the triangular hair clip from the vanity and used it to pin back my bangs.
In front of the mirror, I checked several times to make sure my hair and clothes were not out of place. Once I had confirmed that I looked like my usual self, I took the red jacket from the clothes stand. As I put on the red jacket, which I still wasn't used to wearing, I took out the pocket watch I had used for many years. I wound it while checking the time and saw that both the hour and minute hands pointed to six.
There was still time before breakfast.
I could have worked on what I had brought with me, but the timing was a little awkward. When I looked outside, the morning sun was shining and birdsong drifted through the air. It was a good time for a walk.
When I opened my door and stepped into the hallway, I saw several doors lining the corridor. This was the guest-room section of the Radick mansion. The rooms directly across from and beside mine housed the guests' servants and guards. My room was a double, while Paula-san used the room to my right by herself. The three rooms across from mine were occupied, from left to right, by Al and Ray, Borel and Gatt, and Zeze and Jini.
Normally, I should have taken a guard with me on my walk, but I felt bad making them cater to my whim. Since I was only going for a short stroll, I decided I would be fine on my own and slipped out of the mansion.
As soon as I left the mansion, the fresh morning air enveloped me along with the sunlight. I drew in a deep breath. The cold air of early morning flowed into my lungs.
I breathed out softly and looked around.
The Radick mansion stood halfway up the mountain, and the cobblestone path in front of it ran left and right. To the left, it climbed toward the mountaintop, while the one to the right descended toward the harbor. But I chose neither route and proceeded straight ahead, crossing the path.
A waist-high stone wall stood beyond the path, separating it from the mountain. A single lily-of-the-valley flower had been plucked and left atop the wall. When I approached the flower, I saw that an acorn had been placed beside its petals.
When I picked up the acorn, it felt light, and I realized that it was hollow inside. I pressed my fingers against it, and the acorn split open, revealing a small, folded scrap of paper.
I unfolded the paper. The only words written inside were: Everything is going smoothly.
Seeing the brief message, I smiled with satisfaction. Just then, I heard footsteps climbing the slope, accompanied by someone breathing heavily.
I tucked the scrap of paper into my jacket pocket and turned my attention toward the approaching figure.
The one coming up the slope was Al, his red hair bright against the morning light. He had run up the steep slope, panting heavily and streaming with sweat. His clothes were soaked through, as though he had been running for a long time.
"Huh? Captain Rome...lia? What are you doing... here?"
Al looked at me, barely able to catch his breath.
"Just taking a morning walk. Are you training, Al?"
"Yes... I am. I mean, if you're going outside, please take guards with you. Borel and Gatt... were in their room, weren't they?"
"I'm fine."
"No, you aren't... I've noticed some strange looks lately..."
Al warned me while still panting. Then he drew in a deep breath and composed himself.
"If you're going to continue your walk, let's head up. The view is nice, and the others are training up there too."
Al indicated the mountaintop with his chin, sweat dripping from it. It might indeed make for a good walk.