Chapter 37: 37 Worry.

In the quiet and clattering room, Jin and his family slowly savoured their breakfast. The family was accompanied by two guests who remained in the state, Iris and Nina, who were fidgeting about the dining etiquette.

Although Marina and Ryan had informed them not to mind their manners, being surrounded by strangers and basically having a meal with some aristocrats put them on edge, especially the little girl, who was still oblivious to how the world worked.

Jin stabbed his fork into the omelette and put it into his mouth, clearly showing his brazen manners. However, no one was open to talking, as Ryan and Marina were also a bit disturbed by the whole etiquette thing.

“Jin, what are your plans for the day?”. Marina put down the fork in hand and glanced at her son.

“I think I will be checking the Adventure guild and see if there is a quest I could take”. Jin wiped his mouth, then took a deep gulp of water to cleanse his palate.

“Don’t exert yourself; you just awoke from your bed yesterday”.

“Hmph, say the man who challenged Jin into an intense duel and yet lost this morning.” Marina snorted, further dampening the mood in the room.

Ryan’s hand stopped inches away from his lips. He glanced at his side and saw his wife, body trembling and giggling. His hand sweated, and he forced his cramped lips to smile.

“What are you talking about?”.

“Don’t play dumb. Earlier, when Irena and I planned to ask you guys to come to the dining room, I saw your wooden sword snapped with the tips of Jin’s sword on your throat! …Pfft, a hahaha… ”

Marina burst into laughter, while Ryan’s face stiffened. Life seemed to slip out of his mouth, asking for redemption for his earlier actions. Even when he was suffering enough, Marina, fearless as a tyrannical queen, smiled widely and delivered another blow to him.

“Ahahaha, even though you said, ‘Don’t take everything alone, okay?’ Yet this morning, I saw my amazing son beat you in a duel. Aah, those two and Arnold must be informed about this.”

“What?! No, please don’t do that, my wife!”.

Blood drained from Ryan’s face; he couldn’t handle any of his shame spread like wildfire toward his two other sons, especially his other close friend and former party member, Arnold.

“They began again”.

While the two spouses exchanged banter that livened up the atmosphere in the place, Irena, who had brought a dessert and tea, sighed as she placed a cup of steamed tea before her young master.

“It’s okay, Irena. I don’t need it. I plan to go straight to Adventure Guild after breakfast”.

A faint scent of melted butter and sweetness filtered through his nose; Jin sighed in his heart. Regret washed away his expression as he had missed his leisure time. Jin said what he needed to do before slipping away from the place unnoticed by his parents.

Iris saw his silhouette leaving with a forlorn expression. Her body flinched when she felt an intense glare sting her back.

“*Ehem!”. Marina fakes her cough as she steals a glance at Iris.

As if sensing what Marina had to say, Iris inhaled deeply before nodding her head in resignation. She stuffed her cheeks with the meals as she washed them away in one fell swoop before turning to Nina.

“Nina, I will be going to Adventure Guild. Be a good girl and wait here, okay?”.

“Um, have a good trip, Mom”.

Iris exchanged glances with Marina for the last time, and she began to leave the scene.

As she moves her feet, her heartbeat quickens as she chases the shadows of the boy. Her lips quiver slightly, seeing the boy that had been on her mind ever since. Iris raises her hand, but words get stuck in her throat, making her still like a statue.

Jin, who breathed the fresh cold air outside, turned around and opened his eyes wide to see the figure of Iris who was frozen mid-step.

After learning that, Iris, Nina, and Marina took turns caring for him, especially Iris. Also the conversation they had when he awoke that day. The atmosphere between the two changes significantly.

Jin notices a subtle change in Iris’s demeanour toward him and his toward her.

It couldn’t be helped, for Iris is one of the prettiest girls he has ever been acquainted with. Jin will never forget the first time he saw her face, even though a thin layer of mana covered it. Her beauty and grace, as well as her swaying blonde hair, took his breath away.

So, he was in the middle of confusion and doubt about how to treat her. ‘No, no, I should act like usual…’.

“Um, Iris? What’s the matter?”. Jin tilted his head, trying to gouge the woman’s heart.

“Um, nothing. …Can I join you?”. Iris lowered her frozen hand, before meekly whispered.

“…Sure, let’s go together”.

The two walked side by side, immersed in the afterglow morning and filled with stomachs. They strolled past the gate, silently taking in the view of the wealthy district.

However, the silence was endearing and calm. No subtle expression could describe how soothing it was to sit apart from her worries and walk with the boy for the first time in the morning.

Iris gulped her saliva while her fingers fidgeted near her skirt. She occasionally tried to sneak a glance at the boy beside her, but eventually, her lips loosened and broke into a pleasant grin. She covered her lips, trying to suppress her giggle.

‘Okay, calm down, Iris! Take a deep breath in.’ She inhaled before exhaling deeply and continuing, ‘…There is something you must do first!’ She placed a hand on her chest and regulated her erratic breathing to calm her pounded heart.

Slowly, as the two arrived in the central town, their feet stopped slightly, watching the vibrant buzz of life and merry atmosphere the town gave in the morning.

Jin’s body trembled as he sucked a cold deep breath and said. “It’s getting cold lately”.

“Yeah, winter is coming after all”. Iris rubbed her palms together to hide her true expression.

They resumed toward the guild and entered the building, but, different from what they thought, it was quiet and seemed to have fewer souls visiting. Although it was a good time to start the day, the board on the left and the bar on the right seemed emptier. ‘No wonder, it seemed their wallet was still packed with cash because of the monster waves’.

Jin walked, approaching the board with the Iron-rank quest in it. He glazed over the paper, but nothing caught his interest as he sighed in resignation. His body swayed as Iris nudged him from the side.

“…Um, Jin…”. The woman bit her lips as her eyes swam all over the place, blushing.

“Iris?”. Jin leaned over and closed his distance. Face to face.

“…Ah, it seems there is no quest available for today, so why don’t we go around the town and see if there is anything good lying around?”. Iris averted her gaze the moment she saw those sharp, probing eyes from the boy.

Her breath was shallow, while her heart drummed wildly inside. Iris worried that her heart would burst if she stared at his eyes further, but she did not want to part from him, so she tightly clutched his sleeves.

On the other hand, Jin, who noticed the change in Iris’s atmosphere, swallowed his saliva. He looked toward her pink cheeks and squirmed face. His mouth agape, he tried to suppress the grin on his lips.

“Sure, let’s go!” Jin stammered. His trembling fingers grasped the woman’s hand, he tightened his grip, but soon loosened as if unsure, before dragging her away, ‘Is this okay?’

Iris’s body jolted once she felt the warm and strong grip on her hand. A tingling warmth crawled from her palm and it settled deep inside her heart. Her lips loosened for she couldn’t suppress the blush that turned her face like a boiled octopus as she glanced at his back.

The two walked away, leaving a trace of sweet atmosphere that made the people inside the building blush furiously.

Looking around the town, they reached out toward the marketplace. Even the cold outside was not enough to stop the lively atmosphere and activity that happened. Crowds still gathered, engaging in fierce bidding wars and even strolling around to see the place.

Jin and Iris exchange pointers as the two hold some grocery bags filled with ingredients: vegetables, meat, spices, and some sweet salt bread that is still warm inside the wrapper, waiting to be chewed.

After finishing the shopping, the two walked to a lone alley, the place where Jin recalled Nina was being abused. His step halted, watching the lone house with eyes knitted into a frown. The blood inside him boiled as he clenched his fist tight, surging up a desire to wreak havoc.

“…Jin?”.

A soothing bell rang in his ear. His heartbeat slowed, and Jin could see his vision begin to clear of thoughts. He then turned toward the source of the voice, where he saw Iris’s emerald eyes stare at him.

“Nothing, let’s go”.

Iris’ mind bugged, but she couldn’t dwell on this matter any longer. For some reason, she wanted to at least be honest with the boy before her. As she stands before the door of her house, she properly inserts the key and opens the door, inviting Jin, who stands calmly behind her.

“Please make yourself at home”. Iris flashed her smile before letting her guest enter her sanctuary.

“Pardon the intrusion.” Jin stepped inside, and the faint earthy smell of wood comforted his nerves as he put the bags on the dining table.

Before she entered the main part, Iris filled two glasses with water and placed them before Jin and herself, who then sat opposite each other.

The air was thick, and subtle silence lingered on both of them. Iris, whose face stiffened, felt her breath choke on her throat as her heart kept ramming her consciousness.

She gritted her teeth, unsettled, but her eyes were radiating a burning haze that wanted to keep this fact known: that she was not the one she was known off.

Iris’s finger reached toward her ring but halted, unable to exert a little force to pull it away. Upon contact, she noticed that her body was gone cold, shivering all over. Her vision blurred, and her thoughts were scattered. ‘…No, I will tell him!’

She exhaled and forced away the ring on her finger as she lifted her gaze and stared at his calm ripple eyes, which soothed her chaotic heart.

“…Jin, you what, I was an…”.

“Elves, right. I already know…”.

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