Chapter 37

Now that I had a bit of free time, I removed the completion setting and posted the continuation. This marks the beginning of a new chapter.

"Mr. Clark, what's the opera we're going to see today about?"

"It's a story about a man who falls in love and chases after the woman who left him, all the way to a distant country."

"Hmm. Does it have a happy ending? I don't like sad endings."

"I don't know that far. My mother recommended it, though."

"Hmm."

Clark's mother, Eva, had said, "If you're going to see it with a boy and a girl, this is absolutely the one. You'll both feel incredibly happy." But he couldn't bring himself to say that to twelve-year-old Nonna, so he gave an ambiguous response. Inside the carriage, Nonna was looking out the window. Her slightly tanned, healthy skin, her shiny blonde hair tied in a loose braid over her right shoulder, and her simple, deep rose-pink dress without any accessories made her look very natural. Nonna was looking out the carriage window.

Clark recalled the day they met again after five years. Nonna, who used to be a thin girl they played tag and climbed trees with, had completely transformed. She had grown taller, her features had matured, and she exuded an aura as if she were about to transform into a brilliant butterfly.

(I wonder if she remembers the marriage proposal I made.)

Back then, Nonna never looked down on Clark, who was a timid boy. She called him "Mr. Clark" and looked up to him. Studying together was fun, and even the foreign language classes he hated became enjoyable.

Nonna was taught many things that boys typically like. Whether she didn't know how to hide it or didn't think it was something to hide, she would tell Clark in detail about what she learned.

Watching the small girl practice knee kicks, roundhouse kicks, and climbing walls with all her might, Clark found it endearing. He found her so cute that he didn't want to let her go, so he nervously asked, "Will you marry me when we grow up?" Nonna readily agreed, saying, "Sure."

One day, Nonna disappeared with Victoria, and even their close friend Jeffrey didn't know where they went. From that day on, Clark lost his appetite and motivation. After a few months, Edward came to visit him.

"Clark, Eva is worried about you being so down."

"It's fine. I'm okay."

"Nonna will come back. In about five years."

"What?!"

Seeing Clark lean forward in panic, Edward laughed.

"Right now, she's scheduled to return in five years. Don't tell anyone, okay? I'm sure Nonna will be fluent in Shen language by then. What about you? What do you plan to do when Nonna returns in five years?"

"Do... do what?"

"Time is equal for everyone. Whether you spend it idly or work hard, it's still the same five years."

(Since that day, I studied hard. I wanted to say with a smile when Nonna returned, "How about it? I've become a bit more respectable, haven't I?")

Nonna returned in a state between a child and a lady. Her polite greetings were the result of her lady education, but they felt distant to Clark. Still, when he heard she was attending a tea party, he went with her and didn't hesitate to keep other young men at bay.

Clark thought she had forgotten the promise from five years ago, but it seemed Nonna remembered. However, the last time, she declared, "Let's pretend that promise never happened." (Well, it's fine. Let's start over.) This wasn't out of resignation. Rather, he felt a sense of excitement at the prospect of starting from zero again.

"Mr. Clark, I can see the theater!"

"Really? Nonna, when we get out, I'll escort you properly. Don't jump out of the carriage."

"I know. Mom has already told me that."

True to her word, Nonna was a lady from the moment the coachman opened the carriage door. She smiled gracefully and placed her small, delicate hand in Clark's, descending elegantly. The young couples and elderly guests around them noticed Nonna and murmured, "Oh," and "Ah." Clark smiled but gave the young men a cold, icy stare.

"Come, our seats are on the second floor. This way."

"What a beautiful theater, Mr. Clark. I'm so excited to see an opera for the first time!"

"I'm looking forward to it too. Come on."

Standing to Nonna's right, he gently placed his arm around her left shoulder, escorting her while trying not to touch her too much. Nonna hadn't realized that in three more years, she would become incredibly beautiful and attract all the men's attention.

(I have to work even harder. To protect Nonna and the teacher from being targeted by foreigners again, I need to become stronger. I want to become a foreign minister like my father, no, a prime minister. I will definitely rise to the top. I will protect Nonna and the teacher in my own way.)

The orchestra finished tuning, and the first note of the string instruments rang out.

"I'm excited, Mr. Clark."

"Me too, Nonna."

The curtain of the opera rose.