Chapter 9
The road down to the village was surprisingly peaceful.
Mr. Chain was far less intimidating than he had been the day before, and Evelyn, softened by the small gesture of kindness he’d shown her early that morning, had let her guard down—if only slightly.
Still, he remained someone she feared.
“I’ll come find you after I’m done. Stay in the village and don’t wander off.”
The moment they reached the village entrance, Mr. Chain left behind another stern warning and disappeared with quick strides.
Evelyn was suddenly alone—but rather than nervous, she let out a long, quiet breath of relief.
“Phew…”
Her expression, clouded by worry, slowly brightened as she remembered the bag full of gold coins she now carried.
Since I have the money anyway, maybe I should finally order Sister’s wheelchair.
She hadn’t wanted to use money that had been forced on her, but the monastery had too many urgent needs.
Mr. Chain was staying at the monastery whether she liked it or not, so using the money for the monastery felt… justified.
It was all just self-rationalization, of course.
Her conscience pricked at her so badly that she imagined the passing villagers were casting judging glances at her—like they somehow knew she was already spending someone else’s money.
Well, I suppose I am shameless. Thinking about spending money without a second thought.
After some hesitation, Evelyn pushed open the door to the workshop connected to the village blacksmith.
The craftsman inside looked surprised to see her, but she calmly explained that she wanted to order a wheelchair for Sister Lasagna.
“It’ll need to be custom-made, so it’ll take some time. About two months, give or take. Half up front, the rest after it’s finished.”
Still, the craftsman added with a concerned look,
“Are you sure this is okay?”
There wasn’t a single person in the village who didn’t know the situation at the monastery.
Evelyn understood that concern—and simply smiled to reassure him.
“Yes. Don’t worry about the money. Just please make it. Oh, and is there any chance it could be finished before winter ends? I’d really love for Sister to see the snow with me.”
“Well… it’s not impossible, but—”
Evelyn reached into her bag and pulled out a handful of gold coins.
“Will this be enough?”
“Huh?”
The craftsman adjusted his round glasses and blinked, clearly startled.
He stared at the coins for a long moment, as if needing to confirm they were real.
“I’d really appreciate it if you could finish it as soon as possible.”
“O-oh… I see…”
He stammered, taken aback, then quickly nodded with newfound confidence.
He even looked a bit excited.
“I’ve made a wheelchair once before, and with this kind of money, I can get high-quality materials. I’ll try to finish it within a month.”
At his confident response, Evelyn finally allowed herself a small, genuine smile.
The craftsman swept the coins into his hand, then looked at Evelyn with eyes full of admiration.
“Well, looks like Judy was right. You’re marrying the young lord, aren’t you? You’ve been through a lot, haven’t you?”
“…What?”
Evelyn blinked, utterly confused.
Judy’s name came out of nowhere, and she had no idea what he was talking about.
“She was telling everyone just the other day. Said you’re getting married soon. She even proudly claimed she arranged the match herself.”
The craftsman stopped speaking after that, and the only sound left in the shop was the clinking of coins.
In that heavy silence, Evelyn clenched her fist so tightly that her nails left marks in her palm.
Calmly—pretending nothing was wrong—she forced her voice to stay even.
“That’s strange. I clearly told Ms. Judy I wasn’t interested in marriage. I wonder how such a rumor got started.”
“Oh? So… this money isn’t a dowry?”
“No. It’s a donation to the monastery. Honestly, I have no idea how that rumor spread. I was very clear with her.”
The craftsman scratched his head with a sigh.
“Well, Judy did seem thrilled. Said it was her biggest matchmaking success. I heard her shop’s in trouble—she’s gotten herself wrapped up in gambling again…”
Now it made sense—why Judy had pushed so hard.
“I’ll have to speak to her again. If you hear anyone mention this, could you please tell them it’s not true?”
“The rumor’s already made its rounds… but sure, I can say something.”
“Thank you.”
Evelyn gave him a polite bow and left the workshop.
The moment she stepped outside, she could feel it—those subtle stares that she hadn’t noticed when she came in.
So that’s what it was…
She’d thought the attention was just her own guilty conscience playing tricks on her—but now she knew better.
She was angry.
I told her no. Clearly. And she still went around spreading lies?
Until now, Evelyn had endured rudeness and humiliation, knowing her position gave her no power.
But this—this was different.
Her eyes burned with fury, and her steps grew sharp with purpose.
The village wasn’t that large. It didn’t take long to reach the apothecary.
Evelyn knocked three times, then flung the door open without waiting for a reply.
Judy, mid-conversation with a customer, turned and smiled brightly.
“Oh my, Evelyn! Back again so soon? I knew you’d think it over!”
Of course there’s a customer here… no, maybe that’s for the best. If I want to kill the rumor, the more people who hear it, the better.
Evelyn approached with her face set in stone, a sharp contrast to Judy’s cheerful smile.
“Yes. I came to tell you that nothing has changed since yesterday.”
“…What?”
Judy’s smile twitched.
“I’m not planning to get married. I intend to stay at the monastery for the rest of my life—with Sister Lasagna and the children.”
Even if I’m not sure that’ll be possible…
Even with someone like Chaser in the picture, a dark and uncertain future ahead, Evelyn chose to hold onto hope.
Judy clearly didn’t like Evelyn’s response and raised her voice.
“Oh, please. That kind of thinking is exactly what’s ruining your life.”
She clicked her tongue, making no effort to hide her irritation.
“You need to be smart about this, Evelyn. Are you really going to waste your youth looking after an old nun who could die any day, and a bunch of kids who won’t be grown for years? You really think you’ll be able to get married after all that? Who’s going to want a woman past her prime?”
“I’ll figure it out when the time comes. I’m not worried.”
Judy’s face turned red with anger.
Her voice trembled, close to exploding—but strangely, it made Evelyn calmer.
“Oh, so you still don’t understand your situation, do you? You think selling a few scarves makes you special? You think people buy them because they like them? No, Evelyn—they buy them because they feel sorry for you.”
Her words were like knives, cold and sharp.
“Judy, that’s enough,” Mrs. Henna said awkwardly, trying to intervene. “That’s going a bit too far.”
But Judy pushed her hand away and raised her voice even more.
“And what about all that unpaid medicine? I’ve been letting it slide because I felt bad for you, but if you keep acting this stupid, I can’t keep helping you!”
Evelyn didn’t understand why Judy was so angry, but it only made her more tired.
“What are you standing there for? Go find the money and pay off your bill! Or do you need me to spell it out for you before you understand anything?”
“It’s a relief we’re finally on the same page,” Evelyn said quietly. “I came here today to pay.”
“Oh really? You actually have the money?”
Evelyn didn’t bother answering. She simply reached into her bag and pulled out two gold coins—twice the amount she owed.
She was just about to place them on the counter when—
“What’s going on here?”
A calm but firm voice came from behind her.
“W-when did you get here?!”
Startled, Evelyn turned around.
Mr. Chain was standing just inside the shop, his striking face glowing under the warm lighting of the apothecary.
No one had noticed him come in, and now his presence filled the room. In a quiet village like this, a man like him stood out. Both Judy and Mrs. Henna looked at him in awe.
But Mr. Chain ignored them. He only looked at Evelyn.
“I asked, what’s going on?”
“It’s nothing,” Evelyn replied, trying to keep her voice steady. “Just a little argument over the bill.”
He frowned slightly, clearly confused—and maybe a little annoyed.
His eyes seemed to ask: What happened to the money I gave you?
Evelyn’s face flushed with embarrassment.
She hated that he had to see her like this, in such an uncomfortable moment.
Avoiding his gaze, she placed the coins gently in front of Judy.
“Here’s the money I owe.”
Judy stared at the gold in disbelief, just like the blacksmith had earlier.
“H-how do you have this kind of money?”
Her voice trembled with surprise, but Evelyn didn’t feel the need to explain.
Mrs. Henna was standing right there, watching it all unfold—hopefully that would be enough to stop the rumors.
Evelyn gave a calm smile.
“Thank you for your patience. I won’t need to put anything on credit from now on.”
It would have been the perfect way to end things—graceful and mature.
Especially since they would likely see each other again.
But Mr. Chain clearly didn’t think so.
He stayed quiet for a moment, watching, before speaking again.
“No. That’s not what you should be saying. What you should say is that you won’t be coming here anymore.”
Evelyn opened her mouth, about to ask what he meant, but he didn’t give her the chance.
His tone grew colder.
It suddenly feels chilly in here.
Evelyn shivered slightly, and Mr. Chain stepped forward and gently wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
“Right?”
She felt goosebumps rise all over her skin.
Evelyn clenched her shaking hands and looked up to meet his eyes.
Only then did she notice the frustration in his expression—his brow slightly furrowed.
Her first reaction was confusion.
Why?
Even if she had been insulted, this wasn’t something that should make him angry.
If anything, he’d usually mock these kinds of situations.
Is he… trying to protect me?
“But… still…”
She wanted to agree. After everything Judy had said, it would’ve felt good to say yes.
But her lips wouldn’t move.
The apothecary was the only one in town.
It was as if Mr. Chain could read her thoughts.
“You said you wouldn’t have to worry about medicine anymore, remember?”
“…What?”
Before she could even ask how, he answered.
“Don’t tell me you already forgot. I said I’d take care of it—so you don’t have to worry about things like that again.”
His voice was smooth and calm, with a faint touch of amusement. It almost sounded affectionate.
It could’ve easily fooled anyone into thinking they were close.
But his eyes told a different story—firm, commanding. He wasn’t making a suggestion. He was expecting an answer.
“Isn’t that, right?”
“…Yes.”
The word slipped out before she realized it.
Only then did Mr. Chain smile.
“Well, I don’t believe we’ve met,” Mrs. Henna said, stepping in with perfect timing. “May I ask who you are?”
Mr. Chain didn’t hesitate.
“I’m a young noble courting Evelyn Bayardo. I hope that answer will do.”
Evelyn stared at him—shocked and speechless.
It was the last thing she ever expected to hear.
