Chapter 5

After Ada's father finished speaking, everyone dispersed.

Leaving the commotion of her childhood friends behind, Rane decided to return home alone.

As she walked down the pebbly road, memories of the past came flooding back.

When they were still young, Ada used to fall on this road all the time.

The other friends would just run ahead, but it was always Rane who would help Ada up and comfort him when he cried.

As Ada grew stronger over the years, he would say with a shy smile that this time he would protect Rane.

Shaking her head to clear the sentiment, Rane took a deep breath.

It was true that she had thought he wouldn't return to the village as he continued to rise in his career.

She hadn't expected it to be in this form, but she had thought the engagement would be dissolved.

However, even if she suffered a terrible betrayal, the memories wouldn't fade.

(Maybe it's really better to leave this village.)

If she stayed here, she would inevitably think of Ada.

As long as she lived in this country, she would hear about the Holy Maiden and the Sword Saint, but it would be better to hear it from a distance.

With this resolve, Rane lifted her head.

The journey from this village to the capital was long.

Even if she used a stagecoach, it would cost a considerable amount of travel expenses.

Since she was being taken to the capital by magic, she thought it would be better to find a job in a town near the capital without returning to the village.

Thinking this, Rane immediately told her parents about the situation when she returned home.

Her parents were understandably outraged by the audacity of inviting Rane, who was engaged to Ada, to the wedding.

However, there was no room for argument or forgiveness.

"Since I'm being taken to the capital, I think I'll leave the village. Staying here would only make me uncomfortable, and there are too many memories."

When she announced that she was leaving home, her mother cried again, but her father agreed.

He understood that staying in the village would only make her feel uneasy, and it would be better to go to a place where no one knew her.

With that decided, she had to start packing right away.

Rane returned to her room, took out a slightly larger bag, and began packing.

She didn't need much. A few changes of clothes, some jewelry inherited from her grandmother, a bracelet given to her by her father on her birthday, and a shawl handmade by her mother.

She hesitated for a moment but decided to dispose of the letters and gifts from Ada.

If these things were left behind, he would probably feel bad too.

She intended to discard all the memories of her past with Ada.

She burned the letters in the fireplace and disposed of the gifts.

The gifts were things like bookmarks made from rare flowers he found on his travels.

After burning everything, her heart felt a little lighter.

Perhaps keeping physical reminders would only keep her heart tied to the past.

Finally, she prepared a relatively nice dress that she had bought a few years ago for a village wedding.

It wasn't suitable for the wedding of the Holy Maiden and the Sword Saint, but it was the only one she had.

On her last night in the village, she spent time talking with her parents.