Chapter 16 – D―4

For someone Merin’s age, funerals often became like parties. The living gathered to catch up and share memories. Of course, one day they too would bridge the gap between the living and the dead. That was why the mood became celebratory.

In any case, the long funeral finally ended.

Thinking of her granddaughter, Merin declined her friends’ invitations to stay longer and boarded the train home. She’d stayed long enough; she couldn’t drag it out any further.

She worried about Amber, especially in such gloomy weather.

At this point, it was the rainy season, so she hurried home. After living in Napolia for over twenty years, Merin could predict the weather without even seeing it. She couldn’t rest until she returned home.

Sure enough, as she approached, the sky darkened, and when she got off at her stop, a heavy rain was pouring.

‘Of course.’

The older she got, the fewer things surprised her. Thanks to accumulated experience, even if someone died or the sky poured rain, she just accepted it.

But even with all her years, something unexpected happened.

Merin heard the news while shopping after arriving in Napolia. At the grocery store at the village entrance, she overheard a young man selling fish complain and learned something surprising.

“Is George always such a jerk? He’s totally different from Amber, even though they’re cousins.”

Gavin grumbled as he scaled and packed fish. He talked so much that Merin almost left before her granddaughter’s name came up.

“Cousin?”

“Yes. Didn’t you know? On her father’s side, maybe?”

So, according to that story, Amber’s cousin and some heir to a family had come down for a vacation and was staying at Merin’s house. Merin kept silent. She needed to check what was going on, but even now, she could raise three objections.

First, there was no Earldom in their family. Only Amber’s father’s family, who held a Viscount title, was noble.

Second, both of her granddaughter’s parents were only children, so Amber had no cousins.

Third, her granddaughter wasn’t bold enough to let a man into the house, nor was there anyone in the area who would fit that description.

Still, there was no need to explain these facts to Gavin, who had blurted out the story as soon as he saw her, so Merin just hurried home.

If what he said was true, then the man was someone Merin had never met. Amber was always interested in the tools Merin showed her but never bought or used them. A man? For Amber’s personality, that was a big leap.

Merin was open-minded. If Gavin’s story was true, she decided she would cheer for her granddaughter for starting a new love after heartbreak.

But she hoped the man would at least meet her standards. It was a natural wish for a family member. After a bad romance, Amber deserved happiness.

The problem was, everyone’s standards were different.

For Merin, in her youth, looks were important, but as she aged, she valued someone who could show respect above all. Next, even if they were a bit dull, being proper was good. But her granddaughter Amber seemed to have different standards.

“Grandmother’s home, Amber.”

When she opened the door with the key hidden under the flower bed, Merin felt ready to meet them. But that was only if she didn’t see her granddaughter tangled up with a strange man.

…She supposed she should be grateful she hadn’t witnessed it completely. Living long enough, you see all sorts of things.

“G-Grandmother?”

“I came because you didn’t answer my letters, I was worried.”

Merin’s gaze moved slowly.

“…Looks like you’re doing well.”

“You’re here? So this is, um…”

Amber, flustered, pushed away the man who was nibbling her earlobe and stood up. The man, on the other hand, showed no sign of nervousness at meeting his lover’s grandmother.

“Grandmother?”

Even sitting, he’d seemed large, but when he stood up beside Amber, his build was impressive. Plus, in Merin’s seventy years, she’d never seen such a handsome man. It was even more suspicious.

He couldn’t be someone from the small coastal village. Nor was it likely he’d followed Amber from the capital, since her only connection to men was her ex-fiancé. Merin thought at best he might be a con artist, but her family had nothing worth taking.

So, she figured he must truly care for Amber. Having nothing to steal was a blessing in times like these.

“This is George.” 

Amber said, her eyes darting, then added, 

“He’s my boyfriend.” 

Merin shook George’s offered hand.

“Merin. Amber’s grandmother.”

Amber’s brightened expression was a relief, but Merin still felt they needed a private talk.

In Merin’s memory, Amber was a child just learning to walk, and later, a troubled girl with no dreams or hope. Amber had always acted as if her broken engagement was nothing, never explaining much, but Merin knew she must have been deeply hurt. She’d even brought Amber warm milk whenever she saw her struggling to sleep. Merin had hoped Amber would get better living in a place like this, but worried when she didn’t improve.

‘Maybe love really is healed by love.’

It was hard to believe how much better Amber seemed, but this man must have had a good influence.

Merin smiled at her granddaughter and her granddaughter’s man.

“I have things to hear, so let’s save the introductions for later and eat first.”

* * *

Amber didn’t know how much she should say about George. Her grandmother might believe her, but it was such an unbelievable story, she might be considered crazy or thought to be making things up under threat.

So Amber couldn’t bring herself to speak, even through tea time.

“…”

Sitting across from her grandmother, with George beside her, Amber looked back and forth, realizing she was the only one unsure. Still, she felt responsible for clearing things up and parted her lips.

“There’s something I haven’t told you yet.”

So, when she heard that low voice, she was startled. Only after her grandmother set down her coffee and stared at George did Amber realize it was he who had spoken.

“I’m not a noble heir. I didn’t come here for a vacation and meet Amber.”

He was answering what had come up during dinner. Amber felt George was much more polite than when dealing with the neighbors, but she was nervous about what he’d say. Would he reveal he was a d*ldo…?

Amber braced herself for trouble, biting her lip, as George continued.

“To be honest, I have nothing, and I don’t know much.”

“What do you mean?”

Merin’s face hardened, as if she was looking at a con artist trying to scam her granddaughter.

“Amber saved me when I was dying. She found me near the beach, and I had lost my memory.”

“Is that true, Amber?”

Merin asked in surprise. Amber nodded, caught off guard.

“Uh-huh, yes. I just found him while walking.”

So that was the story they were going with. Not bad. Better than revealing he was a d*ldo, and easier to explain than making up something wild. Merin thought for a moment, then asked,

“Then he’s probably a sailor? If he lost his memory… he wouldn’t be a pirate or have a bounty on his head, would he?”

“No! No one’s come looking for him all this time.”

Amber quickly defended George, her voice full of conviction. George was firm as well.

“If my presence ever causes trouble for Amber, I’ll leave without being asked.”

“George, that’s…”

Amber almost shouted ‘no,’ but stopped herself. As a d*ldo, he’d never cause her trouble. It was obviously just words, but she still got nervous for no reason. George covered her hand with his, smiling.

“I don’t have much, but I’ll do my best to take care of both of you. I’m healthy, so I can do anything.”

“That’s good… So, you’re both staying at my house for now?”

With Amber already living there, bringing in another person was a lot. Amber couldn’t answer, so Merin added,

“I don’t mind. It was lonely living alone, but having two young people around is nice. If he’s my granddaughter’s boyfriend, even better.”

“I feel like I keep imposing on you, Grandmother.”

“Let me finish. Just don’t let me see what I saw earlier again.”

“Of course, that was… It couldn’t be helped this time!”

“Sorry to interrupt, but I’ll go check the garden. I should take a look while the rain’s stopped.”

George stood up, catching on that Amber and her grandmother needed to talk alone. Sure enough, as soon as he left, Merin took Amber’s hands.

“Grandmother…”

Her hands were warm and rough. They belonged to someone who’d had to manage everything alone for a long time.

“I was worried, but you seem much better now. I’m relieved.”

Merin glanced toward where George had gone.

“It must be thanks to that man.”

Amber didn’t deny it.

“I sleep well these days.”

“All that effort I put in didn’t help, huh.”

“No, it did! It helped a lot!”

Amber waved her hands at the teasing.

“You remind me so much of your father. When he came to ask for my blessing to marry, he was just like you—couldn’t take a joke.”

“Ah…”

“That man is sly, like your mother. If you think about it.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Still, he seems nice, but the whole lost memory thing bothers me. You can’t know what kind of person he was before.”

“He’s not a bad person.”

“You can’t know that until you experience it yourself.”

‘No, he’s fine because he’s a d*ldo…’

Amber just smiled awkwardly instead.

“Still, George tries hard for me. He’s not good at much, but he’ll do anything… Everything he said earlier was sincere.”

Amber herself was the one who’d been moved by George’s words, not her grandmother. At first, she’d opened up because he wasn’t human, and since he was a non-human being, she hadn’t thought about a deep relationship.

But watching George, she became more and more sure. Maybe she could go all the way with him. She’d promised herself not to dream of a future with anyone after her disappointment, but seeing him made her want to build a family again. People change, and sometimes they don’t—that’s just how it is.

“Well, at least he doesn’t care if you’re a v*rgin, so that’s good. So, have things progressed?”

Merin’s suggestive whisper made Amber, who’d been defending George, blush and lose her composure.

“Huh?”

“You must have known I’m interested in these things.”

She’d always said not to do it in front of her, but apparently she was curious. People who collect adult toys as a hobby don’t change.

“Uh…”

“Uh?”

“Well, we have…”

“And? If you’re not satisfied, you might need a tool—”

“No, no! That’s not necessary!”

“Is that so?”

If she bought another toy and it turned into a person, she couldn’t handle the responsibility. And though Merin didn’t know, George, as a purpose-built object, was quite… gifted. Amber hesitated, then said,

“Um…”

“Um?”

“It was really good…”

Amber’s face wore a smile as meaningful as her grandmother’s.

* * *

A few days passed. Even though he claimed to have lost his memory, George was a total stranger and a strong man, but Merin treated him warmly because Amber liked him.

George did his best to be a good roommate. As Merin requested, he took care of cleaning and washing dishes while she tended the garden. Living with Amber had taught him enough to handle daily chores.

The big change was that he began to learn to cook in earnest—something he volunteered for.

“You should have flipped it here. You’ll do better next time.”

“Add more salt now.”

“That’s too much! Just because I said more, you don’t have to dump it in like that!”

Amber preferred to do things herself, but Merin made him stand and try until he got it right. Of course, George’s schedule didn’t end there. True to his promise to take care of them, he looked for work in the village.

At first, Amber said he didn’t have to go that far, but George shook his head. He thought a healthy man shouldn’t just sit around at home.

The problem was, in this village where most lived off small businesses, no one needed extra help. So he had to go out to the harbor. There, there were plenty of jobs—moving cargo, checking shipments, even sailing for months at a time. The pay was good.

In the end, George’s looks worked in his favor. The owner of a Chinese-style restaurant who sourced ingredients from the harbor spotted him and made an offer.

“If you’ll serve at my restaurant, I’ll pay you well.”

Commuting would be a hassle, but the pay was enough to cover daily train fare and then some. The restaurant itself was huge and had lots of customers.

After landing the job, George wanted to impress Merin, so he came home with wine and cheese from the harbor, and a letter he’d picked up at the door.

“Here’s a gift to celebrate my new job. And Amber, this letter’s for you.”

“For me?”

George handed Amber the letter, subtly showing he could take care of her. He was now comfortable saying her name.

Amber closed her book and checked the letter. It was from her father. What was the matter? It had arrived quickly after a month, so it seemed important. While the others prepared dinner, Amber opened the letter.

“Hmm.”

A troubled sigh escaped Amber. The letter asked her to come up to the capital for news to be delivered in person. Her father rarely spoke like this, so she grew serious.

“What’s wrong?”

George approached, watching her face. Amber shook her head.

“I think I need to go home. Dad wants me to come up for a bit.”

She passed the news on to Merin, who was plating the grilled fish. Merin looked puzzled, then suggested, “Shall we talk over dinner?”

For a while, the topic shifted to George. He said, with his usual polite posture,

“I’ll be starting at the restaurant tomorrow.”

“So Amber will have to go up alone.”

Amber looked at George with concern. She didn’t mind going to the capital itself. As long as her father’s business wasn’t too serious, she felt she could face Reynold or any rumors that followed her.

But she worried about leaving George alone with her grandmother. The two had gotten closer, and since hearing about George’s lost memory, Merin’s discomfort had faded, but still…

But, thinking logically, there was no reason to worry. They’d be fine. Just remembering George’s skill with people at Gavin’s house, and Merin’s easygoing nature.

So why did she feel so uneasy?

‘…Is it because I don’t want to be apart from George?’

Amber was surprised by the thought.

“Lost your appetite?”

George’s voice snapped her back, and she smiled softly.

“No, I’m just worried about Dad.”

“He’ll be fine.”

George’s gaze lingered on her, but Amber pretended not to notice and ate her soup. It wasn’t as bland as before. Still, with a delicious soup in front of her, her mind was elsewhere.

‘It would be better if I was just worried about Dad.’

The shock was that she might have become someone who couldn’t do without him.

Amber unconsciously picked at her food. Her mind was restless.