Chapter 12
When Chaser Luisa whispered in a sultry tone Evelyn had never heard before, she gasped, quickly pulled her hand away, and took a step back in shock.
“W-What are you even saying?!”
But instead of being offended, Chaser calmly stepped closer. He gently took a lock of her hair and kissed it softly.
“I just realized… I don’t think there’s anyone more suited to be my bride than you.”
As he lowered his head slightly to meet her gaze, their eyes locked—his golden eyes staring directly into hers.
“So… will you marry me?”
Though his lips curved into a playful smile, his eyes burned with serious, almost dangerous intensity.
“Think about it seriously.”
That was the last thing he said before pulling away and casually walking into the monastery—his confident posture making it clear he already expected her answer.
“…What just happened?”
Evelyn pinched her cheek, half-hoping it was all a dream.
It hurt.
This wasn’t a fantasy. It was real.
Was he being serious?
Stunned, she held her head in her hands, struggling to process what had just happened—when a familiar voice suddenly called out.
“Eunnie!”
Evelyn turned around, her face pale, and saw Lize and Susan standing outside—when they were supposed to be inside the monastery. Their cheeks were flushed, and both girls had their hands over their mouths, clearly trying not to laugh.
“Y-You two! What are you doing out here so late?!”
She raised her voice out of concern, but the girls weren’t listening.
“Eunnie, are you really getting married to Chaser-oppa?”
“So that means we’re all going to the capital? Really?!”
Susan asked excitedly, while Lize grinned from ear to ear and chimed in.
“W-Where did you hear that?!”
“Hmmm…”
“Where did we hear it?”
Lize and Susan exchanged mischievous glances before bursting into giggles.
“Was it when he said, ‘I don’t think there’s anyone more suited to be my bride’?”
“Or the part where he said, ‘So will you marry me’?”
At least it seemed like they hadn’t heard the first part. That was… something.
Despite the embarrassment building inside her, Evelyn forced a smile and walked over to them.
“Come on, he was just joking! There’s no way he was serious. So don’t go telling anyone, okay? Promise me.”
Especially not Sister Lasagna. Anyone but her!
But Lize and Susan just laughed again and darted away, easily slipping out of Evelyn’s grasp as she tried to hug them—and ran straight into the monastery.
Their destination was obvious.
Sister Lasagna’s room.
Of course! That’s why Chaser suddenly started acting all sweet—he knew the kids were watching!
Panicking, Evelyn chased after them. But they were too fast. By the time she caught up, they were already inside.
To make things worse, the other children had gathered around Sister Lasagna’s bed. Lize and Susan stood in the middle, dramatically reenacting what Chaser had said, like they were putting on a play.
When their little performance ended, every eye in the room turned to Evelyn—now standing breathless at the doorway.
“Oh my, Evelyn. There you are.”
Sister Lasagna greeted her with a glowing smile. But from the look on her face, she had quite a few questions.
Allen and Remo were bouncing with curiosity and couldn’t hold it in any longer.
“Evelyn-noona! Is it true what Lize and Susan said? Are you really getting married?!”
“Did the mercenary guy really confess to you? Are you two a couple?!”
“N-No! It’s not like that at all!”
Evelyn waved her hands frantically, clearly desperate to explain. She had zero intention of marrying anyone—especially not becoming the lady of the Luisa household.
“Oh, don’t be so shy. Falling in love isn’t something to be embarrassed about. At your age, it’s natural to fall for someone at first sight. Honestly, you are quite the beauty.”
Sister Lasagna smiled warmly, though she’d clearly gotten the wrong idea—making Evelyn panic even more.
“I’m telling you, it’s really not like that!”
They say people love gossiping about others’ love lives. And clearly, Sister Lasagna was no exception. She chuckled behind her hand, clearly amused.
“All right, all right. If you say it’s nothing, I’ll believe you. But even so, you can’t just jump straight into marriage. You should date first. Get to know him.”
Her advice was serious, but her expression showed she was thoroughly enjoying the situation.
“She’s right! Noona, even if you like him, it’s way too soon to get married!”
“What are you talking about, Remo? This is the perfect age for marriage!”
“Exactly! And Chaser-oppa is so handsome and kind!”
Susan backed up Lize’s words with enthusiasm.
“You barely even know him,” Allen said, looking unconvinced. But Susan turned away with a pout.
“Well, still!”
“That doesn’t even make sense. I mean, yeah… I guess he is kind of cool…”
It seemed like Chaser had made a pretty good impression on the kids. Maybe it was because he was handsome, strong, and played with them. Or maybe it was because he’d been putting on a kind and gentle act the whole time.
“Noona! Next time, let him eat with us too! Please? We promise we’ll be super quiet and behave!”
“Yeah! I vote we all eat together from now on!”
Just like the twins they were, Lize and Remo were absolutely thrilled.
“He said we’d all go to the capital together, right? I’d actually like to talk more about that.”
“I told you—I’m not going to the capital. Seriously.”
Even Sister Lasagna chimed in with a teasing smile, and Evelyn finally gave up trying to explain herself.
At least everyone seems happy.
It had been a while since she’d seen that kind of joy on Lasagna’s face. And since she had no intention of actually marrying Chaser Luisa, letting it go at this point didn’t seem like a bad idea.
Just a little misunderstanding. A bit of laughter. If it made Lasagna happy, then maybe it was worth it.
He probably said it just to tease me anyway.
Evelyn thought it might be nice to have another conversation with Chaser, to clear things up—but not today. Today, she was far too tired.
What she needed now was to recharge—surrounded by the people she considered her true family.
Evelyn walked over to Lasagna’s bedside where the others were gathered and sat down.
“More importantly,” she said, “I have an announcement.”
As Lasagna and the five children all turned to look at her, Evelyn made a mock drumroll sound with her lips, building anticipation.
“A little while ago, I commissioned a custom wheelchair for Sister Lasagna!”
Lasagna’s eyes widened in shock.
“Oh? Really?”
Her face showed disbelief, as if she hadn’t dared to hope. Evelyn smiled brightly and nodded.
“It must’ve cost a lot to have it made specially…”
“Don’t worry about the money.”
“Where would you get money for that?”
“We received an anonymous donation, in the monastery’s name. It covered the wheelchair, medicine, and enough food to get us through winter.”
Despite Evelyn’s confident explanation, a trace of concern remained on Lasagna’s face.
Evelyn reached out, took her hand gently, and gave a reassuring smile.
“Anyway! What I wanted to say is—it should be finished by next week! Once it’s ready, we can go outside and see the snow. And when spring comes, we’ll pack lunches and go on a picnic. Doesn’t that sound nice, kids?”
“The snow! We can build snowmen together this winter!” Allen shouted excitedly, and the others squealed in agreement.
“I want to make a giant snowman right in front of the monastery!”
“Then I’ll decorate its face and make it super pretty!”
Remo and Lize burst into laughter at the fun idea.
“Promise we’ll build one together, Sister!”
Susan bounced to the other side of Lasagna and grabbed her hand with joy.
Jerry quietly approached Evelyn, then placed his small hand carefully on Lasagna’s.
“Let’s go on that picnic too!”
With Evelyn smiling beside her and five children beaming around her, Lasagna couldn’t help but be swept up in their joy. She nodded with a gentle smile.
“Yes, let’s. I’m already looking forward to it.”
Thanks to the wheelchair news, both Sister Lasagna and the children went to bed with full hearts.
After making sure everyone was asleep, Evelyn made her way to the guest room, where an unconscious patient had been resting.
“He’s still not awake…”
She let out a quiet sigh as she looked at the nameless man still lying in bed.
After the doctor had confirmed it wasn’t an infectious disease, they’d unlocked the door to his room—but he still hadn’t woken up or stepped outside.
What if he never wakes up? Should I call for a doctor from a bigger town?
Evelyn opened a window to let in fresh air, did a quick bit of tidying, placed fresh water on the table, and quietly left the room.
Her entire body ached from going into town and running around all day.
As she stepped out, rubbing her shoulder with her fist, she came face to face with someone she hadn’t wanted to see again today—
Chaser Luisa.
I was hoping I wouldn’t run into him again tonight…
He was leaning casually against the wall, arms crossed, clearly waiting for her.
“That man in the guest room… another visitor?”
Evelyn swallowed a sigh and nodded. Even though his question was simple, she instinctively responded thoroughly—so as not to annoy him.
“Yes. He collapsed in front of the monastery, so we brought him inside.”
“The doctor?”
“He already came. Said it wasn’t illness, just a deep sleep. Possibly from sleepweed or something similar…”
Evelyn cupped her cheek with one hand, letting out another sigh.
“I’m thinking we might need to call a more experienced doctor from a larger hospital.”
“Don’t. I don’t like strangers coming to the monastery.”
“But what if he doesn’t wake up?”
Maybe it was because she didn’t agree immediately, but Chaser’s brow furrowed, clearly displeased.
“How about giving me even half the attention you’re giving that guest? And stop pretending to be awkward around me.”
“Ugh—Then don’t say things like that to me, Chaser.”
“Things like what?”
Chaser tilted his head slightly, reacting to the irritation in Evelyn’s voice.
“…Evelyn.”
He lowered his voice as he spoke her name.
When she didn’t answer, he let out a short, dry laugh.
“Didn’t I tell you already? I don’t make jokes.”
As confusion slowly filled Evelyn’s face, Chaser’s expression finally softened into a faint smile—apparently satisfied with her reaction.
