“Anais, here.”

Phileal handed Anais a hat.

After organizing their things in the cabin, she was leaning against the ship’s railing, gazing at the sea. The black hair brushing against her cheek reminded her of her past life and filled her with complex emotions.

In Phileal’s eyes, she appeared as her true self, Anais. The wide-brimmed white hat he placed on her head complemented her platinum hair perfectly. As she wore it slightly askew, he naturally adjusted it. She was starting to get used to his attentive gestures.

“Your skin will burn.”

“It’ll heal.”

“Oh, right.”

The sea was parting as the ship sailed, with the sunset casting a red and blue hue over the water. The white foam and reflections of light created by the waves added to the scene.

She silently absorbed the ship’s gentle sway, the flow of the water, and the setting sun. Phileal stood beside her, trying to see exactly what she saw. However, the view didn’t seem particularly special to his eyes.

The sea looked the same everywhere, the sun rose and set every day, and the light was just a source of discomfort.

But it felt special. Because Anais was there among the boring and monotonous landscape.

He loved how her hair fluttered in the wind and the scent it carried. The unpleasant fishy smell of the sea was hardly noticeable because of the comforting fragrance from her body.

Phileal was grateful for the gift the god of death had given him—the ability to see her true form. He appreciated it more than he could express.

“You’re really beautiful.”

“How many times a day are you going to say that?”

“Have I said it that much?”

“Yes.”

Anais smiled sheepishly and turned her gaze to Phileal. He quickly shifted his eyes to the sea, hiding that he had been staring at her. He had wanted to meet her gaze, but he wasn’t sure why he had looked away.

“Do you not like it when I say that?”

“Who would not like being called beautiful?”

“That’s a relief.”

“Yes, and you’re incredibly beautiful too, Phileal.”

Her words made Phileal understand why he liked her so much. When she called him beautiful, his breath hitched slightly before returning to normal.

“You’re much more beautiful, Anais.”

After saying this, he and Anais continued to watch the sunset over the sea. They stood in silence for a long time, feeling the sea breeze and watching the changing colors of the sky.

* * *

That night, a small event was held for the few passengers on the ship. Most of the passengers weren’t nobles, so everyone mingled freely, dancing to lively music.

The sound of clinking and quick instrumentals accompanied the dancers as they paired up and spun in large circles, only to switch partners and repeat the steps, sometimes forming smaller circles and then expanding again.

“Looks fun.”

Anais said in a nonchalant tone, but Phileal could tell she was interested.

“Want to dance?”

“We’re supposed to be nobles.”

“Who says nobles can’t dance?”

Anais couldn’t argue with that. Nobles often danced more than commoners.

However, the dancing on the deck was different from the formal dances she had learned. Noble dances were typically slow and elegant, with set partners. The people on the ship were moving freely, simply keeping to the rhythm.

It seemed very fun. Anais felt at ease to see them laughing and smiling together with a bright expression.

“You want to dance, don’t you?”

Phileal asked. Then, Anais nodded.

“Then let’s go dance.”

Though their noble attire drew some initial surprised glances, the other passengers quickly returned to their joyful dancing. They welcomed Anais and Phileal into the large circle, moving forward and backward in quick steps. Anais found it more challenging than she had expected.

“Hahaha.”

Phileal danced surprisingly well. In contrast, Anais struggled, unfamiliar with the style of dance. While she had always executed dance steps flawlessly, her movements were stiff and awkward, like a tin doll attempting to dance.

“Wahahaha!”

Phileal moved sideways as he danced and couldn’t help but laugh heartily at Anais’s jerky movements.

“Don’t laugh!”

Anais, determined to prove herself, started dancing more vigorously. Phileal, trying to contain his laughter, turned his head away. Despite her embarrassment, Anais found the experience enjoyable. Everyone was dancing messily but having a great time.

As she switched partners clockwise, Phileal moved counterclockwise. They circled around and met each other again.

“You seem to be having a great time.”

“Yeah, it’s so much fun. Being with Anais makes it even better.”

Anais looked genuinely grateful. She appreciated his genuine, bright smile.

“Anais.”

Hearing Phileal call her name, Anais found comfort in their eye contact as they danced. Being with him eased her thoughts of Kylian.

“Uh… what are you doing?”

“The song’s over. They’re going to play a slow dance next.”

“How do you know?”

“The kid over there told me.”

As the music changed to a slower tune, Phileal nodded toward a child who smiled at him before moving to the side.

Phileal lifted Anais onto his feet, causing her to stand on his toes. She had no choice but to follow his lead as he danced.

“Is this dance meant for pairs?”

“Yeah.”

Anais decided to stay still as he answered. The music was soft but quite pleasant. She found it enjoyable how Phileal moved slowly to the rhythm.

“My Dad used to do this with me sometimes.”

“Uh… Duke Percival?”

“Yes. I learned dancing from him first before getting a dance instructor.”

Phileal recalled Duke Percival, who he encountered each time he went to the prison alone.

“Why are you alone?”

“Anais is fine right now. Don’t worry, Duke.”

Phileal suspected that Duke Percival had figured out something about Anais. That had been their last conversation.

He chose not to tell Anais. He sensed her lifespan wasn’t long. To keep her happy until the end, she shouldn’t return to the palace.

Phileal truly wished for her to be well. He knew his happiness depended on hers.

He hadn’t realized how important Anais would become to him. He wanted to protect her in the best way he knew, even if he couldn’t fully understand his feelings.

“How old were you?”

“Eleven, I think. I wasn’t small, but he still taught me. I really disliked dancing.”

“Why did you dislike dancing?”

“It’s like this. People quickly learn what they’re good at and want to learn new things, but they avoid what they’re bad at. I was the same.”

“Was there something you weren’t good at?”

“Of course. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t improve at dancing. I memorized the steps, but…”

Phileal chuckled at her words. The Anais he knew wasn’t bad at many things.

“What about me?”

“Phileal, you seem to be a good dancer. Your movements are graceful.”

“Can you tell even with this kind of dance?”

“Of course. Even if I can’t dance well, I’ve seen a lot of others dance. Kylian too…”

She found herself about to talk about Kylian and then stopped. Kylian was a skilled dancer. Remembering the times they had to perform court dances at the palace made her heart ache.

“Even the wife have things you’re not good at.”

“And you, Kylian, seem to excel at everything.”

“There are many things I struggle with, wife.”

He had said this with a bitter smile. The memory of dancing with him, despite wearing a suit, was quite beautiful.

“Ugh! What are you doing!”

“Hahaha.”

Phileal lifted her and spun her around in the air. Anais felt like she was on a spinning amusement ride. But the surprise helped her momentarily forget about Kylian.

“You’re something else.”

“Hehe. Did you mind?”

He gently set her back down on his feet and asked her kindly.

“No, it was fun.”

“I’m glad.”

They resumed dancing.

Phileal hoped her mood would improve as they danced together for quite a while.

* * *

“Bring the saintess. The soul inside her is the real Anais.”

Lewarren had sworn by his god. Yet, Kylian couldn’t believe it. With the high priest down, he had no choice but to call for Leviathan.

“Chief Priest Leviathan.”

“Yes.”

“Tell me the truth. Is the soul inside the escaped saintess truly Anais Percival?”

Leviathan, irritated from lack of sleep, responded snidely.

“You’re only realizing this now? Truly impressive.”

__