Our Summer Is Not Over - vanish into fiction

Dylan had received orders to go to Rhodia.

The matter regarding Jose was close to top secret. If it became known that not all of the Murad royalty had been apprehended, it could cause unrest among the people of Hipoli. That was why the Hipoli Royal Family saw no need to make such information public.

And now, traces of Jose had been discovered in Rhodia. The only person who could freely come and go from there without arousing suspicion was Dylan.

“Of all places, Rhodia.”

“Well, at least it’s close to the capital and has good transportation. Isn’t that fortunate?”

Perhaps it could be seen as a relief.

Dylan tried to think positively. It was related to Mia, and it was a chance to resolve things with his own hands…

“Should I start preparing for an early morning departure?”

Aaron’s question cut through his thoughts. Dylan knew that the sooner, the better, but he shook his head.

“No, we’ll depart tomorrow afternoon.”

Aaron tilted his head, as if he couldn’t believe he was hearing such an answer from Dylan, who was always quick to act. But after quickly hiding his surprise, he replied that he would make preparations for a departure the following afternoon.

With a short nod, Dylan hurried toward the annex.

Though his steps were measured, his pace was clearly faster than usual. He thought of Mia, who would be waiting for him in a dress stained with wine. She had said she was fine, but he couldn’t help but worry.

Before he knew it, Dylan had reached her room and knocked on the door. No answer came from Mia, who surely wasn’t asleep yet.

Unable to contain himself, he threw the door open.

At the same time, he saw Mia, stiff and motionless, come into view.

Even from a distance, he could tell something was wrong.

* * *

Was it because she had remembered memories she wanted to forget? Her body wouldn’t move. There was still some light, but it was definitely darker than usual.

Realizing this, Mia’s breathing grew quicker.

Even the small sounds around her sounded very distant. That alone frightened her.

Just then, she heard a strangely urgent voice.

“Mia…!”

At the same moment, Mia exhaled sharply and sat up. Because she’d been tensed up, her fingers wouldn’t move.

As she tried to look at her own fingers, she lifted her head and saw Dylan, who had come right up to her.

“You came back… faster than I thought.”

Mia tried to steady her voice, hiding her trembling pupils and avoiding Dylan’s gaze. She glanced at the clock not far away. It had been less than thirty minutes since she’d parted from Dylan.

“What’s with all this sweat…”

Dylan brushed his fingers across Mia’s forehead.

As she turned her eyes, she saw Dylan’s smooth forehead furrowed in concern. Seeing how surprised he looked, Mia herself finally relaxed.

Her fingers, which had felt frozen stiff, loosened.

“It’s nothing. More importantly, could you turn on the light? It’s too dark.”

With a long sigh, Mia made her request. At the same time, Dylan quickly looked around and stood before the unlit lamp. Watching his broad back, Mia slowly blinked her eyes open and shut.

After a short sigh, Dylan fiddled with the light a few times. Not long after, the lamp regained its brightness.

The room was instantly filled with light. Only then did Mia let out a quiet sigh and rise from the couch.

“Dylan, I’m tired. Could you help me with my dress?”

She stood in front of the vanity, pretending nothing was wrong. But her face reflected in the mirror was pale. To hide it even a little, she untied her hair, but hesitated.

“This will make it harder to undo the dress, won’t it?”

“……”

“I’ll hold it myself, so could you help me for a bit?”

But Dylan didn’t answer as he normally would.

“Dylan?”

After a soft sigh, he slowly walked over and stood behind Mia. Then, with practiced hands, he undid the buttons.

Mia held the loosened dress and let it fall. For a moment, she acted as if nothing was out of the ordinary, but she soon realized in the mirror that Dylan’s gaze was fixed on her back.

“I guess I never get used to being seen like this, no matter how many times it happens.”

“What do you mean?”

Dylan quietly asked as his eyes slid gently downward and he gripped Mia’s shoulders. Even though she knew he already understood, she found his question irritating.

Meeting Dylan’s eyes in the mirror, Mia answered calmly, her voice giving no hint that she’d just recalled such painful memories.

“My body. Well, I can’t say I don’t understand your reaction.”