episode_0225

Woke up from a deep sleep.

“……”

The morning sunlight visible upon opening my eyes.

The fresh yet slightly cool forest air, felt at the tip of my nose.

And the bustling chirping of birds tickling my ears.

Another day had begun.

“Ha…”

I got up from my spot and pushed back the blanket.

As I got out of bed with a hazy mind and slipped my feet into my shoes, the clattering sound from the kitchen should have been heard without fail… but.

For some reason, it was quiet today.

I shuffled my feet and walked to the kitchen.

“……”

My wife wasn’t there.

It was quite unexpected.

There was no reason for Marie to leave the house so early in the morning.

If she were drawing water in the backyard, I should at least hear a sound.

The back door wasn’t open, and there was no sign of anyone.

As I looked around the chilly kitchen, I saw something placed on the table.

Bread and soup were covered with a tablecloth, and on top of the tablecloth was a note written by Marie.

‘See you in a bit.’

It was a short note, but it brought great relief.

Of course, Marie wouldn’t leave without a word.

If she had to go somewhere special without me, she always told people around her in advance.

Since it was early morning and everyone was asleep, it seemed she had no choice but to leave a note like this.

I didn’t know what it was.

Nor was I particularly curious.

I just assumed it must be something very important, important enough to require her to leave urgently.

For example, Ruyef might have sought her advice, or some trouble might have occurred in the outsider settlement at dawn.

After all, she would solve all the problems and come back to tell me everything.

I wasn’t worried.

Still, with Marie gone, I had to do what my wife normally would.

“Kids, it’s time to wake up.”

I opened the door and woke the children.

I had last seen them sleeping neatly side-by-side like good siblings last night.

Now, their arms and legs were tangled together as if they had fought a war in their dreams.

I thought it would be fine since they were kids, but perhaps sleeping three in one bed was indeed cramped.

“Uhm……”

Seeing Louis, Latina, and Lia rubbing their eyes together, half-asleep, I suddenly remembered a time when Marie, her, and I used to take naps together when we were young.

I had them wash their faces quickly and fed them breakfast.

I asked Lia what she would do today.

The girl replied with an excited voice.

“Today, I’m going to the mountains. Louis said he’d come with me.”

“Tch. Just make sure you follow along and don’t get lost. I’m the fastest runner in our village, you know.”

“Yeah, yeah. Okay. I wonder how fast you are—”

Compared to before, the Dragoness Mountains had become much easier to climb.

The mountain paths were maintained six years ago, and ferocious beasts like bears were driven far away.

Although the area managed by the village had expanded significantly, there were still dangerous zones.

For the safety of outsiders, we made it mandatory to have a guide to climb the mountains.

And the fees collected this way were no small contribution to the village’s finances.

Louis was still young and not fully qualified.

However, having been born and raised in Breezedon, he knew the mountain paths well.

Frankly, well enough to be a paid guide.

So, offering to guide Lia himself in exchange for her giving up the apple pie was a considerable favor on his part.

Honestly, it seemed Louis didn’t dislike Lia that much after all.

“Then play carefully today. Louis, you know to blow the horn if anything happens, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Alright. Lia, see you again this evening.”

“Yes!”

I left the children at home and went out.

Now, I headed to the apothecary.

As I climbed the hill, I also met some villagers.

“Teacher-nim Ritsu! Patrol finished.”

“Yes. You’ve worked hard.”

First, I met the patrol team to confirm there were no patients overnight.

If someone fell ill, I had to visit and check them myself, so it was a very important duty.

Fortunately, there were no issues today, so I could go directly to the apothecary for work.

When I entered the apothecary, as always, I put down my bag next to the rocking chair.

“Huu—”

I leaned back in the chair and caught my breath.

It wasn’t particularly busy from the morning.

It felt more comfortable to calmly organize the day’s tasks in my mind and plan things out at my leisure.

This small space, where only I existed.

Having spent most of my life here, it was a very familiar and comfortable place.

Nevertheless, today’s air felt different.

Why was that?

Was it because autumn was approaching?

Or was it because I had met the girl of destiny, whom I had never expected?

In any case, unusual events had been happening one after another, so my mind was somewhat restless.

Not in a bad way, but in a good way.

It felt as if this monotonous daily life was gradually being shaken.

Or perhaps, I felt signs that a great change would soon occur in this life.

At this age, such intuition naturally developed.

But now, I wasn’t anxious at all.

I realized that I was no longer alone.

Here, there was Marie and my children—Louis and Latina.

And that wasn’t all. There were the reliable village chief Ruyef, Gale, Hanson, Elon. Everyone was here.

“……Hey—”

I looked out the window at the sound of people chatting.

I saw residents heading up to the fields.

Though their expressions weren’t joyful in the morning, I could feel a strong power emanating from their sturdy shoulders and forearms.

My father told me to avoid the unfamiliar winds blowing into Breezedon.

He had to bear the burden of this village alone, so he feared change.

But now, I knew that even a fierce gale could be overcome if everyone worked together.

That’s why, even while guarding this small apothecary alone.

My heart could always be full.

“Shall I start too?”

I opened the drawer and took out the work schedule I had written yesterday.

It was when I was smoothing out the rolled parchment with my palm and propping it with a stone.

Knock knock.

Someone knocked on the door.

“……Huh?”

A visitor so early in the morning.

For a moment, I tilted my head.

No one would come looking for me at this hour.

At most, it would be Louis, who came to deliver the bag I might have forgotten to take.

But I had brought my bag properly.

Had an impatient outsider customer arrived?

“Come in.”

After replying, I looked down at the parchment again.

A slight pause.

Only then did I hear the sound of the door opening.

Creak—

I felt the cold morning air enter at my ankles.

Reading the work schedule, I calmly asked.

“What brings you here?”

“Bandages—”

My hand, which was about to turn a page, stopped.

“—I’ve come to get.”

As if she had left bandages with me a long time ago.

The woman’s voice was familiar.

Slowly, I raised my head and looked up at the uninvited guest of the early morning.

How could I ever forget?

“……”

Those beautiful, reddish-tinted cheeks.

Hair like red sunlight, just risen over the mountainside, melted into a stream and brewed into wine.

Ruby-like eyes that curved subtly into a mischievous smile.

“Bandages… But now, you shouldn’t have any reason to get hurt, should you?”

I didn’t even know how I managed to say that.

If you’ve been serving customers for a long time, can your lips still move even if your mind goes blank?

She replied.

“You never know. It’s more of a precaution, just in case. And having them makes me feel at ease.”

This conversation, so familiar and missed.

I simply couldn’t—.

I couldn’t stop.

“You know bandages don’t just appear out of thin air, right?”

“Yes. You soak the cloth in water infused with Rubus herbs for seven days, dry it thoroughly in a sunny spot, then wrap it in large broadleaf tree leaves with peppermint flowers for two days. It’s certainly… not an easy task.”

“Haha. You know it well. You could easily open an apothecary in Deseo, Your Majesty.”

“That’s all thanks to the book written by a certain excellent apothecary-nim. Even the apothecaries at the medical center expressed their admiration.”

Even without being told, she gracefully sat down in the chair placed in one corner.

Naturally, not a single speck of dust rose.

In the first place, no one had ever tried to sit in that chair.

Not a single person since Breezedon was rebuilt.

Because the chair was so old it looked like it would fall apart at any moment, and it was in a secluded corner, placed with various sacks of medicinal ingredients.

But she seemed to remember.

That it was the only place she could sit.

Her gaze, as she looked at me, was as deep and profound as an autumn sunset.

With slightly furrowed brows, she seemed to be trying to control her emotions.

Yet, a wistful glimmer flowed from her ruby-like eyes.

I, too, was probably no different.

“Long time no see, Ritsu.”

How could you—like a friend you hadn’t seen for about half a month then reunited with—greet me so simply?

Between our farewell and our reunion, countless events had transpired in this world. Countless people had died and been born.

Like the distance between the ‘Greeting’ written on the first page and the ‘Parting Words’ on the last page of [World Adventure Log].

So many things had accumulated between us, layer by layer, forming a very thick book.

Yet, you still.

You still call me that.

I lifted my Adam’s apple, placed my tongue between my teeth, and then released it.

“Tia.”

I spoke that name which I hadn’t been able to call for so long.

It wasn’t the Tia of that time, in short shorts, wearing shin-high boots, with a bandage on her cheek, and her Rose Sabre casually strapped to her waist.

But she, who concealed her hair within a navy robe and exuded a more mature aura, was unmistakably….

‘Tia’.

Silence descended.

Just moments ago, I had been making casual, trivial jokes.

I couldn’t figure out what to say.

All I felt was a longing that touched my skin.

This apothecary, which had been virtually my own space for so long, suddenly felt like it had leaped back into the distant past.

Although we had changed greatly from how we were then.

This fervent breathing and the quietly flowing silence.

Fourteen years ago.

They were exactly the same as in Breezedon’s apothecary, right here, fourteen years ago.

“I met Lia yesterday.”

I finally managed to think of something to say.

“Yeah.”

“She’s a really pretty child. Kind, smart, spirited. And also a bit boastful, I guess, like you.”

“Hmph… Yes.”

“Our kids became friends quickly too. They chatted and played happily with Lia all night.”

“That sounds fun.”

“It was fun. Very much so.”

“Did Lia cause any trouble, by any chance?”

“No. She’s doing well, just like a normal girl.”

“…That’s a relief.”

Tia gave a small smile.

“Actually, I also met Louis two days ago. In Taeldon.”

“Oh, really?”

“He probably didn’t know. I didn’t speak to him, I just watched from afar. But I could tell at a glance. That he was Ritsu and Marie’s child. Not only did he resemble them, but there was a similar feeling about how he insisted on having candy.”

“Haa—. He’s like that even to me, his dad, it’s exhausting.”

“Haha! Me too! Our Lia also secretly throws a lot of tantrums with me.”

“Here, there are two of them… but you’re raising her alone, so it must be really hard.”

“Nannies and servants help, but she still relies heavily on me, her mother. Since Lia is always in the royal palace, I felt she was lonely—so I allowed her a short outing.”

Talking about the children, the slightly awkward atmosphere quickly eased.

Isn’t it wondrous?

For a long time, we had walked separate paths, and this long gap in time could not be entirely bridged.

But the ‘children’ we had given birth to were connecting that time.

What kind of lives each of us had lived.

What kind of dreams each of us had dreamt.

We could see it all in the children’s happy faces.

“By the way, is it really okay for Your Majesty to come out alone like this?”

“You don’t need to worry about matters of the royal castle. The princess has gone on a distant expedition, and since I wanted to secretly follow her because I was worried, there was no one who would object. Capable people are already performing my duties in my stead, and as for safety… you can rest assured, as attendants are positioned around Taeldon.”

“Haha. I didn’t realize it was to that extent. Aren’t you being a bit overprotective of Lia?”

“She’s my only child. Hehe-. I even think this isn’t enough.”

Looking at that bright, smiling face, it felt as if we had momentarily returned to the past.

The more we talked, the more it felt as if time was rewinding.

“Hey, Ritsu.”

“Hmm?”

“I… I worked hard all this time.”

Tia slightly lowered her head.

“To ensure you all could safely return to your hometown. To ensure the safety of the countless people who knew and helped me. To ensure my child and I could survive…”

Some say.

That the Queen loved her people so much she brought a golden age to this nation.

But I know.

That Tia never became queen because she wanted to.

That day, thirteen years ago.

Just as she said when we parted.

To take responsibility for her mistakes and bear their burden, she put the crown on her head herself.

For a future where all of us would live.

A golden age doesn’t come without a price.

The reason this nation could be so prosperous and peaceful is because its ruler risked her life and put in immense effort.

That Breezedon could prosper peacefully was also all thanks to Tia.

I had never once forgotten that.

“I know. Your efforts were felt even here, in this distant land.”

“……That’s why I worked really hard.”

Tia looked up at me with a slightly tired smile.

“’To meet Ritsu again’.”

I asked back, my mouth agape.

“’Me’…?”

“Yes. This was the future I saw. The only way I could meet Ritsu again with a smile, no matter how long it took.”

This was one of the futures Tia saw…?

I see.

The reason we had to part back then was because you saw such a dazzling future.

To realize this future.

You stayed in the royal castle and fought a lonely battle alone for all that long time.

Just… what kind of person are you…?

“Ritsu. May I dare… to return here?”

Tia asked with a choked voice.

“I only ever hurt you. Do I truly… deserve forgiveness?”

“Tia.”

I pushed the rocking chair back and stood up.

“I realized it when I first met Lia. The doubts, anxieties, worries I harbored all that time… there were so many, but after meeting her, I knew they were all unnecessary. Because I learned that she, too, is truly ‘our future’.”

“……”

“This is your and your daughter’s land. That fact has never changed. So Breezedon… I will always welcome you all.”

“…Mhm.”

I opened my arms.

“Welcome home, Tia.”

“—Yes!”

Tia embraced me.

Unlike when we were children, as adults, we had grown taller, and our physiques were quite different.

Nevertheless, the faint scent of apples emanating from her neck had not changed even a little.

This was not a dream or an illusion.

It reminded me that this was reality, pounding strongly in my chest.

Tia, embraced in my arms, began to sob and cry.

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry… Ritsu.”

How long must she have waited to say these words?

“It’s alright, Tia.”

I, too, had waited a very long time to say ‘it’s alright’.

Stroking her slender back, I whispered ‘it’s alright’ to her again and again.

When her sobs gradually subsided.

I let go of Tia and properly looked her in the face.

Wiping the tear streaks from Tia’s cheeks with my thumb, I asked.

“Have you said hello to your friends?”

“Not yet…”

“Then, let’s go. You should greet them and tell them you’ve been well.”

“Okay.”

Clunk!

Tia and I opened the apothecary door.

Whoosh—

As soon as the door opened, a gentle breeze swept through, lifting my hair.

“Oh…”

Beneath the vast blue sky, without a single cloud.

I saw two people coming up at the end of the hill that led down from the apothecary.

It was Marie and Ruyef.

Tia’s ruby eyes widened.

“Marie! Ruyef!”

Seeing her old friends, she began to run down the hill in one go.

I was about to caution her to be careful, as the slope was quite steep, but I stopped myself.

Haha… Tia had already run this path hundreds of times.

There was no need to worry.

Marie, Ruyef, and Tia embraced each other tightly, savoring their reunion.

Like friends reunited after a long time.

They exchanged brief greetings and laughed together.

For a moment, it felt as if my breath caught at that beautiful sight.

Had I truly returned to that time?

Rustle. Rustle.

I slowly walked, following the footsteps Tia had left.

Marie glanced back at me from beside Tia and Ruyef, who were excitedly talking.

With her small, rippling eye-smile, I realized that the one who had arranged this beautiful time was none other than my wife.

So ‘See you in a bit’ had meant this.

How wonderful.

Without realizing it, for the first time in a very long time—I felt so excited that I let out a silly laugh.

“What? Ruyef, you knew too? There was no mention of this.”

I heard Ruyef clear his throat.

“Actually, I only found out after the morning meeting yesterday. Marie just asked me to keep quiet…”

Marie replied with a smile.

“I wanted to surprise you. I’m sorry.”

“That’s a bit of a mischievous prank. Anyway, since when have you been in contact with Tia?”

Tia fidgeted with her fingers.

“We’ve been exchanging letters for… a while now.”

It seemed Marie and Tia had been secretly exchanging letters.

Ah, now that I think about it, perhaps it was obvious.

No matter how well she disguised herself, a princess of her stature had come into this humble mountain village.

Marie and Ruyef had maintained a strangely calm demeanor.

“Well—since everyone’s gathered, shall we go now?”

Suddenly, Marie threw out a suggestion.

“Go? Where?”

Instead of answering, Marie pointed in one direction.

Following her fingertip, we all saw children earnestly climbing up near the middle of the mountain, far in the distance.

It was Lia and Louis.

Had the children instinctively realized that their parents were watching them?

They stopped climbing the mountain, turned around, looked at us, and began waving their arms widely.

Judging by her reaction, the princess seemed to still not know that her mother was here.

“They look happy.”

“Yeah! So we should also have our own fun time.”

Tia extended her hand to me.

“Let’s go together, Ritsu! Like ‘that time’. Let’s… travel together.”

Long ago, right here.

I had refused Tia’s request to ‘go together’.

But.

Not anymore.

“……”

Ruyef’s clear gaze, and Marie’s happy smile.

And Tia, waiting for my hand.

The time that had been stopped was now released.

My heart pounded strongly.

To return to that day again.

Now—it was time for the sleepyhead to wake from his long slumber.

“Alright.”

I took Tia’s hand.

I firmly gripped her soft hand, determined never to let go.

“Let’s go.”

I raised my head and looked at the rising sun.

That sun, which had felt forever out of reach, now truly seemed graspable.

The aimlessly swirling wind.

The vast mountains beyond, tinged with a rosy glow.

Flowers swaying and dancing.

The sound of children’s laughter, coming from beyond the hill.

And us, traversing through it all.

Perhaps the land of flowers was not so far away after all.

Breezedon.

Because our story would begin anew here.

End.