Chapter 3
Homecoming (3)
It was something beyond Elric’s understanding.
Naturally, his thoughts turned to how she had lived over the past ten years.
The fact that the marriage had not been annulled meant that for the past decade, this woman had lived in Portman’s estate as his wife.
It meant she had endured all those long years without her husband, continuing to wait without any promise of his return.
Why she would do such a thing was a mystery—but for now, there was an even greater question that overshadowed it.
—
“Let’s go inside first.”
—
Why aren’t you asking anything?
Is that really the first thing you say to a husband who ran away on the first night of your marriage?
The words rose to his throat, but he couldn’t bring himself to say them.
Coming back after running away, it would be far too rude to ask such a question.
After all, wouldn’t that be nothing more than mocking the woman who had waited for him all this time, regardless of her reasons?
—
Elric glanced at Tyria. She looked calm, and the way she turned and walked was perfectly straight.
What welled up inside him at that moment was the shame he had felt ten years ago.
He hadn’t expected to feel such emotions again now, but seeing himself—both body and mind—so unsteady in contrast to her made a sense of embarrassment naturally arise.
“Are you not coming?”
“…Ah, I will.”
—
He forced a smile, though it was surely far from natural.
Tap—he steadied himself with his cane, struggling to control his limping steps.
Even so, his body was inconvenient now, and he couldn’t help but walk slowly.
Perhaps noticing this, she slowed her pace noticeably to match his.
—
Because she walked a couple of steps ahead, all he could see was her back.
The distance between them felt awkward.
Elric focused on his own heartbeat.
‘It’s not… racing.’
Even seeing his wife—more beautiful than before, perhaps even more than back then—his mind didn’t go blank like it had when he was a boy.
Whether it was growth or simply wear and tear, he couldn’t tell.
Either way, at least he no longer looked like a fool.
That small sense of calm soon turned into a challenge against the awkwardness.
—
“…Why were you in the wheat field?”
—
Since she asked nothing, he pretended to be equally calm.
“I was checking the condition of the wheat. Isn’t it almost harvest season?”
“Ah, personally?”
“Yes.”
—
That was the end of it.
The conversation didn’t continue.
As the silence grew even heavier than before, Elric chastised his own recklessness.
‘Damn…’
It would’ve been less awkward if he had just kept his mouth shut.
—
Walking through the wheat field glowing in the sunset felt like an eternity.
Elric found himself wishing he were swinging a sword on the battlefield instead.
In moments where life and death were at stake, there was no room for trivial worries.
That discomfort dragged on for quite a while.
—
But just like the week on the train, time diligently did its job.
Though it felt even more suffocating than before, Elric eventually arrived at his destination.
—
“Please wait a moment. I’ll go call the butler.”
—
With that, Tyria disappeared into the mansion.
Only then did Elric take a deep breath and look up at the estate.
The three-story brick building, with its proud fountain in the courtyard, washed away his earlier worries.
“Ah…”
It’s the same.
As his discomfort regarding Tyria faded, what filled the void was, as expected, memories.
Even after ten years away, everything came back vividly—the number of stairs, how the rooms were arranged, even the stains in certain spots.
A faint smile appeared on Elric’s lips.
At that moment—
—
“Hm? Who are you?”
—
A voice came from behind him.
Elric turned and widened his eyes.
An elderly man stood there, dressed neatly in a black tuxedo, with graying hair.
Though age had deepened his wrinkles, Elric recognized him instantly.
‘We must have crossed paths.’
It seemed he and Tyria had taken different directions and ended up meeting like this.
It was the butler—Aldio. The man who had been his strongest ally, filling the role his cold father never did.
Elric felt a sharp ache in his chest at their reunion.
That emotion was clear in his voice as it spilled out.
“Don’t you recognize me?”
—
Aldio’s eyes narrowed.
Then slowly, his expression began to change.
At first, he looked wary, deepening his wrinkles. Then his mouth fell open in a daze. Finally, his eyes widened in shock.
“Y-Young master!”
—
Aldio hurried over and grabbed Elric’s shoulders.
“Young master! Is it really you?!”
—
All kinds of emotions were mixed in his aged voice.
Joy, sorrow, regret, and elation.
Such an intense reaction stirred Elric’s own emotions.
With his free arm, he embraced him.
“It’s been a while. I’ve returned.”
—
In the old man’s trembling, Elric felt warmth.
—
—
—
Aldio calmed down only after quite some time.
After pounding his chest and catching his breath, he spoke with a clear expression.
“I almost didn’t recognize you. You’ve changed so much!”
—
Elric chuckled.
Well, the last time they had seen each other, he had barely been more than a boy.
It was only natural not to recognize him.
And it wasn’t just that he had grown.
The past ten years of his life had been harsh.
To survive the battlefield, he had trained his mana relentlessly.
As a result, his frame had grown larger. His once frail body had become sturdy, and above all, his eyes had taken on a dark reddish hue from the influence of mana.
For those who only remembered him from ten years ago, recognizing him instantly would be difficult.
“I’ve changed quite a bit. I understand why you might—”
—
Suddenly—
He stopped.
“Hmm? What is it?”
—
Even at Aldio’s question, Elric couldn’t answer right away.
Because only after speaking did he realize something strange.
His gaze turned toward the mansion.
More precisely, toward the entrance where Tyria had just gone in.
‘…Didn’t she recognize me immediately?’
—
She had identified him at once, despite him giving no clear indication of who he was.
Even though the only time she had ever seen his face was on their wedding day.
How could she recognize a boy she had seen only once—especially after he had changed so much?
That question stirred doubt within Elric.
“Young master? Are you alright?”
“…Ah, it’s nothing. Just something to think about.”
—
Maybe she just had a sharp eye.
Elric brushed off the thought.
—
—
—
Tyria watched Elric speaking with the butler through the window.
Though it had been ten years, she recognized him instantly.
How could she not? He was the man she had vowed to spend her life with.
His brown hair, his languid expression, the straight bridge of his nose, even the scar beside his ear—all were just as she remembered.
—
Her heart was still pounding.
When she came out of the wheat field and suddenly saw him standing there, she had been startled.
She had tried to appear calm, hoping not to show her surprise—but thinking back, she might have seemed awkward.
She just hoped he hadn’t noticed.
Feeling a bit anxious, Tyria took a deep breath as she replayed their reunion in her mind.
—
—Why…
—
At the memory of his words, her shoulders trembled slightly.
Her delicate brow furrowed.
Her lips pressed tightly together as she looked at Elric outside, smiling brightly.
It was an expression he had never shown her.
The entire time they walked together, there had only been uncomfortable silence.
—
Not just now—even before their reunion… on the day he left, it had been the same.
Throughout the wedding ceremony, the corners of his mouth had been clearly turned downward.
And when he finally placed the ring on her finger, his face had been deeply frowning.
That made her cry alone.
But what truly broke her heart came after.
That very night, Elric left the estate and never returned.
—
Her chest felt tight.
She pressed her hand against it, but it didn’t help.
The joy was only momentary. What followed was reality.
Even after ten years, his demeanor upon returning was still not what she had hoped for.
—
His questioning attitude, as if he wished she weren’t here.
The bright smile he never showed her, and his complete lack of curiosity about her.
A bitter, sorrowful smile formed on Tyria’s lips.
‘As expected…’
—
Even after all this time, she seemed to him an unsatisfactory marriage partner.
That fact hurt.
And even more painful than that was the future where she still wouldn’t be able to let him go.
Just as she had for the past ten years, Tyria would continue waiting without promise, until the day his heart might turn toward her.
Perhaps the time ahead would be even harder than before.
After all, even her belief that he would someday return smiling and embrace her had now been shattered.
To hold onto a love that would never be returned—
was far more painful than one could imagine.
