TLVGAJ 15

Chapter 15

“Wow, even the street food here is amazing, isn’t it?”

Having successfully escaped from Albert, I now stood in the bustling streets with Finn and Harry.

Finn, Harry… I owe you so much.

By sheer luck, I had run into them, and that gave me a perfectly natural excuse to slip away from the two male leads.

Technically, Harry was one of the male leads as well, but… it felt different with him.

“That restaurant was so renowned that I really wanted to take Finn there, but honestly, the street food feels more familiar,” Harry admitted.

I nodded in agreement. The same was true for me.

In my hand was a piece of golden, crispy fried squid.

The restaurant meal with Albert and Eric hadn’t been bad—no, it had far exceeded my expectations. The flavors had been so refined that I immediately understood its fame with a single bite.

But the soul within me was still that of Yoon Se-hee, who had once lived a frugal life…

There was a liberating sense of comfort in foods like fried squid.

Street food also carried a unique, fleeting charm that could only be felt when traveling. Each destination had its own specialties, and discovering them was part of the joy.

“By the way, my lady, where did you go today? The stopover was quite long this time,” Harry asked.

“Oh, I… went to the Lata Temple,” I replied after swallowing the savory bite.

Harry’s eyes widened.

“Truly? You climbed all the way up the Stairs of Trial?”

“Yes! I did.”

“That’s remarkable… I’ve heard very few travelers manage to make it all the way to the top. We stayed in town instead of visiting the temple.”

Harry’s reactions were always so genuine.

He looked at me, petite and fragile as I was, as though I had accomplished something extraordinary, and raised a thumb in admiration.

“What was it like, my lady? They say it’s breathtakingly beautiful.”

“…It really was. Like paradise itself,” I murmured, recalling the tranquil sight that had greeted us upon reaching the temple’s gates.

The scene had been unforgettable—peaceful, otherworldly, as though paradise revealed itself only to those who endured the climb.

Of course, I eventually saw little else but the high priest passionately spitting out sermons as he guided us…

Still, it had been a good memory nonetheless.

“But Harry, why didn’t you go? With your talent, I’m sure you could capture the temple’s beauty in an incredible painting.”

Even as I asked, I already suspected the reason. My gaze flickered toward Finn.

Harry smiled faintly and nodded.

“Yes, well… Finn is still young and frail. Instead, we promised each other that when he grows stronger, we’ll return and climb the Stairs of Trial together.”

“That’s right! When I get healthier, I’m going to climb the stairs with my brother!”

Finn, his lips smudged with sauce as he nibbled at his fried snack, spoke up with determination.

“And you have to come back with us then, my lady!”

“Oh? You’re not calling me ‘Princess’ anymore, Finn?”

“Right. My brother taught me that I should call you properly—Lady Hartmann, not Princess.”

“I actually liked it when you called me Princess,” I said softly, bending down to meet his bright, earnest gaze.

From my perspective—knowing the future—his words about ‘next time’ tugged at my heartstrings.

“…Yes. Finn, let’s all come back together when you’re healthy again.”

Even so, holding on to hope wasn’t a bad thing.

Hope gave strength to live in the present.

And who knew? Perhaps making such a promise, sharing this fleeting hope, might somehow change Finn’s fate for the better.

After all, when I had once received a terminal diagnosis in my past life, it was hope that had carried me forward.

Once we had devoured the squid and shrimp tempura and even a generous helping of ice cream, the three of us wandered through the town.

Lata’s city center had a different atmosphere than the temple.

Perhaps because I had come from such a sacred place, I had expected the streets to feel solemn and quiet. Instead, they were vibrant, teeming with people and noise.

We sat on benches, watching passersby. We browsed through antique shops.

I bought a few charming little souvenirs that caught my eye, while Harry sketched us here and there with quiet focus.

Before I knew it, the sun was descending, its golden rays filtering gently through the clouds.

“It’s already time to say goodbye…” Finn said wistfully.

It was almost 6 p.m.—time for the train to depart from Lata.

I parted ways with the brothers and returned to my cabin, boarding the train just before its departure.

Though there had been a trace of regret in leaving, I was in high spirits.

This time, my travels had been relatively peaceful!

Yes… this is what a true journey should feel like!

At Risman Harbor, I had been too entangled with an original storyline episode to enjoy myself fully.

But here, I hadn’t been dragged into any major plotline. There had been no encounters with people like Derek.

Of course, I had met Albert and Eric, but they hadn’t interfered with my enjoyment enough to ruin the trip.

For the first time, I had experienced something that actually felt like travel.

“Hehehe…”

“My lady, you perspired quite a bit today. You should take a bath,” Sophie suggested.

“Oh, yes, that sounds perfect!”

Sophie, ever attentive, drew me a bath using the cabin’s private facilities.

Even first-class cabins have personal bathrooms with bathtubs… the Ramier Express really is something else.

It was almost surreal to be living a scene that could have been plucked straight from a romance fantasy novel, the kind where the protagonist luxuriates in a warm bath after a long day.

Just as in the books, Sophie sprinkled mysterious powders and oils into the water, leaving my skin and hair soft and fragrant in no time.

After slipping into a comfortable dress and drying my hair, I collapsed onto the bed.

“Aah… this feels heavenly.”

I was bone-tired, yet sleep refused to come.

Perhaps it was because today’s adventures had been so joyful and exhilarating.

“You can’t sleep, can you, my lady?”

“You noticed? Yes. I keep replaying the day in my head. I’m just too excited to fall asleep.”

“In that case… would you like to visit the first-class bar? It’s reserved exclusively for passengers like us,” Sophie suggested with a smile.

My head snapped up at once.

“Of course! Why didn’t I think of that?”

I leapt to my feet. It was true—I had only set foot in such facilities on the day we boarded and hadn’t made use of them since.

This time, I would enjoy it properly.

A quiet drink, a bit of sightseeing… that might be just the thing to help me sleep.

…Though I remembered a moment later that I couldn’t drink.

Irene’s body was fragile and terminally ill. Her overprotective parents had strictly forbidden her from consuming alcohol, fearing it might worsen her condition.

But that didn’t matter. I wasn’t going for the drink—I was going for the ambiance.

Throwing a shawl over my shoulders, I left the cabin with Sophie at my side.

The bar carriage revealed itself as a space of understated luxury, its refined atmosphere entirely different from when I had first glimpsed it.

Low, ambient lighting cast a warm glow across the room, where people dressed in elegant gowns, pressed shirts, and tailored suits sat at scattered tables.

There were also a few dressed casually, likely passengers who had simply stepped out from their cabins for a quick drink, much like us.

A waiter approached and handed us menus as we settled into a table.

“Welcome, and thank you for visiting the Ramier Bar.”