Chapter 29 – The Back of That Girl Growing Distant

The guest who rented the third-floor room did not step outside for four days. On the fourth day, the manager, worried she might have collapsed, politely knocked on her door, but there was no response.

“Miss, excuse me, but I’ll enter to check if you’re safe inside.”

Opening the door with the master key, a gentle breeze swept in, ventilating the room filled with the scent of paint. The window was wide open, and the pink curtains fluttered as if greeting him.

‘She really is a painter. She was painting.’

The manager, discovering the canvas drying on the easel by the window, was impressed. The scenery outside the window transferred onto the canvas seemed nearly finished. He watched the painting with interest for quite a while before realizing it was impolite and turned away.

The young painter was sleeping deeply on her bed, unaware that the sun had risen. She looked even more lively than when he first saw her. To avoid waking her, the manager quietly placed the meal he’d brought on the table by the window and carefully left the room.

* * *

“Miss! You’ve finally come out of your cave. Is that your finished painting?”

The bellboy lounging in the lobby jumped up and spoke. Sasha, struggling with a canvas wrapped in paper and her suitcase, exchanged a few parting words with the bellboy.

“Are you leaving now?”

The manager, approaching quietly with a hint of regret, joined the conversation.

“Sir, thank you for the meal you brought yesterday. Thanks to you, I managed not to collapse until today. I’ll never forget your kindness.”

Sasha smiled brightly, set down her luggage, and lightly hugged the manager. The five days spent in this hotel were the most enjoyable of her stay in Laurent. Perhaps Laurent wasn’t as frightening as she’d imagined before arriving. In this bustling city, there were as many good people like the manager and bellboy as there were bad people like Monsieur Michonnet.

“Are you heading straight to the train station?”

“No. I need to send my painting first.”

“Then if you write the address for me, I’ll send the painting for you.”

The manager hurried to fetch pen and paper. Grateful for his kindness, Sasha carefully wrote Baron Pierre-Auguste’s address and handed it over. Then, as she returned the pen, she asked,

“May I ask how much the room cost?”

“Don’t worry about that. The gentleman who brought you paid ten days’ rent in advance. Since you only used the room for five days, I’ll return the remainder now.”

The manager immediately calculated and returned half of the advance. Sasha, unexpectedly receiving enough money for a train ticket, was momentarily stunned by the luck.

‘How will I ever repay all this?’

Why did he show her so much kindness? Her cheeks flushed a little, uncertain. Sasha resolved that once back in Manolie, she’d visit Hawthorn Mansion to thank Mr. Robert.

* * *

Laurent’s train station was crowded. Eloise had already left, so Sasha was alone when returning to Manolie. Carrying her suitcase, she joined the long line to buy a ticket. She saw gentlemen and ladies heading for unknown destinations, couples saying tearful goodbyes, soldiers lamenting partings, and students returning to school.

“One ticket to Illemang, please.”

She ordered at the window, and the ticket clerk, without even looking at her, mechanically pushed over the ticket and change. Heading for the platform, Sasha fiddled with her pocket. Thanks to the refunded room fee, she had plenty of money left after buying her ticket—enough to buy a soufflé at the café near Illemang station.

“Beautiful miss, you dropped your hat.”

A polite man handed Sasha her hat, which had blown away in the wind. Before she could thank him, he hurried off to his original destination. Clutching her hat, Sasha reached the platform and sat on an empty bench, watching the busy passengers.

‘So this is Laurent.’

It was the train station of the most advanced city in the world, where people from all over flocked. Sasha was excited from the moment she entered Laurent’s station. This bustling city, full of all kinds of people, was lively in a way unlike Manolie.

All she had was a small suitcase in her hand, but Sasha felt something big and thrilling swelling deep in her chest. When she left Manolie, she’d felt empty, but now she was filled with the energy of the new city.

‘How wonderful it would be to paint this bustling scenery.’

Lost in thought, Sasha felt as if she was floating up into the sky. The noise around her faded into the distance. Just as she was sinking into complete imagination, someone grabbed her shoulder roughly.

“Sasha!”

Startled, Sasha trembled and turned around.

“Damien?”

“What happened to you! When I heard you’d been taken to the police, I was so, so worried…”

Breathing heavily, Damien, overwhelmed with relief at seeing Sasha unharmed, pulled her into a tight hug. Sasha, bewildered by the sudden embrace, gently pushed him away.

“How did you know to find me here?”

“I went to Eloise’s house, but the landlord yelled at me to get lost. The police station wouldn’t tell me anything, and I had no way to contact you. I thought I’d go crazy. I waited at the station, hoping to catch you, and finally met Eloise. But Eloise said you were moving separately. Since then, I came every day at the time for trains to Illemang, just in case you’d come. I was afraid we’d miss each other.”

Hearing Damien’s story, Sasha felt uneasy. Maybe it was because she knew his feelings now, but she felt guilty and burdened by the fact that he’d waited at the station for days.

“Nothing happened, right? Everything’s okay?”

“Yes. Sorry. I didn’t think you’d hear about it later and worry.”

“If nothing happened, you don’t need to apologize to me.”

Damien took off his cap and ruffled his hair, hesitating before asking,

“But who was the man who helped you at the police station? Eloise’s housemate said two tall gentlemen helped you.”

“Didn’t Eloise tell you?”

“She was so flustered, I barely heard anything. I didn’t even know which hotel you stayed at. I only met Eloise right before the train left.”

I see, Sasha nodded and spoke honestly. There was nothing to hide.

“Mr. Robert, whom I ran into by chance, helped me. His friend was a lawyer, so they could help.”

The name, which triggered Damien’s wariness, made him tense. In a big city like Laurent, running into someone by chance—without any arrangement—was hard to believe. It felt like destiny, and Damien didn’t like that.

“So you were with that man the whole time?”

Damien’s hand tightened around Sasha’s slim wrist. Sasha grimaced at the pain and twisted her arm free.

“No. Mr. Robert helped me find a hotel that day and left right after.”

Sasha answered, rubbing the red mark on her wrist. Realizing he’d been careless, Damien awkwardly apologized.

“Sorry.”

“It’s fine. Just don’t do that again.”

Sasha’s casual attitude made Damien feel even more awkward. Well, that man would stay in Laurent, and Sasha was returning to Manolie today, so there’d be no chance for them to meet again. Just as it had been for the past four years.

Even if there had been a few coincidences, they were just that—coincidences. Nothing changed. After this summer, Damien would leave his uncle’s house and return to Manolie, and Sasha would give him her answer to his confession. And everything would return to how it was, as it always had.

“I need to go now, Damien. Take care, and see you later.”

The train pulled into the platform. As passengers boarded, Sasha hurried toward the third-class carriage. Damien watched Sasha’s orange hair shimmer in the sunlight as she hurried away, her back growing distant. Even though it shouldn’t be, he felt as if his first love was forever drifting away.

* * *

“Oh my, Sasha! How long has it been? You’ve lost weight again from all your hardships in the city!”

When Sasha, riding a carriage from Manolie’s station, stepped through the lemon-colored gate, the grandmothers sitting on the bench under the orange tree in the garden were the first to greet her.

“We were so surprised when Eloise returned alone by train.”

After spinning Sasha around to check if she was okay, Elodie clicked her tongue and cursed Monsieur Michonnet.

“Did Eloise tell you everything that happened in Laurent?”

Sasha cautiously asked, and Grandma Elodie sighed deeply and nodded.

“Yes. She didn’t want to, but as soon as she stepped into their yard, she burst into tears and couldn’t hide it. They took money for keeping Eloise, but what awful people. Still, she didn’t tell everything. Eloise’s parents are waiting for her to tell them herself when she’s ready.”

After finishing, Elodie tried to ask Sasha about her trip to Laurent, but Sasha had already dashed upstairs with a thump. After quickly dropping her luggage and rushing down the stairs, Sasha sped across the garden toward the gate.

“Sasha Vinoche! You have to tell us what happened in Laurent, where are you going?”

Grandma Rollo called urgently, and Sasha waved with a smile.

“I’m going to check on Eloise! Then I’ll go to Hawthorn Mansion. So don’t wait for me! I’ll tell you everything before dinner!”

Sasha shouted loudly, hopped on the bicycle parked by the gate, and pedaled away. The green ribbon tied to the handle fluttered like the sail of a ship on a smooth voyage. She pushed harder uphill, and when she came to a downhill, she let herself speed along, feeling the resistance of the wind.