A Conversation

“Now, which one should I choose?”

Anne stood on the rain-swept shore, holding a different type of fish in each hand, a look of genuine, profound frustration on her beautiful face.

The fish in her left hand had fine, greyish scales and was rather ugly, but it struggled with a surprising, desperate strength. The one in her right hand, though it looked a bit dopey, had scales that shimmered with an iridescent, rainbow-like light, so beautiful it could make one sigh.

“In the end,” she sighed softly, “I have no idea which kind of fish the Young Master ate last year.”

When he spoke of a fish so delicious it had left a lasting, indelible impression, he must have been referring to the one the ducal family had eaten last year when they came to Lake Bepor for a boating trip. The flavor of that fish had been so exquisite that even the well-traveled, epicurean Duke had praised it endlessly. It was only natural that the Young Master would still be thinking about it. But the fish that day had been caught by the boatman, who had also prepared the entire magnificent meal. Anne had no idea what species it was.

“To make such a basic, amateurish mistake. As the Young Master’s personal maid, I have truly been derelict in my duties.”

Anne made a silent, solemn resolution. When she returned to the ducal estate, she would thoroughly, exhaustively study every single species of freshwater fish in Lake Bepor. The estate’s strange, eclectic library, which seemed to contain books on every topic imaginable, would surely have the relevant texts.

“If you’re planning on eating it, the one on the left is much more delicious.”

A quiet voice spoke up from behind her.

“The one on the right may look pretty, but it has a very strong, unpleasant, fishy taste.”

“I see.”

Anne casually tossed the beautiful, but apparently foul-tasting, fish in her right hand back into the lake, then turned to face the young woman who had returned. “Are your companions alright now?”

“They… have gone back.”

“Then why are you not leaving?”

“I…” Elka forced a lonely, bitter smile. “One of my companions was seriously injured and needs immediate treatment, but my mana is completely gone. And with my stamina so low, I would just be a burden if I went with them. So it’s better for me to stay here and wait for my mana to recover a little. I’m sorry,” she added, her voice small, “I won’t be able to bring my companions to thank you properly for a while.”

“Don’t worry about it. As I said, I have no need for such things,” Anne replied, her voice calm and even. “More importantly, you seem to know a great deal about this fish.”

“Yes.” Elka nodded. “My village is just on the other side of the lake. Every autumn, I would go fishing with my family for this very species. They only become plump and delicious in the fall, which is why they’re so popular with the nobility. They always fetch a good price.”

“Is that so. It seems I caught the right one, then.” Anne stroked her chin, then, as if remembering something, she looked at Elka with a new, serious expression. “May I ask you how to prepare this fish?”

“Eh? Of course, you can.”

“Excellent.”

Having gotten a positive reply, Anne quickly knocked the fish unconscious and tossed it aside. She then took out a small, leather-bound notebook she carried with her. “What is the best way to cook it?”

“Um… usually grilled over charcoal or steamed. The main appeal of this fish is its fresh, delicate taste and firm texture, so it’s best to choose a cooking method that won’t overpower its natural flavor.”

“What kind of seasoning does it need?”

“Just salt should be enough. You’re eating it for its own flavor, after all.”

“Spices…”

“…”

…

The two of them talked for a long time. Anne’s questions were precise and exhaustive, ranging from cooking methods to seasoning and cooking times, and she even asked about the optimal temperature at which to serve it. It wasn’t until she had filled two entire pages of her notebook with dense, meticulous, and perfectly neat notes that she finally closed it with a satisfied look. She gave Elka a deep, grateful bow. “Thank you for your guidance. You have been a great help.”

“Oh, no, you don’t have to thank me!” Elka hastily dodged the formal bow, scratching her cheek in embarrassment. “I just did a small, insignificant thing. Compared to you saving my life, it’s nothing at all.”

“No,” Anne said, her voice firm. “To me, this was a very great help.”

A rare, gentle, and genuinely warm smile appeared on Anne’s usually prim and cold face. Looking at that smile, Elka was, for a moment, completely and utterly captivated.

“Miss Anne…” she found herself asking, “are you doing all this… because there’s someone you love?”

“Hm?”

“Ah, I’m so sorry! To suddenly ask something so personal…”

“It’s fine. It is not something I need to hide.” Anne touched her own blushing cheeks, a blissful, almost radiant smile on her lips. “I am, indeed, doing all this to prepare a delicious fish dinner for my beloved.”

“So it’s true… That’s so wonderful.” Elka said, her voice full of a genuine, heartfelt envy. “To be able to offer your heart to the one you love… your beloved must be a very happy person.”

“Mm. He is very happy,” Anne said, her eyes narrowing slightly, a strange, possessive light in their depths. “Or he will be, once he fully understands the true depths of my love for him.”

“Eh?”

“It’s nothing. Please pay it no mind.”

Anne lowered her hands, habitually folding them at her waist. Her elegant, perfect posture made Elka feel another sharp pang of envy. If I were that graceful, that poised, Rod would surely notice me.

“Um… Miss Anne.”

“Yes?”

“I have a problem… would it be alright if I talked to you about it?” Elka asked, nervously clutching the hem of her skirt.

“Of course,” Anne replied, her voice kind. “Consider it my thanks for the cooking lesson. Go ahead.”

“Well… I have a friend. A friend, yes. A very good friend.”

“Mm, I understand. A ‘friend.’ And?”

“And… she has someone she likes. Someone she has liked for a very, very long time. But she doesn’t know if he likes her back. Because he’s very dense, and he’s kind to everyone.”

“A ‘fireplace’ type of man?” Anne mused. “The kind that gives off warmth to everyone around him, whether they deserve it or not.”

“My… my friend, she was about to confess to him. But then, another woman appeared.”

“A love triangle?”

“…Yes. So recently, my friend has been wavering. Because the person she likes seems to be a little nicer, a little more attentive, to the new woman. So, she’s wondering if it would be better to just give up.”

Elka looked down at the lake’s surface. The waves were still turbulent, and she couldn’t see her own reflection. Unconsciously, her fingers had clenched so tightly that her knuckles had turned a stark, bloodless white.

“After all, if they truly like each other, it wouldn’t be right for her to get in the way as a third party, would it?”

“I see. I understand your ‘friend’s’ predicament,” Anne nodded, her expression serious. “In that case, let me ask you a direct question.”

“Eh? Miss Anne?”

Elka let out a small cry of surprise. Anne had suddenly, with a gentle but firm grip, taken Elka’s face in her hands, forcing her to meet her intense, unblinking gaze.

“Tell me,” she said, her voice a low, hypnotic whisper, “how much do you love that man?”

“Eh, it’s my friend! My friend…” Elka’s protests grew weaker and weaker, withering under Anne’s clear, piercing eyes. She saw in them that her own ability to lie was just as pathetic as everything else about her.

“I love him very much,” Elka confessed, her voice barely a whisper. “Since we were children. I’ve loved him for years.”

“Could you die for him?”

“Of course,” Elka answered without a moment’s hesitation. After all, she had already done so just a short while ago.

“Could you disregard all ethics for him?” Anne continued, her voice intense, unwavering.

“I could.”

“Could you trample upon the law for him?”

“Yes.”

If she could give up her own life for him, what were mere ethics and laws in comparison?