Chapter 65: Act 1 – The Burning City
Unlike Aires, which was starting to get cold as winter approached, a certain island nation maintained warm weather year-round.
The sky was so clear that one could gaze at it in a daze, and the sandy beaches were as blue as the sky, merging fantastically in the port city, which was vibrant with stalls selling souvenirs and fruits, creating an atmosphere that felt uplifting just to look at.
“Wow! This is amazing!”
“Look, seagulls!”
Diana and Pyris, excited by the tourist attractions, excitedly pointed at things here and there, their laughter sounding really joyful.
Dayton, watching the scene, caught the children and said, “You two seem too excited. Take a moment to cool down.”
“It’s fine! It feels cool!”
“Yeah!”
At that moment, a perfectly refreshing sea breeze blew, sweeping over the children’s foreheads.
Whether it was due to Pyris’s spirit-like influence or just a simple natural phenomenon, it was hard to tell.
And there likely wouldn’t be much difference between the two.
For spirits are nature itself.
Everything seemed so perfect; it felt like a joyful family trip was about to unfold.
However, despite that, Yerna’s expression was uneasy.
This was because one very important thing was missing.
‘In the end, Luke didn’t come.’
That was right.
Luke planned this wonderful travel destination and sightseeing itinerary but didn’t board the plane himself.
Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say he couldn’t.
The circle engraved on Luke’s chest made it utterly impossible for him to board a typical aircraft.
Though he knew this, Luke deliberately stepped back, claiming it was Yerna’s first honeymoon, so he would let her go to a good place.
Feeling sorry for Luke, Yerna suggested, “Then how about we all go to a domestic travel destination together?” but was turned down by Luke, who said, “Even if it’s domestic, finding a proper tourist area would still require a long-distance flight to reach, and besides, since it’s like this, I’d rather be alone for a while.”
Before coming here, Yerna recalled the conversation she had shared with Luke.
—-
“Yerna, as you know, I prefer a quiet and stable atmosphere. But nowadays, the house has been so noisy every single day. Sometimes, I just want to enjoy a peaceful life. It’s exhausting for me, too.”
In reality, one of the reasons Luke had suggested international travel was not just that he didn’t want Yerna and Dayton to catch sight of him bringing numerous magic devices to Arinseia, but also his longing to spend a peaceful, comfortable, and quiet time again.
Indeed, it was surprising to realize that Luke, who had once been called a brilliant hero, even chose to live in quiet countryside seclusion for some time, albeit with a purpose.
Of course, he knew he was not the same person he was back then, but that doesn’t mean his inclinations would change overnight.
The loud daily life as it is now isn’t necessarily bad, but fundamentally, Luke preferred a quiet and peaceful life.
Yerna felt rather shocked by his words.
Yes, the reason Luke had lost the ease of life was because of the children.
She realized that Luke felt fatigued because of her inadequacies as a mother.
She had thought that Luke didn’t mind playing with the kids, so she had left it alone, but that was a mistake.
The role of raising the children with love was not Luke’s but hers.
The fact that she couldn’t properly nurture the children and had failed to realize that Luke was exhausted weighed heavily on her.
Yerna blamed herself inwardly and apologized to Luke.
“I’m sorry, I think I relied on you too much for the kids. You’re still just a kid yourself…”
“It’s fine. It happens.”
Luke would certainly not fail to understand Yerna.
After all, she had never raised a child before.
Well, if he were to ask if he had raised a child, he would say he hadn’t either, but at least he had far more opportunities to interact with children than Yerna, who lived a busy life as a forest keeper.
There had been trials involved, but as the saying goes, Luke simply did his best within the range of what he could do.
The perfectionist Luke preferred to step in and perfectly resolve and conclude matters rather than letting an inexperienced individual make mistakes and fail.
In reality, Luke’s parenting skills were “nearly” perfect.
The problem was that raising a child is an endless matter, no matter how many ties you make.
So naturally, the fatigue accumulated.
“But, are you really okay? It still feels strange for you to stay home alone while everyone else is having fun… How about we go somewhere closer where everyone can play together?”
“Yerna, don’t say that.”
Luke added, “After all, it would be disappointing to just go to a place like that for a once-in-a-lifetime honeymoon. It makes me feel worse asking to take the other kids along on the honeymoon. And… ugh.”
At that moment, Luke felt the dust from the earlier cleaning (which was more akin to emptying than actual cleaning) settle precisely on his eyes.
Ordinary dust shouldn’t have settled like this due to the mansion’s enchantments, but several items Luke had stored in the room were sensitive to magical handling, hence they had a separate setup that bypassed the mansion’s enchantments.
It’s possible that the dust overlapping at that time coincidentally related, as the “cleanliness maintenance magic” was entirely useless.
“…And?”
Suddenly, when Luke’s head lowered and the conversation halted, Yerna waited for him to finish.
Luke hesitated but eventually found his words.
“Please enjoy yourselves on my behalf. That’s all I ask.”
Saying that, Luke smiled.
——–
Reviewing the situation from that time again, Yerna was convinced once more.
‘Back then, I definitely held back tears.’
The brief glimpse of tears from Luke could have hinted that he, too, wanted to be part of the trip.
So perhaps, it was that Luke sacrificed his own desires so that their first honeymoon destination would be a good one.
“……”
Yerna then recalled the ensuing conversation.
‘Hey, didn’t you just cry?’
‘I didn’t cry at all.’
‘What do you mean? I clearly saw you wiping your tears earlier.’
‘That was just because of dust.’
‘But you said the mansion was enchanted so no dust would settle.’
‘…Whatever! Just drop it. If you keep asking, I might actually cry for real.’
‘Ah, no… Well… got it…’
Because of Luke’s persistent insistence, they eventually went on this trip, but thinking like this made Yerna feel increasingly restless.
Though she smiled and sent him off, was Luke truly okay?
At that moment, Dayton, noticing Yerna alone in her dejection, approached to ask.
“Are you feeling down because of Luke again?”
“Ah, um.”
Yerna couldn’t help but continue picturing Luke alone with his darkened and silent demeanor.
The keen observation skills of the excellent Forest Keeper Yerna never missed even the smallest actions or clues.
Seeing Luke shed tears temporarily made it impossible for her not to recall that scene.
Though Yerna hadn’t yet realized it, this was a worry all mothers shared when they loved their children.
In that respect, perhaps Yerna had already become a wonderful mother in her own right.
“What if Luke is feeling lonely and crying alone right now?”
The problem was that it was an overreaction.
Dayton, Diana, and Pyris all looked at Yerna as if she were being excessive.
“…No way.”
“Is sister crying? Why?”
“I doubt that’s true.”
The idea of Luke crying from loneliness was a scene that couldn’t possibly exist in their minds.
“But…”
As Yerna continued to wear a worried expression, Dayton handed her his phone, saying, “If you’re that worried, just give him a call! You couldn’t earlier because you were on the plane, but now it’s fine.”
“Oh, right.”
Yerna nodded as if she’d just realized and picked up Dayton’s phone.
“Got it. I’ll give him a call.”
“Just try it; Luke’s probably enjoying himself so much that his mouth is grinning ear to ear right now.”
Though the international call would be a bit expensive, that was no big deal.
Yerna picked up the phone and quickly dialed Luke’s number without hesitation.
-…….
After a few rings, Luke picked up the phone.
– “Dayton? Why are you calling suddenly; I’m busy.”
Luke’s voice sounded slightly angry.
Was he getting more sensitive alone?
“Luke? Are you free now?”
– “Ah, um… Yerna? Yerna, I’m sorry. I saw your call and thought it was Dayton; I thought it was just some nonsense.”
At that, Yerna glanced at Dayton.
With a look that seemed to say, ‘Do you often make pointless calls to Luke?’
Dayton was left with no choice but to avert his gaze.
‘When did I ever make such useless requests? I’ve only asked a few times if he could help with my new car purchase using my contest prize money…’
It wasn’t anything to cheat him out of; he planned to pay him back gradually once he got his salary.
After all, they were family, so that was perfectly fine.
