Char and I eventually said goodbye to Finis and Vesper and teleported back to the Mercure estate. It felt good to be back home, especially after all this time.
We had discussed some things with Finis and Vesper and decided to install teleportation devices on both our island and in Finis’s house. The elfins’ village was hidden from the outside world, and they didn’t want humans constantly coming to and fro, so we’d chosen to just directly link our homes together. With the devices, there were no risks of us messing up the coordinates, and we’d always land where we intended.
We could also use a more precise spell than the rough teleportation one...but those are a hassle, so I never really gravitate toward them. It’s usually not an issue if my coordinates are a bit off. But I don’t want to disturb the elfins, so it’s a good thing we have these items.
We had barely arrived than I began strolling around the garden, the teleportation device in hand. On the outside, it simply looked like a white, rectangular stone, but there was a proper spell imbued inside it.
“Well then, where should we put this thing?”
As I made my way toward the main mansion, Char, who was walking alongside me, said, “I’d rather avoid giving anyone the ability to teleport inside our home at all hours, so I’d prefer putting it in the garden.”
“You have a point. Finis is my teacher and my mother, but you don’t know her, after all. Besides, Vesper is probably going to come visit us as well. We should make a designated landing pad in the garden and install an item to inform us whenever someone teleports over. That way, we’ll be able to greet them as soon as they arrive.”
“An item?”
“Ah, but we might struggle to find the materials for it in this day and age... Perhaps I should ask Épée. He may be able to get them through his company.”
“Good idea. If you’re the one asking, that man will go to the end of the world to get you whatever you want.”
“You’re exaggerating. But yes, he’ll likely find what I need. He’s a shrewd boy, after all.”
“That’s not what I meant. Oh, well.”
The two of us strolled around the island, basking in the warmth of the sun, when my eyes landed on something: the large gazebo in the corner of the garden.
“This could be a great spot for the item,” I said.
Not only was it easy to find, but we could safely install the device within it. And if I cast a spell to shield the entire gazebo from wind and rain, we wouldn’t even get wet when we teleported back.
“We don’t really use that gazebo, so you can do whatever you want with it,” Char said.
“Thanks! I’ll take you up on that offer and make it all colorful and pretty on another day, then.”
Char’s response caught in his throat. He had given me permission to do “whatever I wanted” with the gazebo, so he couldn’t stop me. He did seem a little bitter, though.
“Aaand...installed,” I said, dusting off my hands when I was done. “I thought it would take me much longer to find Finis, but it looks like I’ve accomplished my objective already.”
With only the two of us in the garden, we fell into a comfortable silence.
Oh, right!
There was something I’d meant to tell Char.
I decided to take advantage of our little moment together, and my words poured quickly from my mouth, “Um, Char? I was thinking about what you told me in Hanche, and I realized that I struggle to understand other people’s feelings. I don’t know if it’s because I was raised by an elfin, but I’ve always been terrible at it... Looking back, I just kept blaming you for everything when I regained my memories.”
“Well, you had every right to feel that way.”
“I still think I was a little overbearing. While I can fix pretty much anything with magic, that doesn’t mean it’s the case for you and the other Mercures. I’m sorry for dunking on you from my safe little bubble.”
“I’m not really in a position to criticize others’ social dispositions. But I know you’re always doing everything in your power to help others. That’s a fact. Although, I hope you won’t sacrifice your life to save someone in this lifetime.”
I looked up at my husband, the two of us still walking alongside each other. I had no idea he had been thinking that way about me, and it touched me.
He continued, “Seeing all the things you do made me think that perhaps I could start helping others too, in whatever way I can. For instance, I could hire people in need to work here at the mansion.”
“Char...”
He was always so cautious—this was very unlike him.
“I was thinking of expanding our team of cooks, in particular. With more people to take care of food, the likelihood of you needing to handle meals will decrease, and the kids won’t have to dread mealtime any longer.”
“Hey, that was unnecessary to add.”
I had already been cooking five hundred years ago; I was a veteran, so to speak. Yet, no one ever liked my food—except for Flèche.
I said, “Well, whatever. We should both work on learning more about the world. That sounds like a good idea. And our new home seems well suited for it.”
“It does. I’ll work hard too. So far, I’ve done nothing but rely on you. I need to become the kind of man who can return the favor.”
I disagreed. He had already helped me countless times since I regained my memories.
Isn’t he too harsh on himself?
As I gazed at him from the side, he suddenly turned to look at me, and our eyes met.
Ah!
My heart still skipped a beat whenever we made eye contact like this.
“What is it, Lam? Why were you staring at me so intently, hmm? I’m curious.”
Oh, he knew what he was doing.
He’s even smiling a little!
He saw that I was flustered, and he was teasing me about it. I understood that, yet I couldn’t help but grow even more embarrassed. Char might have been easily teased, but he certainly knew how to push my buttons.
“I wasn’t looking at you!” I lied. “You’re just excessively self-conscious—”
The end of my sentence escaped me as I fell backward. I had stepped on a pebble, and it threw me off-balance. How awkward.
I-I’m going to fall!
Seeing me about to topple over, Char hurriedly reached out to steady me.
“Whew, that was close,” he said, his face much too close to mine.
It might have been a case of force majeure, but our lips were only inches away.