The outside of the cabin where I had lain unconscious for three days was, in a word, like paradise on earth.
Around the hut, I could see all kinds of colorful flowers shyly bursting into buds, each with its own unique shape.
A warm spring breeze blew toward me from somewhere, caressing my face.
Vapors hovered above the flower garden, and beside it ran a babbling stream.
When I raised my gaze slightly, I saw a vast green meadow full of vibrant grass. Beyond the meadow, trees stood laden with ripe, delicious fruit, their branches heavy under the bounty.
Above, the sky stretched out in a perfect, cloudless expanse.
If there was truly a land flowing with milk and honey, it had to be this place. The scenery was so beautiful that I thought it could belong in the pages of a children’s book.
It was an image of paradise on earth, serene and untouched.
However, despite the picturesque view surrounding the cabin, an involuntary shiver ran down my spine. While the scene appeared beautiful at first glance, a closer look revealed an unsettling truth that made goosebumps rise on my skin.
The flowers blooming here defied all natural order, ignoring time, space, and season. Flowers that bloomed only in spring, those that blossomed in autumn, swamp flowers, and desert flowers—all were gathered here, blossoming in unison around the hut where I rested.
The fruit on the trees was no different.
It was as if the concept of seasonal fruit had been entirely dismissed, leaving every tree to bear an unnatural variety of luscious produce. Their very abundance made me uneasy about the idea of tasting them.
It was a sight that seemed to defy the laws of nature altogether.
I couldn’t help but frown as I looked at the flower garden.
“…Could it be that magic was used to create this environment artificially?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady despite the trembling I could barely suppress.
The woman who had followed me from behind smiled, tilting her head as she answered.
“Yes, that’s right. But why? Don’t you like it? I tried to make it as comfortable as possible. Isn’t this to your taste?”
Her childlike innocence, coupled with the way she tilted her head, gave her an air of naivety, as if she couldn’t comprehend that there was anything wrong.
Strangely enough, despite the eerie surroundings, I found her endearing.
There was a certain warmth between us, something familiar, as if we had shared a connection before—perhaps even affection. If not love, then maybe I had fallen for her upon first seeing her delicate face and figure.
“…What did you say your name was?” I asked, doing my best to hide my emotions and speaking as bluntly as possible.
She didn’t seem to mind my tone and answered cheerfully.
“Bianca. Call me Bianca. If you don’t like that, you can call me Bia. People who love each other usually use shorter names, after all.”
“…Bianca,” I murmured.
The moment her name escaped my lips, a dull pain throbbed in my head.
I knew it then—I hadn’t been with Bianca on an ordinary date before I lost my memory. Something deeper bound us, though I couldn’t place what it was just yet.
“…Then, what’s my name?” I asked, keeping my tone neutral.
Bianca gave me a soft, bittersweet smile.
“Cain. The name of the person I love most in this world. Cain.”
“…Cain,” I repeated, tasting the name on my tongue.
There was something hauntingly vague in the way she spoke—an undertone of sadness I couldn’t quite decipher. But her words revealed one undeniable truth: Bianca loved me deeply.
At the same time, I knew she was hiding something. She had given me only her first name, not her full name.
From the elegance in her speech and manner, as well as the fine clothing she wore, I could tell Bianca came from aristocratic origins.
And if she was a noblewoman, there was a high chance that I, too, belonged to the nobility—after all, love that crossed social classes was a rare tale in reality.
But that raised more questions.
If she was of noble birth, why was she taking care of me in a remote cabin instead of bringing me to my family to recover from my memory loss? Why leave me here, isolated, without revealing who she or I truly was?
I couldn’t confront Bianca directly about such questions.
At the moment, I was powerless, while Bianca possessed magic strong enough to make flowers bloom out of season. With the clear difference in our abilities, it seemed wiser to gather information subtly rather than challenge her head-on.
Yet, before seeking answers or unraveling the truth, there was something I needed to prioritize—a question that had lingered in my mind ever since I first woke up in the cabin.
Things are Not Looking Good: Yes, things are not looking good. As you know, translation requires a lot of time and energy. I translate, edit and proofread the chapters on my own. I will be honest here, I started translating as a hobby, then it evolved to a hope of earning a living by doing something I enjoy.
However, I suffered a chain of misfortunes during and after the pandemic, and earnings from FSM and RTV helped me a lot. It became a significant part of my life. As long as my monthly income bordered around $200, I could make the time to translate in the middle of other works. Then RTV ended, and the earning decreased. Now, it has decreased to around $90-$100. And with PETTV nearing completion, that would decrease even more. A*dsence gets me about $ 0.50 per day, and you can’t get the payment until it reaches $100, so I can’t depend on that either.
It wouldn’t be an issue in normal circumstances, but it matters a lot to me since I am still dealing with a lot of financial troubles. I am currently looking for a job, and will have to invest my time and energy in it once I get it.
Long story short, if you enjoy reading this novel, support the translation if you can, either by becoming a Patron in Patreon, or sponsoring chapters at BuymeaCoffee. You can also take some time to watch a*ds to increase the revenue on A*dsence. Grains of sand together can form a desert.
FSM supporters has been supporting me from the start no matter what, so I would continue to translate FSM as long as I am alive. But for the other projects, I now desperately need your support so that I can spend the time and energy to serve them to you all. That’s all. Thank you.