Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Min-ha looked at the two of them with complicated and sad eyes. She seemed to know the feelings of Noah clinging to his one and only brother and Seth’s cold separation from such a younger brother.

Even as an adult, it would be difficult to shake off the worries, but how would the fear be felt by such a small child…?

She read the sorrowful gazes of Seth and Noah, who are fighting for affection for each other. Meanwhile, the eyes of the people in the mansion were staring at them.

Is there anything she can do on her own in this situation? What she can do to reassure Noah, who was anxious, and to him, who was mean but not a bad person…

‘Instead of saying things like, be strong or come back alive. Something better…’

Thinking like that, Min-ha, who was agonizing alone inside, made eye contact with Seth, who was comforting Noah.

‘She hoped that his son, who was wandering around the battlefield as a mercenary, would come back alive, safely. And, also received victory under the protection of the Gods of Athena and Ares… So, even though she was ill, the late Madam always made handkerchiefs and presented them as a gift with such a desperate heart that she would never forget to embroider.’

At that moment, along with the words Wanda had said, she recalled the handkerchief in her arms, which she had been contemplating whether to give it to him for a while. Like their mothers did in the past, why not give them this handkerchief and say something?

‘…Will it be okay?’

Such a question arose in her head, but she decided to give it a try. Even if the shame was only for a moment, the regrets continued.

Eventually, Min-ha swallowed her dry saliva and went closer to Noah and Seth, bending her body and sitting down. Then, she said, stroking Noah’s back as he was hugging Seth as if comforting him.

“Don’t worry, Noah. Your brother will come back safely.”

“…Really?”

“Of course! Noah desperately wants that much, right?”

“…But—”

“I know. You don’t want your brother to get hurt, do you? Then, Noah, can you lend me some strength?”

“Strength…?”

Seeing Noah tilting his head and Seth staring at her without a word, Min-ha took out a handkerchief. Then, she held it out in front of the little boy.

Noah tilted his head again, not knowing what to say.

“…This is?”

“Did Noah also hear from your brother? During her lifetime, Noah’s mother made a handkerchief so that your brother wouldn’t get hurt while she was still alive. That’s how sister made it here.”

“Yes! I’ve heard of Lance. Wow, did sister-in-law make this?”

“Yes. But, I don’t think it worked as well as the ones Noah’s mother made. So… I think it will work if you pray for this handkerchief to come back safely without getting hurt. Can you do that?”

“Yes!”

“Then, can you hold it here, close your eyes and pray?”

“Yes! Sister-in-law!”

Soon, Noah grabbed the handkerchief and closed his eyes tightly, muttering to himself in a small voice.

Seeing that, Min-ha smiled as if relieved.

‘…Phew. I’m glad that Noah is a pure and kind child.’

If there was even a little bit of the world’s dirt on him, he would have said what a childish thing this was.

Unsurprisingly, Seth, an ‘adult who is full of the dirt of the world’ who was next to Noah praying earnestly, was gazed at Min-ha with puzzled eyes.

‘…I know it’s childish, too. So, stop looking at me with those eyes, okay?’

Min-ha was embarrassed and avoided his gaze.

“Sister-in-law! I’m done praying!”

“Good job, Noah. With this handkerchief that Noah gave strength into, your brother will come back safely without getting hurt.”

“Really, is that so?”

“Of course.”

As Min-ha praised Noah, taking the handkerchief, she stroked his little hair.

Seth, who was next to her and looked at her silently with his eyes, without any words, touched his younger brother’s cheek and opened his mouth.

“…Yes. Your prayer will come true. I promise I’ll come back unharmed.”

“Really?”

“I didn’t give you a definite answer a while ago, but I promise you. I’ll be back when you’ve slept exactly ten nights.”

“Ten nights…”

“Noah, can you wait patiently?”

“…Yes.”

“Okay. Then, go to Mrs. Pompa without any worries. I prepared chocolate for you.”

“Noah, let’s go. Duke, I wish you good luck.”

Noah quietly nodded his head. Moments later, Mrs. Pompa, who was slightly away from Seth, approached and held out her hand to him. As if familiar with this situation, Mrs. Pompa led the child, who held her hand, and walked towards the mansion.

However, Noah, who was walking well, immediately turned her head and looked towards Min-ha and Seth. He seemed to think that Min-ha would go with him.

Looking at that, she hurriedly tried to turn her body.

“Wait a minute.”

If only Seth hadn’t called her first.

As she turned her head toward Seth, who was calling her, he raised his arm with an indifferent face and stopped in front of her.

‘…Why?’

Confused, Min-ha put on a slight frown as she twisted her body a little. However, it didn’t seem like he was going to get out of the way. So, she sighed briefly and spoke to Noah.

“Noah, I’ll follow you soon. Would you like to go first?”

“Yes, sister-in-law”

At that, Noah nodded his head to answer and walked with Mrs. Pompa towards the mansion. After she saw that, she turned to Seth and said.

“Do you have anything to say?”

“Well…”

She knew there was something.

Seth just held out his hand that was holding the handkerchief abruptly. Min-ha made an impression at the sight. She knew this. After all, he didn’t like the handkerchief, so he seemed to want to return it.

‘…Well, that’s right. He must not want it.’

With that thought, she took a deep breath and took the handkerchief from Seth’s hand, and put it back into her arms.

However, at that same time, Seth took her hand and spoke.

“What are you doing now?”

“What? You didn’t like this, so you gave it back to me, didn’t you?”

‘So, that’s why I’m quietly taking it back.’

Min-ha, who was slightly offended, answered bluntly, and Seth held out his hand again with an expressionless face.

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Pardon?”

“Since you made it, give it to me yourself.”

“…Yes?”

‘I don’t know what this means…’

Min-ha looked at Seth with a bewildered expression on her face as she couldn’t understand the words she had heard right now.

Because of that, Seth frowned slightly at her expression and spoke again as though to urge her.

“It’s not bad that Noah prayed and gave it to me, though the handkerchief is a token that you made for me for the first time, so give it to me with your own hands.”

“Oh…”

“Hurry. Are you going to make all these people wait for you?”

He seemed unwilling to move until Min-ha handed him a handkerchief. Realizing that, she stared at Seth, who was reaching out to her with a relaxed attitude.

‘Where the hell was Noah so worried about this man? He’s acting like it’s not a battlefield, and he was just relaxing, like going for a walk in the neighborhood…’

She thought he shouldn’t give it to him because he would hate it, but Seth seemed to have no intention of moving until she handed over the handkerchief. Perhaps because of that, the gazes of the servants and the knights on horseback, who kept turning towards Min-ha, felt stinging.

‘…I can’t help it.’

Eventually, she took the handkerchief out of her arms again and held it out to him as if she had no choice.

“Here, take it.”

At that, Seth quickly took the handkerchief that Min-ha had offered, took it and spread it on his hand. Min-ha glanced at the embroidered part as he pointed to the part and asked.

“By the way, what is this blue ball? What special meaning does it have?”

“Not a blue ball! It’s a blue bird, see?”

“…Bird? This?”

The frown between Seth’s forehead deepened at that answer.

Looking at it, she was slightly offended by his expression.

Except when he was sarcastic to her, his expression was usually expressionless, so it was difficult to read his emotions, but now, she could recognize that face. The expression on his face was, ‘No matter how you look at it, this doesn’t look like a bird.’

‘I did my best to make it for him, really!’

Min-ha was furious and held out her hand to Seth.

“…Sorry for my lack of skills! If you don’t like it, give it back to me!”

“I can’t do that.”

“I beg your pardon…?”

“Thank you. This is the first time I received something like this after my mother passed away.”

Saying that, Seth smiled as he gazed at the handkerchief Min-ha embroidered. She peered at him with a surprised expression.

For the first time, she felt a certain emotion in his expression that looked like he was reminiscing his sad memories.