Chapter 5
‘I, I…’
Ella could not move, like a rabbit standing before a savage beast.
As though caught in the man’s violet gaze, she could not even look away.
Like gazing into the deepest part of the sea, beautiful, yet frightening…
“Cough, cough.”
Missus Basti’s cough, which she had been holding back, finally burst out.
Only then did Ella abruptly return to reality.
‘Ah. The cigar.’
Ella rubbed Missus Basti’s back in soothing strokes and glared at the man, but he merely exhaled cloudy smoke without the slightest concern.
Even with an old woman coughing right in front of him.
‘There are patients in the hospital too.’
For the moment, Ella covered Missus Basti’s nose with her shawl, then approached the unknown men.
Or rather, more precisely, the man with violet eyes who was staring straight through her.
The men in front tried to block Ella, but a single gesture from the cigar-smoking man made them step aside.
“I didn’t expect you to approach me first.”
Ella faltered.
‘Does he know me?’
The casual familiarity in his tone stirred something somewhere in Ella’s mind.
But one look at him told her that could not possibly be the case.
His relaxed demeanor, the disciplined men beneath him, the expensive things they wore.
Ella swallowed her tension and asked,
“Forgive me, but are you someone of high standing?”
“…What?”
“I apologize for speaking out of turn, but this is a hospital. Please put out your cigar.”
A crack appeared in the man’s expression.
He slowly twisted his lips, then abruptly blew cigar smoke straight into Ella’s face.
“Cough! Wh, what are you…”
Ella glared at him, but he casually dropped the cigar to the ground and crushed it beneath his shoe.
‘What is that supposed to mean?’
The tobacco leaves being ground beneath the man’s shoe looked disturbingly like her own future.
And yet there was no trace of irritation or anger in the man’s gaze as he seemed to study Ella.
That frightened her even more.
Ella forced herself not to retreat and asked,
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Name.”
“…Pardon?”
“Your name. What is it?”
The instant the simple question was thrown at her, countless thoughts flashed through Ella’s mind.
The strongest among them was this.
‘What a rude man.’
Wasn’t one supposed to give one’s own name first when making introductions?
But she did not want to prolong this confrontation.
She could also sense that Missus Basti was afraid of these men.
Reluctantly, Ella gave him her name.
“Ella.”
“…Raphaella?”
Who was that supposed to be?
The words telling him to go find some other woman almost rose to her throat, but Ella held them back and corrected him.
“Just Ella.”
“How half-hearted.”
Did he just… call someone else’s name half-hearted?
Unable to hide her displeasure any longer, Ella frowned.
The man watched her expression with an amused smile until the very end, then turned away without another word.
‘What kind of person acts like that?’
Humiliation, the urge never to see him again, and a deep sense of unease wrapped around Ella all at once.
It was the first time she had ever felt so many negative emotions at once.
…As far as she could remember.
The man’s subordinates quietly passed by Ella as she stood there blankly.
Only then did Missus Basti’s trembling voice call to her.
“Let’s hurry back, Ella. Quickly.”
“Ah, Missus. I’m sorry. This must be hard on you.”
“No, no.”
Missus Basti shook her head.
But an aged body could not conceal even the slightest shock. Ella realized that the woman was trembling more than usual.
“Missus, I think it would be better to see the head priest for a moment before we leave.”
“I was only startled a little. I’ll feel better once I go home and rest.”
Ella could not overcome the old woman’s stubbornness.
All she could do was make sure she supported Missus Basti properly.
As though frustrated that she could not walk as quickly as she wished, Missus Basti let out a deep sigh.
“How did people like that end up all the way in our village…”
“Do you know those people?”
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