Chapter 2

Since her husband’s funeral, Romian ate only minimal meals. She ate a piece of dry bread, or if even that bothered her, she satiated her hunger with an apple or pear.

But today, she prepared a meal with a nervousness unlike her. She wanted to do her best for her younger brother who she was reunited with after 20 years. Soon the house was filled with a deep smell. The smell of someone living there made her realize that it had been a long time since she had experienced it.

Cannelloni topped with Lakota cheese, beef stew and chicken pie were lined up on the table, but Romian looked apologetic toward Eric.

“I didn’t prepared much. I’m for the simplicity.”

“It’s enough. It’s a feast for me, sis.”

“You’re hungry, aren’t you? Let’s eat quickly.”

Romian, cutting the chicken pie generously, neatly placed it on Eric’s plate. As she did, Eric’s eyes softened. He, just like his sister, cut the chicken pie and placed it on Romian’s plate. The siblings looked at each other for a moment and smiled warmly.

“How are our parents doing?”

Romian’s heart sank at Eric’s question. Their parents missed Eric during their lifetime and died of deep mental illness. Romian laughed bitterly.

“…they’re dead.”

“As expected. I guessed.”

“I’m sure both of you will be delighted. Eric you… … Because I found you.”

Eric, who nodded still, took a big bite of the chicken pie on the plate. Romian looked at him with curiosity.

“How does it taste?”

“It’s just like what mother used to make when I was little.”

“Really? That’s a relief.”

Only then did Romian have a smile on her face. This was because her husband always complained about her food, so she was worried that Eric would do the same.

“How have you been…?”

“I don’t remember very well, but I grew up in an orphanage since I was little. I stayed there until I was seventeen, and then ran out because I couldn’t stand it. Since then, I’ve been working as a trader. Then I came across the newspaper by chance.”

Eric frankly told her about his years. Before entering the orphanage, uniformed men asked Eric for his parents’ names and addresses, but Eric, who was only three years old at the time, could not answer anything.

There were only three things he remembered as a child. Eric, his name. And his sister’s name, Romian. The last was the memory of a beautiful night when he watched fireworks with Romian.

Romian’s big eyes were filled with tears again when she heard her brother’s story. After reporting the disappearance, the first place her parents looked at was the orphanage. All the orphanages near the village were scrambled, but why couldn’t they even find him for such a long time. At that moment, Romian felt that the world was truly resentful.

“How could this be? It sounds like an excuse, but there hasn’t been an orphanage I haven’t visited in 20 years, Eric… How hard that must have been alone… Sorry… … I’m really sorry…”

“Don’t cry, sister.”

“I can only be a sinner to you, Eric…”

“Don’t say that. I’m happier than ever to have found family.”

Eric, who got up from his seat, approached Romian and kneeled down. Then lightly kissed the back of her soft hand.

“Eric…”

Romian’s face looking down at her younger brother was shy for an instant. Eric thought that Romian looked like a roseberry in the sun.

“Then smile now, sister.”

“What?”

“I want to see you smile brightly.”

Eric reached out to wipe her tears. Then he stared at his sister affectionately as if to soothe a child. Romian smiled brightly, responding to the warm gaze.

“That’s right, beautiful.”

At the compliment, her cheeks blushed shyly once again. Her heart pounded loudly, but Romian tried her best to stop the flushed expression.

It was a strange feeling, but it wasn’t bad. In the meantime, her husband had never said such sweet things to Romian. So she thought it was natural to feel ashamed.

* * *

At night, their parents came to Romian’s dream. Only when Romian looked at them could she smile brightly.

She finally found her lost brother, so she no longer felt guilty when meeting her parents. She was even glad to see them. Because she wanted to tell them that she found Eric as soon as possible.

Romian ran to them, waving his hand.

‘Mother, father. I finally found Eric, who I’ve been looking for so much!’

However, somehow, her parents were not happy at all when they heard the news. They looked at Romian with hard faces and immediately shed tears.

‘Mother, father. Why, why are you crying again…? It’s Eric! We finally found Eric!’

Romian’s steps, which were running towards them, stopped abruptly. It was because bright red bloody tears flowed from the eyes of her mother and father. They shed bloody tears in a bizarre way, and they rushed as if to choke Romian at any moment.

“Oh my god!”

The field was breathless from the mouth of Romian, who woke up from his dream. I definitely thought I wouldn’t have a nightmare tonight, but I guess it was a wrong idea. I was covered with cold sweat. She wheedled a dry wash.

“Hah!”

It was when Romian was looking out the window buried in the dark with a bewildered face. “Are you sleeping?”

Eric’s voice came from outside the room.

She turned her head in amazement, and the door opened with a squeak of the old hinges. Eric looked anxiously at Romian, showing off his handsome appearance even in the dark. “I heard a sound of pain. I was wondering if you were sick.”

“Ah… I’m sorry. Did you wake up because of me?”

“It was before I fell asleep.”

Eric approached Romian with a friendly smile. However, when he saw his sister’s condition, he closed his gaze as if he was troubled.

Romian’s blanket fell on the floor because she was tossing and turning violently with nightmares. The thin slip dress was also rolled up to expose her smooth legs. Baring her thighs in front of her grown-up brother. She was embarrassed.

“Ah, Eric. I’m sorry, but can you bring me a cup of water?”

“I see.”

As he headed to the kitchen, Romian scrambled and rearranged her clothes. After hurriedly picking up the blanket that fell on the floor and arranging it, she put her hand under the pillow. Then a small medicine bottle appeared. Romian, as if familiar, took out a blue pill from the medicine bottle and put it in her mouth. As soon as Eric brought the water, she gulped down the medicine.

“What medicine is it?”

“It’s a sleeping pill… I have insomnia.”

“Insomnia.”

Eric listened obediently to his sister, but looked suspiciously at the medicine bottle in her hand. Romian continued casually, as if to ease his brother’s worries.

“It’s nothing serious.”

“It’s not good for you…?”

“When I have nightmares, I can’t sleep all night, so my daily life becomes difficult. I’m trying to reduce my medication, but it doesn’t work…”

“Do you sleep well if you take that medicine?”

“Yes. I sleep eight hours as if I had fainted.”

After losing Eric, the insomnia that came to Romian was like destiny. Every day was painful and burdensome, but she lived thinking