Charty ran. She first ran to the lodging, but Len was not there, so she ran again.

Her breath was labored, and her right leg, not accustomed to running for a long time, hurt, but she kept running.

“Ah… Come back safely.”

When Charty finished her early morning meal and left the lodging, Len seemed somewhat absent-minded. His attitude seemed somewhat absent compared to before.

In the past, he would have followed each of Charty’s steps and gestures attentively. Today, he seemed different. It was as if his mind was preoccupied with something, lost in thought.

“I’ll be back.”

Charty tried not to show much concern. It was a stimulating contact, even if it was artificial respiration, and she didn’t want to reveal her uneasy feelings about Len, especially considering that he might be troubled by this unexpected reaction.

His reaction was unexpected, and she didn’t want to express her disappointment in case she had unnecessarily hoped for something different. So, Charty managed to maintain her usual composure and left Len behind as she headed outside.

“Why didn’t you say that!”

Why did he act like that? Why didn’t he ask if there was any trouble?

She should have at least asked if he had any conversation with Matapchu. Even if it was clear that the conversation using soundproof magic was not ordinary.

But Charty, due to an unintended outburst, focused on Len without properly examining him, unintentionally making him worried and uneasy.

She regretted not considering Len’s complex emotions.

“…Matapchu.”

Charty slowed down her steps.

“That lady… can be unhappy~ No, she will be unhappy~”

Charty stared at the end of the path she was running.

Was the destination of her current steps leading to unhappiness?

“Am I walking towards my unhappiness right now?”

She wasn’t sure.

But, looking at it differently, the answer easily came to her.

“Is Len unhappy with me?”

No. Len was not unhappy.

Charty never felt unhappy since meeting Len. There were incidents or guests that seemed to bring unhappiness, but they never made her unhappy. It was because Len protected her.

“Happiness… happiness…”

Charty unconsciously tried not to think of Len as happiness. She tried not to acknowledge her feelings and emotions towards him, resisting the thought of considering Len as happiness due to her fear of impending unhappiness.

“If it turns into unhappiness anyway…”

As the fortune-teller said, it might go that way.

Charty found the conviction tinged with the fortune-teller’s curse rather refreshing.

If the outcome was unhappiness, each step toward that ending would become happy.

“If there is happiness to chew in the midst of unhappiness… I can endure it.”

Charty was running without realizing it. Her hood fluttered in the wind, and her long hair flowed and scattered.

Even though she was running, the wind did not feel refreshing. It was nauseating.

That’s how fast Charty was running.

“…!”

And finally, Len’s figure appeared.

With a blindfold on, standing among the Kropf Mercenary Corps, Len stood out. More precisely, in Charty’s eyes, only Len was visible.
With a fast heartbeat, various words and sentences scrambled in Charty’s mind.

‘What I wanted to say to Len, what I want to say to Len…!’

With a determined will, Charty tried to catch her breath, and at that moment, she felt the tension in her throat.

“Oh, you’re here.”

“He’s here, teacher. We were just about to invite you.”

“…?”

Ashu’s granddaughter and the village head approached Charty.

Charty, who was blocked in front, glanced at Len with a bewildered look.

“…….”

However, Len, surrounded by Kropf Mercenary Corps members, didn’t turn his gaze towards Charty.

In the strangely tense situation, Charty pursed her lips in confusion and sighed deeply.

“Teacher, are you okay for a moment?”

“Oh, yes.”

Charty reflexively responded without the presence of mind to take out the note.

Fortunately, Ashu’s granddaughter and the village head didn’t react to Charty’s voice again.

‘What are they talking about?’

Leaving with the guidance of the village head, Charty looked back at Len continuously.

Usually, Len would have noticed Charty’s presence and stayed. With a slightly gloomy feeling, Charty adjusted her hair and walked away.

“Oh, it’s nice to finally meet and greet you.”

“……!”

Following the village head, Charty arrived where Karun and Butabju, the commander of the Kropf Mercenary Corps, were already present.

Charty quickly avoided Butabju’s gaze and thoroughly adjusted her hood from the bottom.

“You don’t have to be so guarded.”

Karun politely stood up first and extended his hand for a handshake.

“I was waiting to greet you on behalf of the Kropf Mercenary Corps, Doctor.”

“Huh?”

“He’s the one who helped us establish a connection with this village.”

Butabju also approached, and Charty bowed to her.

Charty greeted both Butabju and Karun with a handshake.

“I already conveyed my greetings to the lady. Did you receive them?”

The only person who could be called “lady” was Violetta.