Chapter 29

There is a reason why it is "fujin" instead of "okusan."

"Are you interested in Balwara's words?"

As I was eating my bento under a tree in the park after leaving the library, a man who came out of the library called out to me. He was probably in his mid-twenties, wearing glasses, with reddish-brown hair and eyes of the same color.

"I've seen you a few times, always choosing books from the Balwara language section, copying or reading them, right?"

Ethan is out with his uncle today, so I'm alone. I placed my bento on the bench and held my backpack, ready to run if needed. Seeing this, the man smiled wryly and took a step back.

"I'm sorry if I scared you. I'm Mikhail, a budding scholar. I can speak Balwara fluently, so if you have any questions, I can help. My mother is from Balwara, and if you're interested in the language, I'd like to help."

I loosened my grip on my shoulder bag a little.

"I would like to learn, but getting close to strangers worries my parents. I'm sorry."

It's really a shame. Self-study can teach reading and writing, but listening and speaking are difficult. If this person were a woman, I would have jumped at the chance. My disappointment must have shown on my face, as Mikhail made another proposal.

"My mother is alone when I'm not around. Would you like to learn from her? She can be your conversation partner, and of course, there's no fee. She seems to want a Balwara conversation partner."

"Um, if it's okay, I can bring a friend."

"Of course, that's fine. Here's where I live. You can come anytime during the day without calling first."

Mikhail wrote down the address on a piece of paper and handed it to me. It was the name of an area with old houses.

---

I ended up going to Mikhail's house with Hakim as my bodyguard, and my father dropped us off in a cart. Hakim has grown much stronger and taller since we first met, so I sometimes ask him to be my bodyguard.

The house was an old but grand building with a large garden full of flowers, indicating there was a well or spring on the property.

"Alesia, isn't this a noble's house? It's too grand."

"Father, you thought the same thing? We came without prior notice, is it really okay?"

"I've never been to a noble's house before."

Just as we were wondering what to do, the door opened, and Mikhail and a woman who looked like his mother came out. The woman, who appeared to be in her late fifties, waved at us with a full smile. Her hair was the same reddish-brown as Mikhail's. Mikhail ran over and opened the vine-patterned gate for us. My father, looking relieved, said his greetings and left.

"Welcome to our home. I'm Mikhail's mother, Yael. Please call me Mrs. Yael. What a pleasure to have two young people visit. Please come in. I have chilled melons and ponka. Do you like them?"

"Yes, I love them," Hakim replied with a smile.

"I'm going out now."

"Have a good day."

Mikhail left, and the three of us were left alone. Mrs. Yael, who introduced herself, moved nimbly around the house, making tea and arranging melons and ponka. The tea was sweet and delicious.

"This is tea from the Kingdom of Balwara. I order it because it reminds me of home. So, why are you studying Balwara?"

"I want to visit other countries someday, but it's hard to do so. At least, I want to read about Balwara. I want to read books in Balwara that show the life of the common people, not just translations. And I want to be able to speak it too."

"Oh, how wonderful. I'm from Balwara, and I only have my son as family. I was worried I would forget the language and felt lonely. Plus, I don't get along with the neighbors of my age."

"May I ask why you don't get along? I might say something that offends them too."

Mrs. Yael looked intrigued.

"Do you know about the great flood that happened in this country long before you were born? I, being from Balwara, have a completely different opinion from the people here. We had a bit of an argument once, but now we just smile and greet each other."

Mrs. Yael chuckled.

"The people here believe the flood was caused by a sorcerer. But in Balwara, no one believes that. It was a natural flood. The water sorcerer was executed for that incident, and they spread the lie that the sorcerer had a secret agreement with Balwara."

"Wait, what do you mean?"

Hakim and I asked simultaneously.

"The rain that caused significant damage to the Kingdom of Shemel also moved to Balwara, causing heavy rain. Many buildings were damaged. Yet, the idea that this country's sorcerer colluded with Balwara to cause the rain doesn't make sense. When I said, 'Aula is innocent, she was framed,' they got furious. I tried to maintain the relationship at first, but as I got older, I lost the energy."

Mrs. Yael gestured for us to take some fruit.

"Besides, the idea that there was an agreement to make Aula the queen is completely false. The queen at the time had achieved significant educational reforms and was highly regarded. Balwara doesn't lack water, so there was no need to replace the queen with Aula."