My Former Lover Didn't Die And Came Back - Chapter 49

The soldiers’ visit to Little Port was for resupplying before heading to the battlefield. Theo roamed the town center with his colleagues, purchasing various items and requesting direct delivery to the ship if the quantity was too much to carry.

“Ah, everyone said to make sure to stop by this store!”  

The colleague pointed out a store to Theo, which appeared to be a grocery store.  

[Redfield’s Jerky and Dried Fruits]  

“……Jerky and……dried fruits?”  

Squinting from exhaustion, Theo slowly read the store’s sign. Meanwhile, his colleague had already pushed open the wooden door and entered. Hearing the bell on the door ring, Theo also squeezed his large body through the open door.  

True to its sign, the store dealt with jerky and dried fruits. His colleague was already popping a piece of jerky from the tasting corner into his mouth, a look of satisfaction on his face.  

“There are quite nice stores even in such a countryside!”  

That comment resonated. The shop’s use of quite sophisticated spices was evident from the aroma alone as soon as they entered. The store’s interior, decorated with various ornaments and tapestries, was luxurious. Theo looked around every corner of the store, thinking,  

‘Sort of like… an interior design that was in fashion in the capital a few years ago.’  

The sophisticated interior decoration seemed out of place in such a rural village.  

“Oh, please feel free to look around!”  

A woman with brown bobbed hair, appearing to be about twenty years old, greeted them in a high voice as she came to the counter.  

His colleague had already ordered a mountain of jerky and dried fruits. Maybe I should buy some too. He was about to pick up a piece of jerky from the tasting counter.  

Jingle.  

“Kay! I’m here.”  

A woman with long blonde hair entered the store, and next to her was a boy who looked about three or four years old.  

“Did many customers come?”  

From the conversation between the woman at the counter and her, it seemed she was related to the store. And somehow, her back looked familiar.  

Shortly after, Theo’s eyes widened as he saw the woman’s face, and immediately hid his body behind a large pillar.  

‘That woman is—!’  

Theo hunched his shoulders trying not to reveal his large frame.   

Blair Cavendish. The boss’s woman who had vanished like a mirage.  

Three years ago. After the war with Litunia ended, Theo had been mobilized to detain the boss’s woman. During his absence, she fell ill, which led the boss to bring her into his townhouse. However, something went wrong, and she disappeared from the capital overnight. Since then, his boss continued serving as a soldier, but those who knew understood that a certain spark had disappeared from his eyes.  

‘She’s been in Little Port since leaving the capital.’  

Theo listened intently. From the conversation, it was clear Blair was the owner of this store. [Redfield’s Jerky and Dried Fruits]. Is Redfield her new surname? Had she remarried a man with the surname Redfield?  

“Mommy, mommy.”  

“Oh, Alvin, my baby. What is it?”  

Blair picked up her son who was tugging at her skirt, and that child’s face…….  

Theo doubted his own eyes. The face of the three or four-year-old boy closely resembled his boss, Cedric Fitzgerald.

The events from three years ago came to mind. His superior would visit the house where the woman was confined almost every day. It was entirely possible that the woman could have had a child. Did he know about the child’s existence? A storm raged in Theo’s mind.

As Blair went upstairs with the child, Theo left the store with his colleague who had finished paying.

Upon returning to the ship, a displeased superior was scolding the soldiers who had returned late.

“……”

He noticed his beard stubble that he didn’t have time to shave and his hollow cheeks.

Did he know that I had just witnessed an incredible scene?

At that moment, their eyes met. Cedric was the first to speak.

“Hey, Theodore Bresburne, what kept you?”

“That is,”

“We were late because of resupplying. Sorry.”

Before Theo could speak, the colleague next to him hurriedly made excuses.

“These noble brats. You still think you’re in their own estates.”

“……”

“Be careful.”

Cedric turned away without any further ado, sneering. Theo silently watched Cedric’s back as he headed to the office on the ship.

He thought of offering him help out of old affection. It seems his character of ruining everything with his mouth despite all the hardships, hasn’t changed.

A slight smile escaped from the lips of a red-haired soldier.

…Let him suffer a bit more.

* * *

Click.

When Cedric entered his office, his secretary Eden greeted him with an eye contact.

“Did you find her?”

The first thing Cedric did upon arriving in the new city was, of course, to look for a woman.

“Yes. I’ve compiled a list of single women living in Little Port. It’s not long.”

Eden pulled out a rolled-up piece of paper from his pocket.

“…She might be married by now.”

It had been three years. Cedric rummaged through his desk drawer and lit a cigar.

Though he said that, he didn’t really consider the possibility that Blair might be married. When she left the capital, she didn’t seem to have any thoughts of marriage, which is why he had been searching specifically for ‘single women living alone’ till now.

Whooh.

The smoke from Cedric’s cigar filled the air.

“But it’s been three years, she might have gotten married by now. Maybe she’d even have a child…”

Crack. The cigar in Cedric’s hand was crushed. Tobacco dust dirtied the floor of the office. Seeing the mess brought him back to his senses. Just imagining Blair married to someone else and having a child had upset him this much.

“Give me the list.”

“Yes.”

Cedric received from Eden the list of women living alone in Little Port City. Just as Eden said, since it was a small village, there weren’t many names.

Cedric’s eyes stopped at one place on the list.

[Name: Kay McBill
Age: Estimated 20 years old
Occupation: Employee at <Redfield’s Jerky and Dried Fruits>
Appearance: Brown bob hair, slim figure

Name: Leona Hart
Age: 22
Occupation: Beautician

.

.

. ]

<Redfield’s Jerky and Dried Fruits>. He thought for a moment while puffing smoke from a newly lit cigar.

“……”

Three years ago, when Blair was confined in the Cavendish mansion. She wouldn’t eat the meat and fruits sent to her immediately but always dried them first. At first, he thought it was just her dietary habit. Or maybe she particularly liked dried foods.

But it wasn’t that. He realized much later that it was her fear of being abandoned at any moment that made her turn food into long-term storage items.

“……”

There was no change in Cedric’s expression, just a slightly furrowed brow. But Eden noticed that his superior’s mood had slightly improved.

“General, how about going on a drink downtown?”

The quick-witted secretary suggested it to his superior.

“A drink during war.”

Cedric chuckled, despite his scolding tone, he was already reaching for his coat hung up.

“We haven’t declared war yet.”

Eden also grabbed his coat as he spoke.

“Let’s just have one drink and come back!”

Eden said heartily.

Cedric and Eden soon left the ship with their coats on.

* * *

In the downtown area of Little Port City, there was a street lined with various stores. When two large soldiers roamed the streets, people’s attention was drawn to them.

The shorter of the two soldiers spoke to the taller one. The use of formal language indicated that the taller one was clearly the superior.

“General, it seems that’s the store.”

“What?”

Eden pointed to a grocery store. <Redfield’s Jerky and Dried Fruit>.

“The kids came back carrying armfuls of it earlier. The bags had that store’s logo on them.”

“…….”

Cedric silently looked at the store sign. For some reason, the items made him feel down.

“Who eats this stuff. Let’s just go to a bar.”

“Who else but sailors eat jerky and dried fruit? We should stock up on it too.”

Eden entered the store ahead of Cedric, leaving him behind. Clang, a bell on the store’s door rang.

“…….”

It was like insubordination. He couldn’t say anything because he usually got a lot of use out of Eden. The list he received today was flawless and easy to read.

Eventually, Cedric also moved his military boots inside the store. Clang—.

“Welcome!”

They heard a cheerful greeting. It was the voice of a young female clerk at the counter. Her brown bob hair fluttered with her greeting.

The smell of spices infused in the jerky stung his nose.

Cedric briefly looked around the store. The interior was decorated with many ornaments and tapestries.

“…….”

The color combinations and patterns of the items filling the store felt familiar. The similarity in the tapestries and decorations hinted at the shop owner’s taste.

“…….”

Yes. It reminded him of a mansion on the outskirts of the capital three years ago. He couldn’t forget it. He had visited that mansion almost every night three years ago.

……But it’s too early to jump to conclusions. It could be a style widely used in this area.

Creak.

When Cedric slowly moved towards the counter, the old wooden floor made a sound.

“What can I help you with?”

The woman asked with a smile.

‘Brown bob. Miss Kay McBill.’

Cedric concluded, recalling the report. Eden’s report was really easy to read.

“……I’d like to meet the owner.”

Cedric said in a cool voice. He meant to bring out Mister Redfield, the owner.

“…….”

Kay was silent for a moment. Her lips still had a smile on them. After a moment, Kay’s lips parted.

“Yes, I am Blair Redfield, the owner.”

Kay answered as she was trained to. She maintained her brazen smile, but her heart rate was soaring. The handsome giant, who had just appeared, had a knack for freezing people in their tracks.