Chapter Twelve
.Chapter Twelve.
I opened my eyes wide when she asked her suspicious question, and I took a deep breath and blew it out with all my might and said clearly:.
“No!”
The next moment I thought again.
No, my husband did not hit me. In fact, he is not my husband anymore... I am free now.
So I answered calmly again.
“Not true.”
Then Varin looked at my reddened cheeks and my broken arm and said.
“A liar. Even my sister always said that, but in reality she was suffering from beatings from her husband. Her cheeks were colored blue and yellow. My mother said that this kind of man was not worth associating with.”
The little girl's eyes were full of confidence.
There's been a big misunderstanding.
I couldn't help but inhale deeply.
“Well, you shouldn't be with a man who abuses women. You should keep that in mind.”
“So, does my sister now have to keep getting hit?”
I couldn't help but burst into laughter.
“Really, does anyone still say that a woman should stay with an abusive man?”
Barin had a slight dissatisfaction on her face.
“My sister was the one who told me that. She said she was in trouble now.”
I couldn't help but smile so hard upon hearing this. This girl!.
Suddenly, I started using impolite language again.
These moments were small, but somehow cute.
Suddenly, the little girl's eyes changed with confidence.
There was a complete misunderstanding.
These moments were simple, but they were sweet moments.
I simply grabbed her hand gently and pulled her along.
"When you use those words, you can't do that. What do you mean by 'trouble'? That's not appropriate. You should use decent, respectful words."
The girl started talking enthusiastically. She was talking about how bored she was of living in a remote area that lacked many things, and how she dreamed of living in a beautiful place like this, or even attending parties in the capital.
So, she is a noble daughter from the External Border Guard District.
I wasn't aware of this before. There is no communication between me and this side.
When I casually told her about the stateroom in our house, she seemed interested in seeing it, and then suddenly, her eyes lit up.
“What is your name, sister? What do you like? There are beautiful flowers in our garden. Can I pick them for you?”
Oh really. This little girl couldn't hold back my laughter.
"Unnie, what's your name? What do you like there? Beautiful flowers have bloomed in our garden. Should I pick some for you?"
Oh, really. This little one. I couldn't contain my laughter.
You are so transparent. This little lady!.
Suddenly using polite language again.
It was strange that I didn't resent her transparency.
Barin loved to talk about dresses and sweets. She seemed fragile, speaking like an adult at times, but also very simple in some ways.
“…So, when you cut it, the melted chocolate spills out inside, what kind of taste is that?...”
Her eyes were shining as she asked, and from under the fence where the child emerged, someone gracefully pulled his head out.
"Barin! You shouldn't..."
Then, our eyes met, and the short, straw-haired young man's face and blue eyes turned red.
He looked exactly like an adult, and I was completely frozen in the face of this situation.
The moment of freezing passed.
Then suddenly, his face quickly receded, as if he had been pushed back, and he disappeared behind the fence.
After experiencing that series of events, I was amazed.
What is happening…?.
It wasn't long before this young man came to the front gate properly.
After introducing himself as Ian Melstra, he greeted me hesitantly, then looked a little confused when he saw me.
Then, without meeting my eyes, he came over to apologize.
He looked similar to Liesdel's age. A little over twenty years.
"My younger brother is still a naive child, and I've caused trouble. I'm not sure how I should express my gratitude."
Even his voice sounded young.
Seeing him act out the role of the older brother who came to look for his younger sister, even though he didn't have one, I wondered if this was how she would feel if she had a much younger sibling.
In fact, he might be a year or two younger, but because of my past memories, I felt forgiving in my heart.
"It's okay. It's not a big deal, and it was fun for me too."
While Ian was hesitating in his response, he looked at me trying to say something, then Barin squatted her face slightly and said:.
"Ian oppa, act like you always have. Really, strange things. Did you take medicine?"
Hearing it, Ian turned the color of a gun and couldn't speak well. The sight of him blushing and nervous and unable to articulate words was tragic.
While I considered that Barin had crossed the line, I gently pressed my hand to her head.
“Barin, even though you consider him your brother, this is impolite.”
Barin began to squirm and tremble but finally closed her mouth, perhaps understanding that she was playing the role of the younger sister who had come to fetch her brother, and so she had acted this way.
So, I settled things quickly.
“It's good that Barin wasn't hurt, and I also enjoyed this encounter. Let's put this all aside as a passing circumstance. No apology is needed.”
Then she led Barin to Ian.
Suddenly, Ian extended his hand and said, “This is for you,” as if he was planning to do something. On his hands was a single rose without blemishes or worms.
“Maybe you like flowers, so I decided to get you this rose. Will you accept it?”
Ian's eyes were shining as he looked at me brightly even though his face was red. At that moment, I suddenly remembered Barin asking whether I would pick flowers for her.
I felt that these two seemed strangely like brother and sister, and were so sincere and adorable. The extra transparency would have made them more attractive.
So, while I was laughing sweetly, she kissed the flowers and said:.
“Of course, it's a beautiful rose.”
Ian responded to my words with a kind smile and full of happiness. His smile was flawless. Because I felt warm from his presence, I could tell he felt just like that.
Ian returned with the same enthusiasm and optimism to his apartment, and I said goodbye to them with a smile.
While Barin was expressing her regret, she said goodbye to me, waving her hand and saying that she would come back again.
When the brothers disappeared from view, she smiled happily and whispered a quiet laugh.
They were refreshing characters I had never seen in the city. They made me feel rejuvenated, like I was younger and didn't have to think about anything. These two cute brothers are so unbelievably happy. If possible, I would really like to show Barin the banquet hall.
I took the scent of the rose and gently placed it next to my nose.
There was a very light fragrance wafting from it. As if it carried the delicate scent that was in Ian's eyes.
There was an old saying: “Love and cough cannot be hidden.” Just as I had fallen into Bernhard's enthusiasm when I first met him, Ian kept circling me as if enchanted.
“By chance, I was passing by and bumped into you!”
Why should this be the route you choose to walk on the front of the house? Going to the back building has no purpose unless something calls me.
His facial features really resembled that of a happy puppy as he turned his face towards me happily. His blue eyes were shining like the surface of the blue sea.
It was getting harder and harder to ignore him.
I had no choice but to pretend that I didn't know him.
Might it be better not to know the answer?.
Barin and I were having a good time as she felt comfortable around me, and she often had times of wondering if we could walk around or play together, so I would sometimes ask Ian about letting her join us.
Sometimes, as I silently listened to her conversation with Ian, it would seem as if she was trying to get a word in to me, and then she would move on to another topic of conversation or start talking about martial arts.
“…Therefore, the center of the sword’s weight is very important, and I….”
"Oppa! Tell that to Ian's friends!"
Then he looked very upset.
But in reality, I had nothing to say on the subject of martial arts, so I was grateful to Barin. I was sure she would feel hurt if I stopped talking.
“…Can you accept this flower I picked because it is beautiful?”
It was strange that she asked me every day and came back with the same question, it was amazing and interesting.
When I give him a flower and say hello and smile gratefully, Ian starts watching me with a radiant, sun-like smile. His face was shining with happiness. There is no doubt that he fell in love with her.
It was natural for me to be strong and determined. But since Barin was involved in the matter, and because he seemed like an immature little brother, I couldn't be the same as usual.
When I see Ian smiling happily at me or even smiling at me after seeing me smile, I remember days gone by. Apparently I was also having the same feelings. I would become absorbed in the person's actions and thoughts until I was overwhelmed by them for hours.
In fact, I remembered the times I had been catapulted to heaven because of a single word from someone, and then spent the rest of the day contemplating the meaning of his or her actions. That's why things like this were so familiar to me.
Maybe it was a little difficult because I didn't know how to handle a situation like that. Perhaps my fears were that I had inadvertently given him hope, but in any case, there was little I could do.
However, even though I didn't understand everything, I sent him signals of kindness with every part of me, without thinking, as if I wasn't trying to hide anything.
Was it because I usually don't think much, or did I just want to stay present in the moment?.
Of course, this was nice, but on the other hand, there was a class difference between us. The nobility in the center and the nobility in the regions represented two different classes.
Although I may be ruthless and cold, that is the reality and I am an Arminga woman.
But strangely, although my mother is aware of those visits when Ian wanders around the house or comes to see me, she keeps a low profile.
She didn't say anything or even ask. She just ignores things as if they don't matter to her. She may be exaggerating or giving away her feelings. It was mysterious.
However, seeing the warmth in my mother's eyes when she looks at me feels so real.
I just hope that Ian stays careful enough not to consume his first passion too much, so he doesn't get hurt too much. For me, I had to pay a lot because of one foolishness.
Maybe everyone doesn't have to learn the harsh lessons so harshly.