Eden was asking me about Lian.
I cleared my head of strange and random thoughts and answered the man’s question.
“If it’s that child, I’m taking it.”
“Yes?”
Eden looked at me with a puzzled face at my unexpected answer.
“A child…Are you taking it with you?”
“Yes. It’s a long story, but to put it simply, I didn’t mean to take him, but the child came to visit me. He said he wanted to go with me, so I ended up joining him.”
I quickly recited to him the story between Ryan and me a year ago.
“Yes…That’s right.”
Looking at the man’s expression, it wasn’t that he couldn’t understand.
Now that the man knew I was carrying a child, it was time to tell him why I was looking for him.
“I came to see you because I was wondering how the children I rescued a year ago are doing. I hadn’t even heard of which orphanage it was at the time.”
In the silence of the man, I continued to say what I had to say.
“I arrived in this city today and it just happened to be a festival. But while I was looking around, I found a circus troupe, and the expression of the child I was with didn’t look good. It probably reminded me of the kids I was with. So I thought that knowing how the children were doing would ease my anxiety. I wandered around the neighborhood just in case, but I didn’t really know how to meet you.”
“You are a warm-hearted person.”
Eden suddenly praised me.
“Yes?”
I looked at him with a puzzled expression.
“He noticed my child’s concerns and came forward to meet me, so
he is a kind person.”
At Eden’s praise, I put on a shy expression and smiled awkwardly.
At that time, Eden followed me and smiled slightly.
The handsome man’s smile was as expected.
“The children are doing well. And the orphanage is in the small town of Hemoa, northeast of the capital. If you come to the capital later, you will be able to meet them.”
“Hemoa of the Northeast….”
I repeated the location of the orphanage so as not to forget.
“Let’s go. I will take you to the inn where you are staying.”
“No. I can go alone.”
“No. Don’t mind me, I’m just trying to put my mind at ease.”
Having said that, it was hard to refuse any more.
I nodded to accept his favor and took my first step, and Eden walked alongside me.
As I walked along the shore, the sound of the lapping waves, the salty smell of the sea in the air, and the cool sea breeze made me
feel very good.
So, normally, I would have gone quietly without saying anything, but I couldn’t stand the feeling of the moment and spoke to Eden.
“By the way, did you recognize me right away?”
Because I was dressed as a man, I thought that Eden would not recognize me.
But Eden recognized me at once.
At my words, he suddenly stared at me and smiled.
“Why are you smiling?”
It wasn’t much of an offending laugh, but I wondered why he was laughing.
“Because it’s rare to find a lady like her. And even if you dress as a man, it actually shows through.”
“Oh, is that so?”
Still, I went in disguise in my own way, but when I heard that it was obvious, I felt a little bit of embarrassment.
So, with a puzzled expression on his face, he quickly turned around.
“Did you come all the way here from near the capital?”
“That’s right.”
“You have come a long way. I’m traveling all over the continent. And then I came to Yullita.”
And he was saying something to Eden that he didn’t have to be crazy about.
“I’ve been traveling for a year, but this is my first time in a coastal city. So, I plan to stay for a while.”
“Is this your first time seeing the sea?”
“Yes? Ah yes.”
When asked if it was the first time I saw the sea, I was about to answer no for a moment, but I answered yes.
‘I’ have seen the sea a lot, but I thought that ‘Belita’ would never have seen the sea until now.
“Are you enjoying your trip?”
“Well, it’s fine. It’s quite exciting to go to a place you’ve never been before, right? Otherwise, there is a high possibility that you will be confined to one place for the rest of your life.”
Perhaps it was an unexpected answer, Eden stared at me intently.
“Of course, such a life is not bad, but a little…Boring is unavoidable.
You seem quite free in that sense.”
“Does it look that way?”
Eden’s smile as he said that seemed somewhat bitter.
“I have a question.”
“You mean me?”
“Yes. But you may or may not answer.”
I had told him in advance not to answer if it was difficult. Eden nodded.
“Are you really only doing this to rescue the children?”
“What do you mean?”
Eden’s voice sharpened for a moment, as if I was offended by my question.
“Ah, I do not doubt the heart that saves children. I know you’re doing a good job. By the way, it’s a place you can go to in a day from the capital of Peoratya, but this place isn’t like that. It is a place that can be reached in a few days from the capital, but it is a bit strange to come to such a far place to save children…It’s amazing.”
Certainly it was.
Seeing that the orphanage was in a village near the capital, Eden must have been a nobleman from that area.
But here, Yullita, was located quite far from the capital.
Eden really had a strong sense of justice, so there was nothing to say about it, but it was great that he had come this far only with a sense of justice.
Of course, I had no right to ask him these questions.
I was just curious, so I told him earlier that I didn’t have to answer.
Eden was silent for a while.
It could be thinking about how to respond to my words, or it could be silence, thinking it wasn’t worth answering.
I blamed myself for asking a useless question in a suddenly frozen atmosphere.
However, he thought that he could not hear any answer from Eden,
but soon his mouth opened and unexpected words came out.
“You are definitely not an ordinary person. In fact, there are people who are looking for it.”
“You are looking for someone?”
“Yes. That’s right.”
“Ah…Are you only going after the circus because you thought that person would be in the circus?”
“You’re right.”
“Then….”
It must have been that his eyes looked sad earlier.
It was evident that he was disappointed that he could not find the person he was looking for this time either.
“Did you not find it again?”
“Yes. I couldn’t find it.”
Eden’s expression suddenly softened.
“Sorry. I said something useless.”
I immediately apologized to Eden because I felt like I had touched someone’s painful spot.
“No. It’s okay.”
But he didn’t look all right.
For some reason, I felt bad because I felt like I saw his weak side.
So, as soon as the thought of being able to help him momentarily flashed, he immediately spit out the words to Eden.
“If you can tell me who you are looking for, I would like to help…” ….”
It could have been a fuss, and I never knew what the consequences of hooking up with a guy I’d only seen twice, but now it was.
Now, I wanted to help Eden.
“I travel all over the place. So, if I see a circus troupe again, I will look for it.”
However, Eden’s purple eyes were fixed on me for a moment.
Those eyes seemed to be trying to see through me to see what I meant by these words.
“Also….”
And after a while, Eden opened his mouth and the gazes that had been staring at each other dispersed.
“He is a kind and kind person.”
Eden was referring to the words he had praised me earlier.
“It is not so.”
It really wasn’t.
I wasn’t that kind, I wasn’t that sweet.
If there’s an exception, I don’t know if it’s because of my environment, but I’m only sensitive to things related to children.
Other than that, it was just like everyone else.
“I’m not as kind or sweet as you think.”
In fact, I didn’t want to do that if it didn’t matter if I let Eden think or misunderstand me.
He looked at me in denial and raised an eyebrow.
I saw his smile several times today.
And that was enough to make my heart flutter a little.
‘It’s because he’s handsome.’
Why do you want to help this man, why does his smile make your heart flutter, and why do you care about this man?
I attributed all of this to Eden’s beautiful appearance.
From the first time I saw him, Eden’s appearance was so outstanding that I was amazed.
‘Especially those eyes.’
Those eyes pouring out of purple eyes were strange as if they were bewitching people.
Although it seemed solid and straight, there was a feeling of emptiness and loneliness emanating from his eyes and face.
So, the reason why I care so much about him and somehow get interested in him is because of Eden’s outstanding beauty.
While he was justifying himself like that, the necklace hanging around his neck stood out.
“Pretty…You wear a necklace.”
None of the men I saw here wore a necklace.
Maybe that’s why the necklace, located in an unfamiliar place,
somehow stirred up a sense of incongruity.
Of course, the thin necklace, similar to Eden’s eye color but slightly lighter purple, suited Eden pretty well.
“Your necklace is very pretty.”
Towards Ethan who didn’t answer, I mentioned the necklace once again.
Then, Eden’s hand went near the necklace and touched it along the line.
“It’s pretty, but it’s just as dangerous. Because you hold my life.”
“Yes?”
At Eden’s words, I looked at him with questioning eyes.
But he kept his mouth shut, as if he had no intention of telling me any more.
Eden didn’t say much about the favor I showed him, as if he didn’t really need my help.
I was about to ask him again, but I just kept my mouth shut.
It’s not like you’re doing him a favor for no reason, even while bothering him.
So from then on, we walked without saying anything, looking straight ahead towards our destination.
And after a while, I arrived in front of the inn where I was staying.
“Here.”
I could feel Eden staring back and forth between me and the inn.
“Thank you for taking me. So, will the children rescued this time go to that orphanage too?”
“That’s right.”
“Yes. Anyway, I hope you find the person you are looking for. Then I….”
“Miss?”
But that was then.
I was just saying goodbye to Eden when I heard a familiar voice urgently calling me from behind.
I turned my head towards where the sound came from.
It was Ryan.
However, Rian’s face was covered in sweat, no matter where she was rushing around.
“Lian?”
“Miss!”
Ryan called me again and came to me.
Ryan’s breathing was heavy.
“Why are you coming from there?”
When the person I thought was sleeping in my room suddenly appeared outside, I asked Lian with curious eyes.
“The lady disappeared….”
‘Ah….’
It seemed like he knew what had happened.
Perhaps Ryan came to visit me and realized that I was missing.
So it was clear that he was looking for me.
“Then do Sir Mary and William know that I am missing?”
“No.”
I was glad that only Ryan knew.
I was embarrassed that I would have worried my people by going out without a word again. I let out a sigh of relief.
Then I looked at Lian with an apologetic expression, but Lian’s gaze, which had been looking at me until just now, was looking behind me.
Rian was looking at Eden.
I stepped aside and faced Eden and Lian.
“Oh, this person remembers that time? The one who saved you from Peorat.”
“…yes. I remember.”
“Is this child then that child?”
The voices of the two men overlapped at the same time.
“Yes. That’s right.”
I answered Ethan first.
“Many…That’s great.”
“Yes?”
I felt like I had raised Lian this much, so I stroked her silver-gray hair with a proud expression on my face.
I felt Lian, who had already surpassed my height due to his rapid growth, lower his head slightly.
I smiled spontaneously at Lian’s action.
“Oh right. Rihanna, you know the younger siblings you and I lived with. They say you are doing well in the orphanage. I know where the orphanage is, so let’s go together later after the trip is over.
Understand?”
“Because that…Did you go out in the middle of the night?”
“Huh. You saw the circus troupe earlier and made a gloomy face, so I went there just in case. But what did you actually meet?”
I could feel Lian’s expression momentarily startled, as if I was moved by the way I looked at her emotions and moved.
“Are you impressed? Do you know that I think of you this way?”
It was a playful boast, but ever since I got Lian, I had a sense of responsibility for this child.
So this was one of the things I had to do.
“Let’s go in.”
I gently pulled Ryan’s hand.
I looked up at the dark sky and saw that the moon was tilted a lot.
I could see that it was very late at night.
I had to go to bed in a hurry to start another day tomorrow.
“Thanked. Then go home carefully.”
And I thanked Eden one last time.
However, Eden’s strange eyes captivated me.
“Miss?”
Lian’s voice woke up the moment they had been looking at each other for a very short time.
“Uh? huh. Let’s go.”
So I turned my back on Eden and entered the inn.
For some reason, my back felt sore, and I involuntarily stood up straight.
And the sound of the door closing was heard, and the hot gaze disappeared.
When the strange heat I felt in my back disappeared, I deliberately called Lian to come to my senses.
“Since when have you been looking for me?”
“Not long ago.”
“If there is no answer, they say they are sleeping.”
“I feel strange….”
Ryan muttered.
“It feels good.”
As I walked while talking, I quickly arrived in front of my room.
I smiled and stroked Ryan’s hair again.
“Don’t go around alone, please.”
Suddenly, Lian’s eyes met me, and in a determined voice, she cautioned me.
“Okay. I’ll be careful.”
I was surprised to see Lian like this, so I replied that I would do it without hesitation.
“You shouldn’t be careful, but the lady is too, ha….”
Lian let out a deep sigh, speechless.
But now I am quite moved by how the little boy a year ago was so grown up and said these things to me.
“I know, so stop nagging me. If it’s a little bigger, it’ll be a big deal.”
Saying that, I pushed Rian’s back with both hands to say let’s go back, but the corners of my lips that went up in pride didn’t think to come down.
However, Lian’s body, which had been pushed lightly, stood still and was not pushed any further.
“I will protect you forever.”
Then, as if swearing to me, he gave strength to each letter and said.
“Huh. You are my knight for life So you must protect me.”
When Lian spoke to me in a spleen voice that wasn’t playful, I also answered seriously.
But Ryan was still a child.
And I still lacked the skills to protect myself.
“Just like now, no, train even harder. You must become stronger to protect me.”
Lian’s back twitched when his hands touched him, and he nodded in reply.
“Yes. I will definitely become stronger.”
Those words were Lian’s promise to himself and to me at the same time.
* * *
Gracias,❤️