Chapter 11.1

unedited

After much deliberation, I grabbed Merson’s shoulder with both hands.

“Merson, just move the furniture and come straight home. Got it?”

“Yes.”

And pulled his collar toward me.

“You must never use magic, right?”

After a small talk, Merson nodded his head. Good.

“Then see you later.”

“Wait, Erina.”

Merson knelt down on one of his knees and started stroking my shoes.

“What?”

There was a lot of white powder all over it from where I came from. As I moved my gaze along the trail, I saw lumps of powder spilling on the kitchen floor. I stepped on that.

“What are you doing?! Are you not going?!”

Shit, that scared me. Chenin suddenly jumped in with a loud voice, my shoulders were shaking, startled. I get it. I’m going, I’m going!

“Stop it, Merson. I will be late. Be careful.”

I left my uncomfortable feelings behind and ran to Aunt Aja’s house. Since there are only a few households, it took 5 minutes, even if it was right next door.

When I arrived, running like a motor on my feet, all the women of the village had already gathered.

“What happened?”

“Young newlywed, sit down.”

I found an empty chair and snuggled into the gap between the grandmothers and old ladies. Sitting around in a circle, they all looked at one place.

“Hiik, what is all this?”

“The village chief’s granddaughter brought a bunch of them, so we can share.”

Cosmetics, accessories, handkerchiefs, clothes, and other luxury items were all in one box. Of course, it was unknown whether they were new.

Still, there was no end to the exclamation of people looking around as if they were all good.

“Clothes for the young newlywed.”

There’s two.

I stumbled upon them and accepted them. By the way…….

“Did you call me in such a hurry because of this?”

“Huh. What, is there anything else?”

“You can show me this tomorrow, right?”

“If you don’t take it today, she will throw it all away tomorrow. And I said to the village chief that it would be nice if the young newlywed wore it, so I really wanted to see the young newlywed wear it.”

“… Then don’t throw it away tomorrow, and give me separately.”

“Where did that character come from? Young newlywed, if there is something you like, you should take it.”

“No. My clothes are enough. Choose someone else.”

She forced a smile. She was just trying to keep me away from Merson. Inwardly, I clenched my teeth. I thought about going back, but I didn’t get a chance to get out because of the aunts who kept talking to me.

Then, suddenly, sitting still and looking at the ladies and the grandmothers, my heart ached. They seemed to be even more excited because I had not been able to wear even a single pretty dress properly because I had been driven by time and work.

‘Next time, I’ll buy you a lot of delicious food and make you happy!’

Why did this word suddenly come to mind? These words would become irresponsible nonsense if I brought them up, when I had to leave soon

It was very warm to see them having fun while looking at my body in an awkward manner even with a cheap accessory, but it was also very warm. Small happiness filled the house.

After looking at it for a while, I also helped out.

“This necklace would be perfect for Grandma Lete. I think it suits her because her eyes are emerald green. I voted for Grandma Lete!”

“The young newlywed also has good eyes. What do I fit in?”

“This red scarf is perfect for you.”

Eventually, the box was exposed and everyone shared one or two equally.

The village chief was not there and many villagers gathered, so I carefully asked what I was curious about.

“Chenin, she married a Count, so why didn’t she come here for 3 years?”

As expected, the faces of the aunts fell heavily as to whether this was a good story. Aunt Aja clicked her tongue and gave an answer.

“Her parents died in an accident and she was raised by the village chief. From a young age, she hated the countryside and was embarrassed by her grandfather, but in the end, the girl came up with a good idea to even marry a 30-year-old older man.”

“Thirty, thirty years older?!”

“I wonder if it was good to go out to the city, after she got married, she came here only once, and there was no contact after that, but this time she came. I don’t even know why she came either.”

Then everyone helped out one word at a time, and the chatter that started like that ran without knowing the end.

To recap, it is said that Chenin, who originally lived with her parents in the capital, lost her parents to a gang of thieves, and descended to the countryside with the village chief, where she lived until she became an adult.

And she’s nineteen. It is said that when she reached the age of marriage, she recklessly left for the capital alone and entered the concubinage of a prominent countess.