He can't trust his daughter, who is like a thunderbolt. Should he get angry or question her? He would rather keep her in sight and feel at ease. What should he do? Ben is worried that his daughter will feel hurt when he cries out for her. Everyone says that Ben is a tough man, but in fact, Ben is soft-hearted. Only Leila.
But the feeling of being nervous or annoyed suddenly disappeared as if it had lost its energy. That was when he saw his daughter, who had baked bread for two or more people as usual and piled it up on a tray, showing off the items she had brought out.
“Look at this!”
It was a sophisticated wooden cup that looked very much like the cup he had been drinking from at Walter's General Store a moment ago. The only difference was that the one Leila held out was a little more elaborate, and the bird with its protruding beak was engraved realistically.
“Dad, isn’t ot pretty?”
A fire broke out inside. It felt good. Oh my, burn! Is it really that good? Ben felt like rolling around on the living room floor.
He doesn't know what's on her mind, but she has a smile on her face as if she's dying of joy.
“It’s not pretty!”
“Oh, really? It's pretty.”
“Put it out of sight!”
“Huh? What’s wrong? Did something bad happen outside today?”
When was the last time he saw his daughter smile so happily? Leila has been very sensitive since her uncle went to the ghoul last year. Some might say it's precocious, but she lost her mother when she was a baby and grew up to be a mature woman who doesn't know how to act like a baby, so he wondered if it would be any better to grow up early.
“What’s your relationship with that guy! Why would he give that to you?”
"Uh?"
“That Dublin guy gave it to you!”
Leila became thoughtful.
“How did you know?”
“He was selling stuff to Walter!”
“Tch, tch, buddy... he’s a close friend!”
“He is truly your friend!”
“...A friend I like a lot... good, he’s a good person.”
The voice that was crawling in made him feel regretful. A sigh rose to his throat, but he held it back with his pride as a father. Ben returned to the living room with a thump thump and sat down in the rocking chair. Peek. Leila's eyes, looking at him with her head out, were filled with worry and confusion. He ignored her for about an hour, but hr really couldn't overcome his daughter's stubbornness.
'Damn it.'
He hates complicated thoughts, but why is he having to worry about this? Ben really, now he doesn't know. He is used to a simple life. Ben gave up the white flag when the heavy dinner was almost digested. He couldn't shake the thought that it would be better to just see it with his own eyes.
“Leila! Come here!”
What the hell is his daughter talking about? It's all because he let that little brat do whatever she wants. You fucking brother-in-law. It's all because that bastard gave her bad advice. It's his brother-in-law's fault.
Heavy clouds that made it impossible to see the sky covered the sky of Casnier. It was said that it had come a little later than usual. But to Aaron, it was 'already'. Light raindrops began to fall. If it had only lasted a day or so, then that would be fine, but if it started to drizzle heavily, it would be unmanageable. He had to find another place to live.
For the past few days, Leila has been looking at the tent structures that Aaron has been organizing, and she has been feeling anxious as if she has lost her home. She has a more depressed face than he, and she sighs whenever she looks at the sky, which makes Aaron feel bad.
He couldn't bear to keep worrying her, so Aaron planned to go to Mr. Walter. He had seen an abandoned, run-down warehouse a little closer to the city. He wanted to ask Mr. Walter who owned the warehouse and if he could rent it. He thought that even if the owner wouldn't be able to give it to him, a Dubliner, easily, he could still have a chance if Walter acted as a mediator.
But now, Aaron was sitting in a place he never imagined he would be in that morning.
The other person's eyes were hostile. He couldn't tell if the eyes staring at his nape were looking to strangle him or if they were looking at his dog tag. Olive-colored eyes that looked just like Leila's. It was Ben. Aaron looked back at Leila with a feeling of embarrassment, and she was also looking back and forth between him and her father, as if she were in an awkward situation.
Ben said stiffly.
“It’s a sphere, drink it!”
The angled appearance of the bend did not look easy. Aaron politely emptied his glass.
“Thank you for inviting me.”
“Why are you bringing useless things?”
“I am beyond humbled by the honor of being able to visit you as a guest. I have been receiving much help from Miss Leila. Please accept my offer.”
Aaron was able to respond calmly because he knew that Ben's yelling was not anger.
At first, when he shouted, "There you go again!" as soon as Aaron entered the house, Ben was very upset, as if he knew about his relationship with Leila and was trying to catch a rat. Until Leila lifted her head and explained, "He's hard of hearing, so his voice is a little loud when he talks. Don't be offended."
Ben was a man with broad shoulders, a build that looked more like a carpenter than a shepherd. His brows, which always seemed to be sunken, seemed to be filled with worry. Ben stared intently at Aaron for a long time, then gestured toward a basket next to the old kitchen sink and shouted.
“Leila! Cook the things the guests brought and put them on the table!”
Leila rolled her eyes, seeming extremely uneasy about leaving her father and Aaron alone, then quickly walked away into the kitchen.
The order of things was as follows.
Aaron, who was worried that the sky was turning dark, was preparing to go to Walter. At that time, Leila came to him and told him with a pale face that her father had invited him to dinner. He was surprised, embarrassed, and shamelessly a little happy. He wondered if Leila had told his father about him in some way. However, when he listened carefully, the situation was not what he had expected.
“Walter, I wondered what kind of young man that stingy bastard was when he started complimenting him.”
“I am always grateful for Mr. Walter’s kind words.”
“Are you going to stay in Casnier forever?”
Just then, Leila came out with a simple dish of lightly roasted pears topped with honey. Aaron, who had been absentmindedly looking at Leila, noticed Ben observing him and nodded gently.
“Yes. It was a beautiful place.”
“Dad, Aaron, here. Eat well.”
Leila, with slightly blushing cheeks, put her plate down on the table. Ben, who was looking up at Leila with sparkling eyes, finally let out a sigh.
“You’ve been wandering around without a home for quite some time.”
“...Since I live in Dublin, my finances were limited.”
“Why did you come to Casnier?”
But the feeling of being nervous or annoyed suddenly disappeared as if it had lost its energy. That was when he saw his daughter, who had baked bread for two or more people as usual and piled it up on a tray, showing off the items she had brought out.
“Look at this!”
It was a sophisticated wooden cup that looked very much like the cup he had been drinking from at Walter's General Store a moment ago. The only difference was that the one Leila held out was a little more elaborate, and the bird with its protruding beak was engraved realistically.
“Dad, isn’t ot pretty?”
A fire broke out inside. It felt good. Oh my, burn! Is it really that good? Ben felt like rolling around on the living room floor.
He doesn't know what's on her mind, but she has a smile on her face as if she's dying of joy.
“It’s not pretty!”
“Oh, really? It's pretty.”
“Put it out of sight!”
“Huh? What’s wrong? Did something bad happen outside today?”
When was the last time he saw his daughter smile so happily? Leila has been very sensitive since her uncle went to the ghoul last year. Some might say it's precocious, but she lost her mother when she was a baby and grew up to be a mature woman who doesn't know how to act like a baby, so he wondered if it would be any better to grow up early.
“What’s your relationship with that guy! Why would he give that to you?”
"Uh?"
“That Dublin guy gave it to you!”
Leila became thoughtful.
“How did you know?”
“He was selling stuff to Walter!”
“Tch, tch, buddy... he’s a close friend!”
“He is truly your friend!”
“...A friend I like a lot... good, he’s a good person.”
The voice that was crawling in made him feel regretful. A sigh rose to his throat, but he held it back with his pride as a father. Ben returned to the living room with a thump thump and sat down in the rocking chair. Peek. Leila's eyes, looking at him with her head out, were filled with worry and confusion. He ignored her for about an hour, but hr really couldn't overcome his daughter's stubbornness.
'Damn it.'
He hates complicated thoughts, but why is he having to worry about this? Ben really, now he doesn't know. He is used to a simple life. Ben gave up the white flag when the heavy dinner was almost digested. He couldn't shake the thought that it would be better to just see it with his own eyes.
“Leila! Come here!”
What the hell is his daughter talking about? It's all because he let that little brat do whatever she wants. You fucking brother-in-law. It's all because that bastard gave her bad advice. It's his brother-in-law's fault.
***
Heavy clouds that made it impossible to see the sky covered the sky of Casnier. It was said that it had come a little later than usual. But to Aaron, it was 'already'. Light raindrops began to fall. If it had only lasted a day or so, then that would be fine, but if it started to drizzle heavily, it would be unmanageable. He had to find another place to live.
For the past few days, Leila has been looking at the tent structures that Aaron has been organizing, and she has been feeling anxious as if she has lost her home. She has a more depressed face than he, and she sighs whenever she looks at the sky, which makes Aaron feel bad.
He couldn't bear to keep worrying her, so Aaron planned to go to Mr. Walter. He had seen an abandoned, run-down warehouse a little closer to the city. He wanted to ask Mr. Walter who owned the warehouse and if he could rent it. He thought that even if the owner wouldn't be able to give it to him, a Dubliner, easily, he could still have a chance if Walter acted as a mediator.
But now, Aaron was sitting in a place he never imagined he would be in that morning.
The other person's eyes were hostile. He couldn't tell if the eyes staring at his nape were looking to strangle him or if they were looking at his dog tag. Olive-colored eyes that looked just like Leila's. It was Ben. Aaron looked back at Leila with a feeling of embarrassment, and she was also looking back and forth between him and her father, as if she were in an awkward situation.
Ben said stiffly.
“It’s a sphere, drink it!”
The angled appearance of the bend did not look easy. Aaron politely emptied his glass.
“Thank you for inviting me.”
“Why are you bringing useless things?”
“I am beyond humbled by the honor of being able to visit you as a guest. I have been receiving much help from Miss Leila. Please accept my offer.”
Aaron was able to respond calmly because he knew that Ben's yelling was not anger.
At first, when he shouted, "There you go again!" as soon as Aaron entered the house, Ben was very upset, as if he knew about his relationship with Leila and was trying to catch a rat. Until Leila lifted her head and explained, "He's hard of hearing, so his voice is a little loud when he talks. Don't be offended."
Ben was a man with broad shoulders, a build that looked more like a carpenter than a shepherd. His brows, which always seemed to be sunken, seemed to be filled with worry. Ben stared intently at Aaron for a long time, then gestured toward a basket next to the old kitchen sink and shouted.
“Leila! Cook the things the guests brought and put them on the table!”
Leila rolled her eyes, seeming extremely uneasy about leaving her father and Aaron alone, then quickly walked away into the kitchen.
The order of things was as follows.
Aaron, who was worried that the sky was turning dark, was preparing to go to Walter. At that time, Leila came to him and told him with a pale face that her father had invited him to dinner. He was surprised, embarrassed, and shamelessly a little happy. He wondered if Leila had told his father about him in some way. However, when he listened carefully, the situation was not what he had expected.
He thought he should decide on his own course of action before accepting the invitation, but he couldn't refuse Leila, who said, "Come today, right away... " with anxiety and apology all over her face.
While Aaron was visiting, he went to an old couple's house a little way away, chopped some firewood for winter, and got a few eggs and a basket of ripe, yellow pears, following the family tradition of his hometown, which states that no matter how poor one's life is, one must always return a formal invitation. And then it was this time.
The table was set for a silent feast as soon as Leila disappeared.
Aside from the couple of times they happened to meet on the way, Aaron had never really had a chance conversation with Ben, so he felt that his assumption was gradually becoming more certain. It wouldn’t have been strange if Leila had noticed him as his father, since she had been looking after him so carefully for the past two weeks.
It was complicated. Aaron was on edge, trying not to do anything rude. Soon, Ben lifted his thick, callused fingers and snapped his middle finger at Aaron.
“Take a look.”
Aaron was a little embarrassed. In Dublin, pointing at someone like that was a serious insult. It was like saying, "I ate your mother, so you're my baby." But he didn't know what it was like in Ramrock. He could barely remember. He had never seen any Ramrockers make such a gesture to insult Dubliners during the war, and thinking about it, he had been hit with rocks and beaten and had been called almost every insult there was in Ramrock while wandering around, but he had never been pointed at like that.
“Are you deaf!”
Aaron, who had regained his composure, finally realized that what Ben was interested in was the dog tag around his neck. He was reluctant to give it to Ben, but somehow Bendl reminded him of his overbearing superior, so he reluctantly took it off.
“You know I’m a soldier in Dublin.”
“Who doesn’t know? The rumor has spread!”
Bend looked closely at the flat iron shackle of the rusted dog tag that Aaron had handed him.
Aaron Jenner Ensign
Second Lieutenant, Eilen Jenner
Ar 8-19927-1119-22
Ben's thick left eyebrow rose slightly.
“I heard you were a conscript.”
“That’s right. I served as a military officer for about two years.”
Only after each of them had given a sensible answer did Aaron realize that Ben had spoken like a 'normal person' and that he had been talking to himself. Ben glanced at his dog tag once, then at Aaron again, and nodded with a slightly stiff face. Aaron put his dog tag back on his neck.
“You must have had a hard time, young man. Did you volunteer for the army? I heard you’ve been living in Ramrock for quite some time!”
"Yes."
While Aaron was visiting, he went to an old couple's house a little way away, chopped some firewood for winter, and got a few eggs and a basket of ripe, yellow pears, following the family tradition of his hometown, which states that no matter how poor one's life is, one must always return a formal invitation. And then it was this time.
The table was set for a silent feast as soon as Leila disappeared.
Aside from the couple of times they happened to meet on the way, Aaron had never really had a chance conversation with Ben, so he felt that his assumption was gradually becoming more certain. It wouldn’t have been strange if Leila had noticed him as his father, since she had been looking after him so carefully for the past two weeks.
It was complicated. Aaron was on edge, trying not to do anything rude. Soon, Ben lifted his thick, callused fingers and snapped his middle finger at Aaron.
“Take a look.”
Aaron was a little embarrassed. In Dublin, pointing at someone like that was a serious insult. It was like saying, "I ate your mother, so you're my baby." But he didn't know what it was like in Ramrock. He could barely remember. He had never seen any Ramrockers make such a gesture to insult Dubliners during the war, and thinking about it, he had been hit with rocks and beaten and had been called almost every insult there was in Ramrock while wandering around, but he had never been pointed at like that.
“Are you deaf!”
Aaron, who had regained his composure, finally realized that what Ben was interested in was the dog tag around his neck. He was reluctant to give it to Ben, but somehow Bendl reminded him of his overbearing superior, so he reluctantly took it off.
“You know I’m a soldier in Dublin.”
“Who doesn’t know? The rumor has spread!”
Bend looked closely at the flat iron shackle of the rusted dog tag that Aaron had handed him.
Aaron Jenner Ensign
Second Lieutenant, Eilen Jenner
Ar 8-19927-1119-22
Ben's thick left eyebrow rose slightly.
“I heard you were a conscript.”
“That’s right. I served as a military officer for about two years.”
Only after each of them had given a sensible answer did Aaron realize that Ben had spoken like a 'normal person' and that he had been talking to himself. Ben glanced at his dog tag once, then at Aaron again, and nodded with a slightly stiff face. Aaron put his dog tag back on his neck.
“You must have had a hard time, young man. Did you volunteer for the army? I heard you’ve been living in Ramrock for quite some time!”
"Yes."
“Walter, I wondered what kind of young man that stingy bastard was when he started complimenting him.”
“I am always grateful for Mr. Walter’s kind words.”
“Are you going to stay in Casnier forever?”
Just then, Leila came out with a simple dish of lightly roasted pears topped with honey. Aaron, who had been absentmindedly looking at Leila, noticed Ben observing him and nodded gently.
“Yes. It was a beautiful place.”
“Dad, Aaron, here. Eat well.”
Leila, with slightly blushing cheeks, put her plate down on the table. Ben, who was looking up at Leila with sparkling eyes, finally let out a sigh.
“You’ve been wandering around without a home for quite some time.”
“...Since I live in Dublin, my finances were limited.”
“Why did you come to Casnier?”
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