Chapter 12
After sending the merchant on his way, Ella’s expression hardened with anger.
“This isn’t something we can just turn a blind eye to!”
But was it right to suspect Missus Anani of selling the counterfeit without any evidence?
Ella hesitated, then suddenly looked beyond the wall.
There was no one standing where ‘that man’ had been yesterday.
‘Thank goodness.’
Everything he had said had irritated her, but when it came to the ointment, he had clearly given her a hint.
‘If I don’t have evidence, I can confirm it with my own eyes.’
* * *
As Missus Anani had requested, Ella brought three jars of ointment along with a small gift.
“Oh my. What’s this?”
“I think I may have misunderstood you, Missus. I brought this because I wanted to apologize, so please accept it.”
“Misunderstood me? I told you I understood everything, didn’t I?”
Even so, Missus Anani appeared pleased.
The fact that she invited Ella to sit down, despite never having done so before, made that obvious enough.
“Since you’re here, have some tea before you go.”
“No, thank you. I need to check the herb room one more time before the sun sets.”
“Hoho, I see. Those would be the herbs that go into our ointment, wouldn’t they? Take good care of them.”
‘Our’ ointment…
Ella mulled over Missus Anani’s words as she stepped outside.
But Ella’s feet did not head toward the church. Instead, she cautiously circled around to the back of the Anani house.
There was a vegetable garden and a shed, so there were plenty of places to hide. Having run errands here often, Ella knew the layout of the house inside and out.
“You saw that, didn’t you? That wench Ella was practically crawling at my feet. An ignorant little thing like her, how dare she try to climb over me?”
No sooner had Ella hidden herself among the shadows than Missus Anani opened the back door and came outside.
Mister Anani followed behind her, struggling to carry a large container of fat.
“Phew. Still, she does have a pretty face.”
“What did you say?”
“N, nothing. Mincheva’s son seemed to have his eye on Ella, didn’t he?”
“Hmph! Mincheva knows what she’s doing. Pretty little b*****s always end up acting like their looks give them license! Just wait a little. That b***h Ella will obviously be spreading her legs for men all over the place.”
Ella did not move a muscle as she watched everything the Anani couple did.
They melted the pig fat, let it cool to the right temperature, mixed in the ointment, then divided it into similar-looking jars.
Only after they cleaned up and disappeared back into the house did Ella climb over the fence and leave.
“……”
The tears she had been holding back streamed down her pale cheeks.
‘What did I ever do wrong to deserve hearing things like that? All I’ve ever done… is try to become part of this village.’
The result was ridicule and deceit.
‘What if the head priest thinks of me that way too? What about Missus Basti?’
The thought was so overwhelming that she could barely breathe. Ella stopped walking and lifted a trembling hand to wipe the tears from her chin.
“Sniff…”
“Gasp.”
A strange sound overlapped with her sob.
Startled, Ella abruptly raised her head.
“Wh… who’s there?”
The sun had almost completely set before she knew it. It was the hour when the shadows of buildings stretched long like ghosts.
Beside one of them, something long and thin, like a scarecrow, was swaying.
“Hah, haah.”
As the sound continued, Ella narrowed her eyes.
Gradually, a familiar face began to emerge from the shadows.
‘Mister Beres?’
Ella covered her mouth and stumbled back a few steps.
On a roadside where anyone might appear at any moment, the precious son of the Mincheva family was standing there with his lower body exposed, m**********g.
Instinctive revulsion surged through her.
“…Ella?”
To make matters worse, Beres noticed Ella.
Unlike her, he did not look startled. Nor did he flee in embarrassment.
He simply moved his hand harder and began approaching her one step at a time.
“Hah, hah… Ella, hah.”
The little remaining light illuminated Beres’s face.
His usually guileless eyes had turned completely blood-red, even across the whites.
Ella realized it instantly.
‘He’s not in his right mind.’
She had to run.
Only then did her body, which had frozen in shock, begin to obey her. Ella turned and ran.
“Ella, haah, Ella.”
Beres chased after her, calling her name. The rod-like thing between his legs swung wildly as he ran.
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