After that day, my remaining family and I were demoted to commoners and sent to a small village at the edge of the southern part of the empire.
My sister, my mother, and I, who had lived as nobles all our lives, found it difficult to adjust to the life of commoners.
However, Ian managed to find a job in a mercenary group not long after arriving at the village and adapted relatively well. For a while, we lived in a gloomy atmosphere.
The absence of the departed felt terribly void. Nevertheless, since the living must go on, we slowly found ways to live our lives.
My mother began selling cloth embroidered with her needlework, my sister started working as a private tutor teaching the children of local nobles, and I found work at a local bookstore after meeting a good owner.
We gradually got accustomed to life as commoners. It was quite enjoyable living among the frugal, yet warm-hearted and affectionate commoners.
Some days, we even forgot all about the past and laughed.
However, I had not completely forgotten about the day’s events. The memories of that day haunted me whenever there was a chance.
But we moved forward, and though slowly, our wounds began to heal.
And thus, as 10 years passed, the girl became a woman.
Chapter 2. The Folly of Fate On a bitterly cold winter day.
Today, I walked down an unusually quiet street, gripping the book in my arms tighter than usual.
Normally, at this time, the streets would be bustling with people returning home and shops still open.
However, today, perhaps because of the cold weather, the shops had long since closed, and the streets, covered in white snow, were deserted.
Glancing quickly around the empty street, I hastened my pace.
I had no desire to stay in this eerie street for long, and I was certain that Ian would nag me if I didn’t hurry back.
“People who look as vulnerable as you, regardless of gender, easily become targets of crime. So, always be careful at night. If anything happens, make sure to blow the whistle I gave you. Got it?”
I suddenly remembered his words from before and let out a small chuckle, looking down at the silver whistle hanging around my neck, decorated with a hydrangea pattern.
It was so reminiscent of Ian. Carrying this whistle made me feel as though Ian was watching over me. He always gives things that resemble him.
I thought about all the things Ian had given me over time and smiled even wider.
As I finished my thoughts about the whistle, the small flower ring next to it caught my eye.
My good mood vanished in an instant.
“That’s called a flower ring. It’s roughly made to fit your finger size, but try it on just in case.”
A memory that remains more vividly than any other I have replayed in my mind.
The sweet scent of wildflowers I smelled that day, the view of the blue lake I saw, and even the ticklish emotion I felt then.
Everything came back to life, tormenting me once again. However, as the memory of that beautiful day became more intense, my vision was increasingly dyed with blood mixed in the rain.
I didn’t know it at the time, but as I grew older, I realized that the reason my father had to die unjustly might be connected to Ruth.
Because of that, I couldn’t remember Ruth as just a beautiful first love.
“Sigh.”
I took a deep, shaky breath and shook off my distracting thoughts. Without realizing it, I resumed walking and entered the building used by Ian’s mercenary group.
The interior of the building, which looked very shabby from the outside, reflected the owner’s personality.
Black and white were appropriately blended to create a plain feel, while a fancy chandelier prevented it from looking too dull.
Moreover, everything inside the building was expensive, making it look too luxurious to be a place where a mercenary group worked.
As I was scanning the interior of the building, a man sitting at the first-floor counter recognized me and smiled broadly.
“Lina-nim!”
Lina was the alias I began using after coming to this village.
I looked at the man calling me and smiled back.
“Derek.”
Derek, who had joined Ian’s mercenary group about three years ago, had a fierce appearance but was gentle at heart.
It seems today is Derek’s day to work the counter.
Thinking this, I asked Derek,
“Where’s Ian?”
“He should be sleeping in the staff break room on the fourth floor.”
“Ian is sleeping outside his home?”
I couldn’t hide my surprise at this unexpected answer.
Due to his profession, Ian, who was always on high alert, only let his guard down in his own home, a place he deemed safe.
It was astonishing to hear that Ian was sleeping. Derek, noticing my surprise, shook his head and added,
“He’s not sleeping in that sense; he’s just lightly resting his eyes. If we try to approach him with a blanket, he wakes up in a flash and points his sword at our necks, you know?”
And then they often fall back asleep upon realizing that the person they are aiming their sword at is us.
Hearing Derek’s story, I smiled slightly.
It was indeed an action so typical of Ian, amusing yet worrisome at the same time. Not being able to sleep peacefully even here means he trusts no one, not even those closest to him.
“So, Ian is in the staff lounge on the fourth floor?”
“Yes. But please be careful, Ms. Lina. We managed to dodge the captain’s sword thanks to our quick reflexes, but you…”
You probably won’t be able to dodge. I felt as if I heard the unsaid part of Derek’s warning, and my gaze awkwardly shifted.
I didn’t mention it to Derek, but I knew that Ian wouldn’t swing his sword at me. Therefore, there was no need for me to be cautious.
I greeted Derek and headed up to the fourth floor.
***
Upon arriving in front of the staff lounge, I hesitated for a moment about whether to knock or not, then opened the door.
As soon as I opened the door, a faint smell of blood greeted me.
Since it was always the familiar smell emanating from Ian, I wasn’t particularly bothered by it.
Where is Ian?
I quickly scanned the lounge in search of Ian.
Then, my gaze stopped at a wine-colored sofa located inside the lounge.
There, Ian was lying in a relaxed pose, sleeping.
He looked exactly like the baby angels painted on the temple walls when he was asleep, but when he woke up, he was like a wolf. That’s why I enjoyed watching him sleep.
Even now, I approached Ian, who was always asleep, and crouched beside him, observing him.
He really was born with a perfect face. He looked like he could make many women cry.
I was thinking this as I looked at Ian’s sharp facial features.
“Is there something on my face?”
“Ah. Ian.”
Ian’s eyelids, which had been tightly shut, opened, and soon after, his blue eyes, like the sky, looked towards me.
For someone who had just been asleep, the sharpness in his eyes made me feel as if I had done something wrong.
“Sorry. Did I wake you?”
“No. I was about to wake up anyway.”
With those words, Ian slowly got up.
Seeing him get up, I stood up as well.
“You’re a little late today.”
“Yeah. Uncle Marcus asked me to help with the ledger today, so I went to help him.”
“Ah.”
That old man who can’t do math again… I managed to catch the words Ian mumbled at the end of his sentence and burst into a quiet laugh.
Uncle Marcus, the owner of the bookstore where I work, is gentle-natured but gives a lot of work.
Although most of it was menial tasks, sometimes he assigned important tasks like ledger work.
Normally, the ledger is something the owner should manage, but since Uncle Marcus was not good at math, I took care of it.
And Ian has always had complaints about Uncle Marcus assigning me tasks like these.
“Cough, cough. Take this.”
Embarrassed by my laughter, Ian coughed awkwardly and picked up a newspaper lying on the corner of the sofa.
When I was young, I would consistently read the newspaper to learn about the outside world while avoiding my father’s eyes. This behavior became a habit, and I’ve read the newspaper every day without fail since then.
Knowing this habit of mine, Ian brought me the newspaper every day without me even asking.
“Thank you, Ian.”
I received today’s newspaper from Ian with a big smile on my lips and naturally took a seat at the end of the sofa, starting to read the front page of the newspaper.
“Hmm?”
While casually scanning the newspaper, my eyebrows furrowed at an article that was different from the usual content.
Normally, the front page of the newspaper would be filled with society stories and gossip, but today it was full of something else.
“The new ruler of the throne after purging the tyrant, Rustian Aven Crountis…”
I read the title of the article aloud and turned to look at Ian, who had an indifferent expression on his face.
“Ian. What is this about a new ruler of the throne?”
“It’s exactly as it says, sister. You know that the previous emperor was an unprecedented tyrant, right?”
“Yes. But purging a tyrant? Was there a rebellion or something?”
“Yes. Well, it’s karma. The previous emperor also seized the throne through a rebellion.”
I bit my lip hard upon hearing Ian’s story. The man who killed my father was dead.
According to the article, he was killed by his own brother. While part of me felt gratified, there was also an inexplicable emptiness.
Though I hadn’t forgotten my dream of revenge, hearing of his death as if it were a tale from another world left a coldness in my heart.
I hoped that in his death, he suffered more than my father did.
After silently wishing this, I looked at Ian with a smile as if nothing was wrong.
“Let’s go home now, Ian. Mother and sister are waiting.”
“…Aren’t you affected by it at all?”
“…”
His pointed question cracked my composed smile. I cleared my tightening throat and replied, “That’s impossible.”
But even if I’m not okay, there’s nothing I can do about it now.
Living here for the past ten years has taught me that sometimes, people must claim they are fine even when they are not.
So now, I say, “But it’s okay.”
It’s okay.
