Published: August 1, 2025
Beyond the blue sea, 'Paradise' was drifting farther away.
Not long ago, Isaac and the others had been waving to us from the sandy shore, but now, there was no sign or shadow of them.
Only the white foam trail stretched thin and long, connecting the island and this ship, as if expressing our lingering attachment.
Lord Cyrus and I were watching the fleeting white line from the cabin of the trading ship. The day before yesterday, Lord Cyrus had yawned at the sea view he had grown tired of, but today, he wore a somewhat melancholic expression as he gazed at the receding Luhab Island.
Only after it completely disappeared beyond the horizon did he finally speak.
“When leaving here, I can't help but think about the day we will return.”
I nodded.
“Me too... I want to come back someday. It truly was a wonderful island.”
Although our stay was only two nights and three days for resupply and rest, I already understood.
Why this island was called 'Paradise.' Why the former hero Divomov sought to protect this island from domination. And why Lord Cyrus, a merchant of the Eastern Republic, often visited this island and brought me along.
This island was truly... simply free.
Perhaps it was the abundance that dispelled worries of hunger, or maybe the perpetually warm climate that let people sleep naked without freezing. Or perhaps it was the soul-cleansing landscape that was always there when you looked up, nurturing the islanders.
Certainly, this place was undoubtedly paradise.
But then I continued.
“For some reason, while I was here, I kept thinking about Granado Castle.”
Lord Cyrus turned around, surprised.
“Why? There’s hardly anyone from Luhab Island at that castle besides Thomas.”
“Yes, it’s strange, isn’t it?”
I murmured, but deep down, I had a guess. The reason I sensed the same aura as the Granado Family on Luhab Island was family and independence.
Granado Castle was a rare multinational space among the Dilz noble residences, hired foreigners without prejudice. Everyone, whether master or attendant, was friendly yet worked independently. For the attendants, it was a workplace, so it was natural, but the atmosphere was genuinely warm like family. Yet there was no dependence. It was not like my birth home, Chadelan Manor, where everyone bound each other, supporting each other back to back, a fragile arrangement.
They were simply living there, spending their lives as they wished.
Granado Castle had such a comfortable distance. I felt the same here in Luhab.
It was a refreshing love that couldn’t be found in relationships sticky and sweet enough to pull threads.
“It really was a wonderful place...”
I repeated thoughtfully. Lord Cyrus stretched beside me.
“However, this is not the only 'wonderful place.' The world is vast. Islands and towns called 'Paradise' exist all over the world. If anything, there might be at least one in each country.”
“Is there one in Ipsandros too?”
I asked, and he nodded.
“Yes. Do you know about Ips? It is also called the ‘Cat Paradise,' and the town is full of cats. Though they are strays, they never lack food; the community protects and cherishes them.”
“Oh! I didn’t know that.”
Surprised, he told me more about Ips’s culture. In the Eastern Republic, an ancient religion teaches that ‘cats are clean and beloved true pets.’ Everyone has names, even though none are anyone’s pet, they never starve, and they are friendly and not afraid of people. When tourists sit in a café, the cats climb onto their laps on their own. It was an unthinkable custom in Dilz.
I shivered and shouted toward the sea.
“Ah, really, the world is so vast!”
Lord Cyrus smiled as he watched me, acting like a child. He seemed in a good mood, but his gaze was somewhat shadowed. I looked up at his face.
“What’s wrong, Lord Cyrus? Do you have something troubling you...?”
“...Ah. I have a strange foreboding.”
“Foreboding?”
He nodded seriously.
“Most storms are predicted by the navigator watching the sky and wind. But for other troubles, I have a better instinct.”