Lucid Fright and the Captain looked at Dreadlilocks in disbelief. “But…you’re only a child,” said the Captain. “Many brave explorers have died trying to reach it.”

“P-plus, you have to cross over the Margins to get there, and that’s where the phantasms come from!” said Lucy. “It’s way too dangerous…”

“But someone has to go,” said Dreadlilocks. “And I have nothing else to do…and if my family was unwrit and I’m the only one who survived, then I have to do something to help them. I should at least find out what happened to them…”

“So I’ll go to the moon,” she finished. “Just tell me the way.”

“From here, the quickest way is to go northeast,” said the Captain. “But if you want my opinion, I still don’t think you should go.”

“At l-least not right away,” said Lucy. “Why don’t you stay for supper? We’re having pie!”

~~

Dreadlilocks suddenly realized how hungry she was, and agreed to join the princess in the dining room. And so there she found herself, seated across from Lucy at the end of a long, empty table, eating strawberry pie with peaches and cream.

“…Isn’t anyone else going to come for supper?” Dreadli asked.

“N-not here. Only royalty is allowed to eat in the dining room,” Lucy answered.

“But I’m not royalty…”

“You’re a special guest~.”

Lucy balanced her spoon on her nose. “We u-used to have lots of special guests…Mother and Father would invite brilliant people from all over the world. And they’d tell stories about the p-places they’d been and the th-things they’d seen…it was so lively.”

“…Why don’t you invite some people, then?”

“Oh, I don’t know anyone. I’ve never had many friends…even before I was cursed, I just c-couldn’t seem to find the time.”

“Does being the princess keep you that busy…?”

“It’s not really about being the princess…I w-wouldn’t say I have a busy life, so much as a busy mind…”

Lucy’s spoon fell off her nose and clattered to the floor. “…Anyway,” she said. “I sh-should tell you the real reason I wanted to have supper with you.”

“There’s a ‘real’ reason…?”

“Yes. I th-think…I might want to go with you to the moon. If you’ll have me.”

Dreadlilocks was so surprised, she almost dropped her own spoon. “But I thought you said it was too dangerous!” she said.

“It is. But I want to go anyway. I never do anything d-dangerous~.”