Fuyu had a dream.
It was a dream of gazing at the moon over a deep swamp.
In the serene waters, there was no one to interfere with Fuyu.
It was lonely, yet strangely comforting.
She closed her eyes and breathed slowly.
Fuyu wished to fill her lungs with cold water and sink to the bottom of the water, where the moonlight couldn’t reach.
But then someone held onto her arm.
When she looked, it was a silver wolf.
The wolf, with a sorrowful expression, had her arm in its mouth.
(Let go, or you’ll fall to the bottom of the water too.)
Fuyu shook her head, pouring her thoughts into her gaze, but the wolf didn’t listen.
With a mournful howl, it struggled to drag Fuyu to the shore.
Fuyu was deeply moved by its determination, and she felt a pain in her heart that she had never experienced before.
The wolf seemed trustworthy…
Fuyu kicked the water forcefully, seeking air. Gasping for breath as she collapsed on the shore, the wolf howled happily, gazing at the moon.
“A dream…?”
As she came to her senses, Fuyu found herself inside the usual prison cell, with no windows, not even a glimpse of the moon from here.
What was that dream all about?
With mixed emotions overwhelming her, Fuyu found herself crying once again after waking up.
After calming down a bit, she felt a bit irritated and wanted to complain. It was because she remembered the cause of having such a dream.
Everything was Barton’s fault.
Just recalling it made her face turn red, and her heart fluttered.
This happened just two days after Jane’s death.
“Ms. Fuyu, I’ve decided to quit my job as a prison guard.”
Barton said this with a troubled expression after finishing the cleaning.
“What happened all of a sudden?” Fuyu asked.
“I’ve just grown to despise Alban Prison,” Barton replied.
The first fear that struck Fuyu was the possibility of never seeing Barton again.
“Is it because Jane, Mr. Wolf’s friend, passed away?”
Barton shook his head slowly.
“It’s not just that. This place is just not suitable for me at all. Crimes, ra*e, violence, and all the negative emotions of humanity accumulate here like a cesspool. I don’t think I can bear such an environment any longer.”
Fuyu couldn’t find words to reply. The desire for Barton to stay here with her was strong, but considering Barton’s well-being, she couldn’t force him to do something he didn’t want. She wasn’t the kind of person who would sacrifice Barton’s future for her own happiness.
Besides, she had already begun to truly love Barton, so his happiness had become her own wish.
“Ms. Fuyu, I want to leave Alban Prison as soon as possible,” Barton said.
“I see. That’s understandable,”
Fuyu answered calmly, trying to conceal her sadness.
“But it’s impossible,” Barton continued.
“Impossible? If you feel like you can’t continue, why not just quit? Are you worried about financial matters? If that’s the case, you can take the money the prison entrusted to me. It’s of no use to me, and I’d gladly offer it to Mr. Wolf.”
The entrusted money should have been over 300,000 gils. Fuyu believed that would be enough to sustain his immediate needs. She earnestly thought there wasn’t much she could do while confined in the cell.
However, Barton uttered unexpected words one after another.
“Ms. Fuyu, I have fallen in love with you.”
Fuyu felt a sudden rush of blood leaving her body, only to surge back in reverse.
“I can’t leave you behind and depart from Alban Prison alone. So…”
Barton paused, causing Fuyu to tremble, waiting for his next words.
“So, would you escape from here with me?”
“A-aw…”
Fuyu Sagara had truly said “Aw” in response.
Her emotions had overwhelmed her, preventing her from articulating her feelings properly.
“I wonder if I… if I am worth that much?”
Fuyu, who had calmed down a bit, asked.
“Of course you are,” Barton replied.
“H-how so?”
Fuyu asked, now posing a straightforward question that left Barton perplexed.
“Umm, would it be alright to put it into words and submit it as a formal letter?” Barton suggested.
“That’s…”
“If it’s in the form of a letter, I might be able to convey my feelings more accurately,” Barton added.
“I see. Then… please do it that way. Uh, well, I would be happy if you did. Oh, no, I mean, I was happy when you conveyed your feelings directly too. Um, I apologize for asking to confirm, but… that is… it’s safe to consider this as a love letter, right?”
“Y-Yes, please take it that way!”
Kimberly, who had been observing the awkward exchange between the two, shrugged her shoulders.
“Good grief……”
It was an unusually warm day for winter.
Leave a Reply