The long conversation concluded with the decision to take Meriel.
Having heard the circumstances, it didn’t seem likely that Merien would be harmed, nor did it appear she had lied.
Although Meriel had sustained an irreparable injury, she was an excellent magic scholar.
If she could interact with the mages from the Imperial Court Mage Society, it would surely contribute to the development of the Empire’s magical engineering.
Epherna judged that taking Meriel wouldn’t cause any harm.
The next day, they boarded a carriage heading to the Empire and, after several days of travel, arrived at the Much-Sector in the outer capital.
Originally, they had planned to head straight to the imperial palace, but due to an unexpected carriage accident, they had to wait for a while before setting off again.
Since it was still daytime and they were near Much-Sector, Epherna decided to introduce Meriel to the Empire and pass the time by exploring the bustling streets filled with various shops.
“Wow…!!”
With the vacation nearly over, the market area of Much-Sector was bustling with parents coming to buy goods.
Meriel was so fascinated by the crowd that she couldn’t help but express her amazement, and Epherna, seeing the sparkle in Meriel’s eyes, moved towards the market.
They stopped in front of a snack shop selling various foods, and Epherna bought a sandwich with a few coins she had saved and handed it to Meriel.
“Is this for me?”
She nodded.
“Thank you!”
Meriel took a big bite of the sandwich like a chick pecking at feed.
“Wow…!!”
As the juices from the ham burst forth, Meriel widened her eyes and melted with delight.
Epherna, taken by surprise at how much she liked it, asked.
“Is this your first time eating something like this?”
“Yeah!”
“Really…?”
As far as Epherna knew, shamans were not prohibited from eating meat. Due to the local environment, animals like cows and pigs were rare, but a noble like Meriel should be able to eat meat daily without issue.
“Our family hardly eats meat. They say that eating meat harms a healthy mind.”
Her family, who had served for generations, upheld the principles of restraint and patience.
Maintaining composure and dignity in any situation was a value passed down from her ancestors.
“Actually, one of the reasons I came to the Empire is because of my closed-minded family. It just didn’t suit me.”
Unlike the naturally quiet Merien, Meriel had a lively personality that resembled none of her family.
That was also the reason she didn’t inherit the family tradition of service.
“By the way, this is really delicious! Can I get one more?”
“Okay.”
Epherna took out some coins and bought another sandwich, handing it to Meriel.
For the record, Epherna was magically disguised, fearing chaos in the market.
Her platinum hair and eyes were temporarily changed to brown and teal.
“Looks like you came out with your family for the festival, huh?”
The chubby lady from the snack shop smiled warmly.
In that moment, Ern almost started to explain, but he was stopped by the hand tightly gripping his arm, muffling his voice.
“Yeah~ The weather is nice today, and there seems to be a lot to buy.”
“Right? Other than festivals, we hardly get days like this. By the way, I haven’t seen your family around here before. Did you come for the Foundation Day?”
“Yes! We came early to book accommodations, but there are already so many people.”
Epherna continued to speak with a friendly smile, displaying her adept social skills.
“It gets crowded around the end of the Academy vacation. It’s a good time. You should come out and enjoy; when else will you have the chance? Have fun while you’re here~”
The lady was someone Epherna and Ern knew well.
Four years ago, when they used to celebrate the festival nearby, they always visited this very snack shop.
“Auntie.”
“Yes?”
“Is business doing well lately?”
“Well, that varies from day to day. But there are plenty of people here, so I can’t complain. It’s enough to get by.”
“That’s good to hear.”
Although Much-Sector was part of the outer capital, it was virtually unaffected by Evergreen’s influence.
It was somewhat expected; a group causing crime and terror wouldn’t establish a base in the capital, which had the Empire’s military concentrated around it.
“By the way, I feel like I’ve seen your husband somewhere… Miss, haven’t we met before?”
“Honestly, this is my first time here.”
“Then it must have been my mistake!”
With the lady’s cheerful smile, Epherna tightened her grip on her arms.
Leaning her head on her shoulder, she beamed a bright smile.
“Oh my! How exciting~! It won’t be long until you meet your little brother, right?”
With her cheeks stuffed full of sandwich, Meriel raised a question mark over her head.
She hadn’t heard any of the earlier conversation while focused on her sandwich, but as Epherna’s hand reached out to her, Meriel quickly pieced together the situation and swallowed the last of her sandwich.
“A brother? That would be great!!”
“Right? If you ask Mom and Dad to make one, you might see him soon?”
“Hehe! I’ll mention it to them.”
Watching this, Ern maintained a composed smile despite feeling a bit uneasy with Epherna’s arm wrapping around him a bit too tightly.
“Miss, I know a great restaurant. Want me to recommend it?”
“Of course, I’d love that!”
“There’s a seafood restaurant in the direction I’m pointing; their eel is really fresh! It’s very popular with young couples! They use quality ingredients too!”
As a gentle young man who hadn’t married yet, there were moments that left Ern feeling dizzy.
However, seeing Epherna continue the conversation with apparent enjoyment, he couldn’t bring himself to interrupt.
“Honey, should we go to the restaurant the auntie recommended today?”
*****
Watching the two young people pretending to be a couple as they wandered through the market, Meriel found herself with her mouth full of food, leaving little opportunity for anyone to speak to her.
Every time her mouth was empty, it seemed that Epherna timed it perfectly to fill it again with food.
Thanks to that—though perhaps it was a stretch to say so—Meriel could calmly observe the couple acting like a married pair.
‘I wonder if my sister and brother-in-law look like that.’
Even though it was just an act, Epherna and Ern’s earnestness in playing their roles made them look very much like a real couple.
Moreover, the sight of Epherna with her brown hair and teal eyes made Meriel’s face come to mind.
“…”
This naturally led her to think.
If she were to meet Merien in the imperial palace, would she really be able to take her away?
According to Epherna, Merien was living a normal life as her chamberlain.
Whether she was happy or not was unclear, but just hearing that was enough for Meriel to be persuaded.
It was a simple life, certainly not sad, where she was fulfilling her role and living well.
Just like Ern and Epherna appeared to be doing.
Spending vacations in a tourist area with fresh air, enjoying the evening in a nice restaurant, sharing conversations over soup by a torchlight.
Merien seemed destined to live such a life; could Meriel really bring her back to her hometown?
Meriel herself wasn’t sure.
‘…But still.’
I hope she comes back.
I want our whole family to gather for breakfast like before.
I want to sit together in the evening by the fire, sipping soup. I want to see that nostalgic sunset once more.
‘Don’t waver…’
Everyone will be waiting.
Everyone must be waiting.
Her father, her mother, and herself.
They all deeply longed for things to return to how they once were.
With a solemn expression, Meriel swallowed the food in her mouth.
“I don’t want to eat anymore.”
Eperna, who was about to put the chicken skewers in her mouth, stopped.
Epherna, who was about to pop a chicken skewer into her mouth, hesitated.
Meriel’s expression, which had been melting with delight over the stimulating meat, had suddenly hardened.
At that moment, using magic, Meriel transmitted a message to Epherna.
[So when are we leaving? Shouldn’t the carriage be ready soon?]
Taken aback by her sudden telepathy, Epherna responded.
[…Yeah. We should get going.]
With her brows furrowed, revealing her disappointment, Meriel felt a bit guilty and turned to Ern.
“Dad.”
“…Yes?”
“Can you lean down for a moment?”
Ern bent down, adjusting to the situation where he was, for now, pretending to be Meriel’s father.
As Meriel whispered in his ear, Erne’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Do you want me to do it here?”
“If you don’t, I’ll cry.”
At that, Epherna and the lady from the snack shop leaned in, curious.
“What is it?”
“What’s going on?”
Ern hesitated, making a grim face.
Even though it was all an act, doing what Meriel said in the middle of a busy street felt a bit much.
“By the way, if you don’t do as I say, I really will cry right here.”
As Meriel said that, Epherna and the lady’s interest peaked.
“What? What will happen if you don’t do it?”
“What is it?”
Meriel prepared to shed tears.
With her eyes starting to redden, it looked like she was truly about to cry, and Ern began to think about the aftermath of her tears.
In the crowded market, a scene with a father, mother, and daughter that anyone could see was a family.
The sound of a teenager’s crying could easily draw attention.
Ern calculated the differences in outcome between complying with Meriel’s request and refusing.
‘I don’t know!’
With Meriel starting to shed a few tears, he lifted his hand.
The hand moved toward Epherna’s face, brushing aside the hair that covered her cheek.
Then—
Peck.
He kissed her, loud enough for it to be heard.
