Chapter 17 – Chapter 2: Familiar Guest – 3
… What?
Ruyev didn’t show up today?
Uncle Marvin took a deep sigh and asked Tia.
“Tia, you. I heard that when Luyev was on patrol the day before yesterday, he went into your house. “Is that true?”
“Yes… Yes? Oh, that…”
“Tell me properly whether the house was broken into or not. Because everyone is looking for Ruyev because of that.”
I was so surprised that my mouth didn’t drop.
How do the villagers know that?
Obviously, only me, Ruev, and Tia knew about that incident.
I didn’t even mention it.
There is no way Ruyev confessed.
From the way she was interrogating Tia, it seems like she never mentioned him anywhere.
… How?
Tia’s eyes wavered.
“Well, it’s true that I came into the house. But I told him to come in.”
“You asked me to come in?”
“Yes. Because it’s cold outside, Ruyev also said he had something to urgently ask me…”
“Anyway, do you know what it means to bring a man into a house where a girl lives alone who hasn’t even had a baptism yet, especially at night!”
“I know, but nothing really happened… Because Ruev is a friend…”
“Friends or whatever. It shouldn’t have been like that from the beginning, Tia. “You called a man at night, and you want us to believe that nothing happened?”
Uncle Marvin advised in a stern voice.
“Do you know why you were allowed to live separately in that big house? I was convinced because Sherry convinced us all that you could do it on your own. However… “Do you know that every time you do something like this, you embarrass Sherry?”
“… “I’m sorry.”
Tia’s lips trembled. Her eyes turn red.
I could understand her resentment.
Tia did nothing wrong.
It’s clear that Ruev opened the door on his own and woke up Tia.
Still, Tia said she let him in and tried to cover up for Luev.
I couldn’t believe it.
Whether he knew that the price would be a heavy punishment of ‘expulsion’, he was willing to take on the crime.
… Sorry, Tia.
I can’t leave it like that.
“Uncle Marvin. Tia did nothing wrong. I caught a glimpse of it when I went to the backyard to relieve myself that night. Ruyev opens the door himself and goes in.”
Two people looked at me at the same time. With a shocked face.
Uncle Marvin asked heavily.
“What? Is that true? But why didn’t she tell me before?”
“It was so dark that I thought I had seen something wrong. I never thought something like that would happen either. But after listening to the story, it seems like it must have been Ruyev.”
“Damn it!”
When my testimony was added, her suspicions became confirmed.
Uncle Marvin ran outside and shouted to the villagers that they had to find Ruyev immediately.
Tia, who was next to her, took a deep breath.
The guy looked back at me with confused eyes.
“… Ritz. That’s real… ? Really… Did you see it?”
“Yes.”
“Do not lie… That can’t be possible… You… Unless you come to see me… “You don’t come out at night.”
“Tia. “I’ll take care of it.”
I’m tired of sitting still without knowing what you guys are talking about.
I will protect you in my own way.
“So you just stay still.”
“… !”
Tia’s voice began to tremble.
“Ritz… “What are you thinking?”
“It’s handled according to the village rules. It is true that Lu Yev entered your house during the night, and he will only punish you accordingly.”
“What’s the big deal about that? “I, the landlord, say it’s okay!”
“It might be okay for you, but it’s an unacceptable problem for the villagers.”
“I cannot tolerate this!”
“… Then Tia.”
My heart grows cold.
Maybe my face was uglier than I thought.
It’s not completely cured yet, so my cheeks are sunken, and my eyes are puffy from fatigue.
Moreover, she may have rolled her eyes in fear because she could not possibly understand Tia’s thoughts of trying to make up for Luyev’s sins.
Maybe that’s why Tia looked at me with her scared eyes.
“Can you two tell me what you talked about?”
“That…”
As expected, he avoided my gaze.
“Oh, it was nothing. It’s just…”
“It’s okay.”
Okay. I already know.
There’s one more secret I can’t tell.
No, maybe not one.
But Tia.
Do you know that I can tell you everything?
If you ask, I will be happy to tell you about the ‘secret mission’ that Uncle Joseph entrusted me with and about the ring I secretly received. And I’m ready to ask and listen to your opinion.
That’s how sincere I am.
… But you.
“Are you okay. “If you won’t say anything, just make Ruev open his mouth.”
“Ritz… ?”
When I stood up, Tia tried to stop me.
She shook off his hand and walked towards her door.
“Ritz! Why are you like this?”
“Don’t stop me.”
I have already made up my mind.
I don’t know what happened for two months.
I don’t even know what the ‘crazy outside’ that Ruyev is talking about is.
But from now on, I’m going to jump into it. You must know.
I will see with my own eyes how ugly and nasty things are hidden.
I grabbed the doorknob and warned Tia.
“You. Stay right here. “Don’t move from your room.”
“Ritz-!!”
Bang!
I closed the door and left.
For the first time in a while, my heart feels relieved and my head feels clearer.
Now there is only one thing to do.
Catch Ruev.
* * *
“They took me out first.”
It was a conclusion that turned the entire village upside down.
I couldn’t find Ruyev anywhere.
He must have sensed first that they would come to get him, and Luev quietly disappeared with Marie.
Looking at the messy traces left in the house, the escape seemed to have been secret and sudden.
There are clothes left unpacked and the straw hat that Marie liked to wear scattered on the floor.
She asked in the village below, but she said she had never been there.
It looks like he probably climbed over the mountainside and fled at night.
The villagers sighed.
Anyway, Ruyev was a guy who was good at his job.
Since he was responsible for all kinds of chores and even getting firewood to survive the winter, it was highly likely that he would actually be sentenced to a few beatings rather than being exiled.
From the perspective of the elderly, there is a perception that Ruyev is a young man who is good at doing dirty things, so I also planned to move on without reporting the incident.
But there was nothing I could do since it was already revealed to the world.
We had to catch Luyev, and he exiled himself. He doesn’t even have anyone to blame anymore.
In the end, the villagers agreed to just cover it up and move on.
“Uncle Marvin. But who knew and how did they say that Ruev went to Tia’s house in the middle of the night?”
“Merid told me.”
When she asked her aunt Mary, she said she had heard the story at a bakery down in the village.
“There are already a lot of rumors in Taildon, right? “I didn’t expect to hear Tia and Ruev’s story there either.”
“…”
I felt bad.
It was very unpleasant to hear that the people of Taildon were very interested in our work.
Isn’t it that our relationship is just used as an interesting topic for them, such as love and struggle?
What bothers me more than that is why the people who knew about it ‘first’.
It happened between Tia and Ruev during the night when everyone was asleep. The only witness was me.
Since everyone involved was silent, only Shinryong should know.
But how on earth should we understand the fact that the rumor first spread in Taildon, which is a long way away from here, and then the rumor came to our village?
Crash.
When I returned to Aunt Sherry and opened the door, I saw Tia squatting on the floor of her room.
I thought he would ignore my warning and run off wherever he wanted. It seems like he really stayed in this room.
I wanted to praise Tia’s patience as she patiently waited.
However, the guy seemed very weak.
“Done. You can go back now.”
“…”
The first thing Tia asked after being silent for a while was the name of that unlucky bastard.
“Luev… Have you decided to expel me?”
“No. It’s gone. “I think he ran away the night before.”
“… “What about Marie?”
“Marie too.”
“…”
Tia slowly got up and walked past me with an expressionless face.
At that moment, she couldn’t help but be surprised.
Because her fresh apple scent remained in my memory
All of her memories bloomed like a boil.
Us as children, the snacks we secretly ate together at night, even the promise we made at the Lake of Vows.
Suddenly, the desire to hug him arose.
The guy just asked in a gloomy voice.
“Now… Are you satisfied?”
To be honest, yes. I am satisfied.
Since people found out about this situation anyway, one of them had to leave the village.
That was the cleanest ending.
If you are dragged away in a pitiful manner, you will end up living a life under even more surveillance in the village.
In that respect, I respect Ruyev’s choice.
As expected, like a guy who is good at his job, he handled the case in the best way possible.
Well, he’ll take care of everything, so he’ll be able to live without any problems wherever he goes.
Marie… Hmm… Because he is kind and dexterous.
What… I will live well like my brother. Obviously.
Anyway, I did my best.
Even if you ask me 100 times to choose between Ruev and Tia, the answer 100 times will always be fixed.
I am satisfied just by revealing Tia’s innocence.
“…”
Still, I couldn’t say anything.
This is the worst outcome that Tia hoped would not happen.
Because I just realized it when I saw her eyes that had lost their light.
Clutter.
I couldn’t bear to catch him closing the door and leaving.
Did it go well? I think it went well.
No matter how much I thought about it, this was all I could think of.
I lay down on the bed.
Will Uncle Joseph tell me I was right?
Wouldn’t it be possible to convince Tia why I had no choice but to do this?
Okay. Let’s just wait until then.
“Ha.”
She took out a gold coin from her pocket and rolled it slowly on her chest.
The uncomfortable feeling goes away and comfort slowly comes.
Me too… He seems like a bit of a bad guy.
The feeling of holding on to a gold coin tightly like the merchants of Deseo provides ultimate comfort.
This feeling of holding something tightly in your hand.
“I’m sorry, Tia.”
This is my greed.
