episode_0014

Though not all my strength had returned, I could do simple exercises like jogging in place.

I was practicing walking without crutches that morning when someone entered the room.

“Ritsu Oppa, good morning!”

“Hello, Marie.”

Marie sat on the floor, rummaging through a basket while wearing a large straw hat.

Marie cherished that hat in a peculiar way.

Ruyef had given it to her last year, and she loved it so much that she always wore it when she went out.

“Where’s Ruyef?”

“Oppa went up the mountain.”

“He’s still going up, even though winter’s almost here?”

“…I don’t know. He said he needed a lot of wood.”

“I see.”

It felt like it had been a while since I’d seen Marie, too.

I didn’t know who had styled it, but her blonde hair was woven into strands, beautifully framing her head like a laurel wreath, and a few freckles were visible on her nape.

I was happy Marie had come to visit me, but I was also a little worried.

“But is it okay for you to be out? Won’t Ruyef say anything?”

“Yes. Because I wanted to see Ritsu Oppa.”

With that, Marie began to fidget with her small hands.

On closer inspection, she had taken out needles and was knitting.

I heard she learned spinning and knitting from Tia. It seems she really took to it back then.

Knitting was a hobby Tia used to do to pass the time when she was little.

In winter, she would make socks or hats and give them as birthday presents to the villagers.

My birthday is in May—not the day I was born, but the day the village chief took me in—so I never received Tia’s handmade textiles, but according to people’s reviews, they liked them because they were well-made, sturdy, and warm.

But that was about two years ago, the last time.

Because after she started learning swordsmanship, she lost interest in knitting.

Click click.

Anyway, watching Marie knit reminded me of Tia from back then.

Her nimble hands really resembled Tia’s.

“What are you making?”

“A scarf.”

“For this winter?”

“No. It’s not for me, it’s a gift.”

“A gift? For whom?”

Marie offered a small smile.

“Ritsu Oppa.”

“……Me?”

“Yes!”

With a pull, Marie showed me the basket.

Inside, a tightly woven fabric was coiled up.

The scarf was almost completely finished.

“You made it for me? I’m so touched, I don’t know what to say.”

“Just say thank you.”

“Thank you.”

“That’s too plain.”

“Thank you, thank you very much. Truly.”

Marie nodded happily.

“But that scarf… it’s bigger than I thought. When did you start making it?”

“Since Ritsu Oppa collapsed. I made it while asking the Divine Dragon for help.”

How thoughtful she was.

It was so touching it made my nose tingle.

That Ruyef… he should always be grateful to his parents.

For having such a kind-hearted younger sister.

“Thank you, Marie. I feel like I’m gaining strength thanks to you.”

“Hehe-. It’ll be done soon.”

Click click.

I lay on the bed, reading a book, while Marie sat on the floor, quietly knitting.

About two hours passed like that.

Marie stood up from her spot.

“Ta-da!”

“Oh—it’s done?”

As I extended my neck, Marie wrapped the scarf generously around me.

Haha, so this is what it felt like.

The scarf was incredibly soft and warm. It felt so hot even after wearing it for just a moment.

With this, I felt like I wouldn’t fear even the fiercest winter winds.

Marie asked,

“How is it?”

“It’s wonderful. Marie, I’ll never forget this gift…”

“Hehe.”

Marie twirled around as if dancing, then moved a little farther away and began observing me.

Tilting her head this way and that.

As if she wanted to see what I looked like with the scarf on, she checked from various angles.

Fortunately, she seemed satisfied.

Marie smiled brightly, then ran with a pitter-patter and hugged me.

“It suits you well.”

“Marie made it. Of course, it does.”

“Then… I’ll come again next time.”

“Okay. You be careful on your way, Marie.”

Marie, wearing her straw hat, waved her hand as she left.

A scarf. I had received an undeserved gift.

Actually, I had always wanted to receive a hand-woven textile from Tia.

Naturally, Tia always tried to give me much more expensive gifts for my birthday than ‘such common textiles.’

Precious gifts like a pen and inkwell set, a silver candlestick and teacup, or a pair of boots custom-made at Tailden’s leather workshop.

Of course, those expensive gifts were very precious to me. They were also things I needed.

Even now, I carefully keep them in my house and in the apothecary, using them well.

But… I wanted to receive a gift that had Tia’s touch.

I knew this was also a greedy wish.

Still, whenever I looked at the gifts I received, there was always a lingering regret that they didn’t have her personal touch.

“It smells nice.”

The scarf smelled of grains warmed by the sun.

It must be Marie’s scent. My chest felt calm.

Well, since I received a scarf personally woven by Marie, who ‘learned from Tia’… it was a bit roundabout, but perhaps this was also Tia’s gift?

Deciding to think of it that way, I carefully placed the scarf in a box.

* * *

Lunchtime arrived.

After a simple meal, I waited, and at the appointed time, Tia entered.

“Ritsu, I’m here.”

“Welcome.”

Tia always came carrying the same herb bag.

And as soon as she sat beside me, she took out a recovery potion from her bag.

I looked forward to this moment every day.

The recovery potion tasted like sweet apple juice, and its effects were excellent, so I could gulp it down like a drink.

“Ah—thank you, Tia.”

“How’s your body feeling?”

“Much better. I think I can even run outside now. It’s all thanks to the medicine you made.”

“Hehe-. That’s good! Still, hold back a little. You need to rest thoroughly until you’re completely well. Oh, and this. I got some apples on the way here. Want to share them?”

“Sounds good.”

Tia smiled brightly and took something out.

It was a portable pocketknife.

It was small enough to fit perfectly in Tia’s hand.

I found it fascinating as I had never seen such an item before, but she skillfully began to peel an apple.

Crisp crisp.

Soon, a beautifully peeled apple wedge was held in Tia’s hand.

Then she snapped off a piece with the knife and held it out to me.

“Here, have a bite!”

I took the apple and put it in my mouth.

The moment I crunched into it, the sweet juice, like honey, instantly spread throughout my mouth.

I usually enjoyed apples, but this was the first time I’d ever tasted something so fantastic.

“How is it?”

“It’s delicious. So sweet! Where did you get it?”

“Actually—that one’s a different kind. It’s not from our village.”

“What? Really?”

“Yeah. They say it’s an apple from Goldburg. I happened to try it once and it was so delicious that I remembered it—. And then I heard it had just come into the lower village? So I picked up a few.”

“……Ah.”

So Tia had already tried something like this in the meantime.

It wasn’t a big deal, but it felt strange.

It was usually my role to share new knowledge like this.

Because I had spent all day in the apothecary reading books and knew a lot, and Tia liked to perk up her ears and listen to my stories.

But now, had the roles been reversed?

Well, it wasn’t surprising, considering I had been lying down for two months.

I suppose I’d have to hear about everything that happened in the meantime directly from Tia.

Still, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of regret.

That Goldburg apple, too. Did she say she tried it by chance?

If I hadn’t collapsed, Tia and I would have stopped by Tailden’s market together, wondered ‘What kind of apple is this?’, tried one, and then we would have giggled, marveling at it. We would have bought hands full to give to the elders and gone back home.

It was a slight pity to have missed out on such fun memories, just imagining them.

“Here, ah—.”

Tia sliced off another piece and pushed it towards my mouth.

As I quickly took it, she chuckled.

“You eat well—. Seems you like it.”

But what could I do? This was also a memory.

Being cared for with such devotion by Tia was also a precious memory, something that might happen only a few times in a lifetime, wasn’t it?

After we finished the apples, we chatted for a bit.

When I asked where she went yesterday, she said she was in the apothecary all day.

Making recovery potions was quite a tricky process, so it must have been difficult.

Thinking that someone who disliked boredom was going through such hardship, I felt both proud and sorry.

Tia grumbled.

“At this rate, I really could take over the apothecary—.”

“You can. I mean it. That’s already expert-level skill.”

“But I can’t do it as well as Ritsu. I can only barely make it by looking at the recipe.”

“So what? I don’t have all the recipes memorized either. I can make commonly used medicines easily, but if I need a new one, I look it up in a book and learn it again each time.”

“Heh—I see—.”

“What’s the hardest part for you when making recovery potions?”

Tia thought carefully, then shyly scratched her cheek.

“Trimming the Mushulin root. It takes too much effort…”

“Ahaha! That’s true. No matter how long you boil Mushulin, the roots don’t come off easily. But that also means it has strong vitality. That’s why it’s used in recovery potions.”

“I see! Oh. Speaking of which, the time…”

She suddenly began to hurriedly pack her bag.

“Are you leaving already?”

“Ah, yeah. I have to go make more medicine.”

“…Alright. Be careful on your way.”

“Then I’ll come again tomorrow. Goodbye!”

Clunk.

As soon as the door closed, I slowly lowered my raised hand.

A wave of emptiness immediately washed over me.

Honestly, I wanted to talk more. There was still so much to ask.

I wanted to tell her I wished she’d come many times a day, not just once.

But she was already going through so much trouble making recovery potions for me, so I couldn’t just keep her longer for more chatter.

I flopped onto the bed idly.

Thump.

Suddenly, I heard something fall to the floor.

“Huh? This is…”

Tia’s pocketknife.

I picked it up and examined it, finding the words ‘Kredio Workshop’ engraved on it.

I’d never seen it before. It wasn’t a place in the lower village either.

It definitely didn’t seem like a knife made around here.

Anyway, she still had a habit of forgetting things.

Knowing that this hadn’t changed somehow made me feel relieved.

“Can’t be helped. I’ll just have to return it myself.”

I grinned and carefully put it in my pocket.