Chapter 140
Clink. Lily clinked her glass against Feyden’s alone, then drained it in one go and frowned.
“Aren’t you trying to come empty-handed and take away way too much? You conscience-less brat. Did I raise you like that?”
Lily’s charming face flushed red in an instant.
She can’t even hold her liquor. Feyden abruptly stood up from his seat.
The fact that Lily had changed the subject meant she had no intention of handing over any more information, so there was no reason to sit around any longer.
Thinking he’d gotten enough information as it was, Feyden took three gold coins out of his pocket and flicked them with his finger before leaving the room.
“Thanks for keeping those mercenary bastards off my back all this time.”
“Huh?”
“I know there were a lot of guys who wanted to kill me for suddenly quitting and cutting off contracts whenever I felt like it. Thanks for helping me lie low.”
“F-Feydeeen? You treat big sis’s heart like this…!”
I love you! I love you so muuuch!
Lily’s desperate confession echoed from beyond the closed door.
Feyden quickly went down to the first floor, passed through the noisy mercenaries drinking and shouting, and headed for the exit.
As he passed, some openly stopped talking, and some tried to subtly stick a foot out. Petty behavior from those who envied Feyden for striking it big by landing a good client.
Right before stepping outside, he spat on the floor and raised his middle finger.
“Nothing’s changed, you dipshits.”
* * *
“I’m bored.”
With Feyden gone too, things had become unbearably boring. Because Okhee had hired a new employee, my shifts at the tavern had decreased, and once learning herbs from Jin passed a certain point, even the joy of learning faded away.
Even stuffing myself with snacks, or chattering loudly with the aunties and uncles at the market, didn’t easily ease this boredom of mine.
Even though it had already been four months since Feyden left, I still hadn’t found a new hobby. I was killing time like an unemployed layabout and falling asleep early, spending unproductive days.
Lately, I’d been realizing anew just how big a place Ariel and Feyden occupied in my life.
For someone like me, who couldn’t feel curiosity about anything and stayed indifferent no matter what, Jin spent a lot of time with me.
At dawn, he’d go hiking with me for physical training, and for someone like me who disliked studying, he’d study flowers instead of herbs and bring me wildflowers every day.
On days when the flowers were pretty enough to make me smile softly, Jin would take me to that wildflower patch the next day.
As the time I spent with him naturally grew longer, the smile never left Okhee’s lips. She’d subtly send Jin over with late-night snacks and tell us to eat together, or say that having one grandson was enough and feed me food that was good for women. Okhee’s endless flirting continued.
Okhee was like a mother to me. I’d never actually experienced it, but the word maternal affection felt like it existed for her sake. Her feelings toward me were large and warm.
No matter what Okhee tried to push on me, I’d just laugh it off with a chuckle. It didn’t make me feel bad.
When I imagined spending my whole life with a man as neat and handsome as Jin, I’d sometimes think that wouldn’t be such a bad life.
What I was curious about was Jin’s heart, how he always treated me well and never went against Okhee’s words even while looking troubled.
After his plain and simple confession that he wasn’t uninterested in me, Jin never revealed any further feelings.
He was just a little kinder. Otherwise, he stayed the same as he always had.
Honestly, that might be why I could brush off Okhee’s wishful thinking so lightly. If Jin had shared Okhee’s feelings and pressured me too, wouldn’t each day in Dongguk have become uncomfortable.
“There are only two seasons left now.”
The scent of approaching summer was thick in the air. Because spring was short, standing before a summer that had stepped closer in one big stride, Jin wore an unreadable expression.
“Are you sad to leave?”
“No. It’s not that.”
Jin held out a bracelet woven from clover to me. With hands that large and thick, Jin was surprisingly good at making cute accessories like this.
“I find it fascinating. Thinking about leaving this village where I’ve lived my entire life feels new and exciting… and on the other hand, a bit unsettling too.”
“That doesn’t sound like you.”
“Do I seem very blunt and boring to you too, Estira…?”
After tying the flower bracelet neatly around my wrist, Jin lifted his head. Not the pale green of early summer, but the deep green of midsummer filled his eyes as they drew close to mine.
“You are blunt and boring a lot of the time.”
“…Ah.”
“But so what. That’s you, Jin. There’s no need to adjust yourself to other people’s expectations.”
As I fiddled with the bracelet, round with white flowers, I belatedly noticed that the same bracelet was wrapped around Jin’s wrist as well.
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