Chapter 12

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Volume 2 + Chapter 12: The Voice From The Sea  

Xia Yi saw it—the girl in the sea was smiling at her.  

She had never seen this girl before, not even a hint of familiarity.  

Why would a stranger be out in the middle of the ocean in the dead of night?  

And why did she just happen to be staring at the window of their inn?  

This level of eeriness was far beyond mere coincidence.  

Without another thought, Xia Yi acted. She flung open the window and leaped out.  

Her bare feet landed soundlessly on a tree branch. Using her abilities, she darted swiftly through the city, racing toward the coastline.  

Only one thought filled her mind now.  

I have to see that girl.  

Bathed in moonlight, Xia Yi reached the sandy shore.  

“Where? Where is she?”  

She strode to the water’s edge, but no matter how hard she searched, there was no sign of the girl—only the vast, dark sea stretching endlessly before her.  

“Gone?”  

Xia Yi frowned.  

What was going on?  

She turned back. Under the bright moonlight, the only traces on the beach were the small footprints she had left behind—nothing else.  

The waves lapped at the shore, icy seawater brushing against her slender ankles before receding.  

This was nothing like the ocean from her dreams.  

It was as if nothing had happened at all—as if it had all been an illusion.  

Even after waiting for some time, there was no change.  

She was at a loss.  

“Maybe… I was mistaken?” Xia Yi pressed a hand to her forehead.  

She tried desperately to recall the girl’s face, but now it seemed blurred, indistinct.  

But I saw her so clearly just moments ago…  

Then, she heard something.  

A sound carried by the waves—like faint, indistinct whispers.  

Her gaze snapped back to the sea.  

Beneath the surface, an unnatural darkness lurked, untouched by the moonlight. The voice seemed to come from within it.  

Driven by curiosity, Xia Yi unconsciously stepped closer…  

“…Ah!”  

A sudden realization struck her. The water had already risen to her waist—she had unknowingly waded into the treacherous sea.  

She scrambled back to shore.  

Looking around, nothing had changed.  

A creeping chill slithered up her spine.  

No… no, this is…  

“Waaah! It’s a ghost!!”  

Clutching her head, Xia Yi turned and bolted, sprinting back the way she came without a second thought. In no time, she reached the inn and dashed back into her room.  

Seeing Sierra still asleep in bed, she exhaled in relief. Stripping off her soaked nightgown, she immediately burrowed under the covers beside her.  

The movement seemed to stir Sierra awake.  

“Wuu… Sierra…”

“Hmm? Princess… What are you…?”  

“…I-I want to sleep with you!” Xia Yi pleaded in a hushed voice.  

Sierra, still half-asleep, smiled softly. “Of course.”  

Then, she reached out and pulled the silver-haired little girl into her arms.  

Nestled against her maid’s ample bosom, Xia Yi finally felt at ease. Surrounded by the comforting scent of her devoted attendant, she soon drifted off to sleep.  

……  

The next day.  

Xia Yi opened her eyes, feeling strangely exhausted.  

Sleep was supposed to be restful, yet she felt utterly drained.  

“Good morning, Princess… Well, strictly speaking, good afternoon.”  

Sierra greeted her, already dressed in her work uniform—a black-and-white maid outfit paired with sheer black stockings and garters.  

“Good… afternoon, Sierra… Yawn~!”  

Xia Yi stretched, then realized she was still in Sierra’s bed.  

Oh, right… Last night, I got so scared that I ran straight into her arms.  

“Mmm…” A faint blush crept onto her cheeks.  

“Princess, did you have a nightmare last night?” Sierra asked. “You suddenly came to me in the middle of the night, wanting to sleep together, right?”  

“N-No! It wasn’t a nightmare! It was… something strange!” Xia Yi quickly corrected.  

“Strange? Hmm, something did seem off. When I woke up this morning, I noticed your nightgown was soaked—with seawater, wasn’t it?”  

“Yeah.”  

“And your feet were covered in sand. You must have gone to the beach. Could you have been sleepwalking?”  

“I… don’t know.”  

Xia Yi couldn’t even tell anymore what had been real last night. Had she woken up when she fell out of bed? When she saw the girl in the sea? When she ran to the shore? Or… when the water had risen around her?  

She couldn’t say.  

The events of last night had been far too bizarre.  

After a moment of hesitation, she decided to recount everything to Sierra in detail.  

By the time she finished, Sierra’s expression had turned grave.  

“Sierra, I know you probably think I’m just rambling, that I can’t tell dreams from reality anymore… but this is really what happened to me last night.”  

“No, Princess, I believe you.” Sierra shook her head. “Because I had the same dream.”  

“What?!” Xia Yi froze.  

“Last night, I also dreamed of sinking into the ocean, wrapped in seawater, falling deeper and deeper.”  

“And there was singing, right?!”  

“That’s where our experiences differ, Princess. I didn’t hear any singing.” Sierra frowned. “I was simply submerged in the water… until I heard you calling for me, asking to sleep together. That’s when I woke up. After that, I didn’t dream again.” Her expression darkened. “But the singing and the unfamiliar girl in the sea? That didn’t happen to me.”  

What in the world…?  

Xia Yi realized they had shared the same dream—but their experiences afterward had diverged.  

Why?  

Just the fact that two people had the same dream was eerie enough. This definitely wasn’t normal.  

“Sierra, what do you think is going on?”  

“…I’m sorry, Princess. I have many theories, but none with solid proof. Voicing them now would only confuse you further.” Sierra sighed. “But one thing is certain—the fact that our dreams overlapped so closely is not a coincidence.”  

The little princess sat on the bed, lost in thought.  

“I still can’t figure it out! This is so frustrating!”  

Her stomach growled loudly, making it hard to concentrate.  

“Ugh, forget it! Sierra, let’s eat first! We can think more after filling our stomachs!”

“As you wish, Your Highness.”  

……  

After finishing their meal, Xia Yi and Sierra sought out the innkeeper to ask a few questions.  

To their surprise, the innkeeper revealed that he, too, had dreamed of falling into the sea the previous night.  

This unexpected revelation left both of them unsettled.  

They then went to find Gil and gathered the Penguin Gang, instructing them to question the townspeople one by one.  

The responses they collected in the end were nothing short of astonishing.