“Oh.” After thoroughly cleaning Sedian’s room with the maids’ help, I came to my senses to find golden sunlight pouring through the wide-open window. The room, which had always seemed gloomy with Sedian keeping the curtains drawn and windows shut, finally seemed to regain its vitality. It felt as if the accumulating light would evaporate every last trace of melancholy, and a sense of pride swelled within me, instantly lifting my spirits. Feeling refreshed, I approached the window, and a sea breeze swept in. The wind, carrying the languor of the early afternoon, held a fresh, sweet fragrance—a mix of the deep salt of the sea and the green scent of pine. Is this what the true freedom of the