Chapter 17 - Master, It's Time to Pay Your Dues
[Eliana's POV]
"Master. It's time to pay your dues."
When I said that, Master gave me a troubled look.
We were at the Seabreeze Inn.
It was still quiet in the dining area, just before dinner.
Master sat across the table from me.
Ms. Selena was seated beside him.
I placed both hands on my knees and straightened my back.
"Did you tell Ms. Selena you would marry her?"
"...I did."
"Had you forgotten your promise?"
"I haven't forgotten."
"Then, have you changed your mind?"
Master raised his head.
"That's not it."
Ms. Selena turned to look at him.
I did, too.
Master stared at the grain of the tabletop.
"Then stop running away. We can't even talk things through like this."
"No, well, you see—"
"Master, you're always telling me to make my own decisions, aren't you?"
"...Yeah."
"If you've made up your mind and even made a promise, then make sure the other person knows how you feel."
As I spoke, I found myself feeling a little strange.
He had been teaching me the sword since I was eleven.
He had taught me how to hold a sword, how to move my feet, and what to do when I ran into trouble while traveling.
I had never imagined the day would come when I would be the one giving him this kind of advice.
Master scratched the back of his head.
"You've really grown up in that regard, haven't you?"
"Please don't change the subject."
"Yeah, yeah."
Ms. Selena gave a soft laugh.
"You have a good student."
"...Yeah. I sure do."
Master let out a sigh.
Then, at last, he turned to face Ms. Selena.
He no longer wore his usual look of annoyance.
He looked a little troubled, yet there was also something about his expression that suggested he had finally made up his mind.
"I'm sorry I kept you waiting."
Ms. Selena's smile faded.
Keeping her eyes on Master, she replied quietly.
"Yes. You certainly did."
I fell silent.
Just moments ago, I'd had so many things I wanted to say.
But now, I felt that I shouldn't interfere with what was passing between them.
"I remember my promise."
Master said that, then swallowed once.
"Will you marry me?"
Ms. Selena slowly blinked.
Then she smiled.
It was a different smile from the one she had worn when blessing the bride and groom at the temple.
Her lips trembled slightly, and she could barely contain her happiness.
"Yes."
It was a short answer.
But when Master heard it, his shoulders relaxed with a sudden, visible release of tension.
Even I felt relieved.
"...So, there you have it."
Master turned toward me.
"Yes."
"Is that good enough?"
"I don't think I'm the person you should be asking."
Ms. Selena burst out laughing.
From the kitchen, I could hear Ms. Hannah laughing, too.
◇◆◇
And so, the wedding preparations began.
Master said he didn't want anything too elaborate.
Ms. Selena, too, said she would be happy as long as the people close to them came to celebrate.
But the people of Coenna weren't about to let them get away with keeping things that simple.
Some brought flowers.
Others delivered wine to celebrate the occasion.
Ms. Hannah rolled up her sleeves, declaring that she would take care of the food.
The children helped decorate with flowers, too.
"Big Sis Eliana, where does this go?"
"Could you put those in that basket?"
"There sure are a lot!"
Mina gently set down the flowers she had been holding in both arms.
Toma, meanwhile, had already run off somewhere with a decorative ribbon still in his hands.
Calling after him to stop, I looked up at the church.
It was the place where I had first heard Ms. Selena speak of her promise to marry Master.
And now, she would be the bride herself.
The day of the wedding dawned bright and clear.
White sunlight streamed through the church windows.
The floral decorations at the entrance swayed in the breeze, and the faint sound of the harbor bells drifted in from outside.
Master, standing at the front, had tied his hair more neatly than usual.
He was dressed properly, too.
However, he seemed bothered by his collar.
He kept trying to adjust it with his fingers, only to stop himself each time.
"Do you think Master is nervous?"
I whispered, and Luca, standing beside me, nodded.
"It certainly looks that way."
"He never looks like that when he's facing monsters."
"Today, there's nothing he can do with a sword."
That was true.
Before long, Ms. Selena entered the church.
She wasn't wearing her usual clerical robes, but a soft white gown instead.
Small flowers adorned her hair.
Master's hand froze at his collar.
He kept his eyes on her until she came to stand beside him.
Watching them, I found myself feeling strangely happy.
The ceremony was officiated by Mr. Roland, the church's priest.
He offered his congratulations in a gentle voice, then addressed the two of them.
"Do you vow to cherish one another and walk together through all the days to come?"
Master straightened his back.
"I do."
His voice was clear and firm.
Ms. Selena nodded as well.
"I do."
The rings slipped onto their fingers.
Master's hands never hesitated when wielding a sword, but at that moment, they moved with unusual care.
Ms. Selena whispered something softly to him.
Master furrowed his brow, then smiled sheepishly.
I couldn't hear what she had said.
But I felt as though I'd witnessed something truly special.
◇◆◇
After the ceremony, everyone gathered at the Seabreeze Inn to celebrate.
Plates of food were laid out, wine was poured, and voices rose all around us in cheerful toasts.
Ms. Hannah's cooking disappeared almost as soon as it reached the tables.
As I went back and forth between the dining area and the kitchen, I glanced at the two of them several times.
Someone passing by nearly bumped into Ms. Selena's chair.
Master casually placed a hand on the back of her chair to steady it.
Whenever the bread basket was out of her reach, he fetched it for her without waiting to be asked.
And whenever Master's plate was empty, Ms. Selena would naturally serve him some more food.
They had traveled together for so long.
Seeing them sitting side by side just felt right.
"Eliana, why don't you have something to eat, too?"
"Yes. Just as soon as I finish carrying this over."
Ms. Selena smiled.
Beside her, Master was picking the bones out of a fish.
All things considered, they did seem happy together.
Very happy.
Still, there was one thing I couldn't understand.
He had intended to marry her.
He had remembered his promise, too.
And now, he seemed happy sitting beside her like this.
So why had he run away from her in the first place?
◇◆◇
I finally got my answer on the day we moved Master's belongings to the lord's manor.
Master had so few belongings that it was almost anticlimactic.
His travel bag.
A change of clothes.
His maintenance tools.
And his fishing rod.
Luca packed up the belongings while I checked the room to make sure nothing had been left behind.
"Master."
"What is it?"
"So, why were you running away from Ms. Selena, after all?"
Master's hands stopped moving.
He had been tying the opening of his travel bag shut.
"It wasn't that you didn't want to marry her, was it?"
"I've already told you that's not it!"
"Then why?"
Master looked at me.
Then he looked at Ms. Selena, who was waiting in the hallway.
Ms. Selena simply smiled without saying a word.
Master scratched his head.
Then, at long last, he blurted out the truth.
"I'm just not cut out for settling down!"
I fell silent.
Luca fell silent, too, still holding the luggage.
From the hallway, Ms. Selena let out a sigh.
"...Master."
"What?"
"You've been staying at the Seabreeze Inn for quite a long time now."
"That's just lodging."
"You eat breakfast at the same table every morning, don't you?"
"Because it's an inn!"
Apparently, there was a huge difference between the two in Master's mind.
An inn where he could pack his bags and leave whenever he pleased.
And a home where he was expected to settle down and live.
It seemed that when he said the lord's manor made him feel uncomfortable, it wasn't just because of its size or furniture.
"...Hey, Luca."
"Yes, Lady Eliana?"
I spoke in a slightly affected, prim voice.
"We mustn't end up like that, must we?"
"Indeed."
He answered without a moment's hesitation.
"Hey, I can hear you!"
Master gave us an offended look, so Luca and I exchanged glances.
For the record, there was nothing going on between Luca and me. Not at the moment, anyway.
He had simply played along with the joke.
Luca was very good at reading the room when it mattered.
Ms. Selena entered the room.
"Severan, why don't we try living there first?"
"...Alright."
"If there's anything that makes you uncomfortable, we can figure it out together, can't we?"
Master gazed at her for a while.
Then he gave a small nod.
"You're right."
He slung his travel bag over his shoulder.
This time, he made no attempt to escape through the window.
Downstairs, Ms. Hannah had come out to see them off.
Master returned the room key and thanked her with a slightly embarrassed look.
"Thanks for everything."
"The pleasure was mine. You two take good care of each other, now."
"Will do."
Beside him, Ms. Selena bowed her head.
Outside the door, the sky was clear.
The sea breeze swept past, stirring their hair.
Master glanced back at the Seabreeze Inn once, then set off alongside Ms. Selena.
His pace had slowed just a little.
And so, Severan, the Count of Coenna and a hero, finally settled down.
His new home was the lord's manor he had owned for years.
This time, Ms. Selena would be living there with him.
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