🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter : 29
“Where should we go?”
“How about the night market near the harbor? I heard there’s a lot of street food.”
“Oh, that sounds good!”
Since it was Saturday evening, the streets were lively everywhere. It took about fifteen minutes to walk from the naval officers’ quarters to the harbor.
When we arrived at the night market, all sorts of food smells hit my nose. My stomach growled.
“Wow, there are so many kinds!”
Various stalls were lined up. Savory smells, sweet smells, and salty smells mixed together. Everything looked so delicious. Street food always tastes best when eaten like this.
“Look! Octopus skewers!”
I pointed to one of the stalls. They were grilling large octopus legs, cut into bite-sized pieces, on skewers. They looked chewy and delicious—my mouth watered instantly.
“One, please!”
“Miss, if you came with your boyfriend, you should buy two!”
My cheeks turned slightly red at the man’s comment. Boyfriend? We weren’t at the point of calling each other that cute word. Of course, I didn’t deny it here. That would just drag the conversation.
“Ah, then two, please.”
The man skillfully flipped the octopus skewers on the grill. The sizzling sound made my appetite even stronger.
“Here, I added a special sauce. It’ll taste even better.”
I took the skewers with red sauce brushed over them and handed one to Kaisa.
When I bit into it, the chewy texture and the sweet-spicy sauce spread in my mouth. It tasted a bit like seasoned fried chicken. Surprisingly, it matched very well.
“Mm! It’s really delicious!”
“Good.”
It wasn’t a feast of rare delicacies, but it was satisfying. Fortunately, Kaisa didn’t seem to be picky about food. The night at the harbor was settling in beautifully.
By the time we got home, it was completely dark. Had we come back too late? I opened the front door, and the house felt different from how it had during the day.
“Where’s the light switch…?”
At my words, Kaisa immediately found the light. Was even this connected to being a swordmaster? He had no hesitation. Hidden things were soon revealed. When the lights turned on, I saw boxes that weren’t yet organized.
“…I’ll have to organize these tomorrow.”
“Right. For today, just arrange the bed and sleep.”
“Okay.”
We headed to our rooms. I chose the sunlit room on the second floor, and Kaisa took the large room on the first floor. I stepped onto the stairs to the second floor. Kaisa watched me from not far behind. My heart fluttered.
Even though the house was different, one thing hadn’t changed: Kaisa and I were living under the same roof. Swallowing my shyness, I greeted him.
“Good night, Kaisa.”
“Good night. Sweet dreams.”
After his farewell, I went upstairs. My room had a large window with a beautiful view of the stars. Feeling shy for some reason, I slid down onto the floor. The stars seemed to watch over me.
“Ah…”
Why am I like this?
I rubbed my cheeks and buried my face between my knees. Kaisa’s image kept appearing in my mind. My head felt dizzy.
After confirming Milena safely reached the second floor, Kaisa slightly opened the door and stepped outside. The night air, mixed with sea breeze, felt cool on his lungs. Kaisa’s eyes gradually sharpened.
Recently, there had been a strange, lingering gaze.
It wasn’t hostility or malice, but something unidentifiable. The stare was so persistent that it felt irritating. Every time Kaisa sensed it directed at Milena, a fire seemed to rise in his chest.
‘How dare they.’
Clutching his sword, Kaisa moved toward the source of the gaze. He quickly went around a tree. Kaisa frowned. The area was empty. Crouching, he scanned the ground.
‘A man.’
From the size of the footprints, it was a man. Judging by the shape, he was wearing boots, probably military. Kaisa crouched and looked around. Judging by other signs, it wasn’t an assassin.
They wouldn’t be this careless.
Kaisa stood up.
For a while, he thought about making sure Milena didn’t walk alone.
The fifth lesson had ended before I realized it. Reivan insisted that frequent practice was the key to progress, so lessons were daily. Strangely, even though Kaisa was passionate, his language skills weren’t improving. Maybe Bella’s teaching wasn’t enough.
‘Is this lesson okay?’
‘It’s fine.’
Kaisa spoke briefly in Luikaron, but I could tell his tone was noble. High-handed but smooth and elegant. The sound wasn’t harsh. His “fine” made me feel relieved for no reason.
‘I’m very interested in hearing news from Sierne as you tell it.’
But I still couldn’t fully understand Kaisa’s nature. He seemed both loose and solid, calm yet meticulous.
Bella stared out the window from her room, lost in thought. Initially, she saw the lessons with Kaisa as simple duties, but now…
‘Why does he keep coming to mind?’
Kaisa’s indifferent expression while repeating words kept replaying in her head. Sometimes, a faint smile appeared, and it shook her heart. What was he thinking when he slightly lifted his lips?
The small smile on that indifferent face had a bigger impact than expected. Slowly, curiosity grew. Gradually, it began to matter to her.
Knock, knock.
“Come in.”
The door opened, and Lady Sophia entered.
“Miss, did you call me?”
“Yes, Lady Sophia. Please have a seat.”
Lady Sophia carefully sat down. Bella fiddled with her teacup, unsure how to start.
“Would you like more tea?”
“No, actually… I wanted to ask about Milena.”
Lady Sophia’s gaze shifted subtly. Bella sighed. She couldn’t believe she was having this conversation. Gossiping was the most unproductive thing she could think of.
Lady Sophia asked cautiously,
“Milena, you mean?”
“Yes. Since she’s taking lessons with Kaisa, I naturally became curious… What kind of person is she?”
Bella tried to act indifferent, as if it were nothing.
“Oh, I see.”
Lady Sophia’s lips curved into a faint, unreadable smile. She spoke slowly.
“Milena is truly a special child.”
“Special?”
“Yes. When she first arrived, I thought she was just an ordinary maid applicant. But…”
Lady Sophia’s gaze softened. Did even strict, meticulous Sophia find her likable? Bella listened carefully to her voice.
“I was surprised by how she treated the matriarch. She did something no one else could do.”
“Is taking care of the matriarch really that difficult?”
Bella knew Elizabeth’s dementia was worsening but had never taken care of her herself. That was always someone else’s job. Could faithful Sophia really say something like this?
For Bella, who remembered Elizabeth in her healthy days, it was unbelievable.
“It wasn’t just difficult. Everyone feared the matriarch, who had become violent due to dementia. But Milena was different.”
Lady Sophia said in admiration,
“She treated the matriarch like a child, but never lost respect. Her patience was incredible. Even when she got hit every day, she cared for the matriarch with a smile.”
Bella’s expression turned to surprise.
