A Monodrama for Carolyn August - Chapter 78

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 78.
Breakfast ended that way.
Though her stomach was full, Caroline remained drowsy in bed, lingering through the afternoon without waking.
“Miss Caroline, I shall guide you to the Tea Time venue.”
Following the servant who announced the Tea Time, she found herself directed toward the lake.
‘Is it another picnic today?’
As Caroline pondered this, she spotted several servants gathered beside Aiden and a small boat.
‘A boat?’
The sunlight wasn’t particularly strong, and a gentle breeze drifted across the water—perfect weather for spending an afternoon on a small boat in the lake.
‘How romantic.’
Caroline glanced down at the one-piece dress she happened to be wearing, which fell to mid-calf.
“Ah, Miss Caroline. Do come.”
Aiden stood before the boat fixed to the lakeside mooring. The moment the servants gripped the vessel, he nimbly climbed aboard.
A small gondola sized for exactly two people. The seating was arranged face-to-face, and between them sat a small table-like partition wide enough for eating or playing chess.
“Will you take my hand?”
And now it was her turn.
‘Oh, I’m a bit nervous.’
The tiny boat swayed with the wind and waves. Moreover, it was so narrow that it seemed as though it might capsize at any moment.
Caroline’s aversion to water didn’t help matters.
‘But I should do it anyway.’
Caroline took Aiden’s hand with an expressionless face. He lifted her with remarkable ease and set her down in the boat.
‘Strange, it seems he’s forgotten.’
The fact that he didn’t check on her condition again suggested he had already forgotten what he’d mentioned earlier. Forgetting progressed even between the Tea Time and the meal.
‘Well, of course.’
Caroline had grown almost accustomed to how the daytime Aiden continually forgot about her. He was the only person she spoke with in the Mansion, and the one she favored, yet his indifferent remarks no longer wounded her deeply.
‘Perhaps it’s thanks to the nighttime Aiden.’
More precisely, the Aiden of three in the morning.
Even when she didn’t explain things in detail, he grasped her meaning with perfect clarity.
With him, she could converse as though with someone outside the Mansion—not a game character but a real person—his warmth and reassurance made the daytime Aiden’s indifference seem inconsequential. Was this what an NPC was?
“Are you ready, Miss Caroline? I shall set the boat in motion.”
“Yes, let’s.”
‘It’s still worth doing.’
Though somewhat weary, Caroline didn’t want to miss today’s Tea Time after yesterday’s. She was a Player, after all—she had a duty to fulfill.
“Now, let us depart.”
The servants removed the fixed devices they had attached to the front and back of the gondola. Aiden took hold of the oar connected at the center.
They began moving slowly out onto the broad expanse of the lake.
‘Today, I imagine, he’ll speak about what Sylvia left behind.’
The scene of crossing the lake in a small boat came to mind—the moment when Ephros and Isaha escaped the land where they were pursued, rowing for nearly an entire day to reach the opposite shore.
During that time, the backdrop sky behind the two protagonists shifted dramatically, cycling rapidly from night sky through sunrise to sunset, creating a spectacular effect.
“You’ve been coming to the lake often lately, Aiden.”
Caroline spoke as she watched him row with practiced skill.
He’d visited the lake frequently these past few days. Though it might have been because the lakeside was cool, it appeared to be a place he favored.
“Watching the wavering water brings me peace. When I was young, I would wade here and play. As I’ve grown older, that’s become difficult.”
By now they had left the shoreline behind, venturing into the deeper waters where ducks bobbed gently on the surface.
From a distance, the water had appeared deep blue, but viewed from directly above, it was perfectly transparent. Small fish were visible moving through it.
Captivated by the colorful display, Caroline leaned closer.
“There are fish in here, Aiden!”
“Carp and small minnows, quite a variety, wouldn’t you say?”
Aiden, smiling at her wonder, ceased his rowing. Now they drifted quietly in the gentle wind.
He set down the oar and poured cold coffee from the tray positioned between the two seats.
“Today I intended to speak about what Sylvia left behind.”
The Tea Time had begun. Caroline accepted the cold glass he offered her.
“In the second act of the work, there’s a scene where two people travel by boat. During the performance, I actually row from within the boat set that’s been constructed. Though there’s no real water, the lighting creates the illusion of rippling waves.”
“I know. While Isaha sleeps and drinks water and eats rations, Ephros rows endlessly. When I watched that, I thought your arms must have ached.”
During the one minute that the backdrop rotated to express the passage of time, he continued rowing without pause. That scene was where the audience truly grasped that he was a machine—someone capable of rowing for an entire day without end.
“It actually did hurt quite a bit.”
Upon hearing Caroline’s words, Aiden laughed in a playful manner.
“The oar was genuinely heavy. I had to move in time with how quickly the lighting passed, which wasn’t easy. But because I was Ephros, I couldn’t afford to appear as though I were suffering.”
Hearing this, Caroline suddenly recalled that Aiden had practiced juggling, kite-flying, and countless other skills.
‘Could it be.’
“Did you practice rowing here just for that scene?”
“Of course.”
Good heavens.
Aiden nodded as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.
“You really did rehearse every detail…….”
This was the sort of rare detail that didn’t even make it into interviews, and Caroline found herself more startled by the substance of his dedication than delighted by the exclusive information. She let out a low whistle.
‘I honestly can’t tell if this man is an actor or a master of living.’
“That explains why Aiden seemed so comfortable with the oars. I wondered if it was proper to have the Mansion’s owner row like that…….”
“Not difficult at all. I’ve had plenty of time to condition myself for it.”
And indeed, he looked it.
Apart from Aiden’s natural build—tall and broad-boned, radiating strength—the way he moved the oars was remarkably fluid and practiced.
Even now, in the middle of the Lake, when he wasn’t actively Rowing, he guided the Boat’s direction with oars submerged to the proper depth, each movement assured.
“So you grew close to the Lake through all that practice here? Is that why it became your favorite place?”
“Exactly. The atmosphere of the Lake, watching the animals moving around—it brought me peace.”
It made sense. Beyond them, a mother duck floated past trailing a line of ducklings.
Not far off, seagulls wheeled overhead—the sea wasn’t distant—and fish shimmered beneath the surface of the water.
Caroline dipped her fingertips into the water and stirred them gently.
“You must be able to see so many animals here.”
“There are crocodiles in this Lake.”
“What!”
At his words, Caroline gasped and pulled her hand back at once.
When she looked at him with a frightened expression, she saw him utterly delighted—his eyes wide, laughing with pure joy.
He’d gotten her.
Caroline’s eyes narrowed as she realized she’d fallen for his trick.
“You’re lying?”
“Yes. I’ve never seen a crocodile. Don’t worry.”
“You’re teasing me.”
“My apologies. Your reaction was too amusing to resist.”
She pouted at him, and Aiden raised both arms in surrender.
“Well, let’s return to the scene itself.”
“Certainly. In any case, there was such a scene. When we actually rehearsed it, the actress playing Isaha said something interesting.”
“I felt like Isaha was treating Ephros like a machine, you know? I didn’t mind that he doesn’t tire, but if it were me, I’d have included him in things a little. Let him enjoy the scenery too.”
“She was the one who’d immersed herself in the role of Isaha more than anyone else, yet she assessed the situation with such objectivity. It struck me as quite perceptive. Neither of them so much as says ‘rest for a moment’ or ‘are you alright’ as they cross the river in the novel either. Isaha has Ephros rowing as though he were a servant—nothing more.”
Caroline nodded.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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