The Regression Of A Grand Mercenary - 28 - A Sunset for Lovers??

A few days has passed since Amelia Dakles had left…ever since then, Tilly is always at home, mostly doing nothing or playing about and during her free time, she plays with the other kids.

I was starting to get worried.

“…Are you worried that her education is being halted?” asked Theresa as she was dusting and wiping clean one of the armors I made.

“A bit, with no one else to teach her, I’m starting to see her rebellious side.”

“What rebellious side? She’s a kid who is just having fun with the other kids. Its normal.” said Theresa.

“Yesterday, I asked her if I could help her write and she said no. I was denied…and it hurts. I wanted to know how far she got in learning how to write.”

“Maybe she’s just being considerate. I mean after all, you’re always busy either working in the workshop or here in the store…maybe she’s just trying to not get in the way.” said Theresa.

“Well, there has to be a better way for her to spend her time instead of just playing around.”

“Playing around with other kids helps her make some friends. It’s a great way to socialize, so don’t take that away from here.” warned Theresa.

“I wasn’t, but I think its best that instead of having her around the house, maybe we send her to an actual school.”

“What? Like the magic academy out in the city?”

“No not like that…I’m saying that maybe we should look for a tutor for her to start learning better.”

“A tutor? Only nobles get to have the right to a tutor. We’re just commoners, so who would take our request seriously?”

“Hmm, you’re right…” as I was having doubts about my idea, all of a sudden the door to our shop opened and I saw Evelyn standing by with an umbrella over her head.

“I can help with that.” she said with a soft smile put on her face.

“What?”

“I can help you guys out with the tutor. In fact, I know someone who would love to help out.” as she said this with a smile, not long after, Evelyn herself started coming by our home more often.

She herself volunteered to teach Tilly and because she wasn’t so much of a stranger, we agreed.

She was spending more time with us now, and as days went by, she was also trying to advance her way into…my personal life.

At afternoons when I was done with my work in the workshop, I would come out with sweat pouring from my head into my chest and she would come by and ogle at me from the distance like I was a show…

“…” hiding her expression with her fan, she watched with delight while I was trying not to feel ashamed of my own body.

“…Evelyn, I appreciate the help in teaching my sister, but…can you please try to be less obvious with your gaze?” I asked.

“…” slowly but surely, she put down her fan and approached me instead.

“I know you’re not oblivious to my advances…but since you’re not making a move yourself, I’m just getting what I’m owed. Do you have a problem with that?” she asked as she leaned in to my ear and whispered lustfully.

“…Evelyn, I don’t think it’s the best move that you’ve taken an interest in me. What would your father think if he finds out about us?”

“Are you worried about the approval of my father?”

“Hmm, sort of…”

“And if he agrees to my decision, you wouldn’t stop me from taking you…right here…right now?”

“Umm, w-what do you mean by that?”

“Just answer the question.” she said as she pressed her fingers to my abs while her cheeks were as red as berries.

“…I-I don’t know…maybe?” I said doubtfully.

“I see…this was supposed to be a surprise but, in a few weeks from now, the building will be completed and to celebrate, my family will come by to see it. I’m hoping that you’ll come by so that I can introduce you to my father.”

“Introduce me as who?” I asked curiously.

“I just want to introduce you as the person who once saved my life, as well as the person who subjugated the Lesser Ashened Dragon on his own. If he comes to know your name, surely he will have great respect for such a person.” she said as she slowly pressed her chest on mine.

“Umm, I guess that’s fine on its own.” I said as I looked away.

“And do you think you can finish the scaled armor dragon by then? If you presented your work to my father, he would surely not only see you as a strong man, but a capable one as well. Your image will sore into the sky like the dragons themselves.”

“Well, judging by the fact that I’ve already made the designs of the armor and swords, I’ll be sure to present my work on the day of the celebration.”

“Good…Good.” At the end of our moment, she didn’t push anymore and instead turned her back to me.

“…” I couldn’t say anything after that…but I could feel my lower area tighten a bit.

“Thill, I do have feelings for you…and I hope you won’t push me then if the time comes when I can finally have the courage to confess them well.” she said it with such a calm but defined tone.

I can see just how anxious she was. Despite her advances, the moment she pushed herself away from me and turned her back, I could clearly see how embarrased she was.

She was forcing herself that much just for me to notice her.

***

A month has passed and finally the completion of the Amber’s Shop was completed.

Nothing much has happened since the Partrus Church attacked. It seems I was right to assume that they took the warning of Victor’s death seriously.

Other than that, there wasn’t much to comment about.

Evelyn continues to flirt with me while she was teaching Tilly, it seems her spirit was not broken after our interaction a month back…

And as she continues to flirt, something inside me was starting to feel unusual…

It was like there was a storm in my insides everytime I look to her…everytime she flirts, I felt compelled to say something back, but I couldn’t find the words to say anything back to her.

“…” but even with such distractions, I continued on with my work.

And I finally finished making the armor and sword I was tasked to doing.

Looking at the completed product, I was confident on just how perfectly made it was with the materials I had on hand. 50 scales and 2 fangs, those were enough to create a great work such as this.

I doubt that only a few blacksmiths other than me could make an armor and sword as great as this.

“Hmm, tomorrow is the day for the celebration, and half of the village is invited. Evelyn is not pulling her punches at all.” I said.

“You can say that again. She even asked the baker to make over three dozen apple pies and two dozen cakes for the entire party. I’ve had to pull triple my weight in the bakery just so that we could make it in time.” said Thomas as he was being massaged by Thalia while he was leaning on the chair.

“She also asked me to come by to help with the decorating. Right now, we’re still halfway done but by tomorrow mid-day, we might just finish in time.” said Theresa as she was fixing dinner for the night.

“Hmm, its great that you guys are helping her out. With how much stress she’s been in lately, I doubt she would be keeping it all together without you guys helping her.”

“Well, you’ve also been helping her out a lot right?” said Theodore.

”W-What do you mean?”

“I heard talks about you and her from our neighbors. You two have been taking walks outside the village and near the river.”

“…”

“Oh my, compared to our work, it seems that you have been doing the most work in keeping her stress down. Aren’t you quite the chivalrous knight.” said Theresa teasingly.

“Is this true?” asked Thalia.

“I heard it from the baker as well.” said Thomas with a smirk on his face.

With all rumors being confirmed from one to another, in the end, they all turned to me for the final confirmation.

“…” but I closed my eyes and said nothing.

“OMG!!! is it getting serious?!” shouted Theresa as she approached me with a squiky voice.

“…” my silence was all that I could give.

And as she was asking for some kind of confirmation, all I could think back to was the day when I invited her to walk with me near a spot in the village.

***

A few days back.

After Tilly was done being taught by Evelyn, I came by the kitchen that day and noticed that she was starting to show some bags under her eyes.

With how the Amber shop was near in completion, I could only assume what was keeping her up at night.

“Are you nervous about the progress of the construction? Is it going at a steady pace?” I asked.

“I-it’s going fine…I’m just a bit tired from all the work that’s been piling lately.” she said.

“You know, you don’t have to help Tilly study everyday…it doesn’t help when you’re already so busy.”

“But we’ve been spending so much time lately, I would hate to lose that.” she said.

“Look, winter is coming by and the harvest has already began. Even if you finished the construction in the next few weeks, it won’t change anything with your main objective for coming here.”

“Right…you’re saying that only when the winter season passes, we can start with the agriculture progress.”

“That’s right, so if you want to spend that much time with Tilly, why not wait until winter comes. Only then will you get to spend time with her again.”

“…Right, and not just here, but…us as well.”

“Thank you Thill.”

“You heard that Tilly? As of now, you’ll have to do your own form of studying. Evelyn is too busy with other work.” I said.

“I understand.” she said as she was reading a children’s book on the chair in the living room.

“Looks like she doesn’t have too many problems with it.”

“That’s great.” as she said this, she started resting her chin on her hand.

“You still look pretty tensed up.” I said as I couldn’t look away from her baggy eyes.

“I’ll be fine.” she said as she sipped on a cup of tea.

“Hmm, this house isn’t that much of a help, how about we take a walk outside and get a few fresh air. There’s a river just outside of the village and it’s a pretty calm place I go to once in a while when I was young. I know a good shade there.”

“A-are you asking me out?” she asked as she could barely keep her head still and calm.

“Come on, I’ll take you there.”

As I gave my hand for her to hold, I pulled her up and noticed how tired she was.

So before she could fully stand on her own, I lifted her up from her feet and carried her with both arms.

“My, what a gentleman.” she said as she started to blush again.

“I’ll carry you there. It’ll only take a few steps.”

“Really?”

As she asked, I carried her out of the house and from there, I leaped towards the direction of the river.

In just five leaps over, I landed near the river, next a common tree. As I put her down gently, she looked around and saw the beauty river and the sunset.

As the sunset glistened over the marbling reflection of the soft flow of the river, I looked to the clouds and saw just how beautiful the sky was in reflection to the sun setting motion.

“…Huh, I’ve never been here before.” she said.

“I’ve only been here a couple of times to try and catch a fish with my brothers. This place is quite a known to some of the couples here in the village, my mother and father would come by to rest from a long day’s work.”

“…” in return to my explanation, she listened and only stared at the sunset.

“I hope this view brings you a bit of peace…”

“It is…thank you.” as she said her thanks, she kneeled by the tree and I sat next to her.

Before long, she rested her head on my shoulder.

“…”

“…” we simply stayed in this quiet moment alone together.

And not long after, she fell asleep.

It seems the view had truly work on her.

***

Back then, remembering it, it was at that time that I was starting to feel something weird inside me.

An emotion I couldn’t really feel or understand back in my past.