May, the month when roses burst forth in full bloom, marked a special occasion for Rose.
It was her birth month.
The Honeywell Manor buzzed with activity from early morning as a stream of guests arrived bearing gifts to honor Rose's special day.
Amidst the presents, the staff efficiently sorted out the edible gifts in the kitchen and the jewelry in Rose's room.
Every gift that entered her room was met with Rose's attentive gaze. All along, her eyes darted around as if seeking something in particular.
"My lady, I treated all the letters that came with the gifts as if they were the same. Here they are."
Anne said, handing over a bundle of letters that accompanied the gifts.
Taking the bundle, Rose scanned through them, reading the family names one by one.
Some belonged to families that were close to the Honeywell family, while others were unfamiliar.
Yet, among the letters adorned with numerous family seals, the one seal Rose had been waiting for was absent.
"... Not here."
Rose murmured, a hint of disappointment in her voice.
"What's wrong, my lady?"
Anne inquired, picking up on her mistress' tone.
Rose let out a rueful chuckle, shaking her head.
"Oh, it's nothing. I guess I was just hoping for something else. Well, time to return the favor for the gifts you all sent me. I should begin my replies."
Seating herself at her desk, Rose faced the task at hand.
The tradition of sending out thank-you notes to those who had graced her with presents.
For letters from men, alcohol was the chosen response to thank them for their gifts and well wishes. For letters from women, perfume was the perfect reply.
As Rose penned letters one after another, she was interrupted by a light tap on her shoulder. Peeking over her shoulder, she found Anne, who was lightly trying to catch her attention.
"Lady Rose, it's time to start getting ready to head out."
Anne informed her of her schedule.
"Already?"
Rose exclaimed, placing her pen down. Outside the window, the sun was slowly making its descent.
On this very day, Rose had plans to celebrate her birthday by going out to dine with Wells. Rising from her chair, she began her preparations with Anne's assistance and that of her ladies-in-waiting.
The time had come to fulfill the promise she had made to Wells.
With Rose's attire nearly complete and all the arrangements in place, Anne entered the room carrying a small box wrapped in red velvet.
"Lady Rose, this is a gift from His Grace to you."
Anne presented the box with a smile.
She eagerly opened the box, revealing a necklace adorned with glistening pearls. Wells had thoughtfully provided the necklace that Rose had requested as her gift.
"How about wearing this necklace out today, my lady?"
Thinking of Wells' reaction, Anne asked with a grin.
Rose nodded in agreement.
She had only mentioned wanting a nice necklace for social gatherings, leaving it at that. But now it was clear that if she didn't explicitly mention her preferences, Wells would go to great lengths to select an extravagant gift.
Taking the necklace from the box, Anne gently placed it around Rose's neck.
The pearls seemed tailor-made for her, fitting perfectly and enhancing her elegance.
"Anne, tie up my hair. I would like it tied up for today."
"Of course, my lady. I'll put my hair up so you can see the necklace better."
Anne responded that, having cared for Rose for a long time, she understood her intentions without needing further explanation.
She deftly wove Rose's hair into a long braid that cascaded down her back.
Once the braid was secured, a tiny flower-shaped pin was delicately inserted, and right on cue, the butler arrived.
"Young Lady Rose, the master is waiting downstairs for your arrival."
The butler informed her of her brother's readiness.
"Alright, I'm on my way."
Rose replied, and with light steps, Rose left the room, followed by the butler and Anne a few steps behind.
They urged her to descend slowly, but Rose was too excited to heed their advice.
Hello, brother! I'm ready!"
Spotting Wells standing on the first floor, she called out his name with exuberance.
Without displaying any surprise, Wells turned his head and approached the staircase, extending his hand.
"Happy birthday, Rose. The necklace suits you perfectly. You look beautiful."
Wells complimented his beloved sister the moment his lips parted.
"Thank you, brother."
Rose responded warmly to his honest praise, naturally taking his hand.
The two of them boarded the prepared carriage and set off for the restaurant they had reserved through the butler.
Wells had arranged a reservation at a restaurant managed by a chef who had once worked at the Imperial Palace.
As they entered the restaurant hand in hand, Rose scanned the surroundings.
Despite the dinner hour, the place was surprisingly devoid of other customers.
Wells provided an explanation for Rose.
"Sister, we've rented out the entire restaurant for the evening. So, don't worry about others and just enjoy your meal."
Rose couldn't help but feel a bit apologetic.
"I feel bad. Other nobles might have made reservations too."
Wells shrugged it off.
"They've heard that Honeywell secured it for the day. Who's going to complain once they know the reason?"
As Rose and Wells chatted, the manager approached and guided them to their reserved seats.
Before long, the restaurant's true proprietor, the chef, emerged.
Wells and the chef exchanged warm greetings, as if they were old acquaintances.
"Welcome, Duke Honeywell."
The chef greeted them with a smile.
"Yes, it has been quite a while."
Wells greeted the chef, who responded with a courteous nod and spoke.
"It's an honor to serve Your Grace and Lady Rose Honeywell. And may I have the honor to wish a happy birthday to Lady Rose Honeywell?"
"Thank you, sir."
Rose replied with a smile.
With a gesture from the chef, the female staff brought forth the dishes.
After explaining the array of food he had prepared, the chef excused himself with a well-wishing farewell, leaving Rose and Wells alone in the restaurant.
They began eating while engaging in a light conversation.
"You didn't step out of your room today. Were you busy writing letters?" Wells inquired.
"Yes. I have received quite a few gifts and well wishes."
"The maids have been bustling around sorting out the gifts since morning."
"Yes, I wonder if the gift from... Hmm, it's probably among the ones that arrived this morning...?"
"Could be. Most of them likely got here yesterday."
What response was she secretly hoping for?
Unconsciously, her expression turned a bit gloomy. Yet, knowing that today was meant to be a joyful day spent with Wells, she attempted to cast aside the lingering emotions.
Seemingly peering into Rose's thoughts, Wells switched topics.
"Tomorrow, we're heading to the temple."
"Hmm."
"Have a great trip, and remember, if anything comes up, make sure to inform the priests there immediately."
"Alright, brother, I'll do my best. I'm not sure if I'll be able to become Tristan's Gloria."
"Sister, you'll do great."
After the meal, they strolled to the plaza without opting for the carriage. As the sun completely set, lanterns illuminated the streets.
While watching a small play in the plaza with Wells, Rose suddenly felt a sense of familiarity in her surroundings.
Soon, she realized that this was where the fortune teller's tent used to be.
"Do you want to stay here with me today?"
Walking arm in arm with Wells, Rose gazed around.
Even though many people would be looking for Kate's divination tent, it remained elusive, no matter how much she searched.
Wells noticed her distracted gaze and asked.
"What are you looking for, sister?"
His question startled her, causing her shoulders to twitch.
"Oh, it's nothing... Just a little..."
"Just a little?" Wells prompted.
"Ugh. So... Ah! Brother! Do you recognize what that is?"
Rose exclaimed, attempting to divert Wells' attention.
To change the topic, she led Wells' attention in a certain direction, although she herself wasn't entirely sure what she was pointing at.
As they walked away, she cast a glance towards the spot where Kate's fortune-telling tent once stood.
However, the bustling crowd moved toward the place where her gaze landed.
The mysterious tent she had entered with Anne and Barry was nowhere to be found.
Night had fallen by the time Wells and Rose returned to the manor following their time spent at the plaza.
The stalls in the square were closing down as the two of them made their way back to Honeywell Manor.
"Brother, I had such a great time today."
"Hmmm, my Rose, I'm glad you enjoyed it. It's late; have pleasant dreams tonight."
The siblings exchanged goodnight wishes in front of Rose's room.
Rose bid Wells farewell and entered her room accompanied by Anne, who had been waiting nearby.
Anne noticed the unceasing smile on Rose's face.
"Lady Rose, you seem to have had a delightful day out there today."
"Yes. It's been quite some time since I spent the entire day out with my brother. Just walking together was really enjoyable."
Anne smiled, understanding Rose's sentiment.
As Rose waited for Anne's assistance in changing her clothes and tidying her hair, she was surprised to find Anne holding a box instead of her pajamas.
"What's that?"
Rose inquired, raising an eyebrow.
"I think it's a gift for you, my lady. There was no sender's name or letter, so I'm not sure who sent it."
"A gift?"
"Yes. It arrived not long after you returned with the master. It came through the mail."
Rose settled at the table, her curiosity piqued.
Anne handed her the box, and she received it absentmindedly, momentarily forgetting about changing her attire.
While mail deliveries were common, they usually came from commoners.
Noble gifts were typically delivered by family servants or knights, not through the mail.
However, the box appeared lavish---not like something a commoner would send but rather something a noble would.
Rose ran her fingertips over its surface.
It wasn't just the exterior. Even the material and wrapping paper used for the box were uncommonly exquisite, even for Honeywell Manor.
"I've never seen wrapping paper this luxurious."
Anne commented, adding to her observation.
"I know. I wonder who they must be from. Who on earth could have sent this? Could it be a prank?"
"Could be. The mailman said it was for Lady Rose Honeywell. He emphasized that he had to personally deliver it to you."
With the enigmatic gift before her, Rose wondered about its origin.
The sender must have known me quite well.
Filled with curiosity, Rose opened the box.
Within the box was a smaller velvet box, clearly meant for holding accessories.
"It looks like some kind of ornament."
Rose remarked, nodded, and carefully picked up the velvet box, opening it to reveal a hairpin adorned with gleaming aquamarine stones that radiated a brilliant blue hue.
The various sizes of aquamarines were so vivid that she almost felt regret that they were used in a hairpin.
As Rose turned the hairpin to catch the light, it seemed as if the water trapped within the gems was dancing and rippling.
Witnessing this, Anne exclaimed.
"It's like watching a wave emerge."
"A wave... You mean the sea?"
"Yes, my lady, it reminds me of the sea. The way the gems reflect the light, it's just like the waves I used to see when I was a child."
Rose examined the intricacies of the hairpin with profound interest.
Who could have possibly sent this?
As Rose continued to gaze at the hairpin, almost as though it might whisk her away into the jewel itself, she spotted something else within the box.
Nestled beneath the velvet compartment was none other than an album.
With a mix of excitement and curiosity, Rose opened the album's first page, hoping to find a clue to the mysterious sender of the gift.
It's a postcard!
To her surprise, each postcard featured scenes of the sea or a port---not just one or two, but all of them.
"Oh, they're all about the sea. I guess they chose what they thought was beautiful."
Anne commented as she scanned through the postcards.
Although Anne's words floated near her ears, Rose found herself unable to respond.
Every bit of her attention was absorbed by the postcards in the album, leaving her little room for anything else.
Without averting her gaze, Rose flipped through the various postcards depicting different seascapes.
After browsing through a few, she stumbled upon something peculiar and hastily turned back to the very first page.
"The date... It's from 13 years ago."
The date on the first postcard was 14 years ago.
If one were to start collecting postcards from the day Rose was born, the timeline would stretch back 20 years.
But the enigmatic date on the postcard---14 years ago---posed a puzzle.
"Ah!"
Rose didn't ponder for long.
The year marked by that date instantly clicked in her mind.
It was the same year the blue-haired boy had made a promise to show her the sea.
"Anne, are you absolutely clueless about who would have sent this?"
"Yes, my lady. Should we maybe get in touch with the postman?"
"Can you do that?"
"Well, if we reach out to the post office and inquire about the person who delivered mail to the Honeywell Manor, we might be able to track them down."
The album quivered slightly in Rose's hands.
Her heart raced, the intensity of her curiosity building.
"Hmm. Please, go ahead. I... I really need to find out who sent this."