18 - Fina and Her Relentless Correspondence

When Valrion was introduced to his family members, he did wonder why they only had one guard. Who would care for them if Sergius got sick or had to be out of town? Now he knew: his family didn’t have two maids and one guard. They had one maid, one guard, and one Octavia, whom he couldn’t quite categorize as either of them.

“I’m not sure how to say this properly, but my husband told me about your conversation with him last night. Are you really going to take that mission?” Valrion’s mother asked Octavia when they were in the kitchen the following morning. She was changing his clothes on the rug while Octavia swept the floor around them.

Octavia wore a subtly irritated expression, which Valrion’s mother couldn’t see because her back was turned, but he could. Once again, he felt for Octavia. No matter how mediocre she might have been, constantly hearing people’s doubts must have been excruciating. It must have stung even more coming from those who lived with her.

“Please don’t take this as if we don’t trust your ability. We’re worried about your safety,” Valrion’s mother added. A similar exchange must have occurred before, or she must be a genuinely considerate person.

“Brenta,” Octavia interjected, still looking at the dirt she was moving. “I heard you used to live there with your aunt's family in your early twenties. What was life like in a port city?”

“Oh, it was gorgeous,” Valrion’s mother gushed. “My family ran a fruit stall in the market. The city was loud, especially in the mornings, but the view was like none other. You should take a walk by the pier at sunset.”

Octavia successfully steered the conversation away as her mother went on with recommending taverns to visit, dishes to try, and even seamstresses with the best prices. The suggestion felt peculiar, given that Octavia likely wouldn’t have time for anything leisurely, but it was a better topic than having her second-guess herself.

By noon, Octavia was folding napkins in the same place as the day before—in the bed, facing the cradle. Her mission turned out to be common knowledge within the household as both Fina and Sergius approached her at different times in the kitchen, expressing the same concerns as Valrion’s parents.

“Please think about it again! I can’t imagine a life without you!” Fina insisted. She should mean well, but her phrasing clearly implied that she believed in a higher possibility of Octavia failing and dying. Octavia seemed to notice it as another wave of bitterness crossed her face, which she hid by looking in another direction.

“I think you’ll be fine. Just don’t bite off more than you can chew,” Sergius said, differently than the others. “Getting caught between the Kingdom and the Empire seems like a once-in-a-lifetime experience. When I first met you, I knew you would be crazy enough to take on such a challenge.”

Octavia snickered at Sergius’ statement, but it raised a question as to why Valrion’s father had chosen her over Sergius. It was hard to fathom since Valrion hadn’t seen Sergius wield his sword yet, but this family seemed to have a lot of enemies. If he wanted to think positively, maybe his father wished to have another strong pair of hands to protect the house when Octavia was away. Perhaps he had already asked Sergius and been refused.

The morning of the twenty-fourth arrived, precisely three days after Valrion’s father spoke to Octavia in the kitchen, and she bid everyone farewell. All were present in the front yard except for Valrion’s father, who should be working at the workshop.

Held by his mother, it was the first time Valrion saw this side of the house. In addition to the hedges lining the edges, two garden plots bloomed with purple, pink, and red tulips. Beyond that, there was little to see except fields of green and a blue sky streaked with clouds. Octavia, for her part, wore a dress as usual but without the apron.

“Fina will take care of you in the meantime. I’ll return soon,” Octavia assured, softly pinching Valrion’s cheek. He wasn’t sure how long she would be gone, but she carried only a single satchel strapped to her back. It seemed enough for a change of clothes and a few snacks, though that didn’t mean no one would provide her with more necessities once she reached Brenta.

She waved her hands toward everyone one last time before setting off. As soon as she turned right, Valrion could immediately tell she was heading to the town center, likely to meet the others involved in the mission. Even if Brenta was nearby, they would still need a ride to get there.

Valrion’s father came home in the evening and had dinner with everyone, just like usual. That night, he did mention that Octavia would be the one leaving instead of both of them together, so Valrion didn’t question why he was around. It had been made clear many times before that his father’s primary role was to fund others.

“Today’s menu is rabbit stew, hunted by yours only!” Sergius declared. Valrion knew Sergius intended it as a joke for those in the dining room, but it struck a nerve with him. The fact that his mouth started to water only made it worse.

Valrion tried his best to sleep while they ate, but he couldn’t help being distracted by his mother asking about the ingredients Fina had used in the stew and Fina’s detailed responses. Diced rabbit, chopped onions and garlic, trimmed leeks, a hefty amount of butter, wild mushrooms, fresh sage, salt, and pepper—Valrion wished the hour would pass quickly, but it seemed to drag on instead.

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It was a great relief when it was done.

Just as Octavia had said, it was Fina who showed up in the kitchen that night and plopped into the bed. She had never tied her hair, so her appearance hadn’t changed much: her hair remained straight and fluffy, reaching only her neck. Her nightgown was identical to Octavia’s, only larger. They must have gotten them from the same shop.

“Should I sleep? Ugh, I’m exhausted. Yes, I should sleep, but I don’t think I can. This is so frustrating,” Fina muttered, sitting on the edge of the bed. One of her hands pressed against her chest while the other fisted the blanket Octavia had left behind.

Would it be ironic if, just like Octavia, Fina was about to be sent on another mission? By this point, it didn’t seem too far-fetched that every worker in this household was secretly a soldier. Given how anxious Fina seemed, maybe she was too afraid to refuse his father’s request. Any moment now, the man might walk into the kitchen and start a fight with her.

“Fina.”

Surprising, but no less uncanny, it was his mother who appeared in the kitchen instead of his father. Her right hand gripped a letter as she sat next to Fina. The maid scooted over, creating enough space between them so they could face each other comfortably. Seeing them up close like this, Valrion couldn’t tell who was older.

“Did you think I would forget about this? I’m sorry. It’s been a busy day,” Valrion’s mother began, placing the letter on her lap.

“Honestly, I thought you were asleep,” Fina admitted.

Valrion’s mother chuckled. “I’m very sorry.”

“You have nothing to apologize for. I’m just—” Fina’s voice caught in her throat. “—anxious.”

“It’s understandable, Fina. You’re allowed to feel however you feel.” Valrion’s mother opened the letter, stared at it for a few seconds, and sighed before reading aloud, “Dear my beloved father and mother, this letter is written by someone else, but I trust the person will deliver my message. I’m sorry for leaving you all behind. I have many things to take care of. Please don’t try to find me. I’ll return when the time is right. With love, your son, Antonio.”

Fina’s jaw dropped, her face tightening with confusion. “Not even a mention of me?”

Valrion’s mother furrowed her brow, shaking her head. “I’m sorry, Fina.”

“How could he do this to me? No, how could he run away after just a month of marriage?!” Fina punched the bed beside her, her eyes welling up. “He must have been after my first husband’s inheritance! I shouldn’t have fallen for him after just two weeks of courtship! I should have known when he showed up at my house out of nowhere!”

“But he was a family friend. Didn’t you tell me your parents were friends with his? You couldn’t have known,” Valrion’s mother tried to reason.

“Still, that was foolish of me!”

“You were lonely, Fina.” Valrion’s mother rubbed Fina’s back gently. “You made a mistake, yes, but don’t beat yourself up over it, all right? You’re a good person.”

Valrion understood a few things from what had just happened. First, a millennium had passed, yet many people in Eru still couldn’t read or write. Fina needed his mother to read the letter, while the sender had asked someone to write his.

Second, the sender was Fina’s second husband, who had won her affection in just two weeks. They were married for a month before he left her.

There was no clue about what had happened to Fina’s first husband or the time that had passed between his departure and the arrival of the second. The latter seemed to have fled recently, but through listening to all of this, Valrion could only ask himself: what in the world was going on?

After a day of peace, Valrion’s mother came again at night, bringing another letter and perching in the same spot as before. Valrion had expected it to be from Fina’s second husband, but Fina didn’t show a hint of sadness. Instead, her nose wrinkled as if she was smelling a month-old carcass.

“Fina. Uh, there’s no ‘dear’ or anything. It starts with just ‘Fina’,” Valrion’s mother elucidated before going on, “Let me cut to the chase. Everyone in our village knows you’re the one at fault for selling our late mother’s jewelry. The royal authorities have granted our parents’ land entirely to me. You’re no longer welcome in this house. I’ve burned everything you left behind.”

“What?” Fina’s eyes widened. “Lady Adrianna, you know that’s not true! She’s the one who sold the jewelry and blamed me for it! I admit I’m wrong for not visiting my village in years, but she—she didn’t even tell me our parents had died! Now, I have no one there to defend me!”

“She was living with your parents until the day they passed away, so the villagers think she’s the one who truly cared for them.” Once again, Valrion’s mother rubbed Fina’s back. “Be strong, Fina. You can get through this. At least my family will always support you.”

From that, Valrion understood that Fina had a sister—either older or younger—who wanted to claim sole rights to their late parents’ assets. Fina had slipped up by not being there enough for her parents, which cost her everything, including the respect of the people in her hometown. To that, Valrion could pity Fina. She seemed to have the worst luck in holding on to what should have been hers.

There was another day of peace before Valrion’s mother arrived with another letter, taking her previous position beside Fina. It must be a continuation of the issue between her and her husband or her and her sister. Valrion suddenly realized how deeply immersed he had become in the drama that he was, in fact, waiting for it.

“Fina, we’re sorry for disappearing. We understand that you’re disappointed in us, but we’ll do our best to repay all the money you’ve lent us. Please have some faith in us, though we can’t promise anything,” Valrion’s mother read.

If Valrion could slap his own forehead, he definitely would have. How could every letter bring a new problem? If he was gaining EXP, then Fina was collecting nothing but headaches.

“There’s a small chance they’ll actually return my money!” Fina howled, punching the bed beside her. “I thought they were my friends! I’ve known them ever since I moved to this town!”

“If it helps, at least they seem remorseful, unlike your ex-husband,” Valrion’s mother said, rubbing Fina’s back in an attempt to soothe her, as anticipated.

Valrion had no doubt that Fina was a lovely woman. She had taken care of the family—cleaning, cooking, and staying by his side, even though she might have been terrified. He didn’t want anything bad to happen to her, but he couldn’t help feeling indifferent and slightly annoyed when it became clear that much of the trouble was due to her naivety. Above all, what he really wanted was to sleep.

[Level: 3]

[EXP: 20/125]

[Health: 286/286]

[Mana: 14/27]

The Handbook must have been able to predict the future to some extent. Clearly, this constant flood of information was why it hadn’t given him a personal quest regarding Fina. If he had been assigned the mission to get to know her, he could have earned a thousand EXP in just a week.