Chapter 98 – Chapter 3: What Only I Can’t Do – 4
Tia returned to Brisden.
Her bag was filled with dishes and glass bottles from her general store.
She was meant to restore items that had been broken in an accident.
It was time for her to head back to the outskirts to go up to her medicine shop.
Suddenly, Uncle Marvin’s voice came through the winter wind.
“Where is Ritz?”
She raised her head.
The commotion was beyond the hill.
Tia stopped her steps.
Then she turned slightly and headed in that direction.
She hid behind the hut that was the chief’s house, and she looked down the hill.
Today, for some reason, people gathered in front of the bonfire instead of going to work.
Aunt Olivia answered, crossing her arms.
“They said they were going to the village below.”
“What about medicine? “Didn’t you say that Ritz will be making medicine starting today?”
“I guess there’s something wrong with the pharmacy.”
“Hmm. It must have been left abandoned for a long time…”
“No. It’s not that kind of problem.”
Aunt Merid appeared from the other side.
“I just came back from the pharmacy, and there were glass shards in the bag. There must have been some kind of accident in the morning.”
“Well, I’ve been lying down for two months, so I guess I’m not used to her hands yet. I’m not feeling well.”
The aunt shook her head.
“I think it’s Tia, not Ritz.”
“… “What?”
“For a long time, you were making Ritz’s recovery medicine, so you skipped all your work in her village and confined yourself to the pharmacy.”
“Ah. It was like that. “Because Tia is the only one who can read her writing.”
“But she only knows how to read, that doesn’t mean she’s good at making medicine. And just this morning, Ritz looked very angry.”
“…”
The three were silent for a moment.
Although he was hidden, his expression was not visible, but an uncomfortable air flowed from the heavy silence.
Uncle Marvin organized it.
“So Tia had an accident and Ritsu couldn’t make her medicine?”
“What. That’s the way it is.”
“Ha… Is she that guy again? “Where is Tia now?”
“She said he was going to the village below her and left.”
Olivia asked Merid’s answer as if it were strange.
“But isn’t Tia so strange these days? “She’s been going down to the village below since the day before yesterday?”
“So that’s the problem.”
Aunt Merid said in a serious voice.
“I was leaving her alone because I wanted to see how far she would go, but these days, she’s really doing as she wants. Don’t even say where you’re going. “I don’t even know what I’m doing.”
“That’s right. I’m worried. “You slept until broad daylight yesterday?”
“Why don’t you suddenly borrow perfume from me? “I’ve never done that before.”
When the women’s chat seemed to get longer, Uncle Marvin joined in with a sigh.
“I guess he’s doing it to impress Ritz.”
“Marvin. You have to say something to Tia right now. Now she’s not a kid anymore either. Are you going to see her doing that after the christening?”
“So she tried talking to Ritz, but it didn’t help. Now she will become the village chief. Ritsu-sama says there is no problem, so what can I say?”
“I’m frustrated!”
Merid screamed.
“Of course Ritz doesn’t know! She was just lying in a hospital bed! Don’t you know how hard it is for me? Until summer, the six of us cooked and prepared dinner. But Madrina’s grandmother passed away, Sherry is taking care of Ritz, Tia doesn’t even show her nose even though she’s making recovery medicine, Marie ran away with her brother, and even Ollie has to take care of the baby, so you know I have to do all the preparations by myself, right? !”
“Ugh-!!”
The baby sleeping in her mother’s arms burst into tears.
Marvin sighed and motioned to her.
“Oli, go in first.”
Olivia went into her house patting her baby.
As soon as the door clunked shut, Merid shouted again.
“Who is this all because of? “Isn’t it because of that guy, Tia?”
“I understand how you feel, Merid. I know everything. But as long as Ritsu is protecting Tia, there is nothing I can give other than advice.”
“Ritz is just a kid!”
Her aunt snapped.
“He’s a kid much younger than us! Just because he was the son of the village chief, and because the village chief passed away suddenly, he became the village chief without knowing anything. Do you believe that a person like that makes the right decisions?”
“…”
“Look, you don’t believe it either!”
“… So, what should I do?”
Merid was silent for a moment.
Then she spoke in a firm voice.
“We have to get Tia away from Ritz.”
“You’re talking dangerous things.”
“Ritz is a problem because whenever Tia’s name comes up, she becomes overly protective. “They said they saw Ruev coming out of Tia’s house the other day. Marvin, do you believe that?”
Marvin shook her head.
“… She honestly thought it made no sense.”
“He’s the guy who will protect Tia even if it means lying! You shouldn’t have driven Ruev out like that! Even though everyone is suffering right now, nothing is going well in the village.”
“So, if we kick Tia out, Ritsu will come to his senses and the village will return to its original state?”
“That’s right.”
Tia, who was eavesdropping, flinched.
The guy sat down behind his cabin, clutching his chest.
“Okay. Let’s say we kick Tia out. Then I can’t handle it.”
Marvin sat down on her fence and spoke in a serious voice.
“Ritz won’t accept it in the first place, and who can handle Ritz’s anger even if we unilaterally expel him?”
“So we have to let Tia go out on her own.”
“…”
Marvin looked back at Merid.
“Aren’t you trying to do too much to the kids? Merid.”
“I don’t want to do this either. Sincerely. But if you don’t, I’ll leave Brisden.”
“Merid.”
“I’m still here because of you.”
“…”
Marvin stood up from her seat and made a heavy decision.
“No matter what, deportation is difficult. Let’s do this instead.”
“… How?”
“We are postponing Tia’s christening.”
He explained.
“Tia committed her capital crime, and she has not yet received the punishment. If we say that she is the substitute for that punishment, the elders and Ritsu will be able to understand it. And when she thought Tia had grown up, she made it a condition that she could have her christening at any time. Then Ritsu and Tia will also realize something.”
It was clear what that meant.
She must be baptized before she can be recognized as a member of Brisden.
No matter where Tia wants to go right now, she has to report to people first and then move because… This was because she was not yet ‘a person of Brisden’.
I went all the way to the far eastern port city of Deseo, a 15-day walkaway.
If she falls, the reason she can’t go beyond the border of Dragonez, which is right under her nose… It was because of that.
You cannot participate in village meetings and must only follow the decisions of the elders.
That was why I had to ask Ruev to prevent the withdrawal of the general store.
Lastly, whether it is your own home or Ritz’s home.
Why can’t she spend time with her loved one until night… This was because Tia was a ‘girl’ who had not yet been baptized.
So she waited.
As she looked forward to her christening, she had been thinking only of the day she would marry Ritz.
But now the baptism…
It has become something that only I cannot do.
“Let’s take a look at the atmosphere first and let Ritz know. Because I don’t look in good shape right now. So wait until then, Merid.”
“Okay.”
Two people disappeared.
Tia sat behind her cabin for a while.
She looked up at the sky in a daze, and her eyes became red.
Her deep helplessness weighs on her shoulders.
I already knew that her ugly hair was stuck.
She could only guess from the heavy air that was choking her and the atmosphere.
But when she heard Aunt Mary De’s voice filled with anger towards her.
She felt pain as if she had been cut by a knife.
Tia buried her face in her arms.
“…”
Before she knew it, the sun had begun to set.
Tia, who had been sitting for a long time, got up and put on her bag.
She managed to get her emotions together and went down to her medicine shop.
She filled up the broken items and planned to make one last recovery potion for Ritsu, whose condition was getting worse.
That’s how she started to get closer to the pharmacy.
“Knock-knock-!”
I heard a cough.
It was Ritz’s cough.
Startled, Tia hurriedly climbed the hill.
At that moment, Ritsu was coming out of her pharmacy, covering her mouth.
“… Ritz?”
When she removed her hand covering her mouth, bright red blood appeared on her palm.
“Oh! There was blood on her hands… Are you coughing again?”
“Don’t mind. “I just need to get some rest.”
At first glance, the condition was serious, but Ritz waved her hand, saying it was okay.
First, I put my hand on her waist to give her something to clean.
… But what I stuttered was empty space.
I realized it too late.
Since she came back to the village, she hasn’t worn a belt.
Ritz said.
“… Rather, Tia. She asks me to ‘manage the warehouse’ from now on.”
“Warehouse management?”
Tia’s eyes widened at the sudden remark.
“That’s Luyev…” .”
“It’s not there anymore. I told people you were going to do it. Cough! Cough! If you don’t know something, ask the elders.”
“That… “Did Ritz decide?”
“Yes.”
Tia couldn’t understand.
Managing the village’s warehouse is a very, very important job, so if I take charge of it, people won’t like it, right?
That could also be taken to mean that he kicked out Ruyev and took over warehouse management…
“Why do I have to do that?”
“You can do well.”
“I am… “You haven’t said anything yet?”
For a moment, Ritsu’s expression darkened.
Even though complete night was still far away, a dark shadow seemed to be cast between the frowning eyebrows.
Ritz asked bluntly.
“Tia. Then what are you going to do?”
“… Huh?”
“What are you doing now? “Why did you come to the pharmacy?”
Tia fiddled with the herb bag she was carrying.
“Recovery medicine to give to Ritz…”
“I said I would do that-!!!”
A sound like thunderstruck my ears.
I was so shocked that I couldn’t even breathe.
“Cold, cold…”
Ritsu coughed again and rolled her body.
That painful coughing sound was like a sharp blue accusation.
She says she’s glad she put herself in this situation. Are you satisfied?
Tia couldn’t say anything out of guilt.
“Tia. We’re not kids anymore. Now… “I’m an adult.”
“…”
Actually, my baptism was postponed.
She couldn’t even say that.
“You can do it, right? “I’m giving you the job because I trust you’ll do a good job.”
“… Huh. I will do it.”
“From now on, if your aunts ask for help, please go with them. You will be able to learn a lot.”
“Okay. I’m sorry, Ritz…”
She lowered her head.
She turned back, and she slowly went down the hill.
The sound of coughing continued to ring in my ears.
“Cough! Cough!”
Lastly.
I can hear the sound of spitting.
“Two.”
