Misfortune 75

Chapter 75

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"How about sitting right under the tree?"

As they finally approached the majestic tree, Margaret cautiously suggested. Her eyes darted around nervously, resembling a rookie soldier tense in front of a superior officer.

Instead of answering, Roan agreed with her suggestion by parting the tall grass that reached his calves to clear a path.

Margaret followed closely behind him, diligently searching for a flat spot under the tree's shade. She then rummaged through the basket Roan had set down and spread out a blanket.

They settled comfortably and shared the sandwiches and cookies that Leticia had packed. They poured the wine from the thick bottle into light wooden cups and quenched their thirst.

As their stomachs filled and a slight buzz began to rise, the air around them grew more relaxed. The woman, who had been tense the whole time to avoid making eye contact with him, was no exception.

"Ah, this is really nice. The scenery is breathtakingly beautiful, and the food is absolutely delicious. Right?"

Margaret, who was particularly sensitive to alcohol, chattered endlessly to Delnia as if she had forgotten that Roan was right beside them.

Her voice, raised in excitement, was almost annoying to the ears, but it was bearable. However, the gentle voice that followed was pleasant to listen to.

Roan leaned back against the tree trunk.

Meanwhile, Delnia and Margaret each took out a ball of yarn and a knitting needle from their bags and quickly immersed themselves in their own world.

"Look, to create a pattern, you do it like this………………."

Left out in the open, Roan watched their world without any guilt. It seemed like the maid was teaching her how to knit.

"Is this how it's done?"

"That's right. You're picking it up pretty well. You're not completely clumsy with your hands, after all."

"My hands are slow, so I'm not very useful."

She didn’t seem to be completely unaware of herself.

As he finished his brief assessment, Roan lifted his head. The breeze blew, and the sunlight flickering through the leaves danced around, blurring his vision.

Instead of playing in the autumn sunlight, he closed his eyes tightly.

A gentle breeze softly caressed his hair as it passed by. The voices of people chatting quietly flowed into his ears in a steady rhythm.

It was a day perfect for a nap. Roan didn't bother to deny that fact.

***

He thought he had dozed off for a moment, but when he opened his eyes, the sun had already set.

Roan straightened his back, which had been leaning against the tree trunk, and looked around. His eyes, which had been moving a little anxiously, settled on her hair, which was tinged with the colors of the evening.

The woman was bending over in the vast field, some distance from the large tree, picking wildflowers.

After confirming her location, Roan briefly shifted his gaze to the sea stretching beyond the field.

The setting sun was reflected perfectly, creating a path of light on the water's surface. The sea, tinged with warm colors, sparkled dazzlingly.

He turned his head. And once again, he took in the sight of the woman, who was embracing a bouquet of unknown wildflowers in the middle of the field, which was rippling with soft golden light.

The woman's profile, bathed in the reddish sunset, looked strangely peaceful. Her hands, carefully picking flowers so as not to damage the grass, felt simple yet noble, like a woman gathering ears of grain.

It felt as though he were admiring a masterpiece painting. The serene landscape, isolated from the world's chaos and devoid of all noise, felt strangely unreal.

Roan was lost in this dreamlike state, gazing endlessly at the scene before him.

The maid whose whereabouts were unknown suddenly poked her head out, approached her, and spoke to her. Then she turned around and ran vigorously across the field.

In contrast, the woman, clutching the wildflowers she had been given by the maid, was returning to where he was standing.

“…..”

As the distance closed, their eyes naturally met.

Nevertheless, the woman froze like someone who had suffered an unexpected accident, stiffening her shoulders.

Both he and she knew that all the time they had spent trying not to make eye contact had been in vain.

Somehow, he felt a little relieved. He also felt like mocking the woman who had acted as if she would be devoured if she made eye contact with him.

‘No, maybe not.’

The thought that the woman’s wariness might not be entirely misplaced flashed through his mind.

The woman’s eyes, now fully focused on him, trembled slightly. Behind her, the sunset, the same color as her eyes, dyed his entire field of vision red.

At the end of a long day, sunset was but a fleeting moment. Yet it had more names than any other time of day.

Sunset, twilight, dusk….

Perhaps so many names were given to this moment because it was so profoundly moving.

But Roan knew one more name that came before all the others.

And that was the reason he had hated this moment, this scene of the world seeming to burn, for his entire life.

Every time he was forced to confront it on the roofless ship, the sun that would rise without fail the next day felt like a curse.

Yet now, his heart was as calm as a sea without a single breeze. Even though the woman who was the source of his hatred was right there in the landscape he had always hated.

The fact that the landscape, now complete with her presence, did not feel the least bit unpleasant suddenly struck him as absurd and hollow. It felt as though he were betraying his past self.

"Delnia!"

At that moment, the eternal silence was ruthlessly shattered by a cheerful voice.

Delnia startled as if she had just realized she was holding her breath, and turned to look at Margaret. The petite girl was running toward her, waving her hands full of flowers.

Feeling interrupted, Roan’s brows furrowed.

Regardless, Margaret led Delnia back to the spread blanket and sat down. Then the maid began to move her hands busily.

Judging by the way she was putting it together, it seemed she was making a crown. The woman, who seemed unaware of how to make it, was trimming the flowers beside her.

A faint smile appeared on her lips as she watched the maid's hands moving busily, as if she found it fascinating. It was a completely different expression from the one she had when she was looking at him.

For some reason, he felt a bit annoyed, but he didn't feel like interfering.

Instead, he continued to gaze at the woman who no longer looked at him.

***

Upon returning to the mansion after the outing, an unexpected piece of news awaited them.

“Remember we were supposed to go to the night market tomorrow? I think we should go tonight instead.”

“Huh? Why?”

Margaret asked Leticia, who had changed her mind, with wide eyes.

“Well, a large fishing boat that was supposed to arrive next week just came in. The villagers are going to have a big celebration at the night market tonight, so they asked us to come.”

“I’m in!”

Margaret replied immediately. On the other hand, Delnia looked a little tired.

“I’m a bit tired and need to rest. You two go ahead.”

“Alright, no need to push yourself. I’ll buy plenty of fresh fish and make fish stew tomorrow, so just rest today.”

Recalling the doctor’s advice, Leticia patted Delnia on the back.

“Go upstairs and take a shower. I’ll warm up the meat pie and bring it to you.”

Delnia didn’t refuse Leticia’s suggestion and soaked her body in warm water. As her muscles relaxed, she felt her fatigue ease a little.

“Delnia. Can you open the door?”

While combing her hair in the room after finishing her bath, Leticia’s voice came through.

“Sure, just a moment.”

When she opened the door, Leticia entered the room holding a tray in both hands.

On the tray were golden-brown meat pies, warm mulled wine with fruit and cinnamon, and even a teapot with what purpose she couldn't fathom.

Delnia picked up the teapot to lighten the load and said,

“There’s a lot here, Leticia.”

"Just in case you're hungry. Don't feel too burdened—you can leave some if you want."

"Okay, I will."

She hadn't been eating much, probably because she had been snacking on leftover cookies while making the flower crown. She decided it would be better to refrain from eating more, as forcing herself to eat might only make Leticia work harder.

"And about that teapot..."

Glancing at the teapot still in Delnia's hands, Leticia broached the subject.

"Can you boil the tea inside for the Colonel before bed?"

"...Tea?"

"Yes. It's a medicinal tea that helps with insomnia. It's best to drink it regularly at the right time, but I don't know when I'll be back today."

***