Dinner passed quietly.
Sain didn't ask me to help cook, perhaps still cautious after my morning kitchen disaster and riverbank incident. I felt guilty watching her work alone, so I offered to set the table and tidy up afterward. She didn't say much—just gave me a small smile, one that seemed tired but not unkind.
After we cleared the dishes, she poured us each a cup of tea and sat by the window. The moon hung low in the sky, impossibly large and silver like someone had polished a coin and left it glowing above the world. Sain gestured for me to sit across from her, the steaming cup between us a quiet invitation.
"The moon's too beautiful to ignore tonight," she murmured, not looking at me. "It would be a waste not to sit a while."
I understood. This wasn't just about moonlight or tea. She wanted to talk—to understand. And maybe... so did I.
I took a slow breath. "Sain…"
"Hmm?" She didn't look away from the window.
"I know I've been acting… strange. Since yesterday." My fingers tightened around the warm cup. "I'm sorry. And thank you. For putting up with me."
"Hmm…" she replied again. Still no reaction. Still watching the sky.
"I mean it. I know I've been difficult. Confused. I—" I hesitated, not knowing how much to say. "Could you just… ask me something? Anything. Maybe that'll help me figure out where to begin."
Now she turned to face me, blinking. "That's a strange way to ask for help."
"I know. I'm full of strange things lately."
She sipped her tea, brow furrowing in thought. "Well… you're different. Not just strange. It's like you're someone else."
"I feel that way too," I whispered, more to myself than to her.
Sain looked at me sharply. "What do you mean?"
I hesitated. "Can I ask about... Anna? About me?"
Her expression faltered. "You're asking like you're not her."
I didn't answer.
"Alright," she said slowly. "Ask."
"Who is Anna? How old am I—she, I mean? Do I have a family? What kind of life did I have before this? Before coming here?"
Sain raised both hands in surrender. "Hold on. One question at a time. Let me catch up."
She leaned back in her chair, searching my face. "You really don't remember?"
I shook my head. My throat tightened, but I forced myself to stay quiet.
"You're Anna—Annania. Twenty-six this year. You worked as a maid at the Mollota residence in the capital for nearly eight years. I moved there with you, but I didn't get into the manor. I work in the orchard instead."
Her voice dropped into a softer tone. "You liked coming back here during holidays. Said it gave you peace. You always brought gifts for your parents instead to visit them with me. So, I had to carry everything."
A bitter chuckle escaped her lips, but she smiled faintly.
"Your family's from Ducklinne. Farmers. You've got two younger brothers—Kira and Keigo. Kira's twenty-one and been missing for a while. After he graduated from the Imperial Academy, he went off traveling. It's been nearly a year since you—or anyone—heard from him."
I listened, heart pounding. The names, the places… they meant nothing to me. But I tried to hold onto them, to memorize them like a student cramming before an exam.
"Keigo's fifteen," Sain continued, "He's trying for the Imperial Academy entrance exams this year. You always pushed him, said he was smart like Kira. You wanted him to have a better life."
I stared down into my cup. "So they don't know what's happened to me?"
"No, not yet. News takes time. You came here just three days ago with your things after you were fired from Mollota residence. I haven't sent word yet."
"Then… please don't tell them."
Her eyes widened. "What?"
"Not yet. Please. I just… I need more time."
Sain nodded slowly, frowning. "Even if I wanted to, I couldn't. I can't write, remember? You're the one who usually writes my letters. Your brothers help read them to my parent."
That shocked me. "How come I can read and write if you can't?"
Her gaze sharpened. "Are you mocking me?"
"No! I'm just… curious."
Sain sighed, leaning her head against the windowpane. "Your parents used to work for the Sapphire family in Mountania. They were gardeners there. While they worked, you played with the noble children and learned to read and write along with them. That's not something most commoners get."
"What happened? Why did they leave?"
"The Sapphire family was accused of treason. No proof, but they lost everything. Stripped of titles, exiled. Your parents left before things turned dangerous. After that, they settled in Ducklinne."
She spoke the noble family's name—Sapphire—in a near whisper, like saying it too loud could summon trouble.
My brows furrowed. A thread tugged at the back of my mind, but it slipped away before I could grasp it.
Sain continued, "We met not long after your family moved. You were always bright. Responsible. Never one to drink." Her eyes narrowed. "Which is why I was shocked when you got drunk three nights ago."
I winced. That, apparently, had been my grand entrance into this world.
"You don't even like alcohol," she said. "I thought you were upset about being fired, so I let it go. But the next morning… you were like this. Forgetting things. Asking strange questions."
She covered her face with both hands. "You don't remember anything, do you? Not even me?"
I reached out, resting my hand on hers. "I remember how kind you've been these past two days. That's enough for now."
She didn't answer.
I moved to sit beside her and gently pulled her into a hug. She didn't resist.
Only two days. That's all it's been.
And yet… I already feel like I'm lying to everyone around me. Pretending to be someone I'm not. My name isn't Anna. It's Hanna Sue. A tired journalist from a world filled with honking cars, fluorescent lights, and forgotten dreams.
Now I'm here. Trapped inside a life I don't understand.
The name 'Anna' sits heavy on my tongue. The weight of her memories, her past, her family—none of which I share—threatens to drown me.
But I'm all she has now.
And maybe... she's all I've got too.