Eciel, who had been eating next to me, asked seriously.

“Claire, are you sick?”

“Not really. I didn’t even know I had a fever.”

It was an honest answer, but Dad’s hand soon reached out towards me.

A large, sleek hand, with straight lines and joints without any excess, stretched out and filled my view. Shortly after, the broad back of his hand lightly pressed against my cheek.

Mom’s touch was cool, but Dad’s touch was cold.

So… if I felt lukewarm to my mother, I must have felt hot to my father.

The worry increased by that gap soaked his low voice.

“You seemed fine when I hugged you this morning…”

The waiting butler approached quietly and asked calmly.

“Master, shall I call the doctor?”

Before Dad could say anything, I answered first.

“No need. I’ll get better with some rest.”

It was a sweltering day even if I stayed still.

I had been inevitably painting portraits in heavy attire lately, which might have caused the heat. It could also be due to all the stories I heard today.

I didn’t want to bother calling a doctor and hearing that there was nothing much to prescribe for this slight fever.

“Claire.”

Dad called me. It might have been the gentlest and quietest disagreement in his life.

Even so, I shook my head.

“Dad, I didn’t even know I had a fever. The doctor wouldn’t prescribe anything for this anyway. You know that too.”

His long, straight finger gently stroked my cheek.

He whispered once more.

“Claire.”

It was a voice meant to be heard with the heart rather than the ears.

Although I heard my name with my ears, I could feel the love and concern contained in that name with my heart.

“You’re coming to check on me tomorrow morning too, right? If I’m still like this, I’ll get a check-up then.”

I proposed a compromise. Dad looked at me quietly.

I met his gaze. Neither of us was persuaded, nor did we retreat, but we didn’t argue further either.

At that point, my mother intervened.

“Okay, let’s do that.”

Dad’s eyebrows furrowed slightly. His gaze left me and turned to my mother as if protesting.

… but my mother didn’t seem to care at all.

“Claire, do you have a cough or a sore throat? Are there any other pains?”

“No. It just seems like a fever.”

“Okay. Then let’s sleep together tonight.”

Why?

I blinked, and my mother spoke firmly.

“I know you’re not feeling too bad right now. But what if you get worse at night? Then tomorrow morning will be too late. Let’s sleep together so I can know if you get worse.”

“What if I’m really sick and you catch it?”

“Are you worried? If it’s that serious, we should call the doctor now.”

“… I’ll sleep with you.”

I surrendered without much resistance.

My father would give in even if I moved a finger, but my mother wouldn’t.

I glanced at my father.

His slightly stiff face now held a picturesque smile.

A faint smile melted the cold in his dark eyes. His eyes, now thawed, sparkled like a lake at noon, almost dazzlingly.

My father always looked at my mother as if she were a creator who breathed life into him.

‘How does Mom get used to that look?’

If Mom gave it to him, even if it was pain, Dad would gladly accept it with both hands, not letting a single piece escape, not allowing anyone else to take it.

That kind of heart would never fall under the category of <normal>.

I was lost in such thoughts…

“Wait. I have something to say.”

Then Eciel, who had been silently watching the conversation, spoke resolutely.

Everyone’s eyes turned to her. Eciel’s tone was very serious as she faced the attention.

“I want to sleep with Mom and Claire too.”

“Huh?”

“Dad will be lonely if he’s left alone, so Dad should sleep with us too.”

… what?

‘Is this really happening?’

I looked at my sister in astonishment. My mother also wore a rare expression of doubt, as if questioning if she really gave birth to her.

As for my father, his expression… was like the day we first met.

When he first accepted the bouquet Eciel had split and handed over.

A face so full of bewilderment and confusion that he didn’t know what to do.

Regardless, Eciel summarized her opinion in one sentence.

“Let’s all sleep together tonight.”

And no one could stop Eciel once she decided on something.

 

* * *

 

‘Was my sister the real power in our house all along? Was I the only one who didn’t know until now?’

It was getting late, and I was starting to feel sleepy, but my mild fever didn’t go down even after washing up.

In fact, it seemed to rise a bit after soaking in warm water.

The maids didn’t notice much, but as I dried my hair and put on my nightgown, my clear mind began to fade.

The mild fever and drowsiness filled my head.

As soon as I stepped out, my father’s somewhat urgent voice greeted me.

“Claire.”

A firm arm picked me up.

“Dad.”

Even though I responded quickly enough, my father’s face hardened a bit. His violet eyes scanned me closely, and his large hand briefly caressed my cheek and forehead.

“The fever’s gone up.”

His tone was flat and his manner casual.

Yet, who else could speak so coldly?

Behind me, the maids shivered slightly. Saying it was okay or denying it would only have made things worse.

So, I just leaned on my father’s shoulder and changed the subject.

“Where are Eciel and Mom?”

“They went in first. I came to get you because you’re sick.”

With a single glance, my father dismissed the maids and walked slowly down the corridor, patting my back.

The dark night mixed with the bright lights, twinkling in various colors.

… comfort, affection, love.

Feelings so beautiful that even demons would envy them. Clear and vivid, like starlight in the soft darkness.

All those emotions overflowed as my father walked, holding me.

Invisible things moved slowly and warmly, soaking me, gently caressing my cheeks.

I suddenly wanted to dip my hand into that colorful wave and stir it.

“… Dad.”

“Hmm?”

“Over there, the waves. I want to….”

The words didn’t fully form and broke apart like foam.

“Waves…”

My lips moved silently as my eyelids closed.

Only then, as I closed my eyes, did I realize I was already half-dreaming.

How much time had passed? I heard a low voice.

“Charlotte, have you ever shown the children the sea?”

“We might have passed by once… but I don’t think they’ve seen it up close. Why?”

“Claire seems to want to see the sea. She was talking about waves.”

That was not what I meant…

But the drowsiness sealed my lips, preventing any denial. Dad carefully laid me down.

Was it my mother’s hand that covered me with a blanket?

The hand briefly moved away and then returned to smooth my disheveled hair and rest on my forehead.

“The fever has gone down a bit. That’s a relief.”

“Were the children often sick before?”

“Eciel was always prone to minor illnesses. She often got sick lightly but frequently… Claire rarely said anything even if she was sick. So, we only found out when she was seriously ill.”

Dad’s hand gently stroked my cheeks, nose, and eyes again. It felt like floating in the sea, gently swayed by the currents.

“She seems to dislike seeing the doctor. Was she always like that?”

“Yeah. Always. Maybe because once when she was seriously ill, the doctor wasn’t of much help…”

“What did the doctor do?”

“He just said kids sometimes get sick for no reason, symptoms get worse, and come and go.”

Mom’s voice was tinged with a bitter smile. My father’s tone dropped sharply.

“… how dare he say that?”

“Of course, our current family doctor wouldn’t say that. But back then, we didn’t look like we do now, and he was the only doctor in the village.”

Rustling.

Eciel shifted in her sleep and moved closer. Soon, her small, warm hand pulled mine towards her.

For a moment, I felt Mom and Dad quietly watching us.

As if slowly sinking to the bottom of the water, sounds began to fade.

But I clearly heard my father’s laughter.

The sound popped like bubbles, tickling my cheek.

“The sea… the children… what will they…?”

“When you come back… there’s no time… together…”

My mother’s soft voice. Dad’s gentle reply.

Those words guided me through an unfathomably deep sea.

Walking among a thousand shells, finding pearls, crossing radiant coral reefs, and greeting dolphins in my dreams.

Currents brushed past my hair. Schools of fish with fluttering fins swam around. Somewhere, a mermaid’s song resonated softly.

I wandered beneath the colorful surface, moving wherever my feet led. I wasn’t afraid of anything, and nothing worried me.

This sea was filled with the love my mother and father had poured into me.

‘Is there any place safer than this?’

The dream remained soft and beautiful till the end. The sweet taste of happiness lingered in my mouth.

And then I woke up.

It was a morning where the early light of summer rippled like waves in my bedroom.