Chapter 6

I packed the minimum necessary items into an old trunk, said my goodbyes to the landlord of the tenement, and headed for the lower town.

I had sold off most of the furniture long ago for the sake of living, leaving only a simple bed, making the place almost like an empty house.

In the lower town, Chelsea, the girlfriend of Kevin, a colleague of Elliot, lives.

Unable to find work and unable to go shopping, Chelsea continued to worry about me until the end, taking care of me in various ways. Without her, I doubt I could have managed to live through these days.

"Flora...? Are you going somewhere with that outfit and luggage...?"

Seeing me dressed for travel, Chelsea was surprised. Given that the knights had just returned in triumph, it was understandable.

Unable to give a proper answer, I smiled and evaded, then decided to bring up the main reason for my visit today.

"Chelsea, I don't have anything to give back to you as a lady, but if you would take this, would you accept it?"

What I offered was a wedding dress I had sewn long ago, one that had never seen the light of day. Giving it as a gift right after my divorce... perhaps it was a bit inauspicious.

Still, if it could be sold, it would be worth something. I had nothing else to offer Chelsea in return for her kindness.

"Such a... this is something precious, isn't it!?"

"…I no longer need it."

The clever Chelsea seemed to understand a bit from that.

When I was led to the living room and told her about what happened this morning, she cried and scolded me a lot.

It seemed that my emotions had gone somewhere this morning, and I felt comforted by Chelsea's tears on my behalf.

"Flora, wait a moment."

Chelsea stood up, went to the kitchen, and brought a small box. She turned it over and gathered some silver coins, placing them in front of me.

"I'll buy this dress. It's all I have, but..."

"…This is the money you saved for your wedding with Kevin, isn't it?"

"Such a beautiful dress. This amount is nowhere near enough. …I couldn't think of anything else to do, sorry. You know... you'll need some travel money, right?"

Hearing Chelsea's tearful words, I realized I had completely forgotten about travel money.

I had been so preoccupied with the idea of leaving the city that I hadn't thought about anything else.

Since the period we lived together after getting married was very short and we had no children, I couldn't receive any alimony under the country's laws, so I had no money at all.

"I came to repay you, but in the end, I've been nothing but a burden to you, Chelsea."

My voice became tearful, mirroring Chelsea's. It seemed I still had some emotions left, and I felt a sense of relief.

"It's fine, it's all fine. Just go and find happiness somewhere, and when you do, come back and repay me then."

Her words felt like a promise to keep living.

I hadn't thought about where I would go or what I would do after leaving the city, but at least I knew I had to repay Chelsea someday. Thinking about it, I felt a bit more hopeful.

As we said our goodbyes, Chelsea hugged me tightly.

Strangely, I felt lighter on my feet than when I left home.

– That's right, since I'm leaving the capital anyway, why don't I go and say goodbye to Mr. Dolf?

Mr. Dolf lives in a village about two days' carriage ride from the capital and works as a blacksmith. About four years ago, he made a sword for Elliot as a congratulatory gift when he became a knight.

– I wonder what happened to that sword...

If he had obtained a holy sword, did he give it away, or is it still stored somewhere?

The image of Elliot, who used to take care of his sword every day without fail, came to mind, and my vision blurred. I looked up at the sky, hoping the wind would dry my tears before they fell.