Arthur wept in Serena's lap.
The sound of his sobs was unfamiliar to her ears—strange, unnatural, especially considering they had only just met. Serena gently stroked Arthur's hair, still unable to grasp the reason behind his tears.
"Why are you crying?" she asked softly.
Arthur didn't answer. His body remained still in her embrace, as if seeking a warmth he had never felt before. Serena stopped asking. There was something in that embrace—a comfort so profound that it rendered her motionless, as if hypnotized by an unseen wound.
The midday sun climbed higher, its light streaming through the bedroom window, slowly pushing back the shadows in the room where they sat. Serena rose from the bed and dressed in a simple outfit—not what one would expect from someone of noble blood. She preferred practicality, even if her status suggested otherwise.
She walked down the sunlit corridor, her steps light but her mind weighed down by memories of the previous night. At the end of the hall, she spotted the door to her study—a room she often used for work. Gently pushing it open, she found Arthur already seated at her desk, intently focused on a stack of documents.
Arthur glanced up and greeted her with a faint smile.
"You came. How are you feeling?"
Serena hesitated at the doorway, half-hidden behind it. But remembering Arthur's earlier embrace—warm and without judgment—she slowly stepped inside.
"As you can see, I'm fine," she replied, avoiding his gaze.
"Liar," Arthur said flatly. "If you were fine, your eye bags wouldn't look that bad."
Startled, Serena instinctively turned to the mirror in the room. Sure enough, her eyes looked puffy and tired.
"This… is normal, right?" she tried to play it off casually.
"Normal? That's way beyond just lack of sleep."
Arthur sighed, stood up, and stared at her for a moment.
"You're working too much. Go outside. Enjoy yourself."
He gently nudged Serena toward the door, but she resisted.
"But all those documents are my responsibility," she said, worried.
Arthur didn't budge. With a flick of magic, he locked the door from the inside, leaving Serena outside.
Unwilling to give up, Serena got creative. She sneaked around to the backyard and inspected the study window. Just as she suspected, it was still unlocked. With a bit of wind magic, she floated inside.
"Whew, finally made it in." Serena grinned in satisfaction, but her smile vanished the moment she heard a familiar voice.
"What are you doing?" Arthur asked from his seat, his expression indifferent but clearly not surprised.
Flustered, Serena tried to explain. But before she could finish, Arthur raised a hand and used magic to throw her out—right into the bushes.
Grunting, Serena stood up and tried to get in again, but Arthur had already cast a barrier on the window. Realizing there was no other way in, she gave up. Annoyed but secretly relieved, she decided to walk off and enjoy the day—something that had felt foreign to her for a long time.
Though a part of her still worried about the unfinished work, she knew Arthur had given her something incredibly rare—a chance to breathe.
---
Downtown Mira
The town was quiet. Buildings stood tall and firm, but few people roamed the streets. Only a few elderly folks sat on park benches, and a handful of young people strolled lazily by. Street lamps and polished marble paths weren't enough to draw in tourists.
Serena walked along the main road and entered an old-fashioned clothing shop. A bell above the door chimed as she pushed the slightly heavy wooden door open.
"Welcome—oh? Serena!" A young woman emerged from behind a curtain and instantly hugged her tightly.
"I missed you, sweetheart. Last time you came was… last year, right?"
"Yeah, I missed you too, Aun—" Serena didn't finish before the woman cut her off.
"Shh! Not 'aunt.' Just Saya."
Serena chuckled. "Alright, Sister Saya."
"What brings you here?" Saya asked while quickly clearing a cluttered table covered in fabric.
"I don't have any work today. So I thought... why not take a little walk?"
Serena helped her tidy up the scattered fabric. They cleaned the store together while chatting. Laughter filled the room. For a moment, Serena forgot everything—her status, her responsibilities, even the man who had helped her stand back up.
"By the way, who was that guy?" Saya asked suddenly, eyes full of curiosity.
"He's nobody," Serena answered quickly. "Seriously."
Saya stared at her for a moment, but Serena shifted the conversation.
"More importantly, how's the shop doing? Any progress?"
"Ugh, you've gone back into work mode," Saya groaned. "You were just starting to relax."
Serena gave an awkward smile. "I'm not used to relaxing. It feels... strange."
"Yeah, yeah… I know," Saya sighed. "But sometimes, stop being that superwoman. You need time for yourself, Serena."
The day wore on. After spending hours talking, Serena said her goodbyes. She left the store with several bags of clothing in hand, her face looking brighter than before.
"I only meant to buy one outfit," she murmured with a small laugh, "but somehow ended up with an entire set."
Her steps light, the evening breeze greeted her outside the shop. Amid the quietness of Mira, for the first time, Serena felt at peace—not because her work was done, not because her duties were fulfilled, but because she had allowed herself to simply live… even just for a while.
---
Night had fallen.
Serena walked wearily toward her study. Standing before the door, she took a deep breath, bracing herself as she opened it slowly, afraid Arthur might kick her out again.
But Arthur was nowhere to be seen. She glanced around—no sign he had left just moments ago.
"Where did he go?" she muttered, walking toward the desk covered in documents.
"Huh? What's this?" Serena was surprised by what she read.
One document stated that weapon supplies would no longer be sent to the battlefield in the coming days, and alongside it was a ceasefire proposal, already prepared and signed. Worry clouded Serena's face.
She checked the other documents—many carried the same message. Special requests for the war, food distribution, weapons, even orders for troop withdrawals.
Panicked, Serena accidentally dropped the documents. Papers flew everywhere. Her anxiety rising, she rushed to gather them all.
With a whisper of wind magic, the scattered pages returned to the desk—unnoticed by her, one sheet fluttered away down the hallway.
That lone document drifted freely along the corridor… until Arthur appeared and caught it.
Feeling relieved that all the papers were back in place, Serena hurried out to find Arthur. But soon after, as she walked through the hallway, she saw him standing at the far end—reading the very document she had lost.
"Heh! What are you doing over there?" Arthur asked, surprised to see Serena emerging from the study.