The banker Virta was uncooperative with those who sought to divide up the Lunos family fortune. As a result, after safeguarding only the last promissory note, he had to leave the bank. In the end, even his daughter, who had been learning the banking trade, couldn't become a banker.
After confirming the last note, April asked, "If we settle this promissory note, can we pay the remaining balance for the ship?"
Virta shook her head regretfully in response to her words. She took out an abacus and said, "I understand your desire to keep a ship, given that Lunos is synonymous with merchant vessels. But it's impossible no matter how you calculate it. The remaining balance is already severely overdue. If we don't sell it as soon as possible, it'll only incur more debt."
"..."
April had no way to come up with the remaining balance now. She had no choice but to agree to sell the ship. Fortunately, the profit from selling the ship would be enough to maintain the mansion and allow April to live out her days quietly.
After finishing their business, they left the bank. It was past 8 o'clock, and the sun had completely set. Although the immediate financial issues were resolved, April's heart was heavy with the fact that she couldn't save even the last of the merchant ships, which were practically a symbol of the Lunos family.
Feeling guilty, April pressed her palm against her temple, where she felt a headache coming on. She stood at the square's carriage station, waving her hand to hail a passing carriage. However, carriages would stop in front of her, but upon recognizing April's face from newspaper photographs, they would panic and flee.
As April stepped onto the road and waved her hand, this time a carriage seemed determined to run her over. As she stood frozen in front of the oncoming horse, someone's hand suddenly yanked her body away.
The carriage rushed past without stopping, and April belatedly exhaled a shaky breath. As she slowly turned around, she found Fejin looking down at her with furrowed brows, his arm still wrapped around her body.
April looked up at him and asked, "Why?"
"What do you mean, 'why'? Can't you assess the situation?”
April realized her own question was strange.
She pushed Fejin's arm away to free herself from his embrace and said, "You're fearless."
"You've been talking strangely. Am I the one without fear?"
"Well, you saw police officers collapse with your own eyes, yet you're still helping me? That's reckless."
When April criticized him instead of accepting his unconditional kindness, Fejin's expression twisted.
"You'd better not speak at all. You're more likable when you keep your mouth shut. At least your face is pretty when you're quiet."
"You're the one who loses by speaking. You make compliments sound unpleasant."
"Which part of what I said was a compliment?"
"You said I'm pretty."
"That's just a fact. This face isn't even my type."
As Fejin spoke, his eyes scanned April's face. April turned her head away, exasperated by his clearly intentional attempt to upset her.
Of course, she knew she had been the one to pick a fight with the person who had just saved her. Was it because he was the first somewhat "familiar person" she had met since her confinement?
Seeing Fejin's face slightly eased the extreme tension that had parasitized her body for the past seven years. And then, like a child lying down in front of someone who cares for them, she found herself grumbling.
He was far from caring for her—it was closer to hatred. He even said her face wasn't his type.
In any case, while she felt sorry for picking a fight, his comments about his preferences didn't sit well with her. She knew all too well what kind of face Fejin liked. Those brothers had such similar tastes.
When talking about preferences, Fejin might have thought of Heidi Deus's face again.
The rain still hadn't stopped, and as April struggled to catch a carriage, it had gotten late, and there were no more carriages in sight.
Fejin checked the clock tower on one side of the square and said to April, "I'll lend you a carriage."
Fejin then began to search for one and put on his gloves. Seeing him only now putting on his gloves, April realized that he hadn't just happened to pass by and help her.
It seemed he had rushed over without even thinking to put on his gloves.
How unusual. The one who used to only think of himself was now considering others.
April followed him in a daze, but trying to drag her long dress through the mud made it impossible to keep up with Fejin's quick pace.
During the seven years when April had no occasion to walk in step with anyone, he had been with the energetic young men at the military academy. Their paces couldn't match.
"Fejin, wait a moment."
When she called out to him, Fejin stopped and turned to look at April. Then, with a bewildered expression, he asked, "Why are you following me?"
"You said you'd lend me a carriage."
"Why are you walking through this mud in that dress? Just stay there. I'll be back soon."
After saying that, he was about to go straight to the carriage, but Fejin, looking utterly confused, turned back.
"Hold on. I don't want my clothes to get dirty."
Fejin said this and then placed April's foot on his knee. He began to tie her loose shoelaces.
"It's a miracle you didn't fall."
April was startled by his unexpected action, but realizing it was for her benefit, she quickly calmed herself.
She didn't particularly feel the weight on her foot. It was oddly amusing that he was really just doing this because he didn't want his clothes to get dirty.
If that were the case, he could have just left the shoelaces alone, but he felt the need to retie them.
Finding it funny, April, standing in place, covered her mouth and started to laugh.
Fejin looked up at the sound of laughter that eventually escaped through her delicate fingers.
"What's so funny?"
"You."
"Ah, I suppose my face is just naturally amusing to look at."
At Fejin's words, April began to laugh even more, this time with a clear sound.
Strangely, as she laughed, tears came to her eyes.
She couldn't remember the last time she had laughed out of genuine joy.
What was certain was that it must have been when her parents were still alive.
April covered her entire face with the hand that had been covering her mouth.
A tear fell, rolling down her palm. Fortunately, it wasn't very noticeable due to the rain.
Fejin, who had finished tying her shoelaces and stood up, said, "Are you laughing or crying?"
"I'm laughing."
"You seem to cry a lot when you laugh."
Fejin said this and then took out a handkerchief.
He unfolded it and tied it around April's wrist, which was still covering her face with both hands.
"Wait here for a moment."
Fejin said this and moved towards the waiting carriage.
April stood in place for a moment, barely managing to swallow her sobs, and looked at the handkerchief tied around her wrist.
During this time, a carriage stopped in front of her.
The coachman was pale at the thought of having to drive April through the night, but disobeying Fejin's orders was a more realistic pressure, so he had reluctantly brought the carriage.
Fejin, who had been sitting next to the coachman, got down and opened the door for her, saying, "I'll be investigating the Lunos mansion again. I'll let you know in advance when the date is set."
"Do as you please."
April said this and gestured for him to close the carriage door.
That night, after returning to the Lunos mansion, it took April a long time to fall asleep.
For the past seven years, she had been thinking similar thoughts, but today, the problem was that every thought that came to mind was different from usual.
Things like guilt over disposing of the ship, or fear of the church.
And strangely, among them, the most vivid memory was the knee touching her instep.
Looking back now, she felt oddly embarrassed about why she had laughed so much at that moment.
As she tried to erase the kind gestures from her mind, that small weight instead pierced through her chest.
April tried to forget that weight. Fortunately, as she recalled her resentment towards his brother, that intense emotion gradually dimmed the weight.
That night, her parents visited her in her dreams. When she apologized for disposing of the ship, they smiled and said nothing in the world was as important as her.
She threw tantrums, and they went for a walk in the still-beautiful Lunos territory.
It was a dream where she heard only what she wanted to hear and did only what she wanted to do. It was the first time she had had such a pleasant dream since her parents passed away.
