(At the Restaurant)
Eva placed her fork down with a satisfied sigh, leaning back in her chair as if all the weight of the world had finally disappeared.
“Ahh… now I feel better,” she said happily.
Then, as if to prove her point, she lifted her arm and lightly flexed her muscle, grinning. “I feel energy rushing through my body!”
Luca burst into laughter, and even Aranel couldn’t hold back her giggle.
Aranel shook her head, amused. “So you weren’t sick… you were just hungry.”
Across the table, Kyel’s expression instantly changed.
“Sick…?” he repeated slowly, his gaze shifting toward Aranel. “Lady Aranel… what do you mean by that?”
Eva’s smile froze.
She turned her head toward Aranel and shot her a deadly glare—so intense it could’ve shattered glass.
Aranel stiffened and shifted awkwardly in her seat. “It’s nothing, brother-in-law…” Aranel laughed nervously. “I was just sayi—”
“Lady Aranel,” Kyel interrupted, his voice calm but commanding. “Tell me.”
Aranel swallowed. “…Eva said she’s been feeling sick since morning,” Aranel admitted quietly. “She couldn’t even stand properly earlier. She was tired… exhausted.”
The moment those words left her mouth, Kyel’s chair scraped harshly against the floor as he turned sharply toward Eva.
His eyes darkened. “Eva,” he said, voice low, dangerous. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Eva blinked, caught off guard.
“If you’ve been sick,” Kyel continued, “you should have told me.”
Eva quickly waved her hand, trying to brush it off. “It wasn’t anything serious. I’m fine now.”
Kyel didn’t respond. He leaned closer, his gaze scanning her face as if searching for even the smallest crack—any sign of weakness. But Eva looked completely normal now. Her cheeks were warm with color, her eyes bright. Not a trace of exhaustion remained.
Eva frowned. “Don’t look at me like that,” she muttered. “I told you I’m fine now.”
Kyel’s eyes softened just a little, but his tone remained firm. “Tell me if you feel sick again.”
Eva stared at him for a moment… then her expression melted into a gentle smile. “…Okay,” she said softly. “I’ll tell you.”
Only then did Kyel relax, leaning back in his seat.
Luca, who had been silently watching the exchange with an amused glint in his eyes, finally spoke.
“Now that we’ve eaten,” he said, stretching his arms lazily, “let’s go somewhere else.”
Aranel nodded excitedly. “What should we do next?”
Eva’s eyes sparkled as she clasped her hands together. “Let’s go back to the market and buy some gifts!”
Luca immediately stood up. “Alright. Let’s do that.”
He reached out, taking Aranel’s hand and gently helping her stand.
Kyel rose more slowly, his movements graceful and controlled, and then reached for Eva’s hand. His grip was warm—steady. He helped her stand as well, his eyes still lingering on her face.
And together, the four of them left the restaurant, stepping back into the lively streets of Velmoria—
toward their next destination.
__________________________________
Velmoria Market
(30 minutes later)
Half an hour passed in the bustling streets of Velmoria. By now, Kyel and Luca’s hands were completely full—bags hanging from their arms, fingers barely able to grip anything else. Meanwhile, Eva and Aranel were walking ahead at a distance, still stopping at every stall like they had endless energy.
Kyel and Luca followed behind silently, carrying the weight of their shopping spree like two loyal guards.
Just then, Kyel suddenly stopped.
Luca nearly bumped into him. “What is it now—” Luca began, but his voice trailed off when he noticed where Kyel was looking.
A small stall displayed delicate ornaments—rings, bracelets, necklaces… and among them, a silver hairpin shaped like a blooming lily, its surface shimmering under the sunlight.
Kyel’s eyes settled on it.
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Luca raised an eyebrow. “You want to buy something?”
Kyel reached out and picked up the hairpin.
The vendor’s face lit up instantly, excitement flashing in his eyes. “Excellent choice, sir! That piece is truly beautiful. Pure silver, handcrafted with great care!”
Kyel turned his head, his gaze landing on Eva in the distance. “This hairpin will look good on Eva.”
The vendor followed Kyel’s gaze and spotted Eva. His smile widened. “Ohhh…” he said with admiration. “Is that your wife, sir? She is indeed very beautiful—”
Kyel’s expression darkened instantly. His voice dropped, sharp and cold like a blade.
“Don’t look at my wife.”
The vendor stiffened, sweat forming on his forehead. “F-forgive me, sir! I only meant that this hairpin will definitely suit madam—”
“How much?” Kyel asked.
The vendor quickly cleared his throat. “Fifty gold coins.”
Kyel stared at him. “Fifty?”
Luca crossed his arms, nodding. “Nice. He’ll buy it—”
“I’ll give you eight gold coins,” Kyel said calmly.
Luca froze. He turned slowly toward Kyel, as if he had misheard him. “…Eight?”
The was bargaining.
Luca leaned closer and whispered in disbelief, “Eyan… you’re bargaining?"
Kyel didn’t even glance at him.
“I’ll give you eight.” his tone firm.
The vendor’s face twisted. “Forty.”
“Seven,” Kyel replied immediately.
“Thirty. Final offer.”
Kyel’s lips curved slightly. “Six. Final.”
Kyel and the vendor stared at each other in silence, both refusing to back down—waiting to see who would surrender first.
Luca stood beside them, watching with disbelief. His arms were full of shopping bags, yet his shock was heavier than all of them combined. He leaned closer to Kyel and whispered urgently.
“Eyan… what are you doing? You keep lowering the price. Just buy it already. There’s no way he’ll sell it for six gold coins.”
Kyel didn’t even look bothered. He calmly glanced at Luca. “What if I can make him sell it for even less?”
Luca frowned. “That’s impossible.”
Kyel’s lips curved into a faint, knowing smile. Then he turned his head toward the distance and called out in a clear voice.
“Eva.”
Luca’s eyes widened. “…Why are you calling sister-in-law?”
Kyel replied smoothly, almost amused. “Just wait and watch.”
Eva, who had been busy shopping with Aranel, paused when she heard his voice. She turned her head, spotted him, and walked toward him without hesitation.
“Yes, honey?” she asked brightly.
Kyel lifted the hairpin and showed it to her. “I want to buy this for you… but he isn’t cooperating.”
Eva took the hairpin, examining it carefully. Then her eyes shifted toward the vendor. “How much is this?”
The vendor immediately straightened. “Thirty gold coins,” he said confidently. “That’s my final offer.”
Eva’s eyes narrowed slightly.
She turned toward Kyel, her voice low. “Honey… how much did you offend him?”
Kyel answered honestly, “Six gold coins.”
Eva stared at him like he had lost his mind. “Are you crazy?!”
Luca immediately stepped in, nodding dramatically. “Yes, sister-in-law! Tell him he’s crazy. Who offers six gold coins—”
“You offended him with six?” she asked Kyel, shaking her head. “That’s too much.”
Luca froze. “…What?”
Before Luca could even process her words, Eva turned sharply toward the vendor, her expression suddenly fierce. “You’re robbing my husband,” she said coldly. “I’ll give you four gold coins.”
The vendor’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Madam! I can’t sell it that low! Twenty gold coins— I can’t go lower than that!”
Eva lifted the hairpin and held it up, her fingers pointing to its details. “Look at this craftsmanship,” she said sharply. “The carving is uneven. The design isn’t balanced.”
She tilted it slightly, letting the sunlight hit it. “And this isn’t pure silver,” she continued. “It’s silver plated. It won’t last more than a year before it dulls and peels.”
Her eyes narrowed. “And you want twenty gold coins for this?”
The vendor swallowed. “…Then madam,” he said quickly, trying to save himself, “give me ten.”
Eva’s expression didn’t change. “Four,” she repeated firmly. “Take it or I leave. You can sell it to someone else.”
The vendor hesitated.
His eyes flickered between Eva and Kyel. Finally, the vendor let out a long sigh of defeat. “…Fine. Four gold coins,” he muttered. “Take it. It’s yours.”
Luca’s mouth fell open. He stared at Eva like she had just performed forbidden magic.
Eva turned around instantly, her face brightening as if she had won a war. “Honey!” she said excitedly. “Give him four gold coins!”
Kyel nodded obediently. “Okay.”
Satisfied, Eva skipped away happily back toward Aranel, holding the hairpin like a trophy.
Luca stood rooted in place, still stunned. “…What did I just witness?” he whispered.
Kyel smiled, calm as ever. “I told you,” he said. “He would sell it for a lower price.”
Kyel pulled out gold coins and handed them to the vendor.
The vendor blinked in confusion when he felt the weight in his palm. “S-sir… this is thirty gold coins,” he said nervously. “You only needed to give me four…”
Kyel smiled slightly. “Just keep it.”
Luca whipped his head toward him. “Then why did you bargain in the first place if you were going to pay thirty anyway?!”
Kyel’s gaze shifted toward Eva, who was laughing happily with Aranel, her face shining with excitement.
“To see her smile,” Kyel replied softly. He continued, his voice warm and fond. “She gets excited when she wins a deal,” he murmured. “you saw it. How happy she was.”
Luca chuckled, shaking his head. “Yes… I did.”
But his laughter faded quickly.
Because when Luca looked at Kyel again, he noticed something he hadn’t seen before.
Kyel’s eyes… They weren’t the eyes of a ruler right now. They were the eyes of a man who loved someone so deeply that even watching her breathe felt like a blessing.
Luca stared at him for a long moment. Then he spoke, his voice lower, softer. “Eyan…”
Kyel turned slightly.
Luca hesitated, as if the question in his heart had been there for a long time, but he had never dared to ask.
“Tell me honestly…” Luca said. “What made you fall in love with sister-in-law? What made you choose her as your wife?”
Kyel didn’t respond right away.
Instead, his smile grew slightly, almost as if Luca had asked the most obvious question in the world.
“I won’t tell you,” Kyel murmured. “I’ll show you.”
Luca frowned slightly. “…Show me?”
Kyel tilted his head subtly, pointing with his eyes toward a small stall nearby.
An old woman sat there alone, selling peaches. Her clothes were worn, and her hands looked rough from years of work. Yet she still greeted passersby with a tired smile.
“Look at that old woman,” Kyel said quietly. “The one selling peaches.”
Luca followed his gaze. “What about her?”
Kyel’s voice remained calm, almost certain. “Just watch. Eva will go to her.”
And just as Kyel said—
Eva suddenly grabbed Aranel’s hand and dragged her forward. She walked straight toward the old woman’s stall without hesitation.
“Grandmother!” Eva greeted brightly, her voice warm and cheerful.
The old woman’s face immediately lit up. Eva picked up a peach, examined it like an expert, then smiled widely.
“These are so fresh!” she exclaimed loudly. “Look at the color! They smell amazing too!”
Her voice was clear enough to attract attention. People passing by turned their heads. Eva continued praising the peaches, laughing and chatting with the old woman as if they were family. Aranel joined in, smiling as she helped Eva gather the fruits.
Soon, more customers began stopping at the stall. The old woman laughed, her tired face softening with happiness as her peaches started selling quickly.
Luca watched the scene, confused. “Sister is just buying fruit,” Luca muttered. “What about it?”
.
.
To be continued—
