I stared at the lavender-coloured flower with its round petals.  

‘Love, huh…’  

Me and Edwin? I couldn’t picture it at all. It felt like I was wearing clothes that didn’t quite fit.  

I might not be able to avoid marriage, but…  

What does Edwin think?  

Curious, I looked up at him, only to find him staring intensely at the flower as if he might bore a hole through it.

“…If I give this to my bride, will it protect her?” 

“Excuse me?” 

The woman was startled by Edwin’s question. 

“If I give this, will no one be able to take my bride from me?” 

“Uh, well, it’s supposed to make love last forever, so… I guess it would?”   She hesitated before answering. 

“Here, take it.”   

Without waiting for the woman to finish, Edwin thrust the flower pot into my arms.   I found myself holding the flower pot without knowing what to say.   

“Lina is my bride. Now and forever.”   

There wasn’t a hint of his usual smile, and his face was solemn, almost determined. 

“…Yes.”   Feeling pressured to respond, I answered, and Edwin’s expression softened. His crescent-shaped eyes showed just how happy he was.   Seeing his happiness made my own heart swell with a strange warmth. 

“Festivals are interesting.”   Edwin murmured as if he had just made some profound discovery.   As he turned away from the stall, Beryl approached us. 

“What should we do with the other flower pots?” 

“Give them to the people.”   Beryl looked momentarily surprised but quickly nodded and relayed the order to the other knights. 

“Let’s go see the sea.”   With an elated shout, Edwin strode toward the ocean with a light step. 

“Wow.”   The emerald-green sea stretched out before us, its white sandy beach glistening under the sun. The water was so clear I could see straight through it. The waves sparkled like scattered crystals as they rippled in the breeze. 

It had been a long time since I had seen the sea, even in my previous life, and the breathtaking view made me giddy. 

“Our little rabbit is excited.”   Edwin chuckled softly as he set me down on the sand. 

Excited, I ran toward the sea, and the salty smell of the ocean filled my lungs.  

After neatly placing my shoes on the sand, I waded into the water.  

I expected it to be cold, but the water was surprisingly warm.  

Lifting my skirt, I played with the waves, letting them gently crash against my feet, forgetting all about Edwin and even the fact that I was in a different world.  

I lost track of time as I frolicked in the water, only to suddenly remember Edwin.

‘Oh no, I hope he isn’t sulking because I’m having fun by myself.’  

Nervous, I glanced back to see Edwin standing with his arms crossed, watching me.  

His face was calm, with no sign of irritation, but I still wasn’t sure.  

I carefully approached him.

“Ed, don’t you want to try? It’s fun.”

“Is it?”

I nodded enthusiastically, and Edwin gently patted my head.

“Go ahead and play.”

“What about you?”

“I’ll watch my little rabbit.”

“Oh, come on, what’s fun about that?”

“Watching you is so beautiful, I lose track of time.”  

Though Edwin often told me I was beautiful, for some reason, it made my face flush today.  

I pressed my hands to my cheeks to cool them and then tugged at Edwin’s sleeve.

“It’s your first time at the beach, right? Come play with me.”

Edwin gazed at me for a moment before chuckling.

“You really are high-maintenance.”  

Grumbling, he followed me to the shore, removed his shoes, and dipped his feet into the water.

“See? It’s warmer than you’d expect. And the way the sand tickles your feet is kind of fun.”  

As the waves retreated, the sand slipped through my toes, creating a pleasant sensation.  

While I was enjoying the feeling, I suddenly felt warmth in my hand.

“I prefer touching you to this salty water or gritty sand.”  

The stark contrast in Edwin’s blunt remark snapped me out of my reverie.  

Expecting sentiment from someone like him was my mistake.  

As I sighed, something in the distance caught my eye, sparkling in the sun.

“I think there’s something over there.”  

Curious, I let go of Edwin’s hand and ran over to investigate.  

Scattered across the spot where the sea had just receded were shells of various colours.

‘I used to love collecting these when I was little.’  

I remembered my mother saying I had always chased after anything shiny, giving her quite the challenge when I started crawling.  

I smiled at the memory, though it quickly faded as a wave of homesickness washed over me.  

Shaking off the sadness, I picked up a rainbow-coloured shell and waved it toward Edwin.

“Ed, look! It’s a seashell!”  

He shook his head as if amused by me.

‘He’ll probably complain about my odd taste again.’  

That thought made me chuckle as I continued gathering shells.  

Before I knew it, I had wandered quite far from Edwin.