Published at 18th of October 2021 10:53:55 AM
Kalia’s house was a two-story mansion with a high ceiling. The ordinary two-story house with white walls, a red roof, and a small garden, was situated in a secluded place just outside the city.
By her fence stood a familiar middle-aged woman and her young daughter. Both were sheltering from the sun under an old parasol and leaning against the wall chatting. They were also very familiar with Kalia.
“Mrs. McCanna?”
Kalia approached the two, who seemed to be waiting for her, with unhurried steps. Mrs. McCanna looked up at the sound of Kalia calling. Her youngest daughter, Sage, who was holding her mother’s hand, also looked at the approaching Kalia. Upon recognizing her, the child’s eyes widened and began shaking her mother’s hand wildly. Mrs. McCanna glanced down at her daughter confused, but still bowed to greet Kalia as she approached.
“Hello, Lia. You must have gone for a walk. I told you to take care of yourself on a sunny day like this,” Mrs. McCanna immediately addressed her concern and tilted the umbrella she was holding to cast a shadow over Kalia’s head.
When Kalia said it was okay, McCanna just smiled and continued to provide her shade. Sage, with her luscious brown hair tied up in a single, side ponytail, followed her mother, also greeting Kalia with a slight bend of her knee.
“Hello, I’m Sage.”
“Hi, Sage.”
The child’s eyes were brimming with curiosity as she gazed up at Kalia, her cheeks cutely stained red.
When Kalia made eye contact with her sparkling eyes, the child couldn’t hold back her curiosity and opened her mouth to ask, “That day! You’re the one who saved us, right?”
Kalia lowered her eyebrows as if embarrassed, and smiled. “I don’t know. Why do you think it’s me? Do you remember what happened that day?”
Then she gently stroked the child’s head.
“Well, I don’t remember everything, but I definitely saw you. You brought us out of the woods with you! You comforted me, saying that everything was okay!”
At the excited child’s words, Kalia simply smiled and shrugged. The child’s eyes on Kalia seemed to twinkle even more than before.
“I definitely saw you. Your pretty hair swayed right in front of my eyes! And I could definitely feel a round belly. I have a really good memory!”
“Sage,” Mrs. McCanna eventually stepped in when her daughter took a step closer to cling onto Kalia’s hems.
“Be polite. If you keep doing that, you’ll trouble Lia.”
“Ah! Yes, I’m sorry.” Sage’s shoulder deflated as she took a step back.
Kalia hesitated for a moment, then opened the front door and said as she walked inside, “Would you like a cup of tea?”
Ironically, when the group went inside, it was Mrs. McCannna who prepared the tea. It was Mrs. McCanna who was most familiar with her kitchen, so Kalia eventually sat on the couch with Sage, waiting for her to serve the tea. Placing the freshly brewed tea on the tabe, Mrs. McCanna carefully opened her mouth.
“She said she saw the fairy who saved her that day. But, the more she explains, the more I think of a certain someone. I originally thought it couldn’t be, but at some point, I was convinced that my guess might be right.”
Kalia drank tea that smelled like petals without saying a word.
“Thank you, and…” Mrs. McCanna, who was sincerely expressing her gratitude, took a deep breath. “Please don’t ever do that next time.”
At the emotions she heard in Mrs.McCanna’s words, Kalia paused, stopped her act and looked at Mrs. McCanna. McCanna’s expression crumpled so strangely that Kalia didn’t know if she was crying or laughing.
“Of course, I’m happy that you found the children, but Lia, I don’t think I would have been entirely happy if something had gone wrong. Lia, I don’t know who you were before you came here, but…” McCanna’s eyes turned to several swords that adorned the space above the fireplace.
In which world would a lady’s house have such dreadful decorations?
Various types of swords, shields and weapons could be seen hung around the house. It was a hint that Lia was an extraordinary person, but Mrs. McCanna didn’t dare guess her identity. Unlike in rural regions such as Loa, she had heard that there were many knights of both genders in the large cities. Perhaps she was also a knight from the Capital but those were just her vague speculations.
“I’m sure you are a very strong and wonderful person,” she continued, “But… I don’t think you’re a person who values yourself.”
“Mrs. McCanna.”
Without realizing it, Kalia’s face softened as if she was a child being scolded.
Mrs. McCanna, whose wrinkled face was set determinedly and eyes were shining sternly, spoke to Kalia in a firm voice. “Please cherish yourself more, Lia.”
“…Ma’am.”
“I know you’re just following your beliefs but I think it’s wrong to put yourself at risk no matter how strong you are or how good your beliefs are. Of course… Thanks to you, our children were able to come back safely. I’m very grateful but don’t do that in the future.”
McCanna, who had been talking passionately, paused for a moment and took a deep breath to rein in her emotions. She looked at Kalia with trembling eyes. Complex emotions were entangled and swirling in the depths of her eyes.
“I’m really, really angry… But thank you so much.”
Tears eventually welled up in Mrs. McCanna’s eyes.
“When I heard that you had saved Sage with your full-term body, my first thought was just: Thank you. Thank you, thank you for saving her. On behalf of my family, who was unable to do anything. Thank you for bringing my Sage back safely.”
At the sound of her mother’s tearful voice, little Sage tightly clasped her mother’s trembling hands in her own small ones and made an apologetic face.
Mrs. McCanna smiled through her tears and hugged her daughter’s head, giving her head a kiss.
“I’m so sorry. Despite you being in a dangerous situation where you could’ve been hurt, I was just glad my child was safe. I’m sure there are people who don’t want you to get hurt or want you to get out of the way in the face of danger….but all I thought was that my child was safe.”
“Ma’am, that’s natural.”
“No, it’s not natural,” Mrs. McCanna smiled strangely, profound and mysterious1, and looked at Kalia.
“I don’t want to take you for granted, Lia.”
In a single sentence, Kalia could feel Mrs. McCanna’s sincerity.
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Her thank you and her sorry.Chapter end
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