Theo brought up the topic of Litharanas as we walked home, seemingly bothered by my continuously gloomy expression.
“You must be very worried about that fearsome creature.”
“Of course I am. How would anyone catch legendary creatures from myths that they’ve never seen properly?”
“Realistically, we can’t eliminate all Litharanas.”
“Then…….”
“We just need to target one. Every group has a leader. If we capture that one, they won’t be able to cross over to Ios.”
Theo sounded like he already knew everything about the Litharanas. He turned to face me, his large hands gripping my shoulders.
“I’ve seen worse things than that when I was wandering the seas. I was once a black mage more fearsome than Litharanas. Can’t I handle one sea monster?”
His tone carried a strange confidence, perhaps an attempt to reassure me. Knowing he was trying to comfort me, I couldn’t bring myself to say anything more.
“I’m more concerned about you than myself. Is your face becoming thin because of worries? You seem like you could collapse at any moment.”
Theo wasn’t wrong. Not only did my body feel lethargic for no reason, but my appetite had also significantly decreased.
As I contemplated the need to visit a doctor, Theo suddenly picked me up in his arms, startling me to the point where I almost screamed.
“What, what is it?”
“We can’t have you collapsing when you go out. Don’t refuse. Your husband is here for times like this.”
He teased me with a mischievous smile on his face.
━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━
For a while, the villagers were busy preparing to fight the Litharanas. To be prepared for any unforeseen events, they divided into teams, taking turns standing guard. They purchased magical tools and weapons from the mainland as much as possible.
Although Theo had asked Stella for magical tools and weapons separately, waiting for them was not an option.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, people who were initially skeptical about fighting the Litharanas gradually began to change their minds.
Theo’s influence played a significant role. Seeing him skillfully manage the situation and progress with what needed to be done gave me hope that things would actually work out.
Perhaps the current conditions were much better than the Ios people in history, who fought with ordinary weapons and worn-out boats. So, there was no need to be afraid and cower before the fight even began.
And so time passed, and the preparations were complete.
‘I wonder where the thing I made back then is…’
I took out the liquor I had made last year from the warehouse.
In a transparent glass bottle, mysterious violet petals floated. Ios had the custom of making favia wine for every festival. However, I chose to use Bonneflower, infused with our memories, instead of Favia.
Theo had mentioned that the hidden meaning of Favia was ‘longing.’ The ancient stories of Ios people related to Favia somehow evoked eerie imaginations.
I didn’t want to become an unhappy woman who lost her husband to a monster and spent the rest of her life in profound longing. So, instead of ‘longing,’ I made Bonneflower with the meaning of ‘dazzling happiness.’
At that time, I had no idea that I would hand this liquor to my husband, who was embarking on a dangerous journey. I held out the bottle to Theo.
“I know you’ve loaded plenty of Endolan on the ship, but… still, please take this.”
Endolan was a magical potion that warmed the body in cold weather.
It might not be able to withstand the bitter cold of the Litharanas habitat, but I believed that nobody would die from the severe cold like the ancient people of Ios did before even getting to fight.
Yet, for some reason, I felt the need to give this to Theo.
“It’s infused with my affection, so savor it carefully.”
He accepted it with a smirk. We left the house together. There were many people gathered on the docks.
While some came to cheer for those bravely stepping forward to fight the Litharanas, others came to bid farewell to their husbands or sons like me. Before boarding the ship, Theo lightly kissed my forehead.
“Don’t worry unnecessarily; just live comfortably as usual. Take care of the garden, play with Bibi. Before you know it, I’ll already be back.”
It seemed difficult to act as if everything was normal, but I nodded and smiled. He didn’t want to burden me with unnecessary worries about him going out to sea.
We shared a final hug before parting. As he climbed the stairs connected to the ship, he kept looking back at me.
He, too, felt uneasy leaving me alone and heading to a dangerous place. I felt like tears might come, but if I cried before seeing him off, I was afraid something terrible might happen. So, I deliberately smiled brightly, waving my hand vigorously.
━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━
The next day, someone knocked on the door.
“Jin, are you in there?”
“Mrs. Roweben, what brings you here?”
Mrs. Roweben handed over a small basket. Inside was a mouthwatering lemon pie. However, looking at it made my stomach churn again.
I quickly closed the basket, not wanting to create a horrifying situation of vomiting in front of Mrs. Roweben. She smiled softly and said,
“My cooking skills might not match Alexis, but I’m confident in my lemon pie.”
I had tea time with Mrs. Roeben after a long time.
In these gloomy times, interactions with neighbors had almost disappeared. Suddenly, having a visitor made the atmosphere somewhat cheerful.
Perhaps she, too, was worried about her husband, who had gone to sea.
“Please come in. My husband made fruit preserves not long ago, and they taste great.”
I took out Pensocen tea leaves and fruit preserves to treat her.
“Pensocen?”
Mrs. Roweben looked at the Pensocen tea leaves with a puzzled expression. PensoSen had a unique aroma, not commonly enjoyed with desserts, and, if anything, it was closer to herbal remedies consumed during symptoms of illness. She asked with a concerned tone,
“Come to think of it, your face looks quite bruised. Are you sick?”
“Oh, it’s nothing serious. Occasionally, just catching a whiff of food makes me nauseous. I’ve been sleeping a lot, more than usual, even though I haven’t overexerted myself. My body just doesn’t feel the same as before.”
Mrs. Roeben tilted her head.
“Could it be…?”
“What?”
Mrs. Roeben cautiously mentioned ‘pregnancy.’
“……Yes? Well, that can’t be…….”
“There’s every possibility. It’s common for a young couple to have a baby.”
This time, the word ‘baby’ made my heart race. I realized her words might not be entirely wrong when I counted the dates.
Shocked by my own carelessness, I sighed softly. That night, I couldn’t sleep at all, and the next morning, I hurriedly went to the clinic.
“Congratulations. You’ll soon be a mom.”
When I heard those words from the doctor, I couldn’t help but let out a gasp.
I had tried hard not to harbor any baseless expectations from the moment Mrs. Roweben left yesterday until I visited the doctor this morning., fearing potential disappointment. Yet, there it was. We were going to have a baby.
An indescribable emotion overwhelmed me. Almost instinctively, I placed my hand on my belly. Another life, created by us, was growing here. My face heated up, and my chest swelled with an overwhelming feeling.
At this moment, the first person that came to mind was, of course, Theo. I wondered what expression he would wear upon hearing this news.
I wanted to rush to him right away, but the fact that he had already set sail for the distant sea saddened me.
━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━
Our home, which had always brought me joy, felt as empty as a colorless space without him.
Unspoken loneliness permeated every visible corner. Though he’d be away for just about a month, the ominous thought that he might never return cast a shadow, making it challenging to enjoy even a single day.
‘I wonder if staying busy and moving around would help.’
In an effort to shake off the uneasy thoughts, I searched for tasks within the limits of what my body could handle.
Organizing the storage or cleaning old dishes, perhaps doing some light laundry. Yet even these tasks weren’t easy.
Usually, Theo took care of such things, but this time, it seemed he had tidied up everything that would need his touch before leaving. The thought brought an even stronger sense of sentimentality.
While aimlessly wandering through the house, my gaze landed on a neglected cabinet. Inside, I found a note I hadn’t seen before.
[My dear master, I hope your eyes aren’t already puffy from missing Alexis?]
It was Theo’s handwriting. Even though I was reading it, his affectionate voice seemed to echo from somewhere. Seeing that, a small laugh escaped my lips.
‘To secretly leave a note like this…’
From that moment on, I started searching the house like a child on a treasure hunt, looking for traces of what he left behind.
Under the coffee table, between the dishes, in coat pockets—discreet but easily noticeable places—hold neatly folded notes.
[The Pensocen tea leaves must steep for exactly 10 minutes. Don’t forget that. If it goes beyond that, the medicinal effect disappears, and it might cause stomach upset. I’ve mentioned it before, but I worry you might forget. Don’t ever get sick while I’m gone.]
[I’ve stored manforsan honey in the upper-right storage compartment. Try it with some fruit from the pantry; it’ll taste good.]
[Once again, don’t take things from strangers; it’s dangerous.]
[Don’t do any chores; just leave them alone; I’ll do them when I get back.]
Each note expressed concern for me. Seeing these notes filled with his affection, just like my Bonneflower wine, once again tugged at my heart.
I hope Aleksis and the others get home safely