episode_0082

Tia got dressed and tied on her apron as soon as she woke up. With practiced movements, she tied her hair. Whoosh-! She lit the fire in the kitchen hearth.

Slowly, she began preparing the meal, trimming ingredients.

Sizzle-! She cooked the finely chopped green onions in the cast-iron pan. As a fragrant oil emerged, she cracked an egg and began making scrambled eggs. A pinch of salt and a little spice too.

With her skilled hands, the scrambled eggs were quickly made.

Perhaps the savory smell had wafted all the way to the underground cellar. A pig-like fellow opened the cellar door and crawled out. He quietly approached Tia, who was deeply focused, and blew a breath onto her exposed nape.

“Are you… cooking?”

“Kyaa?!”

Tia nearly dropped the pan she was holding. It was a perilous moment. The annoyed fellow spun around.

“What was that?!”

“N-no… I thought Tia woke up… so I came to say hello…. If I startled you… I-I’m sorry…”

“Haa— It’s fine.”

Tia sighed and refocused on her cooking.

Even after hearing her sharp words, the fellow didn’t leave the kitchen, just lingered.

Perhaps annoyed, Tia asked sharply.

“What do you want?”

“Are you… angry?”

“……I’m not angry. It’s just dangerous. There are knives in the kitchen, and fire, and hot pans. You could get hurt if you’re not careful, mister. That’s why men don’t just wander into the kitchen.”

“Uh-huh…”

“It’ll be ready soon. I’ll make it delicious, so please wait quietly in the living room.”

“Well… Tee hee.” Fosao laughed awkwardly.

“I-I also know how to cook since I live alone. But I-I’ve never… seen someone else cook properly… I want to watch.”

“You want to watch me cook? There’s nothing particularly to brag about… My aunts are better than me…”

“I think T-Tia cooks well enough.”

“……” Tia lowered her gaze and toyed with her hair.

“Well… as long as you don’t interfere… it’s fine if you watch from nearby.”

“R-really? Tee hee.” Having received permission, Fosao quickly stepped into the kitchen.

He admired Tia’s skillful knife work and applauded her dexterity with the pan.

The excited fellow showed off techniques she had never even displayed to me. She even put a spoonful directly into Fosao’s mouth, asking him to check if the stew was seasoned correctly.

“D-delicious! It’s the best!”

“Really? Hehe—”

Something nauseating rose within me. She let an outsider man into the kitchen? As Tia said, a man should not dare enter a kitchen overseen by a woman. But it seemed the fellow was still unaware that there was an exception to this unwritten rule.

There was one man who could be permitted entry to the kitchen. None other than… that woman’s ‘husband’.

Was that why? The two of them looked just like… a married couple preparing breakfast together.

Clatter—. A fantastic meal, made with all her skill for the first time in a while, was abundantly laid out on the table.

“It’s humble, but I worked hard on it. Please try some.”

“H-humble… No, it’s wonderful. It’s even better than the dishes at the A-Autumn Feast.”

“You sure know how to talk—” Tia chuckled and sat across from Fosao.

This scene, preparing breakfast together and eating together. This was… the life with Tia I had dreamed of my entire life.

But. In that seat, instead of me, sat another fellow. …And one who was much older than me. A disgusting, ugly fellow, bloated with fat like a pig… He was devouring the food greedily in front of my beautiful and brilliant Tia.

“Is it good?”

“Mm-hmm! D-delicious!”

Even though it was utterly unpleasant. Even though I felt like I was going crazy from how much I hated that pig-like bastard. I… couldn’t blame Tia, who was smiling happily.

This place was the only sanctuary where Tia, trapped in a cage, could hide. Because it was where she had a friend to comfort and embrace her. For her, this moment… was a time to forget all worries.

I understand. I know it all. But the happier you are, why do I feel so sad and hurt?

It was then. Bang bang bang!! Suddenly, someone pounded roughly on the door.

Tia, who was about to ladle out stew, dropped her spoon in surprise.

“Mister! Hide!”

“Ngaah—!” Fosao frantically rushed towards the kitchen, and Tia wiped her mouth and quickly opened the door.

Aunt Merid stood at the door. I could tell immediately from her tightly pursed lips. Aunt-nim was extremely angry.

Tia, sensing the bad atmosphere, greeted her with a trembling voice.

“G-good morning, Aunt-nim.”

“Yes. Good morning.”

“Um… I was just about to leave, but is something wrong?” Aunt Merid crossed her arms.

“Did you get medicine from the lower village last time?”

“Yes.”

“Then why didn’t you say anything about the medicine prices going up, or that you took it on credit?”

“……!”

“Ruyef went to the lower village early this morning to get medicine, but do you know he made a wasted trip because of you?”

A flustered Tia quickly made excuses.

“Aunt Sherry told me that I had to go next time too… I was going to tell you when I got the money today…”

“Ah-ha— So Aunt-nim is at fault?”

“That’s not what I meant…”

“Tia.” Aunt-nim snapped in a cold voice.

“Why do you keep judging and acting on your own?”

“……”

“Even after leaving Ritsu in that state, you still haven’t realized?”

Tia’s expression went blank for a moment. As if she had heard something she absolutely didn’t want to hear.

“You make up for the missing money or figure it out yourself. If you don’t bring the medicine by this evening, it’ll be your responsibility.”

Aunt-nim, having made her threat, snapped one more time.

“And don’t even dream of asking Ritsu. I don’t want to see a sick child suffer.”

Aunt-nim strode away up the hill and disappeared.

Tia, left standing alone, hung her head low.

It was an unusual occurrence. Although Aunt Merid was notoriously picky and sensitive among the villagers, she wasn’t someone who would speak so heartlessly. In fact, she had always seemed relaxed enough to resolve such matters herself, treating them as trivial.

At some point, the sense of ease had disappeared from this village. Everyone became too busy to even see each other’s faces, and their tone of voice grew cold. Even I, observing this past, felt it. So how must it have been for Tia, who faced that coldness directly?

As Tia returned and sat at the table with a stiff face, Fosao, who had been hiding, reappeared.

“T-Tia?”

“……”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing… It’s nothing.” She tried to pick up her spoon and pretend to eat, but her hand lacked strength.

Fosao asked.

“Are you… in trouble?”

“I told you it’s nothing.”

“I-I can tell too. Tia… always makes that expression when she’s having a h-hard time.”

“……!”

Suddenly, Fosao went down to the underground cellar, then came back up with a silk pillow. He then plunged a large hand into it and rummaged around.

“…What are you doing?”

“Use this.” As he opened his clenched fist, a few gold coins tangled in cotton lint appeared.

Fosao grinned.

“Tee hee! Just in case, I b-brought it.”

“……” Tia’s eyes widened slightly, but she quickly shook her head.

“It’s fine. I’ve already been indebted to you so many times… I can’t use your money, mister. It would be difficult to answer if people asked where I got the gold coins.”

“J-just say you earned it.”

“What did I do to earn it? I didn’t do anything…”

“We earned it together.” Fosao firmly grasped Tia’s small hand. Then he placed a gold coin on it and pressed down.

“This is T-Tia’s earned money. And it’s the s-staying fee for this house that I’m paying.”

“……”

“I… may look like this, but I’m a m-merchant. I’m thorough with calculations.”

Fosao took his hand away. A bright red mark remained on Tia’s palm, as if a brand had been seared there. One gold coin.

Tia, who had been silently watching it, quietly covered it with her fingers. Like she had received a precious gift, she clenched her hand tightly and closed her eyes.

“Thank you.”

***

Rustle. Rustle. Tia, who had descended to Teildun, pulled her cloak over her head. She crossed the village at a fast pace.

Creak—. As she entered the pharmacy, Teildun’s pharmacist recognized her immediately.

“Did you bring the money again? Ruyef came down this morning.”

“Here you go.” Thud. When she placed a gold coin on the counter, the pharmacist looked surprised.

“Please calculate today’s medicine cost and all the outstanding credit.”

“Oh, of course! But I didn’t expect to receive gold coins. I’m sorry. I don’t have any change.”

“The change is fine. Please just deduct it from the next medicine cost.”

“I will.”

Tia pulled her cloak down slightly and peeked out the window.

“Um… Pharmacist-nim.”

“Yes?”

“Has anything… happened in Teildun recently?”

“Happened? Hmm—.” The pharmacist, who had been frowning in thought, shrugged.

“Well, of course something has happened.”

“What is it?”

“I heard the lord of Goldburg came all the way here to meet our lord. Thanks to that, the market has become bustling with peddlers from that region. It would be good to go take a look if you have time.”

“…Thank you for telling me.”

“Yes. Come again next time!”

Tia left the shop. After thinking with a serious expression, she turned her steps towards the market.

The pharmacist was right. The market was bustling with unfamiliar peddlers. Teildun’s market had always been a place where many people came and went, but now it was overflowing with merchants from the Goldburg region.

But strangely, as many soldiers as merchants were visible. It was a natural occurrence. The lord of Goldburg coming directly to Teildun was a major event. Bringing private soldiers to guard such a noble person was entirely customary, however…

Somehow, their numbers seemed a bit too many.

It seemed Tia also felt the unique atmosphere pervading Teildun.

Tia, buried in the crowd, moved towards the communication office. And she carefully scrutinized each of the mercenaries carrying weapons.

She found them not long after. Two men carrying large longbows and axes. The royal palace soldiers were still remaining in Teildun.

In fact, their numbers had increased since before, now appearing to be about 5 people.

“Noona!” Suddenly, Vincent appeared from somewhere. In the hand of the excited fellow who ran over, there was an apple with a bite taken out of it.

“Did Noona come to enjoy the festival too? But Ritsu Hyung isn’t here again? Is he sick and can’t come?”

“Ah… yes.”

“That’s a shame. Oh right. Want to eat this?” Vincent held out an apple he had hidden in his sleeve.

“It’s a Goldburg apple!”

“……” Tia picked it up. The sticky texture and bright red color. She knew it. This was… that Hongok she had eaten in Deseo.

“Where did you get this?”

“They were selling them at the market? Five silver each!”

That apple, which cost a whopping 1 gold coin each in Deseo. To think it was being sold for 5 silver here. …Was it a special privilege?

Tia held the apple and stared at it for a long time. A keen glint appeared in her red eyes, reflected by the bright red Hongok.

“Vincent.”

“Hmm?”

“Thanks for the apple. In return, I’ll tell you an interesting story.”

“…An interesting story? What is it, what is it?” To Vincent, whose eyes sparkled with anticipation, Tia whispered in his ear.