Chapter 21
***
“Riena! Could you take this order?”
“Ah, yes!”
Riena hurriedly finished wiping down a table and straightened.
She quickly picked up a tray laden with teacups and moved toward the counter with practiced ease.
Her coworker, now perfectly in sync with her rhythm, came out to meet her halfway and immediately took the tray from her hands with a playful wink.
Smiling faintly in thanks, Riena picked up an order slip and pen, then approached a table.
“Black coffee and chamomile tea, please.”
“Of course. Is there anything else you’ll need?”
Her gentle smile softened her tone.
When the guest declined, Riena gave a polite bow and returned to the counter, where she began preparing the order with natural ease.
Thin streams of hot water trickled down over the finely ground coffee beans, releasing a rich aroma that filled the café.
“Riena, you’re getting really good at this coffee brewing!”
“Does it look that way? I suppose it’s thanks to all the lessons I got from you, Sharon.”
She answered playfully as she poured the freshly brewed black coffee into a cup.
Her eyes sparkled with quiet joy, her smile unwavering even as she worked.
“Good job today, Riena.”
Stretching her arms with exaggerated flair, Sharon tapped Riena lightly on the shoulder.
Riena gave a small, amused smile.
Sharon was a young lady who had only just come of age, still with a girlish air about her.
While she carried herself with dignity when serving customers, she often reverted to playful whining when they were alone like this, and Riena found her especially endearing.
“Doesn’t it feel like there were more customers than usual today? Especially from out of town!”
“Sharon, was it exhausting for you today?”
She was grumbling a little, that much was obvious.
Riena arched a brow and chuckled softly.
Florian was a small, quiet seaside town.
Strangers rarely came through, though occasionally travelers seeking a respite from bustling Seremar wandered in to rest by the sea.
“No, I mean it! There really were more than usual. You saw it too, didn’t you?”
“Mm, I did. The construction workers from that site—they’ve been dropping by often.”
Come to think of it, there had been a site under construction since before she arrived here.
The workers frequently stopped by the café, so it hadn’t seemed particularly unusual.
Then Sharon suddenly lowered her voice, eyes gleaming with conspiratorial seriousness.
“This is top secret. You can’t tell anyone!”
Suppressing a laugh at her dramatic tone, Riena nodded.
“All right. I won’t.”
Sharon glanced around quickly, then whispered, “They’re building a resort here!”
“…A resort?”
Nodding, Sharon’s eyes lit up.
“Over there by the beach—you thought it was a museum, didn’t you? It’s a resort! I overheard some well-dressed visitors talking about it when they came with my father. Not just the workers.”
Her words tumbled out in a rush, her excitement barely contained.
“It makes sense, doesn’t it? This place is quieter than Seremar, but it’s warm, and we’ve got the sea. Perfect for a resort!”
Pride in her hometown shone on her face.
As the mayor’s daughter, her words carried weight.
She looked almost smug at having shared such privileged news.
But when no immediate response came, Sharon tilted her head.
“What do you think, Riena?”
“…Sorry?”
“The resort! Since you’re from outside, maybe you’ve seen one before? I heard they’re enormous, way bigger than Jude’s inn.”
“…I’ve never been to a resort. But… when I was younger, I passed by a few hotels here and there.”
Memories flickered—her younger self catching glimpses of hotels while running errands, begging for coins, or after being thrown out and beaten.
“How big are they? Are they really like noble estates—so lavish and grand?”
Curiosity sparkled in Sharon’s eyes.
Riena forced herself to keep her true emotions hidden.
“They’re tall, spacious, very bright… In winter, warmth drifts out even into the streets, and in summer, the air is cool and scented. Important people come and go often.”
“Wow! So we’ll have one here too! Oh, but another secret—some of the council members are against it. I don’t mind though. I think it’ll be wonderful! Imagine seeing all those elegant people in person.”
Once her chatter started, it hardly stopped.
Riena nodded dutifully, encouraging her with a smile.
***
The waves hissed softly.
Late that night, under the moonlight, Riena walked aimlessly until she found herself on the familiar sand, facing the wide expanse of sea.
The early spring wind was sharp, biting at her skin.
Even in the warmer south, the sea air carried the chill of winter.
Still, the cold felt cleansing, as though clearing her heavy chest.
She drew in several deep breaths, then exhaled slowly, almost like a sigh.
A resort… here?
Elegant strangers, strolling the town with laughter and perfume.
The memory of Sharon’s bright, excited voice echoed in her ears.
“…A resort.”
Her quiet murmur scattered instantly into the wind.
Turning her head, she gazed toward the construction site at the edge of the beach.
Two large buildings loomed under canvas covers, built with unusual speed and manpower.
So it’s true… a resort.
The idea unsettled her.
A resort meant more visitors, more outsiders.
Which meant a higher chance of someone recognizing her.
What if someone does?
Pretending ignorance won’t hold forever.
Someone might discover who I really am.
Just like Lieutenant Bailey had, a year ago.
Her knees felt weak.
She let out a ragged breath—only to be seized by a sudden fit of coughing.
“Cough—! Hhh—cough!”
She clamped a hand over her mouth, the metallic stench of blood piercing her nose.
Slowly she tried to steady her breathing, but the coughs refused to stop until long minutes passed.
When at last she lowered her hand, her palm was smeared with far more blood than when the attack had begun.
Her eyes watered uncontrollably from the strain, vision blurring.
She pulled out the handkerchief she always carried, scrubbing the red stains from her skin.
It had been a year since she left the palace, survived the carriage accident, and nearly lost her life—only to awaken in Florian.
Here, she had settled quietly, working in a seaside café with the help of Jude, the innkeeper.
And for a time, she had lived peacefully, not as Riena Bronte, nor as Riena Venachert—just Riena.
A full year had passed.
If Benjamin’s grim prognosis was right, she had less than a year left now.
Perhaps only until next spring.
Her chest burned with that familiar, terrifying pressure.
Riena shut her eyes tightly, willing away the fear of death.
The outcome is already decided.
Fear won’t change anything.
She had learned that truth long ago.
Opening her eyes again, she tried to console herself: at least she could spend her final months here, in this tranquil, beautiful town.
Even if the resort rose on these shores, she would stay hidden, unnoticed—just as she had all this time.
Yes.
It will be fine.
No one has found me yet.
I can endure this quietly, until the end.
