* * *
…Someone I’d be happy to see?
I froze for a moment at the unexpected news.
The only ones who knew I was in Aiden Village were Sehir and his closest confidants, so it was hard to guess who Angela might be referring to.
It was most likely Sehir, but there was always a chance it wasn’t.
He might have told others about my location.
The worst-case scenario would be if the person waiting for me hadn’t come through Sehir.
For instance, someone like Kaindel.
No way.
I forced myself to shake off the sudden unease.
There was no reason for Kaindel, who should still be in the capital, to come all the way to the kingdom’s outskirts.
Though it was unsettling that news of his marriage still hadn’t reached me, he was surely doing fine.
The Kaindel I knew was someone capable of thriving.
Besides, it had been a year since I’d fled the capital, and I hadn’t seen him since.
Occasionally, I’d hear his name when people gossiped about the hero, but that was it.
So I knew better than anyone.
Kaindel wasn’t looking for me.
While I had been busy mending my scarred heart, he must have adapted seamlessly to life without me.
Even the most drawn-out goodbyes eventually reach their conclusion.
I had not only realized this but accepted it.
At least, that’s what I thought.
But then, the rumor I’d heard in town a few days ago came to mind.
“The capital’s atmosphere has been tense lately.”
And now, of all times, a visitor had come to find me.
The coincidence was so absurd that I couldn’t even laugh.
At the same time, a chill ran down my spine.
Like a needle probing an old wound, my heightened senses sent warning signals.
The peaceful rhythm of my days seemed to be nearing its end.
I quickly composed my expression and smiled at Angela.
“Thank you for letting me know. I’ll head over right away.”
“All right, then. We’ll be on our way. Have a good evening, teacher.”
Angela gently placed her hand on Tommy’s shoulder, signaling him to say goodbye.
Catching on, Tommy clasped his hands in front of him and looked up at me with bright eyes.
“See you tomorrow, teacher!”
“Sure. Don’t forget to practice the sentences we learned today ten times by tomorrow, okay?”
“Ugh.”
Seeing through Tommy’s attempt to escape his homework, I grabbed the worksheet lying on the table and handed it to him.
Without it, he’d likely claim he couldn’t do his assignments.
The moment I mentioned homework, his round eyes filled with dismay.
The stark shift in his expression was rather endearing.
As Angela and Tommy walked away, I turned toward the village hall.
My gaze naturally drifted to the green-roofed house beside it.
Though it was midsummer, the chimney puffed out wisps of smoke, suggesting the fireplace was lit.
“Someone I’d be happy to see, huh?”
I leaned my head against the doorframe and mulled over Angela’s words.
Pressing my fingers against my heavy eyelids helped ease the fatigue.
Faces flickered through my mind as I slowly blinked, though I couldn’t pinpoint who might be eager to see me.
Not that I held any expectations.
“If it’s someone I’d be happy to see, just how happy could I be?”
If, by some chance, it was Sehir, I might feel a bit pleased.
Muttering to myself, I cleared my unnecessary thoughts.
When Angela said it was someone I’d be happy to see, I assumed she was just being polite.
There hadn’t been any word of someone I’d truly be glad to meet.
But I was wrong.
The person who had come to see me at the village head’s house truly was someone I’d be happy to see.
“Hello, Isa.”
The moment I stepped into the green-roofed house, I froze.
Sitting opposite the village head in a cozy armchair, the man holding a teacup smiled at me with warm, crescent-shaped eyes.
His lush hair swayed gently as he moved.
The owner of those eyes, a mesmerizing blend of brown and gold, was none other than Sehir.
Placing the teacup down, Sehir parted his lips.
“It’s been a while.”
“…Yeah. Have you been busy?”
It took a moment for my words to come out, delayed by the surprise of seeing him.
“Busy? That might be putting it lightly,” he replied with a playful shrug before leaning toward the village head to murmur something.
After a brief exchange, the elderly head stood up with a soft groan, supporting herself with her cane.
“Well, then. This old lady will head upstairs. Make yourselves comfortable.”
“Oh, wait a moment,” I interjected.
I called out to the village chief’s grandmother, who was on her way upstairs.
When she turned to me, puzzled by the sudden call, I handed her the basket I had brought from home.
It was the basket Angela had given me.
“Here, take this.”
“Apple pie? Did you make it?”
The grandmother lifted the white cloth covering the basket, her eyebrows arching in surprise.
“No, Angela made it. She gave me two pieces, so I thought I’d bring some.”
“Angela sure is good at baking. Thank you, I’ll enjoy it.”
Her lips curled into a smile as I explained and handed her a piece of apple pie.
Accepting it without hesitation, she went to the kitchen to fetch a fork and a napkin before disappearing upstairs.
Only when the sound of her cane tapping on the floor faded did I settle into the empty armchair.
The robe hood, which had begun to feel stifling in the humid air, was pulled off.
After all, if the visitor who had come to see me was Sehir, there was no reason to keep it on.
While I set the basket down and took a moment to catch my breath, Sehir finally broke the silence.
“You seem to be adjusting well to the village. I was worried, but it’s good to see you’re doing fine.”
“It’s because the villagers are so kind. Everyone’s been good to me.”
“There’s no such thing as a village with only kind people. This is all because of your own effort.”
Sehir smiled, as if she’d heard an amusing story, and raised her teacup again, motioning toward the kettle on the hearth.
“Would you like some tea?”
“Tea?”
“Yes, the village chief brewed it herself.”
She added that it was a jasmine tea newly brought in from the east.
Then she brought the teacup to her lips.
I glanced at the silent upstairs and couldn’t help but chuckle.
The village chief’s grandmother, known in Aiden Village as a tea enthusiast, had a reputation for buying up every tea leaf that came into the market.
Fortunately, tea wasn’t a popular drink among commoners; otherwise, fights might have broken out.
She even dedicated an entire cupboard in the kitchen just for her tea collection.
Despite her passion, she rarely shared her tea with others.
And yet, the fact that she had brewed tea for Sehir herself meant she must have taken quite a liking to her.
“Then, I’ll have a cup too.”
“Here.”
I might as well enjoy this rare chance to taste tea brewed by the grandmother herself.
Concealing my inner thoughts, I nodded, and Sehir pushed a freshly filled teacup toward me.
“So, how have you been? You did tell me everything in your letters, but I wanted to hear it directly from you.”
“Hmm.”
I focused on Sehir’s voice, which had naturally shifted the topic, while gripping the teacup handle.
So this was jasmine tea.
Perhaps because it was a foreign blend, its aroma was distinct—both rich and fragrant, unlike anything ordinary.
Taking a cautious sip of the hot tea, I replied.
“I taught some kids how to read, helped out with farm work a few times, made cheese, did some embroidery, read some books, and watched shadow plays….”
“Doesn’t sound like you were bored.”
“It was quite enjoyable.”
This tea was good.
Not too bitter, with a delicate sweetness that lingered.
Unlike the lemon tea I often drank in the capital, this jasmine tea had a milder tang and a smoother finish, making it easy to drink.
It was my first time trying tea from another land, and I found it surprisingly satisfying.
After quietly affirming my thoughts, I set the teacup down and, without realizing, lifted my gaze.
There, I met Sehir’s suddenly darkened eyes.
“Seeing you doing so well makes me wonder if I shouldn’t have come.”
“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“…Have you read this month’s gossip paper, by any chance?”
“No. You know those things don’t make it all the way out here, Sehir.”
“I know. That’s why I’m asking.”
Sehir replied in a troubled tone, as if talking to herself, her face struggling to maintain a smile.
She looked as though she was hesitating, debating whether to bring up a heavy topic.
After repeatedly rubbing his face to gather his thoughts, he pulled out what looked like a neatly folded newspaper from his coat.
“This is the gossip paper. Do you want to read it?”
A gossip paper…?
I glanced at Sehir, whose unusually somber demeanor hung heavy in the air, and then picked up the paper he had placed on the table.
Immediately, a bold headline on the front page caught my eye.
“Where is our hero… In search of his whereabouts.”
* * *
Thanks for this update