Subliminal Wayfarer

A voice as gentle as a dream floated through the air.

And something warm touched her face.

Carynne, eyes closed, welcomed the sensation. There’s only one person who would awaken her this way. Raymond always came with a warm towel to gently cleanse her face, slowly, tenderly.

“Have you returned?”

“Yes, Carynne. I’m back.”

“But I thought I’m Carrie?”

“That’s only when Mister Verdic is around.”

Raymond’s eyes crinkled into a smile. Her vision still blurry, Carynne smiled back towards the twinkling green hue of his eyes.

Raymond’s hair was a mess, falling forward, making him look more like a boy than a soldier.

A boy. My boy. Truthfully, he always smiled like that when in love. After all the memories resurfaced, his smile always seemed tinged with fatigue, aging him slightly. Time had etched into his laughter.

But now, his face seemed more relaxed than ever. Carynne smiled anew at this unexpected joy.

“Was your trip successful?”

“Yes. There’s no need for me to leave anymore. Until that day… Mmh.”

That’s good.

Carynne pulls Raymond closer, initiating a passionate kiss.

 

* * *

 

“When will Mister Verdic Evans leave?”

Some time later, while sitting on the bed now, Carynne asked Raymond, who’s lying down.

He answered in a slightly drowsy voice.

“He’ll be leaving soon.”

“「That day」 is not far off…”

Carynne’s anxiety was slowly creeping in, but Raymond sat up and embraced her from behind. Her heart fluttered against him.

Holding Carynne close, Raymond spoke.

“There’s no need to be afraid.”

“I want to believe that… But honestly, my situation is a bit… you know?”

Carynne couldn’t help but be doubtful.

It’s the first time Raymond has all the memories, and she desperately hoped this would be the end.

Yet the situation, with both Verdic and Raymond under one roof, was unnervingly precarious.

Verdic never failed to come swinging an axe to sever Carynne’s neck on 「that day」.

“The way things are going, it’s almost too perfect for a tragic end at Verdic’s hand.”

To die at Verdic’s hand now would be too fitting.

It was all but confirmed that Raymond was guilty of killing Isella, and Carynne, under the flimsy alias of Carrie, seemed to be his accomplice. Further, they were also lovers. For Verdic, not killing Carynne would seem to be more of a challenge.

Carynne fidgeted with her fingers, fearing this time too, she might die. She hoped for a quick end by Verdic’s axe.

“Does it seem that way?”

After a moment of silence, Raymond replies.

“Yes, it does. Anyway, you needn’t worry about Verdic Evans anymore. And he’ll be leaving soon.”

“I find it hard to believe… What did you do?”

“Carynne, men have their secrets.”

His tone is solemn yet teasing.

“Not funny.”

Carynne pinches Raymond’s nose in response.

“Ouch.”

“Seriously, it’s not funny. Anyway, thanks to your antics, things have been comfortable. Verdic’s maids were quite accommodating. And he’s surprisingly simple in some ways.”

“What did he offer you?”

“The usual stuff… money, adoption, clothes, food—all that jazz.”

“You must’ve had a good time.”

“Yes.”

Too good, in fact.

It’s astonishing how devoid of guilt she was, exploiting the grief of a parent who’s lost their child. Eating his food, ordering his maids around, not feeling sorry but incredibly comfortable. Really.

“I had a great time.”

“Isn’t it better when I do things alone?”

Carynne shakes her head vehemently.

“That’s not true.”

And she leans heavily against Raymond, who, feeling her weight, reclines back onto the bed. Carynne rests her head on his chest and continues speaking.

“Indeed, more people are better.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Even if Baron Raymond works hard alone, he can’t do the work of one hundred people by himself. For convenience, it’s definitely necessary to have servants.”

“After 「that day」, we’ll hire more.”

“Be sure of it.”

“Yes. Carynne, by the way, I bought some clothes for you. Let me just unpack them and show you.”

“Okay.”

Raymond stood up, and after returning from his room, he presented Carynne with the clothes.

These designs were from the boutique that Carynne had mentioned to him. However, there was an issue.

Although the material and patterns she had described were used, and the fabric was luxurious with clean stitching indicative of first-class craftsmanship, the design was the problem.

The clothes were entirely different from Carynne’s usual style, and she wasn’t keen on them. Seeing Carynne’s displeased reaction, Raymond hurriedly clarified.

“But this will become very fashionable later.”

“…Really?”

“Yes.”

Carynne wasn’t convinced, but she considered her lack of knowledge about the future. Not knowing what might be in vogue later, she thought it wise to consider his opinion. Perhaps in about five years, it could be leading the trend. Then wouldn’t she be a trendsetter?

However, after putting on the clothes and looking in the mirror, Carynne couldn’t suppress her sinking tone of voice.

It was an overly simplistic design. Not even as a maid had she worn a dress without a single frill. Nor was it a design that accentuated her figure. To Carynne, it didn’t even qualify as clothing. The dress revealed too much of her calves as well.

Not even streetwalkers wore such designs. It was worse than undergarments. It neither exposed her chest nor tightly wrapped her upper body, but blatantly displayed her legs. It felt perversely revealing.

“…Are you sure this’ll become fashionable later on?”

“Yes, it’s not only active but its simple elegance is very appealing. It’s also practical for the summer. People aren’t wearing it yet, but soon…”

Raymond had averted his eyes as Carynne’s voice soured.

“How ‘soon’ are we talking about here?”

“About… twenty years…”

Carynne despaired for the future generation. She knew herself to be not overly upright and full of morals. However, she still held the shame instilled by society and religion—the decency not to expose oneself sexually to others. Exposing one’s legs could directly suggest one’s reproductive parts. How could women of the future wear such revealing clothes without shame?

Carynne sighed.

“How can such clothing become fashionable…”

“Carynne, think about it. You haven’t seen the future yet, but such clothing will undoubtedly make women more comfortable.”

“You didn’t even bring the corset I asked for…”

Carynne shook her head at the bundle devoid of a corset.

She had no corset, and the dress lacked any bustle, so nothing at all enhanced her figure. Overall, it was dreadful.

But Raymond, even as he looked away, continued to advocate for his choice.

“Corsets will soon go out of fashion and, more importantly, they’re not good for the body.”

“……”

“Uh… as I said… that will happen.”

Carynne, not wishing to be a trendsetter of two decades prior, quietly took off the dress. Raymond glanced at her then fell silent.

“From now on… just… buy what I ask for. Understood?”

“Yes, Carynne.”

“And acknowledge that you can’t do it all on your own.”

“…Yes.”

Carynne sighed deeply.

Even if the future would truly, finally come to her, she firmly resolved to never wear such clothes.

 

〈 End of Volume 4 〉