Two days remained before the wedding.
I stood on a wooden platform in the dressing room. Around me, the head seamstress and several maids busily adjusted every fold of the dress.
The white wedding dress fell to my feet.
A thin veil draped softly from my hair.
In the large mirror before me, a girl in a magnificent wedding dress stared back.
To be honest…
The feeling was strange.
It was simply a prettier dress than the ones I usually wore to noble banquets.
I had been used to those gatherings for a long time.
But wearing this dress…
I didn't feel happy at all.
When I tried to lift the dress and step down from the platform, the long train dragged across the floor.
I instinctively turned to look behind me.
And that was when I saw her.
A figure leaning against the stone wall near the door.
She wore a newsboy cap, with a stalk of wheat between her lips.
A pair of rough cloth overalls hung from her shoulders with two straps. She looked like a wandering laborer who had accidentally walked into a ducal estate.
But that face…
I recognized it immediately.
Miren Riculos.
She lifted the brim of her newsboy cap with one finger, as if greeting someone in a tavern.
"Hello."
The wheat stalk shifted slightly as she spoke.
"I heard you're about to become a bride."
"So I came to see what my best friend looks like."
A spark of amusement flashed in Miren's eyes.
She stepped closer.
Before I could understand what she was about to do—
Whoosh.
Miren suddenly lifted my wedding dress.
"AAAA—!"
The scream burst out of my mouth.
All the maids froze.
The head seamstress stood there with her mouth open, almost unable to believe what she was seeing.
Miren lowered her head and examined it seriously.
As if she were inspecting goods.
"Oh."
She nodded.
"Cream."
Miren curled her lips into a grin.
"Your taste hasn't changed."
"You damn idiot!"
I swung my hand to hit her.
But the long wedding dress tangled around my legs.
My step caught.
My body tipped forward.
"Whoa—"
Miren grabbed my wrist quickly.
The next second, I fell straight into her arms.
The wedding dress spun slightly with the motion.
From a distance…
The scene almost looked like a prince and princess beginning a dance.
Miren laughed.
"You're about to become a bride…"
She tilted her head as she looked at me.
"Does falling into someone's arms make your heart flutter?"
My face burned.
"Shut up!"
I reached up and pinched her cheeks hard.
Miren didn't dodge.
Instead, she raised both hands—
And pinched my cheeks back.
The two of us stood there.
Each of us pinching the other's cheeks.
Neither willing to let go first.
The maids stared at the scene as if the world had just collapsed.
Later, I had already changed back into my usual clothes.
I sat on a marble swing placed at the edge of the garden.
The iron chains creaked softly as I swayed.
In front of me lay the garden of the estate.
Nobles moved about busily.
Some shook hands in greeting.
Some embraced like old friends meeting after many years.
One gentleman even bent down to kiss the back of a lady's hand.
The estate was far livelier than usual today.
I was watching the scene when—
Hands gently rested on my shoulders from behind.
I was about to turn my head.
But Miren spoke first.
"Don't turn around."
Her voice lowered slightly.
"What do you see in front of you?"
I paused.
Then I followed her words.
I looked straight toward the garden.
"It's just… busier than usual."
I said.
"People greeting each other. Nothing strange."
I tried to look back at her.
But Miren was still staring ahead.
Her eyes narrowed slightly beneath the brim of her newsboy cap.
"No."
She shook her head lightly.
"You're wrong."
Miren spoke slowly.
"Look a little more carefully."
"This is the view of your home."
She paused for a moment.
"You may not see this view again for a very long time."
I stayed silent for a moment.
Then I slowly turned my head back toward the garden.
The familiar paths.
Rows of trees I had run past countless times as a child.
The steps where Mother once scolded me for climbing over the railing.
A faint smile touched my lips.
"I see…"
I murmured.
"You looked at the place where you grew up like this too, didn't you? Before you left."
Miren didn't answer right away.
I continued.
"You left home to become a mercenary."
"Leaving a place you're familiar with…"
I let out a quiet breath.
"That probably wasn't easy either."
Miren clicked her tongue.
She stepped around to the front of the swing and sat beside me.
"Hold on."
She raised one finger.
"Don't lump me in with you."
Miren smirked.
"I left home because I wanted to."
"Not like someone…"
She tilted her head and looked at me.
"Who's being forced to leave."
I snorted quietly.
"Sorry," Miren said immediately afterward, though her tone carried no real regret.
"Every time I see you, I can't help teasing you."
She grinned.
"Habit from when we were kids."
I turned my face away, refusing to look at that smug look.
Miren leaned closer to peer at me.
"See?"
She laughed.
"When you make that sulky face, how could anyone resist teasing you?"
Miren rested her chin on her hand.
"You look very pretty when you're angry."
I shot her a glare.
Miren raised an eyebrow.
Then a mischievous smile spread across her face.
"Maybe I should save it for later."
"For example…"
She dragged out the words.
"When you're lying in Baron Alasto's bed."
"Teasing you then would probably be even more fun."
I truly wanted to kick her.
She had always been like this, ever since we were kids.
Whenever the two of us met, we would argue endlessly.
Sometimes we even ended up fighting right in the courtyard of the estate.
Now that we were adults…
I had thought she might have toned it down a little.
But apparently nothing had changed.
I rolled my eyes and forced myself not to kick her off the swing.
Then I took a breath and steadied my voice.
"Alright."
I forced myself to look straight at the face clearly waiting for me to lose my temper.
"Let's talk about the real matter."
"You came back this time…"
"You're part of the escort team for me, right?"
Miren paused.
As if she had just remembered why she was here.
But the expression lasted only a second.
Then the familiar smirk returned.
"That's right."
Miren said.
"I'm part of the escort."
She leaned back on her hands and looked up at the sky.
"But…"
She stretched the word.
"There's actually a much faster way to finish this mission."
I frowned.
"A faster way?"
Miren turned to look at me.
The smile on her lips suddenly looked dangerous.
"Yeah."
"You run away with me."
"And that's it."
"Miren—!"
I jumped to my feet.
Miren immediately raised her hands in surrender.
"Alright, alright."
She laughed.
"Sorry."
"Seriously."
She took a deep breath and pretended to compose herself.
"Okay. Let's start over."
Miren stood up.
She walked a few steps onto the stone path in the garden.
Then she turned her back to me.
One hand idly twirled a strand of hair beneath her newsboy cap.
She glanced back over her shoulder and flashed a bright smile.
"What do you think?"
Miren said.
"Running away isn't such a bad option."
"You could do whatever you want."
"No need to obey the duke anymore."
She shrugged.
"You could just leave like that."
"Wouldn't that be better?"
I let out a long sigh.
I had thought that this time Miren might be a little more serious.
But it seemed…
She was still the same.
"I won't run away."
I said flatly.
Miren turned to look at me.
I continued.
"Unlike you."
"You once said you hated the face of noble society."
"You hated being known as Riculos's daughter."
I looked straight into her eyes.
"You didn't want to sell your life to them."
"You're loyal only to yourself."
A faint smile touched my lips.
"I truly admire that."
But then I shook my head.
"However, I can't choose to run away."
"Just to have a life for myself."
Miren clicked her tongue.
She crossed her arms and looked at me as if I had just made a foolish decision.
"If you ran away…"
"people wouldn't even call you a coward, Rosa."
Miren shrugged.
"In fact, it would be the opposite."
"Those nobles would praise you for being clever."
She gave a faint smile.
"A wise bird chooses the branch it perches on."
"Who would willingly marry some lowly baron?"
"But they would say—"
I cut her off.
"Is that how House Mariel raises its daughters?"
Miren froze.
"Uh…"
She scratched the back of her head.
"Well… that could happen."
Miren fell silent for a moment.
Then she suddenly snapped her fingers.
As if she had just thought of something interesting.
Her eyes lit up.
That expression…
I knew it all too well.
Whenever Miren came up with something that was probably a bad idea, she always had that look.
She stared at me for a moment.
Then she smiled.
"I'm sure your little sister must be worried."
Miren said casually.
"She'd probably be afraid someone might give you trouble over there."
I frowned.
"How about I go ask if she wants to come along too?"
She turned as if to walk away.
"Miren Riculos."
I called out coldly.
"Stop right there."
Miren halted.
But she did not turn around yet.
"If you dare try to persuade her…"
I said slowly,
"I'll ask Father to terminate the contract with your mercenary guild."
Miren froze mid-step.
Her whole body stopped.
As if someone had suddenly pulled the power out of a mechanical puppet.
After a moment, she slowly turned her head back.
"Hey, hey."
Miren frowned.
"Contracts follow proper procedure."
"You can't just cancel one whenever you want."
She pointed at me, clearly dissatisfied.
"If you do that, my guild's reputation will suffer."
I raised a brow.
"Oh?"
I said calmly.
"Let's see…"
I slowly walked closer to Miren.
"Failing to complete your mission properly."
"Harassing a client."
"And trying to lure your client's younger sister into running away."
A faint smile touched my lips.
"I wonder what your guild master would think about that."
Miren opened her mouth to argue.
But then…
No words came out.
Her shoulders slumped slightly.
Like a fish left out in the sun too long.
She pointed a finger at me.
Her lips twitched, as if she wanted to say something very unpleasant.
But in the end—
Miren sighed.
Both hands went up in surrender.
"Fine."
"I'll let you have this one."
I crossed my arms.
"Let me have it?"
I raised a brow.
"Isn't that just admitting you lost?"
Miren immediately glared at me.
"Just wait."
She pointed at me.
"You dare act so high and mighty toward your own escort…"
"You'll pay for it later."
I tilted my head.
"Oh?"
"You're yelling at your own client now?"
Miren choked on her words.
I sniffed, as if I were the one being bullied here.
I touched the corner of my eye with a finger, pretending to wipe away tears.
"Maybe I should go see Father right now…"
"And tell him about the service of a certain guild."
"Hey—wait!"
Miren immediately reached out to stop me.
"Alright, I'm sorry!"
she said quickly.
I tilted my head.
One hand cupped behind my ear as if trying to listen.
"Hm?"
"What did you say?"
"I couldn't quite hear you."
Miren stared at me.
Her face flushed red.
It was hard to tell whether it was from anger…
Or from trying very hard not to say something extremely rude.
Right now she looked like a furnace about to erupt.
"You…"
Miren ground her teeth.
"Just you wait."
That was the only sentence she managed in the end.
Then she spun around sharply.
Her newsboy cap tilted slightly with the motion.
"I'm leaving."
She walked quickly toward the garden path.
As if staying another second…
She might actually strangle me.
I stood there with my arms crossed.
Watching her back.
Then I shouted,
"Don't run away, Miren!"
Miren stopped.
She didn't turn around immediately.
She simply raised a hand to steady her newsboy cap as her steps slowed.
Then she glanced back over her shoulder.
I could clearly see the faint smile on her lips.
The earlier irritation was gone.
It was just that familiar smile I had known since childhood.
Miren said nothing.
She lifted the brim of her cap slightly.
A small gesture of farewell.
Then she turned and continued walking.
Seconds later, her figure disappeared into the flow of nobles moving through the garden.
I watched the direction where Miren had vanished.
For some reason…
I had a feeling that the next time we met,
it wouldn't be as carefree as our conversations beside this swing.
Behind me, the swing was still swaying gently in the wind.