CH:15
She had been deep in thought since early morning.
Nothing in particular had happened, yet she had deliberately gone back and forth to the temple, scanning the crowd with her eyes. Ivan wasn’t there. She was worried he might not come today either.
And that line of thought always ended with the fear that something might have happened to Ivan.
“…Nothing’s wrong… right?”
Amelia bit her nails and paced restlessly around her bedroom, worrying about Ivan. He was the first person she’d met who hadn’t been swayed by Aaron. He was a friend. So Amelia sincerely hoped no misfortune had befallen him.
“Why didn’t you come last week?”
That’s why it was only natural that she felt genuinely happy when she saw Ivan today, with no signs of hardship on his face. But at the same time, a faint sense of resentment bubbled up.
“I waited here alone last time and went back. Do you have any idea how worried I was…?”
You know how much I like you. You know how much I rely on you. And yet, not even a single word.
“You were waiting for me?”
Ivan asked in response to her resentful words.
“Of course. You were the one who said, ‘See you next week.’”
Amelia, who had confessed without thinking too much, suddenly paused. She felt like she was demanding too much for someone who wasn’t family or a lover.
“I didn’t mean to blame you…”
She trailed off, glancing at him cautiously. Ivan was completely free. He had even said he would soon leave the apprenticeship as a priest. Despite that, he had still come to see her. Amelia had no right to bind or restrict him.
“That’s right. We made a promise.”
But Ivan easily acknowledged the promise he had made with her. So easily that Amelia’s faltering tone seemed almost silly.
“Something came up.”
“You weren’t sick, were you?”
Ivan shook his head at Amelia’s question.
“I wasn’t sick.”
“…”
“Just… had some noisy issues.”
Then, with a smooth smile, he evaded Amelia’s subtle pressing.
“Did things get resolved?”
“No, not yet.”
Ivan replied as he sat down. His tone sounded indifferent, but to Amelia, it somehow felt cold. She was about to pry further, wondering if something bad had happened, when she noticed a pouch tied to his waist, peeking through his robe.
“But I came today to keep our promise.”
Her round black eyes sparkled with curiosity. Ivan noticed the curiosity flickering in Amelia’s gaze and reached for the pouch on his waist.
“Please forgive me.”
But he didn’t untie the knot. Amelia’s gaze lingered on his hand for a long moment before moving up to his face.
“If you say you’ll forgive me, I’ll open it.”
He stated it with a calm face—as if it were a simple condition. It was a condition Amelia couldn’t bring herself to refuse.
“Okay.”
She gave a quick sideways glance at Ivan, then replied. She hadn’t really meant to resent him in the first place. To be honest, Amelia was just afraid that if he got angry, he might never come to see her again. She didn’t want to upset him.
“What is it?”
At Amelia’s question, Ivan untied the pouch from his robe and opened its mouth. A sweet scent began to spread gently through the air.
“Caramel.”
Amelia’s eyes widened as she instinctively followed the invisible scent. She didn’t understand why Ivan had suddenly brought her caramel.
“Why this?”
She stared blankly at the pouch that had landed in her hand and asked. Sweets were rare, yes—but it wasn’t like she had never tasted caramel before.
“Remember when I promised I’d get you some grilled chicken skewers?”
Then, with that single sentence, Ivan made everything clear.
“Since I couldn’t keep that promise.”
It was his way of apologizing.
“Alcohol doesn’t smell if you just close the lid, but food’s a bit trickier.”
And at the same time, it was a gesture of care. To remember even a casually made promise—that’s what people call attention or interest.
“Of course, I know something like caramel probably isn’t that special to you. But please understand.”
Even as he offered an excuse, Amelia’s heart pounded wildly. She couldn’t even think about reaching into the pouch; she just stared at Ivan in a daze.
“…You remembered that promise and brought this?”
Amelia asked, and Ivan nodded, as if to say: “Why else would I bring it?”
“Sweets are expensive, right? Wasn’t it hard to get?”
Amelia asked hesitantly. Ivan didn’t answer right away. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, then shook his head after a brief pause.
Of course it must’ve been hard.
He didn’t say it aloud. All he gave her was a small smile. But Amelia sensed it anyway. She’d heard that commoners struggled to get even three meals a day, even when there wasn’t a famine.
“Thank you…”
Tears welled up in her eyes. The cloth pouch crumpled in her small hand. Amelia barely managed to express her thanks with a trembling voice.
“You’re the first person who’s gone this far just to keep a simple promise with me.”
A rush of indescribable emotion surged in her. Ivan quietly watched Amelia as she rambled. As if he could tell that she was overwhelmed by her own emotions and didn’t know how to respond.
“…”
Silence stretched between them. Then, Amelia suddenly looked up. Her green eyes sparkled even more clearly under the light and met Ivan’s dark gaze head-on. Neither of them looked away, even after what felt like an eternity had passed.
At that moment, a thought occurred to Amelia.
Maybe…
“Ivan.”
She didn’t hesitate. She just spoke, cautiously. Ivan didn’t answer, but the way he slowly opened and closed his eyes in response to her voice was an answer in itself. He was listening.
“I know this might sound weird…”
Her lips trembled as she spoke. She was nervous. Her fingers fidgeted in midair, unsure of where to go.
“…”
When she noticed Ivan’s gaze drop to her hands, she quickly clasped them together and pulled them down.
“Why did you remember that promise for so long?”
Ivan didn’t speak, but Amelia believed he was waiting for her to finish. She didn’t think he was the kind of person who would sit through nonsense unless it meant something.
“Because, think about it.”
“…”
“It was just a passing comment—I wouldn’t have blamed you for forgetting. I wouldn’t have asked you to bring me grilled chicken or anything. Even last week, if you just said something came up, I’d have understood.”
Amelia fumbled with her words.
“Then why go out of your way to bring caramel as an apology?”
But despite her clumsy phrasing, Amelia grew more certain the longer she spoke.
“You could’ve just ignored it. Pretended you forgot. But why did you want to apologize—when I didn’t even ask for it?”
Her gaze pleaded for an answer.
“Is it because…”
“…”
“You… like me?”
Amelia’s voice trembled as much as her hand. She reached out and gently, but earnestly, grabbed the hem of Ivan’s sleeve—like a child clinging to a parent’s finger.
“You’re saying what, exactly?”
Ivan finally spoke. It seemed the silence between them had become uncomfortable, or maybe he just didn’t want her to dance around something he already knew. Amelia pressed her lips together.
“One month left.”
Maybe she was mistaken. Maybe not.
“Do you… like me?”
But a foolish hunch told her otherwise. Amelia looked at him, praying for the answer she wanted to hear.
“Is that why you brought this?”
Her heart pounded wildly. She leaned in close, almost clinging to him. Her hand tugged on the sleeve she was holding.
“Ivan.”
His dark eyes wandered the air for a moment, as if he was trying to find the right thought. Then, slowly, they returned to rest on her face.
“What about you?”
“…”
“Do you like me?”
Ivan asked. His careful, almost mischievous gaze swept across Amelia’s face, taking in every trace of her feelings. It felt as though time itself had frozen. Amelia swallowed hard.
Maybe this is my chance.
That thought took hold—and once it did, she didn’t stop her body from moving. The moment their soft lips met, the pouch slipped helplessly from her hand and dropped to the floor.
At the same time, Ivan’s robe sleeve crumpled in Amelia’s grasp—just like the pouch that once held the caramel.
