As the sun dipped below the horizon, we finally returned to the tavern.
Sir Exios carried an overwhelming number of bags, yet he didn't seem bothered in the slightest. Meanwhile, I only held the one bag containing the clothes he had bought for me.
Once inside, he set everything down effortlessly.
"Can I go upstairs and try on the clothes?" I asked, impatience creeping into my voice.
Excitement bubbled inside me—I wanted to wear them now.
Exios chuckled. "Yeah, go on."
The moment the words left his mouth, I turned and bolted toward the staircase.
Reaching my room, I shut the door behind me and tossed the cotton bag onto the bed. One by one, I pulled out the new clothes, laying them out in front of me.
"Woah..."
My eyes sparkled in amusement as I took in the variety of outfits.
Without wasting time, I tried on each dress one by one, twirling slightly in front of the mirror.
The fabrics were soft, the designs simple yet elegant.
A small smile formed on my lips.
"I like them all."
I spoke softly, my tone lighter than usual.
---
As Exios quietly organized the supplies he had bought, his gaze drifted toward a familiar sight.
A picture frame.
His movements slowed.
It was her.
The woman in the photo—bright yellow eyes filled with joy and life.
He placed the last item on the counter, then, almost unconsciously, walked toward the table where the pictures rested.
His fingers brushed against the glass.
It was the one where she was smiling so brightly, hands resting on her rounded belly.
For a moment, he simply stood there.
Then, slowly, he lifted the frame, holding it carefully in his hands.
His eyes softened—warmth mixing with an unspoken sadness.
"I don't know what I got myself into," he muttered under his breath. "But… if it leads me to answers about what happened to you, then it's worth trying."
His grip on the frame tightened slightly.
Then, after a moment, he sighed.
"But I'm afraid she might be involved…"
His gaze flickered toward another picture.
The one of a little boy.
"She reminds me a lot of him, Lea." He paused.
"Then again… everything reminds me of you."
---
A man clad in heavy armor, tinged with light purple, stomped through the muddy streets of a village, his boots sinking into the soaked ground with every step.
'Damn training…'
The thought burned in his mind as he wandered aimlessly, rain pouring over him, clinking against his armor.
Taverns and bars lined the streets, filled with drunken men shouting and stumbling through the night.
But he wasn't interested in noise.
He wanted peace.
Then—
He saw it.
A small tavern, glowing faintly under the stormy sky.
Through the window, warm lantern light flickered inside. Unlike the other bars, this one was quiet—empty.
Something about it pulled him in.
Without hesitation, he stepped forward and pushed open the door.
The wooden floors creaked beneath his weight, his drenched boots leaving wet prints as he stepped inside.
The tavern was unlike any other.
Plants adorned the walls, the tables were few but well-arranged, and the soft glow of lanterns created a comfortable atmosphere.
Then—
A voice.
"Huh? Welcome—"
A woman's head popped up from behind the counter.
She had wavy caramel-colored hair, bright yellow eyes, and an expression that radiated warmth.
But the moment she saw him—
She froze.
Her gaze flickered between his soaking wet armor and the growing puddle beneath his feet.
Then—
"Wh-why are you standing there?! You're getting the floor all wet!"
Her voice carried both shock and exasperation.
The man remained silent. He simply stared at her, unmoving.
The air between them grew tense.
Then—
The woman exhaled, as if collecting herself.
"At least take off the armor! I don't want to clean up after you!"
Without waiting for a response, she disappeared into a back room.
The man stood there for a moment.
Then, finally, he began unfastening the armor piece by piece, setting them aside.
When he removed his helmet, it revealed short red hair and deep brown eyes.
By the time the woman returned, she was carrying two large towels in her arms.
She stopped in front of him, waiting.
But then—
She blinked.
His arms were still full—holding the armor. He couldn't take the towel.
"Ah." She realized.
Without another word, she draped one towel over his shoulders, then crouched down, placing the second towel on the floor.
"Here. Put the armor on this."
The man obeyed, carefully setting it down.
For the first time, their eyes met.
Up close, she was beautiful.
The flickering lanterns cast a golden glow on her face, highlighting the faint blush creeping up her cheeks.
She stiffened.
"Is there something on my face?!"
She stepped back, touching her cheek, looking flustered.
Then, quickly turning away, she busied herself at the counter.
"Whenever you're ready to order, let me know."
The man exhaled, grabbing the towel from his shoulders and drying his hair as he walked toward a table.
"Do you have anything to eat? No beer or ale—I haven't eaten since this morning."
The woman turned. "Of course, what would you—"
"Anything is fine. Thank you."
She paused. "Oh. Alright."
After a while, she returned with a steaming plate.
She placed it down in front of him.
Two eggs. Bacon. A slice of bread.
"...This is breakfast." Exios blinked.
The woman grinned.
"Well, you said you hadn't eaten since morning, so I made breakfast. It's the first meal of the day, no matter what time it is."
For some reason… that made sense.
He picked up the utensils.
"Thank you for the food."
It wasn't much. But it was warm. Satisfying.
After finishing, he stood and reached for his pocket, pulling out a handful of gold coins.
He placed them on the counter.
"Ah—" The woman waved her hands. "No need to pay. It's on the house."
But Exios didn't take the coins back.
Instead, he turned and began putting on his armor.
"Wha—hey!" She shouted, rushing forward.
She grabbed the coins and held them out.
"I told you, you don't need to pay!"
Exios, now holding his helmet, turned to her.
His eyes met hers.
Then—
"What's your name?"
The woman hesitated.
"Leanna."
She spoke softly.
"Leanna Einar."
He nodded.
"Exios." His voice was steady. "Exios Levine Achlys."
Then, placing his helmet over his head, he walked out of the tavern.
Leanna stood there, arm still extended, staring after him.
Then, after a beat—
"Levine… Achlys?"
She muttered the name under her breath.
Her eyes widened slightly.
Then—
Her face turned red.
She covered her mouth, horrified.
And then—
She screamed in embarrassment.
-----
After their first encounter, Exios couldn't forget her.
No matter how much time passed, she lingered in his thoughts.
Whenever he woke up, trained, got scolded, or walked through the village—he would always think about that light, fluttering caramel hair and those bright yellow eyes.
Leanna always seemed to run through his mind.
As if it was love at first sight.
Something he never believed in.
Something he never thought he would experience.
Yet, before he knew it, he found himself returning to her tavern.
The place where they first met.
The place where she always was.
On their second encounter, Leanna had bowed her head over and over again, apologizing for scolding him so harshly the first time.
After a while, Exios started visiting her again… and again… and again.
And because of that—her tavern became livelier.
More people started coming, sometimes his colleagues from the training grounds.
Leanna had often wondered why Exios kept coming back.
But she never asked.
Because she enjoyed his company.
Even when he was serious. Even when he barely spoke.
She enjoyed having him there.
Then, one night—
"Hey, hey! I'm gonna start capturing some moments, so smile when I take a photo of you!"
One of Exios' colleagues had brought a camera, and the tavern filled with cheers and laughter as pictures were taken.
Leanna watched, hesitant about something.
But before she could speak—
"Take a picture of us."
Exios stepped forward, speaking before she could even ask.
His large hand rested on her shoulder, pulling her closer to him.
Leanna's breath hitched.
Her face heated up—this wasn't what she had expected.
But deep down—
This was exactly what she wanted.
Tchick!
The camera clicked.
Exios stood still and firm.
And beside him—
Leanna smiled brightly.
---