episode_0017

Ruyef didn’t show up today?

Uncle Marvin sighed deeply and asked Tia. “Tia, you. I heard Ruyef entered your house the day before yesterday when he was on patrol duty. Is that true?”

“Yes… Yes? Oh, that’s…”

“Tell me clearly whether he broke into your house or not. Everyone’s looking for Ruyef because of that.”

I was so shocked I couldn’t speak. How do the villagers know about that? That incident was clearly only known to me, Ruyef, and Tia. I hadn’t even mentioned it separately.

Ruyef couldn’t have confessed. From how he’s pressing Tia, it seems she hasn’t told anyone either.

……How on earth?

Tia’s eyes wavered. “He, he did come into the house. But I told him to come in.”

“You told him to come in?”

“Yes. It was cold outside, and Ruyef said he had something urgent to ask me…”

“Even so, do you understand what it means for a girl who hasn’t even had her coming-of-age ceremony yet to let a man into a house where she lives alone, especially in the dead of night!”

“I know, but truly nothing happened… Ruyef is a friend, so…”

“Friend or not. You shouldn’t have done that from the start, Tia. You expect us to believe that nothing happened after you let a man in at night?”

Uncle Marvin scolded her with a stern voice.

“Do you know why you were allowed to live separately in that big house? It was because Sister Sherry persuaded all of us that you could manage well on your own. But… do you realize that every time you do something like this, you bring shame to Sister Sherry?”

“……I’m sorry.”

Tia’s lips trembled. Her eyes welled up.

I could understand her feeling of being wronged. Tia had done nothing wrong. It was clear Ruyef had opened the door and entered on his own, waking Tia.

Even so, Tia tried to cover for Ruyef, saying she had let him in. I couldn’t believe it.

Whether she knew the consequence was the heavy punishment of ‘exile’ or not, she was willingly trying to take the blame.

……I’m sorry, Tia. I can’t let that happen.

“Uncle Marvin. Tia did nothing wrong. That night, I was going to the outhouse to relieve myself and I caught a glimpse. I saw Ruyef opening the door and entering himself.”

Both of them stared at me simultaneously, with shocked expressions.

Uncle Marvin asked gravely. “What? Is that true? Then why didn’t you say anything until now?”

“It was too dark, so I thought I had seen it wrong. I also couldn’t have imagined such a thing happening. But hearing your story, it seems it must have been Ruyef.”

“Damn it!”

With my testimony added, doubt turned into certainty. Uncle Marvin ran outside and shouted to the villagers that Ruyef must be found immediately.

Tia, who was beside me, gasped. She turned back to me with confused eyes.

“……Ritsu. Was that true…? Did you really… see it?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t lie…. That can’t be right…. You… don’t come out at night… unless it’s to see me.”

“Tia. I’ll handle it.”

I’m tired of just standing by without knowing what you two are talking about. I’ll protect you in my own way.

“So just stay still.”

“……!”

Tia’s voice began to tremble.

“Ritsu… What are you thinking?”

“I’m handling it according to the village rules. It’s a fact that Ruyef entered your house at night, and he’ll just receive a fair punishment for it.”

“What’s so problematic about that? I’m the homeowner, and I say it’s fine!”

“It might be fine for you, but it’s an unacceptable problem for the villagers.”

“I can’t accept this!”

“……In that case, Tia.”

My heart turned cold. My face must have been more severe than I thought. Because I hadn’t fully recovered yet, my cheeks were hollow, and my eyes were sunken from exhaustion. Furthermore, I might have glared ferociously, unable to comprehend Tia’s desire to take the blame for Ruyef’s actions.

That’s why Tia looked at me with fearful eyes, wasn’t it?

“You two, can you tell me what you talked about?”

“That’s…”

As expected, she avoided my gaze. “Oh, it was nothing. It was just…”

“Enough.”

Right. I already know. That there’s one more secret you can’t tell me. No, perhaps it’s not just one.

But Tia. Do you know that I can tell you everything? If you ask, I can willingly tell you about the ‘secret mission’ Uncle Joseph entrusted me with, and about the ring I secretly received. And I’m ready to ask for your opinion and listen carefully.

That’s how serious I am about you.

……But you.

“It’s fine. If you won’t speak, then I just need to make Ruyef open his mouth.”

“Ritsu…?”

As I stood up, Tia tried to stop me. I shook off her hand and walked towards the door.

“Ritsu! What are you doing?!”

“Don’t stop me.”

My mind was already made up. I don’t know what happened during the past two months. I also don’t know what Ruyef meant by ‘the outside going crazy’. But from now on, I’m going to dive into it. I must know.

I will see clearly with my own eyes how ugly and wicked things are hidden.

I grabbed the doorknob and warned Tia. “You. Stay right here. Don’t move an inch from this room.”

“Ritsu–!!”

Slam! I closed the door and left. For the first time in a while, I felt a sense of relief in my chest and a clear head.

Now there’s only one thing to do. Catch Ruyef.

***

“He got away first.”

That was the conclusion after turning the entire village upside down. Ruyef couldn’t be found anywhere. Perhaps he sensed that they were coming for him first, Ruyef had vanished without a trace, along with Marie.

Judging by the messy traces left in the house, their escape seemed to have been secretive and sudden. Unpacked clothes and Marie’s favorite straw hat lay scattered on the floor.

I asked in the lower village too, but they said they hadn’t come that way. They probably crossed the mountain ridge and fled in the dead of night.

The villagers sighed. Even so, Ruyef was a good worker. He took charge of all sorts of chores, including gathering firewood for winter, so in reality, it was highly likely that he wouldn’t be exiled, but would instead receive a reduced sentence, perhaps a few beatings, and that would be the end of it.

From the elders’ perspective, Ruyef was seen as a young man who handled unpleasant tasks well, so I too had intended to let the matter go without reporting it.

But since it had already come to light for all to see, there was nothing to be done. Ruyef had to be caught, but he had exiled himself. There was no one left to question for the crime. Ultimately, the villagers agreed to simply cover it up and move on.

“Uncle Marvin. But who told everyone that Ruyef went to Tia’s house at night, and how did they know?”

“Merid told me.”

When I asked Aunt Merid, she said she heard the story herself at the bakery in the lower village.

“The rumor had already spread widely in Tailedon? I didn’t expect to hear stories about Tia and Ruyef there.”

“……”

I felt displeased. It was very unpleasant to hear that the people of Tailedon were so interested in our affairs. Didn’t that mean our relationship was being used as mere material for their gossip, like love and struggle?

What bothered me even more was how the people of Tailedon knew ‘first’. It happened between Tia and Ruyef in the dead of night when everyone was asleep. The only witness was me.

Since everyone involved remained silent, only the Dragon God-nim should have known. But how was I supposed to understand that a rumor spread first in Tailedon, far from here, and then that rumor made its way back to our village?

Click. When I returned to Aunt Sherry’s house and opened the door, Tia was crouching on the floor.

I thought she would ignore my warning and run off somewhere on her own. But it seemed she had truly stayed put in this room.

I wanted to praise Tia’s patience for faithfully waiting.

However, she looked very weak.

“It’s all over. You can go back now.”

“……”

Tia, who had been silent for a long time, asked first about that bothersome guy’s name.

“Did they… decide to exile Ruyef?”

“No. He’s gone. He seemed to have run away the night before.”

“…And Marie?”

“Marie too.”

“……”

Tia slowly stood up and walked past me with an expressionless face. At that moment, I couldn’t help but be startled, because the fresh apple scent remaining in my memory wafted strongly.

All my memories surged up as if boiling. Our childhood selves, the snacks we secretly ate together at night, even the promise we made at the Lake of Oaths.

Suddenly, an urge to embrace her tightly surged within me.

She only asked in a gloomy voice.

“Are you… satisfied now?”

To be honest, yes. I am satisfied. Since people had already found out about this situation, one of them had to leave the village anyway. That was the cleanest outcome. If it dragged on, they would live under even stricter scrutiny in the village.

In that regard, I respect Ruyef’s choice. As expected of a good worker, he handled the incident in the best possible way. Well, he’s resourceful, so he’ll probably be able to live without trouble wherever he goes.

Marie… hmm… She’s kind and handy, so… she’ll definitely live well following her brother.

Anyway, I did my best from my perspective. Even if I were asked a hundred times to choose between Ruyef and Tia, my answer would always be the same a hundred times.

Just revealing Tia’s innocence is satisfying enough.

“……”

Nevertheless, I couldn’t say anything. I had just realized that this was the worst outcome Tia had hoped wouldn’t happen, upon seeing her eyes that had lost their light.

Clack. I couldn’t bring myself to stop her as she closed the door and left.

Did it turn out well? I think it did. No matter how I thought about it, there was no other way.

I flopped onto the bed. Would Uncle Joseph tell me I was right? Wouldn’t he convince Tia why I had no choice but to do this?

Yes. I’ll just wait until then.

A sigh escaped me.

I took out a gold coin from my pocket and slowly rolled it on my chest. The uneasy feeling subsided, and comfort slowly enveloped me. I guess I’m… secretly a bad guy too. The sensation of tightly clutching a single gold coin, like the merchants of Deseo, brought an unparalleled sense of comfort.

This feeling of holding something tightly in my hand.

“I’m sorry, Tia.”

This is my greed.