As the rain poured down harder, the depth of the lake increased accordingly. The water, which had barely reached Andra’s knees, soon rose beyond her thighs.

Nevertheless, she remained rooted in place, gazing at the shimmering surface without making a move. Her long, wet golden hair clung to her face, her makeup smeared, and her dress dirtied in mud…… At this moment, she was the most pitiful and miserable woman imaginable.

Andra bit her lip. As expected, it wasn’t there. Finding Marchioness Avelin, who had closed her eyes long ago, among her features was nearly impossible. From her hair color to her eyes, she bore a striking resemblance to her father, Albert. The woman with brown hair and deep, amber eyes was nowhere to be found. Tears streamed incessantly from her eyes.

If there was just one thing left behind… it would have made this less heartbreaking. She’s her child, and there must have been some resemblance in her. Yet, Andra’s mother departed without leaving anything behind for her only daughter. Not a trace of her eyes, nose, or mouth. There was nothing about any of it.

Today, Andra resented her appearance more than ever before.

‘I’m Mother’s daughter… how can I not resemble her in the slightest?’

If that was the case, maybe her mother shouldn’t have left just like that. Or at least, she should have hugged her, just once, before she left. Now there’s nothing left.

Andra reached out with a hand and scattered her face’s reflection in the water, the face she no longer wished to see. The waves swelled and swallowed her. She felt like she wanted to disappear in the water too.

When she was very young, Andra had asked her father why there was only one locket pendant left as her mother’s portrait. What did her father say? That he wouldn’t leave any traces of her existence as she was an angel who came down to Earth secretly? Even as a young child, Andra couldn’t help but feel that her father’s words were an absurd lie.

But Andra couldn’t bring herself to ask her father for the truth. His expression as he spoke was filled with too much sadness.

When her head grew a bit bigger, she learned that her mother had been the previous Emperor’s classmate, the second Queen Mother successor so she closed her mouth herself.

Her life was saved by Marquis Avelin’s, but in the end, she had to become a dead person. So they couldn’t even leave her portrait as wanted.

The Emperor wanted everything that had happened in the battle for the throne to disappear without a trace. Record it as history, but do not leave a stain. That is what the Emperor wanted.

‘Andra, don’t show that pendant to anyone else. Keep it and look at it only when you’re alone.’

The servants who served in her father’s stead always told her. Andra nodded as she always did, and as instructed by the servants, she only opened the locket to gaze at her mother when she was alone.

A plain appearance, a subtle smile.

Though the portrait was tiny, with features slightly distorted, it was enough for Andra to imagine being with her mother. Recalling the stories her brothers servants told her of her mother. Marchioness Avelin, endlessly kind and cheerful. Despite never leaving the East, she loved both the East and Avelin.

Andra clutched the necklace in her hand, determined never to lose her mother’s last keepsake. It was the sole trace of the person who had to live as though she were dead. Andra wanted to preserve at least one small trace for her mother. It was inevitable for a daughter to love her mother, after all.

But she had lost it now.

Andra couldn’t imagine her mother’s face, Maybe because the portrait was very small, even though she had seen the portrait countless times before. In her memories, the features were slightly distorted – her eyes, nose, and mouth. She was heartbroken at the thought of not being able to remember her mother.

She hadn’t even had a chance to say goodbye.

She wasn’t even ready yet.

Should she let her go like this?

“Who is there… No, Lady! Why are you in there!”

A soldier who was patrolling, found Andra standing in the lake in the rain and rushed over in alarm. The water had risen to her pelvis. It was as if the sky were unrelentingly pouring rain, as if representing Andra herself.

“Please come out!”

Splash, splash. The soldier went to Andra to try to get her out. He reached Andra and extended a hand, but Andra didn’t take it. She didn’t want to leave the lake without the necklace. Her regrets kept holding her back, she was not mentally prepared.

“Lady, please, take my hand. I’ll safely escort you outside.”

“….I can’t.”

“What?”

“I can’t go. Leave me alone.”

The soldier hesitated for a moment, seemingly at a loss for words, but then he took off his jacket and draped it over Andra’s shoulders. He picked her up and began carrying her outside. Of course, Andra struggled because she didn’t want to leave without the necklace.

“Let me go! I told you to leave me alone!”

“I’m sorry, Lady. But I can’t accept that order. I don’t know what the reason is, but it’s not safe for you to stay here.”

“I’ll handle it myself! I can’t go without… I can’t!”

Andra broke free from the soldier’s grip and started moving back towards the lake. Lady! The soldier hurriedly followed her and shouted.

And then it happened. Andra stumbled and was suddenly submerged in the water. It happened so abruptly that water rushed into her mouth and nose. She struggled to breathe and her soaked dress acted like an anchor, pulling her down. She tried to move her arms and legs, but her dress restrained her movements.

Andra panicked.

Someone, help…! Deep waters or not, Andra couldn’t let her guard down. The lake, which had quickly filled with water due to the pouring rain, was still steadily rising. She couldn’t breathe, and her lungs were rapidly tightening as water incessantly poured into her mouth. Andra was engulfed by the fear that she might truly die like this.

“Lady…!”

Fortunately, the soldier who had come to rescue Andra quickly pulled her out of the water. He led the half-conscious Andra back to solid ground.

As soon as she was out of the water, the soldier patted her back and she vomited the water she had swallowed. Cough! Cough! Her eyes and ears hurt, her nose stung, and her throat felt congested. Andra spent a while gagging, expelling the water she had ingested.