CH 47

True to Theo’s words, there was an unexpected gift in the Empress’ bedroom. A white bottle of liquor wrapped in a cute, big bow and a cute, heart-shaped goblet.

“What’s this?”

“I stopped in Ios on my way back to do some preliminary research.”

Ios was to be my home base. I covered my mouth with one hand and gasped.

“My God, how did you make it back in one piece from such a rough sea voyage?”

“I didn’t want you to worry, so I didn’t tell you beforehand. As you can see, I’m fine. But I figured I’d need a very sturdy boat to avoid any possible casualties in the future.”

“What was it like going there?”

I asked, my eyes twinkling with curiosity about the unknown island where I would spend the rest of my perfect life.

“It was just as I expected: it was secluded, with a population so small that it constituted the equivalent of a very small village in the provinces; few outsiders came and went, making it perfect for hiding one’s identity; the islanders were hospitable; and most of all, it was beautiful enough to please her majesty the Empress.”

He said, pushing the bottle close to me.

“They brewed a drink made of favia in it for their feast days.”

With that, I uncapped the bottle and sniffed it. It was the same scent I’d always smelled in Vanessa palace, but concentrated.

The floral scent was so strong, that I didn’t smell the pungent alcohol scent.

“There’s a saying in Ios that if you drink a drink infused with favia with your lover, it will make their love last forever. It’s Her Majesty’s favorite flower, so I thought I’d try to make it.”

“You made it yourself?”

“It’s a tricky recipe, so I had a hard time with it. It’s very sweet, so it shouldn’t be too hard to drink. If you find someone you really love in the future, drink it with them.”

Did Letenia like Favia, too? I remembered a superstition about favia that Rosetin had told me one day at the Vanessa palace.

It was said that carrying a sachet of favia would make your love come true. It was definitely a subject that women in love liked.

Similar to the old tales like if you dip your fingernail in peach water and the color stays until the first snowfall, it means you will achieve your first love.

I used to believe that when I was younger. But experience has taught me that first love isn’t always a good thing.

“Favia has a lot of superstitions related to love.”

“In flower language it also means eternal love.”

“Anyway, since you made it for me, I’ll gladly accept it.”

It was the first time I received alcohol as a gift. In my life as Kim Se-jin, I always felt a certain aversion whenever I saw alcohol, whether it was beer or soju.

It was because of Yoon Jihwan. He had always lectured me with words like, “A woman should always behave properly, no matter where she is.”

He didn’t like it when I even touched alcohol. He said that getting drunk to the point of losing one’s senses is very troublesome and shows a lack of self respect. He even said that it looks vulgar for a woman to get drunk in front of a man.

Yet, he, himself, turned into a mess and slept on the streets after a few drinks. Every time that happened, I think I also heard some ridiculous remarks about how it was fine because he was a man.

Anyway, after years of hearing these things, I was subtly brainwashed and didn’t really feel like drinking alcohol even after I became an adult.

Drinking was like a voluntary prohibition for me. I heard that people like to get drunk when they are depressed, but I didn’t feel like relieving stress in that way even after my breakup. Now, I wondered if it was just another dirty mark that Yoon Jihwan had left on me. Then suddenly, my mouth became dry.

I stared at the bottle and picked it up. I took a small, deep breath and unscrewed the cap. Pouring the contents into a heart-shaped glass, I spoke in a determined tone.

“Let’s drink together. They say alcohol always tastes better with like-minded friends, and I’m looking forward to this one as much as the macarons.”

Theo raised the corners of his mouth and took the glass.

“Are you sure you want to share it with me?”

I nodded slightly, and Theo flashed me a seductive smile. I felt a strange thrill as that smile took on the appearance of a flawless man.

He gave me a meaningful glance, as if testing something, and said enigmatically.

“If you do this, I’ll misunderstand.”

“What do you mean?”

“A misunderstanding that Her Majesty the Empress thinks I’m special.”

“Of course, you are a special person to me.”

Theo’s smile deepened, revealing his sexy dimples. His eyes were full of mischief.

He spoke in a slightly whispering voice.

“Enough to make you want to be with me forever?”

My heart burned for no reason under his lingering gaze. I could see his eyes so clearly.

I knew he was joking, of course, but the strangeness of his words made my pulse quicken.

To be with him forever…… The words he threw out so lightly struck a deeper chord than I expected, making me forget what I was going to say for a moment, but I quickly regained my composure.

“I don’t believe in such things.”

“I thought you were quite fond of Favia’s flower language.”

Eternal love…… Lethenia wondered if she had hoped to divert Ian’s mind by relying on such superstitions.

After all, superstitions are born out of longing for something that can’t be fulfilled.

“Because I realized that nothing lasts forever.”

Theo gave me a surprised look at that, but then he nodded his head slowly.

“I agree with that, actually. Everything is bound to change. Saying that something is not eternal can be quite hopeful in a way, as it means that even the most difficult times will eventually come to an end.”

Theo closed his eyes slightly and opened them. His long eyelashes particularly caught my attention.

“You say that, and yet you made something like this.”

“I thought Her Majesty might like it, like the macarons I made. I have a knack for this sort of thing, so feel free to indulge in it anytime.”

He looked at me with a smile that would have mesmerized any woman, so I couldn’t help but smile back, as if mesmerized by the sight.

I took a sip of the drink. It smelled sweet and savory, like a bunch of favia flowers.

It tasted more like juice than alcohol.

“It’s not alcohol, it’s sweet juice.”

“You don’t usually drink alcohol, so I made it extra sweet.”

I downed the rest of the alcohol in my glass, as if possessed. The flavor was the perfect complement to my sweet tooth. Theo matched my pace.

He glanced over at me as I gulped down my drink and smirked.

“You’re going to get drunk fast if you drink like that. It’s pretty stronger than it looks.”

“Um, I don’t know.”

“Well, it was originally a drink that islanders used to drink to fight off the cold at sea.”

“You mean this fruity drink?”

“The sweetest ones are more dangerous.”

He gave me an intrigued look and a warning word. But my mind was too clear for that, and I laughed at Theo’s comment.

“I’m fine. This should be no problem.”

“Well, as you please.”

Theo shrugged and answered lightly.

“If it’s that strong, you should probably be careful too.”

“I rarely get drunk.”

“But a drink made simply to beat the cold doesn’t sound nearly as romantic as the idea of eternal love.”

“Actually, favia can mean two things. Eternal love or…… longing.”

“Longing?”

The corner of his mouth curled up at my curious look.

“There’s a separate reason why the people of the island of Ios created the wine from Favia.”

Theo slowly closed and opened his eyes and began a long story.

“At one time, it was frequently invaded by a sea monster called the Litharanas. Did you know that there is even a legend that water dragons live on the waterway to Ios because of its capricious weather? That’s why it’s now known as the Sea of Death, but long ago, it was just an ordinary sea. Instead, Lithranas freely roamed between the land and the sea.”

“Is that what makes it so dangerous?”

“Litharanas are human-like enough to be called mermaids, but they’re also highly intelligent and cunning, and it’s said that if they happen to be captured by sailors, they show a pitiful face and appeal for sympathy, but once saved, they would lead a group to seek revenge.”

I was a little creeped out by the idea of a sea creature that resembles a human…… and intelligent enough to trick people. They certainly seemed to be quite different from the mermaid fairy tales I knew.

“They once roamed the territorial waters of Pekov. But Ios was a very small island, far from the capital, and King Pekov pretended not to notice when its inhabitants were in danger. The islanders had to go out to the sea to fight for their families. They had to stop the Litaranas from coming ashore.”

“What a lousy ruler, to turn a blind eye to people in danger when he should be protecting them.”

“From then on, naturally, Ios became an independent autonomous province, free of the Empire’s influence.”

He spoke again, eyeing the goblet of favia with an enigmatic gaze.

“On the sea, the only thing as frightening as the Litanaras was the blade-like cold, and the Favia wine is the drink that the wives made in hopes that their husbands would return safely. If they returned, it meant eternal love, and if they didn’t, it meant eternal longing.”

“If that’s the reason, then it must have been made with the most earnest heart.”

Theo nodded in agreement.

“There is a strong desire hidden in every superstition.”

The history of Favia he told me felt as vivid as watching a movie.

“Then, for unknown reasons, the Sea of Death came into existence, and the matter of the Lithanaras was put to rest. Of course, this is all part of a long history that took place in ancient times. It’s just a distant past that the current inhabitants of Ios don’t experience.”

“So it’s almost as if the Sea of Death protected Ios from the monsters.”

He took another sip of his drink and I followed suit. The drink was strong but his face was so calm that I felt like we were having tea together.