“How much money do we have left?”
“About 20 crocks.”
“Then we have enough to pay a deposit for a carriage. Could you possibly use that money for us?”
When Chartine asked, everyone around us looked at me. It felt a bit uncomfortable. But there wasn’t much choice, so I nodded. Some people had lost even more money than I had.
Chartine smiled brightly and warmly held my hand.
“Thank you. It’s not easy to offer money like this. When we return to Kellabird, just follow me. I’ll make sure to treat you properly.”
I forced a smile. I didn’t feel okay. But 20 crocks wasn’t a lot of money, and Chartine probably said that just to be nice. Still, I was thankful even for the kind words, so I nodded.
After taking the 20 crocks from me, Chartine spoke to the others.
“I’ll look around the area and try to find a coachman.”
“Then let me go with you. It’s still night.”
A few people left the inn together. I stayed quietly in the lobby with the others. The innkeeper was nowhere to be seen. They really were a group of scammers—they disappeared quickly.
The sound of crying didn’t stop. I quietly sympathized with them and wished this was all a dream. But less than an hour later, Chartine returned with a somewhat bright voice.
“I found a carriage. I paid 20 crocks, so he said he’ll take us to Kellabird.”
Each person thanked Chartine. It really wasn’t easy to step up like she did. Everyone had lost their money and felt hopeless.
When I got on the carriage, Chartine sat beside me with shining eyes.
“Revril, thank you again. Without you, we would’ve been stuck in that Meli inn for days without a ride.”
“I only gave 20 crocks…”
I couldn’t finish my sentence, but Chartine warmly held my hand.
“Because we had that 20 crocks, the coachman was willing to move. They usually won’t without a deposit.”
It was common practice here to pay in advance before a carriage would take you. No matter how desperate your situation was, the coachman wouldn’t budge without payment. Everyone looked at me and thanked me. It felt strange and amazing to get so much attention for just 20 crocks.
‘At least that’s a relief.’
I leaned weakly against the carriage wall and looked up at the dark sky. It felt like I wouldn’t sleep tonight, and the night seemed oddly long.
I didn’t think I would fall asleep, but when I opened my eyes, it felt like I had slept deeply. I must have fallen asleep without realizing it. Outside the carriage window, the sun was just starting to rise.
A few people in the carriage were already awake and looking outside. Then, a soft voice spoke beside me.
“Why are you going to Kellabird?”
When I turned my head, Chartine was smiling at me. Honestly, I only chose that place because it seemed the farthest from Cedric’s land. Now that things were like this, I wanted to go somewhere I wouldn’t hear any news about Cedric. I thought cutting all ties with him might finally bring me peace.
Chartine kept looking at me, waiting for an answer. I felt like I should say something, so I opened my mouth.
“I want to live differently than before.”
Chartine looked at me, puzzled. I quickly continued.
“Before, I kept relying on others. But living like that only made me feel more broken. Now I want to forget everything and do something different with my life.”
I didn’t really have to explain that much, but I just wanted to talk. She didn’t know anything about my life, so I felt comfortable sharing.
Chartine quietly listened, then suddenly asked,
“Can I ask what kind of work you did before?”
I thought for a moment and then replied.
“I made scented sachets.”
“Oh, my son bought one of those once because he couldn’t sleep.”
It was a relief that she at least knew what sachets were. Chartine smiled with a hint of an idea.
“If you made sachets, you must know some herbs, right?”
I nodded. At least I knew the names of the herbs used in sachets. Chartine’s eyes lit up and she grabbed my hand tightly.
“Then how about working at the temple I manage?”
I was so surprised I couldn’t help but ask,
“At a temple?”
“Yes. We’ve been short on help there, especially since my son left for the capital. We haven’t found anyone suitable since.”
“What kind of work is it?”
“It’s sorting and organizing herbs at the temple. Every week, we burn herbs while praying. There aren’t many types, so you’ll learn quickly.”
I couldn’t answer right away. I felt confused and overwhelmed. As I hesitated, Chartine quickly added,
“I wanted to thank you somehow, and this would be perfect! You could work at the temple I manage.”
She spoke like I had already agreed. Just then, the carriage came to a stop. Chartine opened the center door, and the coachman shouted,
“We’ve arrived in Kellabird! If you’re getting off, bring the money. Once you pay, we’ll continue.”
About two people got off the carriage. Their homes must’ve been nearby, because they came back with money in just a few minutes. They thanked Chartine and me.
“Thanks to you, we made it on time. We’re really grateful.”
Their kind words made me feel a little better, and I smiled. Then a few more people got off. Someone who had lost all their money borrowed some from a nearby relative.
“I was so lost, but I’m glad I made it here. Thank you so much.”
That person also sincerely thanked Chartine and me. Only Chartine and I were left. She didn’t ask the coachman to stop, so she must’ve still had some distance to go. I didn’t feel like stopping anywhere either, so I stayed in the carriage.
The carriage traveled for a long while and finally reached a quiet village. It was near the sea, with only a few houses—it looked very small.
As the carriage slowed down, the coachman opened the middle door.
“If you bring the money, I’ll take you to the temple.”
Chartine looked at me and said softly,
“Revril, wait just a moment. I’ll go get the money.”
“Do we have to go further?”
“The temple is deeper in. We need to ride a bit more.”
Come to think of it, I hadn’t given Chartine a proper answer. But in my current situation, it would be hard to refuse the temple job.
I had no money and nowhere to stay. Since Chartine already acted like I accepted, I didn’t say anything and just nodded.
Chartine smiled and shouted to the coachman,
“Please wait a bit. I’ll go get the money.”
When she got off, the coachman patiently waited. I looked out the window for a while. A wide field and the distant sea came into view, and I felt my heart open up. I didn’t understand why I had stayed by Cedric’s side for so long. All I got was more pain.
I lowered my head and fidgeted with my hands. Then the carriage door opened and Chartine came in with a bright face.
“I already paid the coachman, so don’t worry.”
“Thank you. I couldn’t pay right away…”
“No, without you, we wouldn’t have made it this far. There’s a house at the temple too, so you can stay there for now. Later, you can move into the small house inside the temple.”
“There’s a house inside the temple?”
“It used to be where the manager lived, but they moved. It’s small, so it’s not really suitable for families.”
She even thought about a place for me to stay. Honestly, I only wanted to get as far away from Cedric as possible. I hadn’t thought much about how I’d live. Everything had happened so fast, and my mind still felt foggy.
But after receiving such kindness, I couldn’t help but speak.
“Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. Really, I’m the one who’s grateful.”
