073. Wilkins Bookstore
“Do you like it that much?”
Deborah, who had been adjusting the ribbon on her bonnet, turned her gaze behind her at the sudden voice.
In her view was Hanna, sitting on the bed with disheveled hair.
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“I’m saying it looks weird no matter how I see it. Is meeting your teacher really worth humming a tune over?”
“…Oh, was I doing that?”
Deborah gave an awkward smile, feeling a bit embarrassed.
She figured that to Hanna, who didn’t know what Helena meant to her, it might seem that way.
“Yeah! I woke up because of that humming.”
“Oh… Sorry, did I wake you?”
Seeing her brows droop immediately, Hanna shook her head as if to say she couldn’t believe it.
“That’s exactly it. Anyone would think you’re going to meet a lover.”
“…What? A lover?”
A lover? Deborah couldn’t help but let out a scoff.
Thinking it was nonsense, she turned her head back and started tying the rest of the bonnet’s ribbon.
It was the outing bonnet Hanna had lent her for today.
But apparently, that strange suspicion hadn’t ended yet.
“Tell me the truth! Are you dating someone lately?!”
Deborah’s body jolted at the booming voice that made the narrow attic shake.
“Something’s definitely suspicious.”
“….”
Under the blatant stare piercing her back, Deborah had no choice but to turn her head again.
“A l-lover? What are you talking about… I don’t have anything like that.”
“See? Look at that! You’re flustered. Stuttering is suspicious too!”
“F-flustered? What… It’s just ridiculous because you’re saying such nonsense.”
“But you totally have the face of someone in love….”
“….”
She said her eyes couldn’t be fooled—with that half-lidded glare, Deborah felt a pang of guilt for no reason.
It wasn’t like she was actually dating the duke or anything… so why was her heart pounding like this?
“You don’t mean….”
Gulp.
Hanna’s eyes widened, her mouth agape as she started trembling.
No, it couldn’t be….
No one knew about the thing with the duke except Lady Charlotte, but Deborah’s heart raced, wondering if she’d unknowingly done something noticeable.
With a tense face, she anxiously waited for what would come out of Hanna’s mouth.
“You don’t mean… you’ve decided to accept Robin?!”
“….”
It wasn’t worth listening to anymore; Deborah turned her head back without a second thought.
* * *
‘It should be around here somewhere….’
Wilkins Bookstore, located in the Revenville Market.
According to the rough map the teacher had drawn in her letter, a green sign should appear somewhere around here, but no matter how much she looked, it wasn’t visible.
Deborah finally gave up searching on her own and decided to ask a passerby.
‘…But why are there so few people?’
It was the back area, quite far from the bustling main street, but even accounting for that, there were too few people.
Looking around, the only ones in sight were an old man and a child cradled in his arms.
Since walking back to the main street would take quite a while, Deborah approached the sitting old man.
“Excuse me, may I ask you something?”
“….”
Even though she approached cautiously and asked, there was no response.
Deborah blinked and waited, then spoke again.
This time, a bit louder.
“I’m looking for a place; if it’s not too much trouble, could I ask?”
“….”
Wondering if he might be hard of hearing, she enunciated clearly, but again, no response.
The old man’s gaze was still blankly fixed somewhere, and the child in his arms suddenly started wailing—waaah—as if startled by her question.
Flustered, Deborah looked around and quickly knelt down.
“Sorry, sorry. Did I scare you? It’s okay.”
Pat, pat. As she gently patted the child’s chest with steady pressure, the loud crying soon quieted down.
Whew, Deborah sighed in relief, wiped her cold sweat, and stood up.
“What should I do….”
She thought she’d have to go back the way she came to ask someone, and just as she took a step—
About one step in, she spotted a person in the distance.
Finally, someone to ask—her expression brightened at once.
Deborah walked quickly toward him and called out when she was a couple of steps away.
At her “Excuse me,” the man, who had been walking purposefully, glanced her way.
The moment their eyes met, both their expressions froze for a second.
A face that seemed familiar from somewhere.
As Deborah racked her brain, the other seemed to recognize her first—his blue eyes widened and shook.
Ah, that vivid color brought it back to Deborah who the man was.
She’d seen him not long ago, right here in the Revenville Market.
The one who’d helped find the crying child’s mother—
What a coincidence, she thought in wonder, when the man spoke first.
“Do you perhaps remember me? We met here a while back….”
As if meeting a dear old friend, his bright smile made Deborah smile back warmly.
“Yes, I remember.”
At her reply, his face lit up even more.
“We meet like this. Actually, after that, I’ve been passing by there hoping to see you again….”
He scratched his head and smiled sheepishly, and Deborah stared at him blankly.
Realizing something from her gaze, he quickly added,
“Oh, I mean, about the handkerchief from that time. I wanted to return it.”
Seeing him sweat profusely while explaining, Deborah’s eyes shifted slightly to the side and back.
“You could really just throw it away….”
She asked in surprise, wondering if he’d kept that old thing all this time.
The man just grinned in response.
“Could you spare a moment? I run a bookstore nearby, and the handkerchief is there.”
“Oh, what a shame. I’m in a bit of a hurry to get somewhere.”
Ah… A sigh full of regret escaped the man’s lips.
Feeling unnecessarily sorry looking at his disappointed face, something odd suddenly flashed through Deborah’s mind.
Wait, among what the man just said….
“Did you say bookstore?”
The man tilted his head slightly at Deborah’s sparkling eyes.
“Teacher!”
“Deborah!”
Their emotional reunion happened just a few minutes later.
As soon as she entered the bookstore, she recognized her at a glance.
The warm one she’d never forgotten for a moment—Helena, her teacher.
Helena, who had lifted her head at the sound of the door opening, had her eyes widening in shock too.
The two embraced like long-lost family, shedding hot tears for a long while.
In her warm embrace, Deborah poured out all the longing and sorrow she’d held in.
“Now, let me see your face.”
With reddened eyes, Helena cupped Deborah’s cheeks.
After examining her for a while, Helena’s brows furrowed slightly.
“Your face looks so worn….”
She gazed at Deborah’s somewhat gaunt appearance with a worried expression.
That caring demeanor, like a mother’s, made Deborah smile brightly through her tear-streaked face.
“It’s always like this around this time; don’t worry. I’m doing well.”
At her brave smile, Helena’s face finally relaxed a bit.
“Why don’t you both sit and talk now.”
At the sudden voice, the two startled and turned to the side.
Oh, right. Remembering the presence she’d momentarily forgotten, Deborah made an apologetic face, and the man pulled something from his pocket and held it out.
It was a handkerchief.
Thinking it was the one she’d given, but seeing the different color, it must be his.
“No… it’s okay.”
It looked expensive at a glance, so she couldn’t accept it readily.
“Here, I received help from you that time too.”
As he insisted again, she was at a loss for words.
What she’d given him was something so worn it wouldn’t matter if thrown away, but it was hard to refuse his repeated kindness.
“Thank you.”
Deborah smiled softly and took the man’s handkerchief.
“But how do you two know each other?”
Turning her head, Helena looked between them curiously.
The answer came from the man’s lips.
“Oh, well, how it happened was—”
☆▪︎▪︎▪︎☆▪︎▪︎▪︎☆
By Anna 💓
See you next week stay safe 🫶
