Chapter 1 (Part 7)

Inside the quiet herb shop, Luten shouted irritably.

“Dottis!”

A figure dressed entirely in black appeared silently. Dottis was someone Luten had befriended at a gambling den when he was wandering around Devok. Luten liked his guts, as he would do anything for money. In fact, when Luten lost at the gambling den, he gave money to Dottis in a fit of anger and asked for help, and Dottis not only retrieved his money but also handled the matter cleanly.

“Yes.”

“You saw the woman and man who left here earlier, right? I’ll pay you well, so find out exactly where they live.”

Dottis simply nodded and left the herb shop. Luten gritted his teeth and watched Dottis’s back. 

A man. 

He thought. He had subtly suspected it, but he didn’t expect there to actually be a man.

Since it had come to this, he decided to have someone find out where they lived. Then, he would entangle them in nasty rumors together. Luten irritably stood up and closed the herb shop door.

*   *   *

Her arms felt light. Cardin was carrying all the groceries she had bought. When they arrived home, he immediately opened the upper cabinet door in the kitchen. His large hands and the veins on his arms stood out as he moved easily. She hadn’t noticed when she was alone, but with him there, the small space felt full. Moreover, she had to stand on tiptoe to open the upper cabinet door, but he reached it easily.

Then Cardin turned his head. Embarrassed, she tried to avoid his gaze, but he spoke.

“Should I put the groceries here?”

When she nodded, Cardin neatly arranged the groceries. She tried to help, but he looked at her and smiled.

“I’ll do it.”

Cardin seemed to know that she couldn’t reach the upper cabinet. She had always stood on tiptoe to open it. Awkwardly watching his profile, Cardin turned to her.

“I think we need to fix the upper cabinet door. Do you have any tools?”

She hadn’t dared to do it because there were no leftover wooden boards.

“I have tools, but no wooden boards.”

“Looking around, I think we can make it. I’ll do it.”

His prompt response was refreshing. As if he had planned it in advance.

“Thank you.”

She hesitated for a moment before asking.

“Is your body okay?”

Cardin looked at her calmly, maintaining a faint smile.

“You bumped into a log yesterday, and your arm….”

He laughed.

“I said I was fine yesterday, didn’t I?”

“…….”

“I’m fine.”

Cardin seemed oddly more energetic than yesterday.

“But don’t overdo it.”

Cardin answered with a smile. He took out a light bulb from the upper cabinet and came close to her.

“This light was flickering too. I’ll change it.”

She nodded. It had been subtly bothering her. She was about to bring a chair, but he easily reached up and removed the old bulb. As she reached out to take it, he naturally handed it over. Their fingertips brushed slightly. As she was about to pull back her hands, Cardin looked up and inserted a new bulb.

The bulb seemed very small under his large hand. Watching him, fearing it might be dangerous, Cardin spoke to her.

“Want to try turning on the light?”

She quickly turned on the light, and it was as bright as if sunlight had come in. A smile spread across her face without her realizing it.

“Thank you.”

Cardin looked at her intently. They were closer than she had realized. As their breaths mingled subtly, she recalled last night. His face looking down at her without any gaps, and his request for help in finding his memory. She thought for a moment before speaking.

“About what you said yesterday.”

“What do you mean?”

“You asked me to help you find your memory.”

Cardin silently looked at her. In the quiet silence, she thought of how he had helped her before. He had helped her get rid of the bothersome Luten and provided what was lacking in this house. She hadn’t realized it before, but Cardin’s presence felt particularly significant. Since he had helped her, she felt she should help him a little too. Especially because of her father’s situation. She made up her mind and said,

“If you have any questions while regaining your memory, ask me.”

“…….”

“But as I said yesterday, leave before you fully regain your memory.”

She felt uneasy, but there was no choice. Once Cardin’s memory returned, she planned not to look back at him anymore. Cardin was silent for a long time. As she awkwardly lowered her gaze, she suddenly felt his firm body against hers. One arm wrapped around her waist, and his breath scattered along her neckline.

“Thank you.”

She was too surprised to speak, and Cardin slowly pulled away. Her face remained frozen like stone. He gently raised the corners of his mouth.

“It feels like we’ve gotten a bit closer, doesn’t it?”

“Huh?”

“We went to the same academy.”

“That’s true, but….”

“Were you in any clubs at the academy?”

His tone was gentle. She briefly hid her embarrassment and thought about the past. She had gone to the cheerleading club to see Cardin.

“I was in the cheerleading club.”

Cardin tilted his head slightly.

“The cheerleading club?”

She didn’t feel like facing him after what happened earlier, so she spoke without making eye contact.

“I cleaned.”

“You did that too?”

Cardin seemed unaware. She eventually looked up at him.

“When you first join, they only make you clean.”

Cardin slightly furrowed his brows, as if he didn’t understand.

“Who made you do that?”

Cardin was more persistent than she expected. It was something that had already passed, and she didn’t want to think about it anymore, but she felt she should tell the truth.

“It was Foyne. She was the cheer captain.”

“Foyne?”

When she nodded, Cardin furrowed his brows.

“Foyne isn’t the type to do that.”

“She made people she wasn’t close to do those things.”

Cardin’s expression hardened. The atmosphere felt as if it had sunk, so she deliberately spoke cheerfully.

“Aren’t you hungry? I’ll make a sandwich quickly.”

As she busily opened the upper cabinet, he came closer.

“I should make a small stool later.”

Then he stood behind her and spoke softly.

“Tell me what you need. I’ll get it for you.”

Strangely, it felt like she was trapped in Cardin’s embrace. If she stepped back a little, she would touch his chest. Unable to look up, she quickly muttered.

“Bread, lettuce, cheese….”

She stammered, unable to think of what was next, and Cardin leaned closer to her.

“Should I get some ham too?”

His breath was hot on the back of her neck. She quickly nodded. Only then did his breath scatter over her head. Cardin grabbed everything with one hand and set it down. She quickly stepped away from him and washed the lettuce. Cardin didn’t leave her side. He took the lettuce she had placed and washed it. She intended to dry it, but there was nothing to say. His right arm was still bandaged, but he didn’t seem to be in pain. Cardin turned to her then.

“Do I seem unreliable?”

“No!”

Unlike her flustered self, Cardin gave a subtle smile. She turned her head and continued washing the vegetables. Her cheeks were hot.

After finishing lunch, she went outside and examined the envelope. Viche approached curiously. She handed the envelope to Viche. Viche sniffed it and then turned away. It seemed it wasn’t to his taste. She inspected the envelope again and then opened it.

Live well.

I’ll visit later.

That was all it said. The handwriting was very familiar. Her hand trembled as she held the letter. She had been living without any regrets, thinking he had taken his own life, but why… was it her father’s handwriting? She hastily checked the back of the letter, but there was no other content. Not even the sender’s name was written on the envelope. Sending a letter like this meant her father knew she was visiting that village.

‘What on earth is he doing?’

Leaving all the debt to her. What on earth is her father doing…. She tore the letter into small pieces, making sure it couldn’t be recognized. Anger surged from within.

‘Telling me to live well?’

Her life had already hit rock bottom, and he was telling her to live well? It was absurd. Hearing that he had died had been somewhat relieving, but now her chest felt tight. Even taking a deep breath felt like a stone was lodged in her chest. Finally, she went to the side of the shed with the pieces of paper in her hand. She entered the shed, took out a match, and burned the paper pieces. She watched until they turned to black ash, hoping the suffocating feeling in her heart would disappear.