As they talked, the old man's gaze drifted upward as if recalling past events.
"What happened after that?" the middle-aged man asked curiously.
"An accident..." the old man's voice seemed choked by something, pausing briefly before continuing, "An accident took her away, and to escape the longing for her, I left Lundham City, left that place."
"She was so kind, and so intelligent, I often think that if none of this had happened, things might have turned out differently."
As he spoke, the old man took another sip from his glass.
The two fell silent again, the boat still gently swaying with the waves.
The middle-aged man also took a sip from his glass, "It's not your fault, and she wouldn't want to see you trapped in sorrow."
"I hope so."
...
The next day, Shanaela got out of bed, took a new corset from the Space Ring, slipped her arms through it, and patted the man beside her, "Help me tie it up, you are so clueless."