# 19
---
Scrape, scrape.
Matthias carefully scraped a ripe apple so it was suitable for a child.
When the scraped apple was placed in the child's mouth, the child began to chew it with small movements.
“He's eating...”
“He seems hungry because he is eating so quickly. He should be given an appropriate amount of apples and then fed milk.”
“I'll get him right away.”
Perhaps because the refreshing apple whetted his appetite, the baby finished the bottle of milk.
Burp the baby.
Matthias subtly rubbed the boy's back.
The child, carried in his lap, slowly began to fall asleep.
After crying all day, he was exhausted, and after eating, he felt full.
Under Matthias' gentle touch, the child quickly fell asleep.
Purr, purr.
Matthias listened to the baby's soft breathing sounds and turned around.
“By the way, I came to tell you this. The village head will not...”
Matthias stopped suddenly.
Elinor, who had handed him the child, was asleep in a simple chair.
Her head was down in an uncomfortable position, but she looked so exhausted that she didn't feel uncomfortable.
Matthias called out to her cautiously.
“Oh mother of the child.”
“Don't sleep like this here, go to your room and sleep. Mother of the child?”
Elinor, who was fast asleep, did not move.
As if she wouldn't even notice if someone picked her up.
The baby was in Matthias's arms as well.
Matthias laughed softly.
“Baby and mother side by side...”
After a short thought, Matthias came downstairs with a blanket.
He covered Elinor with the blanket.
He could have carried her upstairs to the bed, but he felt that she would scream in terror as soon as she woke up.
Sophie left early in the morning for the city where her daughter lives because of her youngest daughter's wedding.
So, as long as Matthias didn't wake her up, Elinor could rest quietly in the kitchen.
“Let's go to bed, baby.”
Matthias kissed the child's forehead as he usually did with his brothers, then went up to the second floor with the child.
He was fully aware that someone was watching them from outside the inn through the window.
* * *
The person watching Elinor, the baby, and Matthias was James.
“What a bad woman.”
James hid behind the bushes, exhaling sharply.
"A witch. She's definitely a witch."
Come to think of it, things have gotten worse since Elinor's arrival.
James was humiliated in front of the villagers, and his father faced financial difficulties.
Things were so serious that the village chief refused to meet James' father, claiming he didn't have time now.
“She fooled everyone with her pretty face.”
Just as she tempted him with her gentle smile, she must have deceived others in the same way.
Rather, she was hiding another man.
A man with a huge frame like a lowly mercenary, and a face fit to be a dancer's lover.
She was hiding the truth about this man's existence the whole time.
With her innocent face and pitiful appearance, she made all the villagers pity her.
But in reality, she is the most evil woman.
"brother!"
James couldn't bear his anger, so he stomped the ground violently.
He was angry.
He was the victim whose pure heart was crushed by a temptress, so why would everyone side with Elinor?
It was painful to be insulted by a woman like her.
In fact, it was Matthias who threatened him and caused the village chief's financial crisis, but James' anger turned towards Elinor.
Walk around the inn for a while.
About an hour later, the door opened with a click.
“Huh.”
Matthias left the inn.
He was holding the baby, who had woken up and started whimpering.
“You ate until you were full, so why are you doing this?”
“Whoa, whoa!”
“If you continue like this, your mother will wake up. Let’s go for a walk.”
Matthias came down the corridor carrying the child.
James hid behind a tree, afraid that Matthias would appear, and then slowly came out.
His heart was beating hard.
Matthias left the inn.
This means that Elinor is now alone in the inn.
James crept cautiously towards the inn.
Through the window, he saw Elinor sleeping peacefully.
She was wearing a simple brown dress.
At first, he liked its simplicity.
While women these days flock to collect jewelry and luxuries, Elinor seemed humble and energetic.
But even that was part of her plan, wasn't it?
“She needs a lesson.”
Such women need harsh discipline to know how dangerous the world is.
You should know how dangerous I am.
I must make her kneel at my feet ing for mercy!
James rolled his eyes.
There was a pile of wood for the fire on the side of the inn building.
Since it had not rained for weeks, the firewood was completely dry.
James involuntarily touched something in his pants pocket.
He swallowed and looked around.
There was no one there. no one.
Czech-
Czech, Czech.
Fshshh.
A small spark gradually spread to the sides.
A malicious ecstasy appeared on James's face.
* * *
Why is the path of raising children so long and arduous?
When you get used to something, new challenges appear, and when you solve them, other challenges appear.
'But it's good that the kid finally calms down.'
Seeing the baby drinking milk made Elinor feel at ease.
She was exhausted from comforting the crying baby, but the baby himf was tired too.
All of these experiences are new to a baby who is just a few months old.
“Ham.”
Elinor yawned.
Seeing Matthias rocking the baby to sleep made her feel sleepy subconsciously.
Maybe because she relaxed.
Why do you feel so sleepy?
Elinor fell asleep without realizing she had fallen asleep.
It was a really deep sleep.
After a while, I woke up to intense heat.
"What…?"
Her eyes were filled with thick smoke.
“What is this… cough, cough.”
Elinor coughed.
Her mind couldn't comprehend the situation.
Moments ago she was watching Matthias calm the baby down.
But when she opened her eyes, neither the child nor Matthias was there, and the place was filled with smoke.
Her nose hurt, and it was difficult to breathe.
As if there was a fire...
"My child! Mr. Mathias!"
Elinor got up and shouted.
“Oh baby! cough, cough.”
The cough got worse.
Elinor quickly looked for something to cover her mouth and nose.
I found a blanket lying on the floor for no apparent reason.
Elinor soaked the blanket abundantly with water.
She covered her nose with the wet blanket and quickly left the empty kitchen.
"Oh, my God."
The fire apparently started in a corner of the first floor used as a restaurant, and spread quickly.
Fortunately, the main door was still intact.
But Elinor could not approach him easily.
Her nephew might have been on the second floor.
What happened during her short sleep?
Was it a natural fire caused by bad luck? Or was it the Duke who lit it?
Her thoughts were jumbled, but finding the baby was the priority.
I rushed to the second floor.
“My little one! My little one!”
All doors opened.
Her room, the baby's room, and finally Matthias' room.
But the baby was nowhere to be seen.
Elinor felt anxious and relieved at the same time.
She didn't know where the child was, but at least he wasn't in the middle of the flames.
“Kh, kh.”
The heat increased.
Elinor headed toward the stairs.
But at the stairs leading to the first floor, she had to stop.
"no."
The fire, spreading dangerously, was engulfing the wooden stairs and gradually ascending.