Upon hearing this, the visibly pleased Berun welcomed the two as they left the shop together.

She took a walk down the market street with Teo.

They needed to buy dinner, but there were only a few operating shops. It was while choosing vegetables at the largest grocery store in sight.

“Hey, aren’t you Lea?”

“Aunt Jane!”

Lea grabbed the hand of the middleaged woman who had approached her while she was picking vegetables. It was the grocery store clerk Auntie she knew well from her days at the orphanage.

“I heard you became a pharmacist and went to the capital, and now you’re a fine lady?”

“You haven’t changed a bit, Auntie. You’re the same.”

“Oh, isn’t that the best compliment for a middleaged woman?”

Lea beamed at Jane, who was still smiling kindly. Finally, the shop owner also recognized Lea and approached her.

It was a time when she was greeting familiar faces in her hometown after a long time. Jane glanced at Teo, who was standing behind Lea, and smiled subtly.

“Lea, by the way, is that man behind you your husbandtobe?”

“What?”

“I thought you two were a good match. Did you come to your hometown to introduce your future husband?”

Lea looked surprised and turned to Teo. She had been away from home for five years, but it was surprising that Jane didn’t recognize Teo.

‘Has Teo really changed that much?’

Teo, whom she thought would explain first, said nothing.

Was it because of the reddish sunset? Teo was just scratching his head, his cheeks flushed.

“Auntie, this is Teo. Can’t you recognize him either?”

“What? Is this Teo?”

“Oh, right. It’s Teo!”

Unstoppable. Finally, the aunties who recognized Teo broke into laughter.

“You two look good together. Why don’t you get married this time?”

“No, no. Teo and I are nothing more than siblings.”

At Lea’s firm words, Teo twitched slightly, but she didn’t notice.

It seemed fun to tease the young ones. The marriage talk continued until Lea and Teo left the market.

Since meeting the hometown folks after such a long time, they didn’t notice the time passing while they were chatting, and soon it was dark around them.

Unable to delay any further, promising to see each other again, they headed to the orphanage with their hands full.

“How could no one recognize me?”

Chattering about the stories they couldn’t tell each other before.

Teo was sulking because the villagers, including Lea, didn’t recognize him.

“It’s because you’ve grown so tall.”

Lea pointed to her head, which even lifting her heels didn’t reach Teo’s chin, and laughed.

The orphanage was on a hill a little away from the village. When she was very young, the road to the orphanage seemed far.

Was it because she had grown up? She noticed the brightly lit orphanage.

“I wonder if the director is doing well? I can’t wait to see him.”

Thinking of the people at the orphanage she would soon meet, she made an excited face.

“Hey, Lea.”

Teo, who was walking ahead, suddenly stopped.

“Hmm?”

“I really missed you.”

“I missed you too.”

His face reddened like a ripe apple, as if he was embarrassed to say it.
“Was it so difficult to say that?” Lea tilted her head, as if she didn’t understand the reason.

“No, it’s not like that. I…!”

Theo’s lips twitched as if he had something to say to Lea.

Huh?

Just as Lea seemed to notice something in Theo’s innocent behavior, as if a boy was confessing to his first love.

“Do you like what you see?”

A familiar voice swept through her ears from somewhere.

Turning her gaze to where the voice came from, she saw a man leaning against a tree at an angle.

‘Who is that?’

She tried to identify the man, but his deeply hooded robe did not even allow a single strand of hair to be seen, let alone his face.

Suddenly, Theo, who had been watching her, blocked Lea’s path and asked the man.

“Who are you?”

He was extremely guarded. However, it made sense, as there was nothing but the orphanage at the end of the path they were walking.

So, naturally, he had to be wary of a man standing in suspicious attire.

Lea, too, was looking at the stranger with a suspicious gaze when,

“I didn’t allow a holiday so you could flirt with men.”

At the man’s voice once again, Lea’s eyes widened.

‘This voice is….’

A strangely familiar voice. It was a voice that should not be heard here.

‘Could it be.’

There was no way. There was no way the person she was thinking of could be here.

But, the alltoofamiliar stride and similar demeanor. And above all, the red pupils that were briefly revealed with each step.

The man who had unknowingly approached and was looking at her with a skewed gaze was.

‘…Count?’

It was Akkia.

‘Oh my God.’

Why would the Count. Why. What on earth was he doing here?

Was this how it felt to meet a boss who was like an enemy on a longawaited holiday? Lea stared at him with a dumbfounded face, unable to even think about closing her gaping mouth.

“How on earth, are you here….”

“I heard you were making an antidote, so I thought I’d help….”

He responded, his gaze alternating between Theo and Lea.

“It seems like I may have interrupted something?”

Akkia curled his eyes towards the two of them.