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Chapter : 28
Finally, the long-awaited weekend had arrived. It was Friday evening, and even though I had to stay late to pack the remaining things after work, I didn’t feel tired at all. Next week, I planned to take a day off and put the house I was living in up for sale to a dealer.
A hum of a tune escaped my lips unconsciously.
The large sum of money that would roll back into my account, and the house I would get for free—it all felt like a dream.
With that money, I planned to figure out a way to contact Luikaron. Waiting for a smuggler ship here would just be wasting time.
Anyway, after a light breakfast, I began moving.
“Be careful moving that! Don’t break it!”
I shouted to the porters while bustling about.
Kaisa was carrying the heavy items himself. He lifted a large box effortlessly. His simple shirt clung to him with beads of sweat, but his expression remained calm.
“That guy’s strong,” one of the porters muttered.
“Yeah, he’ll probably carry everything himself,” another said.
I heard them whisper as we loaded the cart we had rented for the day and climbed aboard. The neighbors, whom I had gotten to know over the past few weeks, came to see us off.
“Oh my, isn’t this Milena? You’re moving, huh?”
“Yes, ma’am! Thank you for everything.”
“Oh, don’t mention it. Come visit often.”
After a brief farewell, the cart departed, and we finally arrived at the naval officer’s residence. It was a small two-story detached house with white walls, a blue roof, and a tiny garden. As a naval residence, the wall bore both the emblem of the Kaetas Navy and the Cyern Empire side by side.
“It’s really beautiful.”
I couldn’t help but exclaim. Compared to my previous house, it was much bigger and cleaner. The blue roof facing the sea gave it an even fresher feel. The interior was much more spacious than I expected. Of course, compared to what we had in Luikaron, it was nothing, but I was gradually adapting to life here.
“Do you like it?”
Kaisa asked.
“Of course! It feels like a dream.”
As we entered, the spacious living room greeted us. Sunlight poured through the windows. It felt like an unexpected treasure.
“And a ten-minute commute! Kaisa probably has no idea how much that matters for work-life balance.”
Kaisa let out a small chuckle. The porters started carrying in the boxes we had unloaded from the cart.
“Place them right here.”
I guided them, while Kaisa placed the heavier items in proper spots.
After about an hour, everything had been moved into the new house. After paying the promised wages to the porters, only the two of us remained. By now, being alone like this had become familiar. Life here was very different from Luikaron.
“Phew…”
I flopped down in the center of the living room.
“Tired?”
Kaisa sat down beside me. Since the sofa was still wrapped in paper, we had no choice but to sit on the floor. Dust fluttered around as we moved. The thought of cleaning it all was daunting, but I couldn’t help smiling.
“This is exciting! A new house!”
Strangely, I wasn’t tired. Instead, my heart raced.
“Shall we rest for a bit before organizing?”
“Good idea.”
We lay down on the floor. Placing my hands on my stomach, I looked up at the ceiling, noticing its delicate patterns. Not a speck of mold anywhere. The house was well-maintained.
“The ceiling is clean too.”
“Yeah. Our old place…”
“Had a bit of mold.”
I remembered how shocked I had been back then. It was as if we had never imagined such things could exist.
‘Uh… i-is that mold? Kyaa! Impossible! How could a house have that!’
‘Stay still, Milena. I’ll handle it.’
‘What do you mean, drawing your sword here!’
Those memories were now just nostalgia. Sweeping and cleaning that small house, encountering giant spiders or mice—it all taught us how to adapt in Cyern.
Kaisa and I looked at each other and laughed.
“Still, thanks to that house, we made it here. I remember when we first arrived. We sold the jewels just to get a roof over our heads, and even that wasn’t easy.”
“The market trader tried to cheat us.”
“Yes! But when Kaisa glared at him, he immediately paid the right price, didn’t he?”
“I wasn’t glaring, I just looked.”
I giggled. Back then, everything had seemed hopeless, but now we could laugh about it. Time really is the best healer.
A comfortable silence followed.
“Milena.”
“Yes?”
“Have you ever had a hard time since coming here?”
Kaisa’s voice was cautious. I sensed what he really meant: “Was there anything about me that made it difficult for you?”
I turned to look at him. Kaisa turned to me as well. His violet eyes unsettled me. Not even the sea, nor the blue roof facing it, could compare.
Kaisa’s eyes seemed to hold all the colors of this world.
“Since this environment was completely new, it must have been hard for you too.”
“Hmm…”
I looked back up at the ceiling.
“No, nothing like that. The thing that’s hard for me is different. I miss Luikaron very much. I miss my family, my friends, and especially Roela.”
I wondered if she was doing well.
Roela had acted as if she couldn’t live without me. I had rescued her from depression that could have killed her. From the start, I had worked hard as if I had come here just to save her.
I had brought Roela to the capital, and thought I had escaped death’s trap. I thought a peaceful life awaited. I wasn’t a villain, and I was the heroine’s close friend, so surely only happiness remained.
Yet, here I was.
“…Nothing else was hard. And… it’s been fun in some ways.”
I smiled.
“I’ve learned a lot here. I’ve discovered new values. I’ve even noticed things I had forgotten. And above all…”
I looked at Kaisa again.
“I’m glad I wasn’t alone. I could endure because you were here. Did I ever tell you I’m grateful?”
Kaisa’s gaze flickered. His emotions made me tremble as well. It felt like his color had left a drop on the blank canvas of my heart. Kaisa whispered softly:
“Me too. I’m glad you’re here…”
I swallowed hard. My heart was beating in a pleasant rhythm.
“Thank you.”
Why did those words make my chest flutter? I bit my lips. What was he thinking now? I didn’t want to look away, but somehow I felt I should change the topic and suddenly sat up.
“Ah, I’m hungry!”
“Suddenly?”
“Yes! I barely ate breakfast while moving.”
Traditionally, moving day meant ordering jajangmyeon. Thinking about being hungry made my stomach rumble. I held my growling stomach.
“Do you have anything you want to eat?”
“Hmm… it’s a special day, so shall we eat out?”
“Good idea.”
We stood up, brushed the dust off our clothes, and stepped outside. If the old me, who couldn’t go out without being perfectly dressed, saw this, she would be shocked. But no one here knew me, so why care? The natural look was the most beautiful. Truly.
