Chapter 2

“Hey now, Raon, won’t you just open the door for a second? I’m quite exhausted, and I was wondering if you’d let me rest in your house for just a moment.”

“No. I can’t. Bad Raon doesn’t know anything about that.”

At Raon’s words, which had built an impenetrable wall, the man shook his head and decided to tell the truth.

“Uh, well, actually… I came to see a handsome boy named Raon who has black hair and golden eyes.”

“I do have black hair and golden eyes, but I’m not handsome. So, Not-Handsome Bad Raon is telling you to go away. Now, I’m busy, so goodbye.”

As if he had no intention of dealing with the man any further, Raon stepped away from the door, sat in a chair, put on ear muffs, and started reading his book.

“Raon? Raon?”

Adrian called out from outside, but no voice came from the child. Faced with a total snub, Adrian looked troubled and simply waited in front of the door, hoping it would open.

***

Having finished her grocery shopping for the first time in a while, Ramona’s face was etched with urgency rather than a sense of abundance. She was worried about what might happen to the child while he was home alone.

She walked briskly with her basket full of goods she’d bought with her wages. In her haste, she carried the basket on her head, but as she approached, she saw someone lingering in front of her door. Seeing a man who shared a similar appearance to the child, Ramona narrowed her eyes.

He was dressed plainly, but judging by the high-quality fabric of his clothes and his leather shoes, he seemed to have a fair amount of money.

“Who might you be?”

At Ramona’s question, delivered with a suspicious glare, Adrian finally looked her way. The woman before him looked as if she had just finished a day’s labor, with a basket full of groceries balanced atop her head.

“I’ve come to see the child of this house. One named Raon… Isn’t that heavy?”

Watching Ramona approach, Adrian took the basket from her head and realized just how heavy it was. As he wondered if her neck might break, Ramona lowered the padded ring from her head and shrugged her shoulders.

“Country women usually live like this. But why our Raon…?”

“Mommy!”

Hearing Ramona’s voice at the door, Raon unlocked the tightly bolted door and lunged at her waist. After nuzzling his face against her, Raon quickly hid behind Ramona when he caught the man’s gaze.

“My little Grumpy Prince, what’s wrong?”

“That mister asked me to open the door, but I didn’t, just like you told me. You told me to listen to grownups… Mommy, I became a bad child today.”

The man, who was much taller than Ramona, looked intimidating. Pointing at him, Raon spoke in a tiny, shrinking voice. Ramona stroked the head of the boy, who looked like a dejected puppy in the rain, and pulled him into an embrace to soothe him.

“No, you didn’t. You did well. I told you that you have to protect the house when I’m not here. Our Prince guarded the house so well while I was away. I’m so proud of you. You’re wonderful.”

“Really?”

His mood instantly lifting, Raon beamed at Ramona, completely ignoring the man standing before them. Adrian watched the display of affection with a faint smile.

“Now then, what business do you have with my child?”

“I don’t think this is a conversation for the outdoors. Perhaps we could move elsewhere?”

Since people were passing by and might overhear, Ramona thought for a moment before opening the door.

“Come in.”

Though he was a stranger she’d never met, Ramona led the man inside as if she had some secret reason to trust him.

Once inside, Adrian quickly scanned the interior. The house was built in a unique style, quite different from the structures he was used to. The floor wasn’t dirt, but polished, gleaming wood. In one corner sat a pile of high-quality hay, seemingly meant for kindling.

In a typical commoner’s house, the kitchen and the main room were usually one and the same, but here, the living area held only chairs and a dining table. Several doors suggested the presence of other rooms. As Adrian, having taken in the modest but tidy home, prepared to take a step further, Ramona shouted urgently.

“Wait! Stop right there.”

Just as he wondered if she intended to make him talk while standing, Ramona pulled a pair of indoor slippers from a small shoe rack and placed them before him.

“Take off your shoes and put those on.”

“Is that really necessary…?”

“If you aren’t planning on cleaning the floors, I think it’s only polite to follow the homeowner’s rules.”

Adrian had never taken off his shoes before entering a room unless he was getting into bed. However, feeling he should comply with the homeowner’s request, he removed his shoes and stepped inside wearing the slippers.

“Sit here and wait a moment. The child is still young, so please direct your questions to me.”

Having spoken firmly, Ramona hurried out the back door to wash away the traces of her hard day’s work.

“Now, about the story—”

Rumble—

Just as he was about to speak, Raon’s stomach let out a loud growl. Embarrassed that the sound had echoed in front of a stranger, Raon turned beet red and hid behind Ramona.

“My little Grumpy Prince must be hungry. I’ll make food quickly… regardless of the reason, you are a guest, so let us talk after we eat. All I have in the house are potatoes and onions, though. Will that be alright?”

“Pardon? Oh, I—I’m fine.”

He had come to talk about Raon, but he couldn’t let a hungry child starve. Adrian, who felt he couldn’t possibly express dissatisfaction in this household, gave an awkward smile and a nod. Ramona headed straight for the kitchen.

He had expected her to whip up a simple potato or onion soup at best, but what Ramona brought out defied his expectations.

Stir-fried potato matchsticks, braised potatoes, and potato pancakes were set upon the table. They were clearly just ordinary potatoes, but the savory scent of oil teased his senses.

“Let’s eat first and then talk.”

As she placed a spoon and chopsticks next to a bowl of white rice, Adrian cast aside his shame and took a bite of the food, which was prepared in a style from a different country. He was also curious about what kind of food Raon usually ate.

“Gasp!”

Adrian’s eyes widened the moment he took a bite. He cast a gaze full of envy at Raon, who surely got to eat such cooking often.

Eating a meal that brought out the ultimate flavor from such ordinary ingredients, Adrian felt like he wanted to stay here in Raon’s place.

“It’s seasoned to go with rice, so it’s a bit salty. Let me know if you need more rice.”

“Yes, y-yes! I—I would be grateful for one more bowl.”

Shamelessly eating a total of two bowls, Adrian felt his tense heart crumble into soft pieces, like a freshly steamed spring potato.

Ramona, looking as if she were about to say, “You don’t have this kind of thing at your house, do you? Spring potatoes are quite delicious,” returned after clearing the empty dishes.

“I apologize for not being able to serve you properly as a guest, since our means are so modest.”

“Oh, not at all! It was truly, truly delicious. I mean it. It’s a flavor I’ve never tasted before, and it was so good I found myself jealous of Raon… Ahem.”

Adrian, who had caught himself babbling because of the delicious food, quickly cleared his throat to compose himself.

“Now that the meal is over, I have a few questions. First, may I ask who you are?”

Realizing he hadn’t introduced himself yet, Adrian spoke with a slightly nervous expression.

“My name is Adrian.”

“I’m Ramona, and this child is Raon.”

After a brief silence followed the simple exchange of names, a breeze drifted through a gap in the open window. As a warm spring breeze brushed past and ruffled Ramona’s short hair, he tilted his head.

Usually, women grew their hair long. Yet, Ramona’s white hair was very short. He wondered if she had cut it on purpose because long hair was a nuisance.

“Do you happen to have a husband?”

Thinking that such a person would be the most enviable being at this moment, Adrian asked his question. Ramona simply shrugged.

“I don’t.”

“It must be quite difficult to raise a child alone as a woman.”

“We aren’t starving enough for others to worry, so you needn’t be concerned.”

Judging by Raon’s growth, it seemed Ramona had raised the child well. Seeing the image of a mother who devoted herself to her child despite her lack of means, the word ‘respect’ came to Adrian’s mind for the first time.

“Do you have any intention of remarrying?”

“No thank you. Why would I want to make my Raon a nuisance in someone else’s house?”

A wealthy man in this village had once suggested that if she abandoned Raon, she could live a life where she’d never have to get a drop of water on her hands. Ramona, who had flatly rejected that offer for Raon’s sake, stared intently at this strange man who was prying into her private life.

“Since I answered your questions earlier, may I ask you some now? How old are you?”

“Pardon? Oh, I am twenty-five.”

“Then, do you have a wife?”

“I’m divorced, and I currently have a fiancée. We are due to be married soon.”

“And where do you live?”

“Near here.”

“What do you do for a living?”

“I am learning the family business. When my father retires, I am set to take over the household affairs.”

“Then, I shall ask my final question. What business do you have with my child?”

At Ramona’s question, Adrian let out a deep sigh and looked at Raon with a benevolent gaze. Then, as if he had made a firm resolution, he spoke.

“Because I think Raon is my son…”

“Raon! Go to your room this instant and lock the door tight. Crawl under your covers, close your eyes, and cover your ears!”

At Ramona’s sudden outburst as she bolted upright, Raon scurried into his room and slammed the door. Seeing this, Ramona pulled a sickle out of her basket.

“W-wait, Madam? Miss Ramona? What are you doing—?”

“You son of a bitch! You abandon the woman who bore your child, and now you have the nerve to crawl all the way here looking for him? Fine! Before we talk, you’re going to take a beating first!”