I didn't know what I was feeling anymore.

Relief?

Guilt?

Happiness?

Sadness?

Everything had become tangled together until I could no longer tell where one emotion ended and another began.

It was exhausting.

Thinking.

Remembering.

Pretending.

Even feeling.

At some point, I leaned my head against the carriage window.

The gentle rocking of the carriage slowly lulled me to sleep.

...

I didn't know how long I had been asleep.

Maybe a few minutes.

Maybe the entire journey.

Time had become strangely meaningless.

A warm hand gently brushed against my shoulder.

"Sera..."

A soft voice followed.

"Wake up, my dear."

I slowly opened my eyes.

For a brief moment, I forgot where I was.

The ceiling above me wasn't the one from my apartment.

The seat beneath me wasn't a crowded subway.

The gentle scent of roses wasn't from fabric softener.

It was Mother's perfume.

Reality settled over me once again.

I wasn't Kim Minji anymore.

I was Seraphina Elowen Ardent.

"We're here," Mother said with a gentle smile.

I blinked several times, trying to shake away the lingering drowsiness.

"I'm sorry..."

"There is nothing to apologize for."

She smiled as she carefully brushed a strand of hair away from my face.

"You looked exhausted."

I lowered my eyes.

"I... fell asleep."

"You haven't been sleeping well these past few days."

It wasn't a question.

She had noticed.

Of course she had.

Parents noticed things like that.

Or perhaps...

Loving parents did.

"I'll be fine," I answered quietly.

Mother looked at me for a moment before giving a small nod.

"I know you will."

There was complete trust in her voice.

The kind of trust I wasn't sure I deserved.

The carriage came to a gentle stop.

Outside, I could hear distant voices.

Horse hooves striking stone roads.

Merchants calling out to passing customers.

Children laughing somewhere nearby.

Mother stood first before extending a hand toward me.

"Come."

"It's your first visit to the capital in several months."

I hesitated for only a second before placing my hand in hers.

Her grip was warm.

Steady.

Comforting.

For just a moment—

I wished the carriage ride had lasted a little longer.

Because once I stepped outside...

Everything would become real again.

Mother stepped down first before helping me descend from the carriage.

The moment my feet touched the stone pavement—

I froze.

The Imperial Capital.

It was...

Beautiful.

Far more beautiful than the novel's illustrations had ever described.

Wide streets stretched into the distance, lined with elegant white buildings decorated with flowers spilling from their balconies.

Horse-drawn carriages came and went without pause.

Ladies in colorful gowns strolled beneath lace parasols, accompanied by maids and knights.

Gentlemen greeted one another with practiced smiles while discussing business and politics.

The air carried the scent of freshly baked bread, blooming flowers, and expensive perfume.

Everything looked...

Alive.

For a while, I simply stood there.

Watching.

Listening.

Taking it all in.

In my previous life, I had only seen places like this through television dramas.

Even then, they had always felt distant.

Like a world that belonged to someone else.

Now...

I was standing in one.

It still didn't feel real.

Mother glanced at me and smiled.

"What do you think?"

I looked around once more before answering honestly.

"It's beautiful."

"It is," she agreed.

"But after living here for years, you stop noticing."

I quietly shook my head.

"I don't think I could."

Mother laughed softly.

"Perhaps losing your memory has made everything feel new again."

I didn't answer.

Because...

It wasn't just new.

It was my first time seeing a world where people weren't rushing past each other with tired expressions.

No traffic horns.

No crowded buses.

No apartment buildings stacked one after another.

No one looking down at their phones.

Everything moved more slowly here.

People actually looked at one another.

Spoke to one another.

Laughed together.

I wasn't sure which world felt stranger anymore.

Mother gently squeezed my hand.

"Come."

"The boutique isn't far."

As we began walking through the streets, people greeted Mother politely.

"Good afternoon, Countess Ardent."

"It's an honor to see you again."

"Welcome back, Countess."

Mother acknowledged each greeting with the same graceful smile.

No arrogance.

No unnecessary pride.

Only quiet elegance.

As for me...

The moment people noticed my face—

Their expressions changed.

"Lady Seraphina?"

"I heard she was terribly ill."

"She looks much healthier."

"I'm relieved."

One noblewoman even clasped her hands together as if she were about to cry.

"I prayed for your recovery."

I stared at her.

She...

Prayed for me?

No.

For Seraphina.

Once again—

The guilt settled heavily inside my chest.