episode_0020

“…….”

Silence fell.

What was this situation?

Wiping his sweat, Fosao Ahjussi entered the house and belatedly noticed us.

“Uh, uh… Ritsu?”

I turned to Tia, my eyes begging for an explanation.

A clear explanation was needed.

A perfect explanation that would make sense of this situation right now.

“…….”

Tia slowly walked toward Fosao Ahjussi, then suddenly kicked him hard in the shin.

Thwack!

“Ugh!”

Tia sternly shouted at the Ahjussi, who was collapsing while clutching his leg.

“I told you to at least knock!”

“B-but… it was too cold outside…”

“You’re hopeless—”

But her voice wasn’t angry at all.

As if the kick had solved everything, Tia calmly let the Ahjussi into the house.

“Come in quickly.”

“Uh, uh…”

Fosao Ahjussi awkwardly greeted me too.

“Ritsu. G-good morning…”

“Ah… yes.”

I hadn’t even fully grasped what was happening.

That person, breathing heavily, plopped down onto Tia’s bed.

Then, as if it were a routine, he naturally pulled out a silk pillow and propped it under his lower back.

“Ugh, I’m so tired…”

“Drink this, at least.”

Tia, who had gone to the kitchen, handed him a leather water skin.

Fosao Ahjussi took the water skin and gulped it down.

“Here, Ritsu, a cup too—”

Tia handed me a glass of water with a much gentler voice.

It was a small, cute cup. I was grateful, but I just rinsed my mouth and set it down.

I wasn’t in the mood to swallow anything.

“This is a bit surprising.”

“Hm?”

“Even so, I didn’t expect Fosao Ahjussi to come all the way into your house.”

“Ah…”

Tia made a troubled expression, then frowned and spun around to face the Ahjussi.

“You heard him, right? Ritsu’s uncomfortable. Get out now.”

“Wha— Oh, really? Sorry!”

“It’s fine. Where would you go, sweating like that again? Ritsu, I’m sorry, but could this Ahjussi… rest for a little while? If I kick him out like this, he’ll freeze to death.”

What could I say?

“…This is your house. Do as you wish.”

“Thanks, Ritsu!”

I didn’t need the thanks.

It was just that… I felt an uncomfortable, heavy mass had intruded into my and Tia’s space, which was unpleasant.

Why was the sight of him brazenly sitting on Tia’s bed, having entered her house without permission, so unlikable?

As if reading my eyes, Tia suddenly spoke.

“Fosao Ahjussi said it’s hard for him to come all the way here—he absolutely has to rest like that for a bit before leaving. I don’t like it either.”

The last part was almost a whisper.

But even in that “don’t like it,” there wasn’t the deep-seated aversion of before; it was just a playful tone.

My teeth clenched.

“But Ahjussi… why did you come here so early in the morning?”

“He’s helping me with my work. This.”

Tia pulled a Mushurin root from the Ahjussi’s herb bag.

“I really couldn’t procure it myself. So I asked Ahjussi to buy it for me instead.”

“Ah. Is that so…?”

“Yeah—!”

I heard the detailed story.

When winter came and the medicinal ingredients for my recovery medicine ran out, Tia enlisted Fosao Ahjussi’s help, and he traveled to various villages to gather herbs.

The problem was that Tia couldn’t go down to the general store to receive the herbs every time, so Fosao Ahjussi secretly brought them directly to Tia’s house, avoiding the villagers’ eyes, and even told her the password to the wooden door in case Tia wasn’t home.

Only after hearing the explanation could I finally let out a sigh of relief.

Right. If only she had told me this earlier, how much more at ease I would have been.

After all, both Tia and Ahjussi were going through this trouble for me.

In that case, there was no problem.

“Thank you, Ahjussi.”

“Y-you’re welcome. Hehe… Ritsu, it’s g-good to see you healthy…”

I blamed myself for doubting for a moment.

In the first place, while Tia might be able to get friendly with a pot-bellied Ahjussi like that, she wouldn’t want anything more than that herself.

It was a needless worry.

“Since we have more guests now—I’ll bring some snacks! Everyone, just wait a moment—.”

Tia scurried into the kitchen and returned with a large basket of apples.

They were filled with a vibrant red hue. These were the Gordbruck apples she had introduced before.

Surprisingly, Fosao Ahjussi recognized them right away too.

“Those. G-Goldenbuck apples?”

“Haa— How many times do I have to tell you? It’s ‘Gordbruck.’”

“Go…Goldrbook…”

“Try repeating it slowly. Go,rd,bru,ck.”

“Goldrbook…”

“Pfft— Hahahaha—! You’re really bad at it!”

Tia clutched her stomach and laughed at the Ahjussi’s clumsy pronunciation.

…Is that funny?

Tia finally calmed down after laughing for a long time.

“Anyway, correct! They are Gordbruck apples.”

“Back then… th-they were delicious, right?”

“Yes—! I told you that apple was the most delicious of all the apples I’ve ever eaten! So I bought it immediately when I saw it at the Teildon market—”

“And… you didn’t do… something like that… again, did you?”

“Eh. No, I didn’t—”

I was giving an awkward smile, not knowing what they were talking about, when Fosao Ahjussi started to explain to me.

“Well, Ritsu… she thought it was a s-scam where they… put h-honey… on the apples… so Ti-Tia…”

“Ah— Stop! Stop! That’s enough—!”

“And she fought with the merchants—”

“If you say any more, I won’t give you an apple. Hand it over.”

“Ugh! So-sorry—!”

Well, it seems Tia has an embarrassing story she wants to hide.

But it sounds like Tia was with Fosao Ahjussi when she first ate these Gordbruck apples.

“Tia. It seems you went somewhere with Ahjussi?”

“Oh, yeah. I guess I hadn’t told you.”

Tia crossed her arms and glared at him.

“It just so happened that I went all the way to Deseo with Fosao Ahjussi.”

“…What? Deseo?”

My voice came out louder than I intended.

From here to Deseo, it takes a full fifteen days on foot.

The only road connecting Teildon and Deseo is the ‘Metheroad’.

It was a desolate road with not a single ordinary village, so it was never a path to be taken lightly.

Of course, going by boat would be much faster.

But it didn’t seem like Tia would have that much money.

“No way, did you really go through the Metheroad?”

“Yeah! To be precise, we took a bit of a detour.”

Conquering the Metheroad was one of Tia’s long-standing goals.

I thought if she started an adventure, she’d go there first, but I can’t believe she actually did it.

“It was—really dangerous there. Bandits suddenly ambushed us, and we almost died…”

“Bandits?!”

Encountering bandits on the Metheroad meant, in other words, that a major battle had occurred.

The bandits there were notorious.

They were almost like barbarians, killing people indiscriminately, it was said.

That’s why a rule was even created that mercenaries must be hired when traversing the Metheroad.

…Of course, that was an old story.

After Deseo’s dispatched knights cleanly eradicated them ten years ago, no one had heard tales of bandits.

But bandits appeared?

“Yeah. We… got out somehow. Hehe— You don’t believe it, do you? Anyway, one way or another, we safely returned from Deseo. The whole story is long enough to keep us up all night—.”

“Tell me now. I have plenty of time. What exactly happened?”

“Ugh… Since Ritsu is curious, I guess I have to tell you the story. Hmm— Where should I start? So, in Teildon…”

It was the moment Tia’s long, long adventure story was about to begin.

Thump thump thump!

Suddenly, there was a rough knocking sound from outside.

“Tia—!! Are you there—?!”

We all closed our mouths and held our breath.

Someone was urgently looking for Tia.

A flustered Tia whispered.

“Ahjussi! Hide quickly!”

“Ugh— Where, where to…”

No matter how quickly his body moved, in front of the agile Tia, he was just a clumsy pig.

“Follow me quickly!”

Tia led Fosao Ahjussi by the hand and went down into the basement storage.

Then, gently closing the storage door, she whispered to me.

“Ritsu! Please cover for me and say I’m not here!”

“…….”

Sigh—.

What kind of situation is this? I’ve gotten tangled up in something troublesome.

Creak—. Thump.

After confirming the basement storage door was fully closed, I carefully opened the front door.

Marvin Ahjussi was waiting outside.

“Hm? Ritsu? Why are you coming out from there?”

“Ah, I actually just came to look for Tia too. But she’s not home.”

“Really? Hmm…”

“What is it?”

“They say the women are dyeing cloth and are short on hands. Tia is a grown young lady now; shouldn’t she start learning village work?”

“That’s true.”

“Tsk tsk. We just left her alone because her parents passed away, but at this rate, I wonder if she’ll be able to marry and do housework properly.”

“Hahaha…”

As I laughed awkwardly, a scolding immediately flew my way.

“Hey now. This is no laughing matter, Ritsu. This concerns you too. Do you like it when your wife abandons her work and just wanders around outside like that?”

“Uh…”

“I’m not particularly worried since you two seem to get along well. But marriage is a different story.”

Marvin Ahjussi sighed and put his arm around my shoulder.

I had an uneasy feeling.

A premonition that an incredibly long and boring lecture was about to begin…

Sure enough, a strong smell of alcohol wafted from Marvin Ahjussi’s body.

Oh dear.

He’s been drinking heavily since morning.

“Listen, Ritsu. When girls are young, they’ll say things like ‘I want to marry Daddy!’ and run around saying they like anyone. But when they become young ladies, they get very practical. So, who do ‘true women’ want to marry?”

“I don’t know. Someone they’re close with?”

“Wrong!”

Marvin Ahjussi dragged me up the hill.

“Women want to marry the most dependable person, someone who can protect them. Do you know why?”

“Why?”

“Because they have to bear children.”

Um… isn’t this progressing a bit too fast?

“Ritsu. Remember this. Women don’t love men. Women love the children they bore with pain the most.”

“…Did you perhaps fight with Olivia Aunt-nim yesterday?”

“Listen quietly, you brat.”

“Ow!”

I ended up getting a knuckle rap on the head.

“Anyway, bearing children is the most important matter in a woman’s life. That’s why she chooses a man who can protect and raise the child she will bear. In front of such cold instincts, the love she gushed about in her naive youth won’t work. What do you think? Aren’t women truly complex creatures?”

“Uh— I guess so.”

“But conversely, a woman’s love is just as simple.”

Marvin Ahjussi said in a kind voice.

“A man who extends a hand first when she’s tired and struggling. A knight-like man who always stays by her side. The only man who likes her even when the whole world points fingers and curses at her. Isn’t that to say women easily love such a man? So if you want to marry Tia, you must definitely show a responsible image as a man.”

“Yes. I understand.”

“Good. Kid, you’ve become a real man!”

The Ahjussi slapped my back and went back up to the field.

I thought he would make a cool exit after teaching me the way of a man.

But soon, I heard Olivia Aunt-nim’s thunderous shouts, and seeing Marvin Ahjussi frantically flee in terror…

I thought my future self, married to Tia, would be even more miserable.

But even so. I want to with Tia.

Marriage.

Even with all that nagging, Marvin Ahjussi truly loved Olivia Aunt-nim.

Because even while flustered trying to soothe a crying baby, he smiled brightly.

I too, with the woman I love most.

I want to have such a fun married life.

Hugging my somehow pounding chest, I returned to Tia’s house.

“Tia! I’m here!”

But no matter how much I knocked on the wooden door, there was no response.

Looking through the window, the house was empty. It seemed she had gone somewhere in the meantime.

Oh. Was I held up by Marvin Ahjussi for too long?

Well, even if I called her out, it seemed she’d just be dragged into chores.

I decided to just meet her next time.