Chapter 7 (Part 8)

As the meal wound down, Kelle brought out a bottle of wine.  

“Let’s have a drink to celebrate Brienne’s return.”  

She poured wine into their glasses, smiling as she filled Brienne’s first. Then, she poured some for herself and Batrick. As soon as Batrick received his glass, he drank it in one gulp.  

Kelle, startled, refilled his glass. Brienne, not in the mood to drink, simply held her glass. Kelle raised hers with a smile.  

“To Brienne’s return and everyone’s happiness.”

Batrick raised his glass. Brienne, with no choice, lifted hers and clinked it against Kelle’s. The sound of the glasses colliding rang out cheerfully.  

Batrick drank his wine immediately, while Brienne took only a sip before setting her glass down. At that moment, Cardin came to her mind.  

She remembered the time they clinked beer mugs in Romseed Village. Though she felt uneasy about the possibility of his memories returning, she couldn’t deny that those were some of the happiest moments in her life.  

Kelle glanced at Batrick before turning back to Brienne.  

“Brienne, you’ll be staying here for a while, right?”  

Brienne, after organizing her thoughts, replied,  

“I’d like to stay as long as possible, if that’s alright.”  

“Of course, you can stay here forever if you want. No matter how good Batrick is at his work, he’s still no match for you.”  

At this, Batrick protested.  

“You told me I was perfect at my job!”  

“Well, that’s true… but you’re still not as good as Brienne.”  

Batrick frowned and took another sip of wine. Kelle shook her head and said to Brienne,  

“Stay here as long as you need. When you feel ready to leave, you can go.”  

Brienne’s heart swelled with emotion. She nodded, holding back tears.  

“Thank you.”  

“Don’t mention it. Just rest and recover while you’re here.”  

At that moment, Batrick spoke up.  

“I doubt she’ll get much rest. We just received a large order for infertility treatment medicine.”  

Kelle nudged Batrick’s arm. He turned to Brienne, his earlier cautious demeanor gone, now meeting her eyes directly.  

Batrick stared at her intently and said,  

“If you want to escape, now’s your chance. The medicine business is booming lately, and we’ve been getting tons of orders.”  

A small laugh escaped Brienne. Batrick, who had been watching her, froze as if startled by her laughter.  

In the quiet that followed, Kelle finally spoke up.  

“No, no! It’s just that I’ve gotten more efficient at making medicine, so we can handle more orders. Brienne, there’s nothing for you to worry about. I won’t burden you with anything, so don’t stress!”  

Kelle smiled brightly and raised her wine glass, taking a sip. Batrick refilled her glass, and the two of them busily drank and poured wine for each other.  

As the alcohol began to take effect, their laughter grew louder.  

Despite the cheerful atmosphere, Brienne’s heart remained heavy. She had known what to expect when she married Cardin, but she still couldn’t shake the feeling of emptiness.  

Frustrated, she took another sip of wine.  

Suddenly, Batrick stood up abruptly and said,  

“I’ll be heading out now.”  

Kelle, who had been eating a sausage, looked up and said,  

“Already?”  

Still looking at Brienne, Batrick replied,  

“I’ll see you tomorrow!”  

Then he left the house as if someone were chasing him. Kelle clicked her tongue as she watched him go.  

“He’s acting like that postman who used to chase after you.”  

She narrowed her eyes and stared at the door for a while. When Brienne checked the clock, she realized it was already time for bed.  

Just as she was about to get up, Kelle turned to her and said,  

“It’s not, right?”  

“Pardon?”  

“Batrick doesn’t have feelings for you, does he?”  

The question was so unexpected that Brienne couldn’t help but laugh.  

“Of course not. He knows I’m married.”  

Kelle’s face froze for a moment before she waved her hand dismissively.  

“No, no, it can’t be. I must be seeing things because I’ve had too much to drink. Anyway, don’t worry about Batrick. He’s not the type to cling unnecessarily.”  

When Brienne simply smiled, Kelle took her hand. It was rough but warm.  

“I’m so glad you came back. Things are better now than they were before, aren’t they?”  

Brienne had much to say but kept her response simple.  

“Yes.”  

There was no point in explaining everything; it would only make Kelle worry. While her situation had improved somewhat, the external circumstances hadn’t changed at all. Her infertility was still the biggest issue.  

Perhaps sensing her thoughts, Kelle patted her gently.  

“If you can treat your infertility while you’re here, that would be wonderful. I’ve been working on a new medicine lately, and you’ve tried it, haven’t you?”  

“Yes, but you don’t need to go out of your way for me.”  

Brienne meant it. No matter how much medicine she took, there had been no sign of improvement. Even the doctors Cardin had brought in couldn’t help. He must have spent a fortune hiring them.  

Kelle squeezed her hand tightly.  

“No, I’ll make sure you get better. You must be struggling because of it, but I’ll help you overcome it.”  

Her words were so kind that even if they were empty, Brienne couldn’t help but feel grateful.  

Kelle’s determination was evident as her eyes sparkled.  

“I have a really good feeling about this.”  

Her tone was full of confidence. Caught up in Kelle’s optimism, Brienne found herself saying,  

“If there’s anything I can do to help with the medicine, just let me know.”  

Kelle smiled and nodded.  

***

The next morning, Brienne woke up with a heavy head. She hadn’t drunk much the night before. After staring at the ceiling for a while, she got up.  

From today onward, she resolved not to think about Cardin anymore. She needed to untangle herself from him.  

After tidying up her bedding, she went outside. The sink was full of dishes Kelle hadn’t washed the night before.  

Brienne quickly washed the dishes and went outside to check on Viche. The animal was eating the hay she had gathered the day before.  

She added more dried hay in front of Viche and changed its water before heading back inside. Since Kelle had prepared a grand dinner the night before, Brienne thought it was only polite to prepare breakfast herself.  

Kelle had even refused to charge her rent while she stayed there. Though Brienne had insisted she could afford to pay, Kelle had firmly declined.  

“If I charged you rent, it would feel like we’re strangers. I want you to think of this as a place where you can rest whenever you need to.”  

Kelle’s words from the previous night echoed in her mind. In many ways, Kelle felt more like a mother to her than her own father ever had.  

Deciding to repay Kelle’s kindness, Brienne resolved to make a delicious breakfast.  

Looking at the ingredients on the shelf, she thought sandwiches would be perfect. She washed the lettuce and cut it into large pieces. Then she sliced the large ham thinly.  

She cracked eggs into a greased pan, and the sizzling sound was oddly comforting. As the yolks began to set, she reached for a knife to slice some cheese.  

Suddenly, the door burst open.  

When Brienne turned toward the entrance, she saw Batrick standing there.  

As soon as their eyes met, his face turned bright red.  

“Y-you’re here.”  

He stammered, clearly flustered. Brienne smiled and said,  

“Have a seat. I’ll make you a sandwich.”  

But Batrick quickly waved his hands in protest.  

“No, no! I just came to ask about some herbs we received in a recent delivery. They came from an unusual place.”  

“What about breakfast?”  

Batrick’s face was still red as he replied with an awkward smile.  

“I already ate.”  

Brienne set the knife down and said,  

“Then I’ll go get Kelle for you.”

Kelle was likely still asleep, having drunk a lot of wine the previous night. She always woke up late on days she drank.  

Brienne entered her room, which was silent. Kelle was sleeping under the covers. Brienne pulled the blanket back and shook her arm.  

“Kelle, Batrick has something to ask you.”  

Kelle stirred slightly before slowly opening her eyes. She blinked lazily and turned to Brienne.  

“Something to ask?”  

“He said it’s about some herbs from a strange place.”  

Stretching, Kelle sat up.  

“So, the herbs have already arrived.”  

As she put on the robe hanging over the chair, she glanced at Brienne.  

“I brought in some new herbs this time. They’re only found in the West.”  

“What kind of herbs are they?”  

“They can be quite dangerous. If a healthy woman drinks a brew made from them, she won’t be able to conceive.”  

Brienne’s face stiffened at the words, prompting Kelle to smile faintly.  

“Don’t worry. For someone with infertility, the body reacts oppositely, and it actually helps treat the condition. I’m researching it.”  

Brienne remembered the tea leaves Hernes had once given her. She had been tricked into drinking tea that caused infertility, under the guise of it being a fine tea.