Chapter 73
Ellen, having changed into soft, comfortable clothes, stepped into the dining room in a cheerful mood. Roil and Yubel were already there, waiting for her.
“You must be hungry. Go ahead and start eating.”
“Whether we eat a few minutes earlier or later…”
“It would be nice if we ate a few minutes earlier.”
Yubel pouted at Roil’s response.
This man, four years older than Ellen and Roil, sometimes acted like a child. It was obvious he was doing it on purpose, and most of the time, both Ellen and Roil ended up laughing.
“If you eat a few minutes earlier, you’ll get hungry a few minutes sooner too.”
Ellen scolded Yubel while signaling the waiter to bring the food.
Once the food arrived, the three fell silent. For nobles, it was considered improper not to speak even during meals, but the three had long since abandoned such etiquette. That rule had only held for the first three meals since Yubel had joined them.
“Ah, that was good.”
Graceful hand movements, rapid chewing, busy eyes already scanning for the next bite.
As she sometimes noticed when sparring with Roil, Yubel clearly had excellent physical coordination.
Soon, Roil set down his fork and knife, and shortly after, Ellen wiped her mouth with her napkin.
“I think I need to buy new gloves. Anyone want to come?”
“Is the market open today?”
“I didn’t see anything,” Ellen asked.
“This place doesn’t have a set market day. Looks like there’s a whole market street,” Yubel said, as if he had already found out.
“I want to go.”
“Me too.”
When Roil answered, Ellen immediately agreed.
“Great. I’ll just go up to the room for a moment. Wait here.”
Yubel went upstairs, and Ellen took a note from her pocket.
“For Serel?”
“Yes. We’ll enter Bourbon territory the day after tomorrow. I should tell Serel.”
“Has Santuke arrived at Lianne’s house yet?”
“Either he’s there or almost there. He wouldn’t move slowly, knowing his personality.”
Recalling how Santuke always ran ahead to make his friends hurry when they went out together, Ellen and Roil were certain.
“By the way, you haven’t seen the kids in two years?”
“Yes. Have they changed much?”
“Well… maybe, maybe not. They’ve grown a bit more mature, but when you meet them, it feels like they revert to kids in five minutes.”
Roil chuckled knowingly, feeling a little reassured. If his friends had changed drastically while he hadn’t seen them, he might have felt a bit of regret.
Meanwhile, Yubel, coming down from the second floor, glanced at the two laughing together before moving on.
✿ ✿ ✿
“These gloves?”
“The leather’s too rough,” Yubel shook his head.
“How about these?”
“Not pretty.”
“These?”
“Out of fashion.”
“This… one?”
“Doesn’t fit well.”
“This one.”
“Don’t like the stitching.”
“…That one?”
“Too ordinary.”
Ellen felt like smacking Yubel on the back of his head—hard enough to make his brown hair fly. That would be her perfect moment.
Roil, seemingly no different, lightly stepped on Yubel’s foot. At the same time, Ellen twisted and pinched Yubel’s arm.
“Aaah!”
“Ughhh…”
“Enough!” Ellen gritted her teeth, and Yubel nodded, a few tears forming in his eyes.
In the end, Yubel chose the gloves he had called “too ordinary.” After picking out the gloves, he decided to get a belt as well, heading to the second floor of the shop, followed by Ellen and Roil.
Watching Yubel try every belt on his waist, Ellen gave up and leaned by the window.
‘Forget sightseeing. Maybe we should just go back to the inn.’
Ellen, exhausted by Yubel’s picky standards, was staring blankly at the sky when suddenly:
“Move!”
“What’s going on?”
“Joseph!”
“Somebody, help a child!”
The alley erupted in chaos.
‘What’s happening?’
Before Ellen could even understand, a black carriage came into view, rushing toward a small boy frozen in place.
‘Too fast, too close!’
Should she shoot both horses? That might overturn the carriage… Ellen hesitated, bow in hand.
If the carriage overturned, the driver and anyone inside could die—or maybe just get injured.
Meanwhile, Roil patiently continued helping Yubel choose a belt, unaware that Ellen was readying her bow.
“What’s going on, Ellie?”
Yubel, holding two belts in each hand, also turned to look at Ellen.
Both realized something had happened and hurried over to her. And then:
“Ahhh!”
“Ah!”
“Joseph!”
Screams echoed through the alley.
The carriage sped past without slowing down. Blood stained the alley.
Ellen went pale.
“Ro… Roil…”
She dropped her arms. Roil grabbed her bow and arrow before they fell out the window.
Her legs gave way, and she slumped down. Roil, intending to support her, instead helped her sit on the floor.
Yubel pulled out a handkerchief to wipe Ellen’s cold sweat, but she didn’t even notice, sitting still with tears streaming down her face.
Biting his lip, Yubel glared in the direction the carriage had gone and asked Roil:
“Can you take Ellen to the inn alone?”
“Of course.”
“Then wait there.”
“What are you planning?”
“…To retrieve the child’s body.”
Roil somehow felt Yubel wouldn’t only deal with the body, but he nodded. Right now, Ellen came first.
Roil gently held Ellen’s shoulders, but she didn’t respond. He picked up the doll-like, tearful Ellen in his arms.
✿ ✿ ✿
Roil took a back road to reach the inn. Once there, Ellen remained seated in the position he had placed her.
It would have been nice if Nesh were here to hold her. Nesh had been sent on an errand to Serel.
Roil sighed quietly, then gave Ellen a pillow and draped a blanket over her shoulders.
He stepped out briefly and returned, sitting under the bed to massage her hands and feet.
About two hours later, Yubel returned. By then, Ellen’s eyes had regained focus.
She spoke in a pale voice:
“Let’s get out of here. I don’t want to stay.”
“Understood. Let’s leave this village. Yubel, we’ll have to camp tonight.”
Without hesitation, Roil replied. Yubel nodded without objection.
“Wait a moment while I pack again.”
Yubel left the room, and Roil pulled Ellen’s robe from his pocket and dressed her in it.
“This is better for you today. I’ll step out for a bit and return shortly.”
✿ ✿ ✿
Roil placed Ellen in front of him on the horse, as she clearly couldn’t ride alone.
The backroads were too narrow for two horses to pass, so they had to go past the scene of the earlier accident to leave the village. Reluctantly, Roil asked Yubel to hold Jenny’s reins, and he set off first. Yubel followed on his horse, holding both his and Jenny’s reins.
Roil pulled the hood of Ellen’s robe over her eyes, and they hurried past the accident site. Although her vision was blocked, he could feel her body tremble slightly.
He only stopped once they reached a point where the village lights were no longer visible.
“Let’s stay here tonight.”
Roil dismounted first, helping Ellen down.
“Well, there’s neither mountains nor forest, so we probably won’t catch anything. I guess we’ll skip dinner tonight,” Yubel said, holding the reins of his horse, Jenny, and Mars in one hand.
“Don’t worry. I ordered our lunchboxes when Ellie ordered her soup, just in case this happened.”
“Smart thinking.”
While Yubel quickly prepared the campsite, Roil managed to feed Ellen five spoonfuls of soup. She refused after a few bites.
“Alright. Stop eating and go to sleep.”
“…Sorry. I’ll pull myself together tomorrow.”
Ellen whispered. Roil gently stroked her head.
“Don’t think about anything. Just sleep.”
Once Ellen curled into the sleeping bag, Roil joined Yubel and began eating his own lunch.
✿ ✿ ✿
Gloria appeared and said:
“Ellen, you shouldn’t go around acting as an apostle of justice. Save the gold token and use it to make soup. It’s very tasty.”
Gerald appeared beside Gloria.
“Yes, Ellen. And even if you learn archery, it won’t help much. What can you do with such thin arrows? Weapons are swords, swords!”
Gerald drew his sword and began demonstrating swordplay. Gloria threw arrows at him, and Gerald blocked them all with his sword.
As Ellen stepped back, Gloria and Gerald disappeared. Hye-rim appeared in their place:
“Sis, I got my driver’s license! Let’s go on a trip this summer! But where are you, sis? Sis?”
Seeing Hye-rim looking around, Ellen collapsed on the spot.
Her mother appeared beside her, holding a car under her arm with the opposite hand.
“Mom…”
As Ellen called her tremblingly and grabbed her hand, her father popped his head out from the car window beside her mother.
“Hyesuh, I’ve become a racecar driver! Isn’t it cool?”
Ellen shook her head.
“Dad, get out of the car. Don’t drive! Please, don’t drive! Get out of the car!”
She shouted, shaking her head violently, and tears scattered everywhere.
The tears became a sea. Three dragons surfaced, swirling and dancing around Ellen.
Her mother and father were sent flying far away, struck by their tails.
“No… No! Mom! Mom! Mooooom!”
