Chapter 62
Chapter 62
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: A Strong Person (3)
I looked where Merthesia’s gaze was directed.
The owner of the grocery stall was standing there.
He must have spotted us while moving a box of peaches.
An uncomfortable glance flickered briefly from under the hand wiping away his sweat.
Though the gaze quickly shifted elsewhere,
the fragment of emotion it had already conveyed did not easily fade.
Again.
I looked down at Merthesia.
Her small hand was clutching mine tightly.
Merthesia was far more sensitive to others’ emotions than I, who felt nothing.
Such a child
could not possibly miss the feeling embedded in that gaze.
As always, I gently wrapped my hand around her small one.
“It’s okay.”
“……”
“No matter what we do, there will always be people who have something to say.”
It was the truth.
Even after helping with repairs all spring,
even though Merthesia worked diligently running around everywhere,
there were still those who refused to accept us warmly.
Among them were people we had helped, and those we hadn’t.
The same actions
earned praise from some,
while others looked for faults.
I knew it well.
All created beings are similar yet different.
They see the same thing and think differently,
hear the same words and harbor entirely different feelings.
Merthesia must have realized it too.
That not all goodwill is always received purely.
That was why she nodded so slowly to my words.
But the uneasy, fidgety look in her eyes remained.
I patted Merthesia’s back lightly.
“Still.”
“……”
“You’re doing well. Really.”
Merthesia’s eyes widened.
She stared at me blankly for a moment, then her eyes quickly reddened.
Her lips, pressed tight to hold back tears, trembled faintly.
“……”
Merthesia drew closer.
Cautiously, very slowly, she buried her face in the hem of my robe.
I slowly stroked her hair.
“Not everyone is like that.”
“……”
“Lots of people like you. Right?”
“……!”
Merthesia nodded slightly.
Compared to when we first came to the village with the child,
I could feel more people gradually opening their hearts.
At first, it was only Hubert and Lauren.
But now—
Arthur from the general store,
Shaun selling mushroom skewers,
the grandmother at the village edge handing out candy.
The number of people welcoming us warmly was growing.
“……”
“Feeling better?”
Finally, Merthesia’s face emerged from behind the robe.
But—
To my question asking if she was okay,
Merthesia just gazed at me steadily.
Her expression was brighter than before.
The redness around her eyes had subsided.
Yet Merthesia tugged at my robe as if something were still missing.
Her lips pursed tight,
the look in her upturned eyes somehow desperate.
What is it? She wants something from me…
I chuckled softly.
Only now did I realize what this little child truly wanted.
I stroked her head gently as I spoke.
“Yeah. I like you too.”
“!”
Only then did a full bloom of smiles light up Merthesia’s face.
Crescent-moon curved eyes.
Cheeks flushed peach-pink.
Seeing her smile openly expressing joy put my mind at ease.
“Shall we go to the bookstore first?”
“!”
Our original destination was the flower shop.
But to get there, we had to pass the grocery stall.
There was no need to take that path first.
I wanted to let her joyful smile linger as long as possible.
I turned toward the bookstore.
The familiar entrance.
As I opened the door, a pleasant bell rang.
Soon, a familiar and warm voice greeted us.
“Welcome.”
“Hello, Mr. Hubert.”
“!”
“Heh heh, yes. What book are you here for today?”
“Looking to buy a book on horticulture.”
Once back at the cabin,
I planned to try growing medicinal herbs that could only be cultivated in summer.
Summer.
The season when the sun stayed longest.
Perhaps because of that.
Merthesia had been getting bored more often lately.
With days lengthening, she wanted to stay outside longer,
and grew sullen when my reading time extended.
She’d tap the window with her small hand,
snuggle right up beside me and stretch pointlessly,
or sometimes poke me with her doll to draw my attention.
“Want to go out?”
“!”
That led to more outdoor reading sessions.
I figured Merthesia would play,
and I’d watch her while reading.
But
“……”
“Not practicing walking?”
“!”
Merthesia just sat on my lap, not moving an inch.
I accepted it and focused on reading.
But before I could turn many pages, Merthesia tugged my clothes.
“What?”
“……”
Merthesia glanced around somewhat urgently,
then pointed with her tiny finger at a flower blooming a short distance away.
“……!”
“Hm?”
“……”
“What’s that? …Looks like a periwinkle.”
After that, Merthesia
pointed at every flower, plant, or noticeable thing she saw,
tilting her head repeatedly and asking me about each one.
I planned to channel that interest into proper horticulture.
Parenting books said it was good to join in what the child shows interest in,
without missing chances.
That was why I bought the sand play toys at the general store.
I roughly explained the situation to Hubert.
Hubert stroked his beard and smiled as he listened.
“Heh heh, that’s a fine idea.”
“Yeah. So I need a horticulture book.”
“Decided what to plant?”
“Reserved herb seeds. For the rest… I’ll stop by the flower shop and let Merthesia pick what she wants to plant.”
Hubert nodded, looking very pleased.
“Good thinking. Nothing makes a child attach more than picking themselves. They’ll water more diligently too.”
“I hope so.”
“……!”
At those words, Merthesia suddenly lifted her head.
Her eyes sparkled noticeably,
as if she thought an important mission for her had been assigned.
Her gaze suggested she was already tending a flowerpot in her mind.
A soft smile formed.
Hubert also looked at Merthesia fondly and nodded.
“Indeed. Then shall I join you at the flower shop?”
“Why, Mr. Hubert?”
“The flowerpot at the bookstore entrance wilted in the heat. Need a new one, but no idea which would suit.”
“I see.”
“If it’s okay, could Mer pick one?”
“!”
Merthesia gasped.
Then nodded cautiously.
“……!”
Hubert smiled broadly at Merthesia’s response.
His wrinkled eyes crinkled softly with warmth.
“Heh heh, reliable. I’ll look forward to it.”
“……!”
A small hand tugged lightly at my robe.
Merthesia looked up at me with sparkling eyes.
“Hm? What?”
“……”
“…Let’s pick together?”
“!”
“Yeah. Let’s pick together.”
Merthesia beamed.
We bought the horticulture book and headed to the flower shop with Hubert.
The child’s light, bouncy steps soon halted abruptly.
Another gaze felt.
No way…
It was the grocery stall owner.
Watching us again from across the way.
The difference was,
this time he openly showed his discomfort.
Even Hubert, with poor eyesight, noticed.
“Heh heh, that fellow hasn’t changed.”
“Yeah.”
“……”
Our eyes met,
and he grimaced ever so slightly.
Merthesia’s hand gripped my robe again.
Seeing it, Hubert stroked his beard leisurely and spoke.
“I must’ve talked to that fellow several times this spring.”
“Not once. Never asked him for anything.”
“True. Well, his stubbornness is harder than stone anyway.”
Hubert approached the grocery stall owner.
As if nothing was amiss, with his usual slow gait.
Then casually spoke.
“Fine peaches you have.”
“……Yes.”
The stall owner flinched briefly.
Unaware or not, Hubert continued leisurely.
Though his words were calm, his gaze occasionally turned to us.
His eyes were sharp at all.
And the intent in them couldn’t be ignored.
Neither side.
I slowly opened my mouth.
“Merthesia.”
“……?”
“You asked before what strength is.”
Merthesia nodded slowly.
Perfect timing, a good example was right in front.
I spoke leisurely, watching Hubert converse with the stall owner.
“Having great physical power or overflowing magic is one form of strength, but…”
“……”
“The most important strength in living is knowing when to bend without losing yourself.”
“?”
Merthesia tilted her head.
Probably too abstract for a child.
So I explained more simply.
“You don’t need to be kind to everyone.”
“……”
“But if you can act true to yourself even toward those you dislike…”
I chuckled and continued.
“That’s true strength.”
“……!”
“If you don’t want to, you can quietly keep distance. The key is acting as yourself without regrets, so you can stand tall saying you did what you could.”
Merthesia’s gaze turned to Hubert.
He was still by the peach box,
nodding to the man’s words, wrapping up the talk.
“Merthesia.”
“……?”
“What do you want to do?”
“……”
She hesitated a moment, then slowly clenched her fist.
Cautious, yet resolved to follow her own choice.
I patted her head.
“Even if rejected, it’s fine. You did all you could as yourself, and accepting is their choice. And…”
“……?”
“I’m right here with you. So nothing to fear.”
“……!”
Merthesia took a slow step forward.
The child approaching the stall owner
clasped her hands neatly and bowed cautiously.
A short greeting, but filled with Merthesia’s own kindness.
“What’s this? Greeted, so answer at least.”
“…Uh, y-yeah.”
The stall owner’s voice cracked awkwardly.
An clumsy, unpolished response, but at least not ignored.
That seemed enough for Merthesia.
The child, with a bright smile,
quickly scurried back to my side.
“……!”
“Yeah. Good job.”
Her small hand grasped mine again.
The grip felt firmer than before.
I smiled, holding it back.
“Now let’s go. Time to pick what to plant.”
“!”
After buying what we needed at the flower shop, we headed to the cabin.
Perhaps because the stall owner had responded to her greeting.
A sense of relief lingered on Merthesia’s face.
Suddenly, I recalled our talk with Hubert before parting.
“…She’s changed a lot.”
“Merthesia has?”
“Yes. Before, she’d tremble at such gazes.”
“She did…”
The child who once feared standing before people
now thought for herself, hesitated but slowly approached.
“Third time today I’ve heard that.”
“Heh heh, is it? Then you’ve heard this too.”
“What?”
“You’ve changed quite a bit yourself.”
I tilted my head at Hubert’s words.
“…Me?”
“Yes. You, Row.”
The talk ended there.
Afterward, only brief farewells and promises to meet again.
Changed, huh…
Even pausing to think, I couldn’t tell how I’d changed.
But—
I knew well how much the child before me had changed.
I recalled when I first saw Merthesia.
Pale skin.
Gaunt, emaciated body.
Completely lifeless eyes.
Alive, yet not truly living.
A child who could close her eyes forever at any moment.
That child—
“……!”
“Hm?”
Now gripped my hand back and smiled brightly.
Under the sunlight,
full of life’s warmth.
Glowing as a being unmistakably alive, for anyone to see.
Yeah… I’ve changed too, I guess…
I didn’t know what changed.
But sometimes, others see you more clearly than yourself.
And—
Facing this change,
I couldn’t remain forever stopped as always.