If You Wish to Have Me - Chapter 155

At an early hour when even the dawn mist had not yet lifted, Kisa stood in front of the entrance door dressed in simple outdoor clothing.

Beside her was a man who had taken her luggage bag from her hands despite her declining twice, and in front of her was a middle-aged woman with a gloomy expression.

Mana, who was holding Kisa’s hands tightly, forced a smile and gave her advice.

“Don’t overdo it too much. You can’t help it on the ship, but when traveling by land, if you feel your body getting tired, you must tell Mr. Gale to take a rest.”

“Yes, I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Since it’s your first pregnancy and you’ll be living in a foreign place, it won’t be easy. I’m especially worried because Bella has a personality that doesn’t like to depend on others and tries to endure everything alone.”

Though it had been only about three months, she had come to understand Kisa’s personality very well.

“People can’t be too stubborn like that. You need to know how to depend on others appropriately. I’ve lived that way too, and that’s how we all live.”

Kisa’s eyes became slightly teary at the sight of her caring so thoughtfully for her.

Though it was quite different from her nanny, she was someone who somehow made her feel nostalgic for her mother.

“I’ll do as you say, so you don’t need to worry too much.”

But even at those words, Mana didn’t seem at ease and glared lightly at Gale.

“Really, Mr. Gale is so inconsiderate. No matter how important work is, where is it acceptable to suddenly drag along a wife who isn’t even traveling alone? You really have some inconsiderate aspects.”

For reference, Mana and Daisy only knew that Gale was going to a distant country for work-related reasons and that Kisa was also leaving with him.

To the two people who didn’t know the detailed circumstances of the situation, they had no choice but to explain it that way.

If they said they were going to Matera, which wasn’t far away, they wouldn’t understand why Kisa was bidding farewell to them.

“No, it’s not like that. Mr. Gale said I could stay here, but I insisted on following him.”

When Kisa stepped forward to defend him out of guilt, Mana pouted but was somewhat convinced.

“Well, the baby will be born in a few months, so it’s good to be by the father’s side. Still, I’m sad. I’ve grown attached during this time.”

Kisa completely agreed. That’s why she unconsciously made a promise that she didn’t know when she could keep.

“I’ll come back here again next time. I’ll buy lots of presents too.”

“My goodness, just think about adapting to the unfamiliar place quickly. If the culture and such things are very different, it will take quite some time for your life to become stable.”

Mana scolded her like that, but inwardly seemed pleased.

“I don’t even know the address, so once you decide on a house to live in there, write to me first. If it’s a distant place, it will take a long time, but it will arrive someday.”

“……Yes, I will.”

For the sake of free communication with the mother and daughter, she could only hope that those trying to find her would give up quickly.

“Oh my, have I been holding you up for too long? You should leave quickly before the townspeople start moving around. It would only be troublesome if they happened to see you.”

At that moment, Gale, who had been just listening to the two women’s conversation, spoke up.

“But is Daisy still the same?”

Mana’s complexion visibly darkened.

“Well…… yes. I went to talk to her just a little while ago, but she’s being stubborn. She has aspects that resemble me, so once she gets upset, it lasts a long time.”

Kisa looked up at the stairs leading to the second floor where Daisy’s room was with a heavy heart.

Last evening, when Daisy heard Kisa’s explanation, she had thrown a tantrum telling her not to go.

The child’s argument was whether Kisa couldn’t stay with them as before and only Gale leaves.

Mana had sternly reasoned with her as she always did, but Daisy looked back and forth between Kisa and Gale with eyes showing her hurt feelings, then put down her fork.

Then she deliberately stomped her feet and went up to the second floor with an obviously intentional attitude.

Neither her mother’s scolding nor persuasion could stop the child’s steps.

For Daisy, who had such a good appetite, to stop eating in the middle of a meal – Kisa was bewildered by this situation she was encountering for the first time.

Afterward, Mana had said to wait until it resolved itself, but Daisy still showed no sign of coming out to see the two off.

‘She seemed so happy until we were at the lake……’

It made her heart heavy to think that the child’s innocent smile had disappeared because of her.

As if reading Kisa’s inner thoughts, Mana added a few words of comfort.

“It’s okay. It won’t be long before she gets over it. I guarantee that she’ll be waiting more eagerly than anyone for Bella’s letters. While regretting her own childish behavior.”

“……Do you really think so?”

“Of course. In the first place, Daisy is so angry like this because she likes Bella that much. That’s why she can’t accept the sudden farewell.”

Placing her hand on her cheek, she murmured softly with a face as if recalling the past.

“And she resembles me in having deep affections. A friend moved away before, and she was depressed for quite a while.”

Gale also supported Mana’s words.

“From what I can see, Daisy seemed to have grown very attached to you. Yesterday, she didn’t just tell me, who she’s known longer, to go alone by myself.”

Thanks to the two people, Kisa felt much better.

‘Yes, it’s regrettable, but I left a letter too.’

She had left some money along with letters for the mother and daughter in the room where she had stayed for the past three months or so.

The original purpose was to leave money secretly without Mana knowing, but somehow she ended up writing letters too.

Though she wasn’t particularly skilled at writing, she had roughly written down everything she wanted to convey, so all that remained was waiting for the two to read them.

“Thank you so much for everything, Mana. Please give my regards to Daisy too.”

Kisa looked at the dear face one last time.

“I hope you stay healthy always.”

Then she could see Mana’s eyes finally becoming moist with tears.

“Yes, Bella should take care of herself too. See you next time.”

Kisa answered “yes” and then turned her back.

As she left the house, trying not to look back, she suddenly had this thought.

Someday, if she returned here after everything was well resolved, she would confess her circumstances honestly along with her real name, not the alias Bella.

Mana and Daisy would probably be surprised, but she felt they would eventually welcome Kisa with smiles.

Thinking of that dream-like day, Kisa spoke to Gale.

“The coachman must be waiting too, so let’s hurry.”

Since it would be too conspicuous to be in front of the house, the carriage was waiting a little distance away from here.

The townspeople were also a problem, but the biggest problem was perhaps the watchers who might even now be hiding nearby, keeping a close eye on them.

Gale had proposed one method to shake them off – the two would change carriages midway through their journey.

When they stopped at a somewhat larger town than this one, they would quickly board a different carriage, while the original carriage would depart first, disguised as if it were carrying the two of them.

The destination was the same – Matera – but the difference was that the original carriage would stop at the port.

‘I hope they’ll be fooled into thinking we boarded a ship and left for a foreign country.’

It was just when Kisa was thinking this.

“Miss, please look over there.”

Gale suddenly pointed upward. Kisa’s question about why was cut short.

Because when Kisa turned her head in the direction he was pointing, the tear-stained face of a child came into her view.

Daisy, leaning her upper body out through the window, was looking down at the two of them and waving her hand.

Was it her last bit of stubbornness? The child just waved her hand widely with her mouth tightly shut in a straight line.

Kisa stared at that silent farewell for a moment, then raised her right hand.

Gale, who was watching the two, also waved his hand and greeted Daisy.

“Take care, Daisy.”

Finally shedding the tears she had been holding back, Kisa whispered softly.

The three people said farewell like that.

****

Kisa lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

It had already been a week since she left the suburban village she had grown attached to.

Gale still hadn’t found a suitable next hiding place, and Kisa had to stay quietly like a dead mouse in a small lodging located in one corner of Matera.

“……How listless.”

In Matera, bustling with people, she couldn’t wander around freely as she had done in the previous village.

Thump thump thump!

But then, someone knocked violently on the door.

Kisa quickly got up from the bed with a tense expression.

It wasn’t Gale. If it were him, he wouldn’t knock on the door like this.

Then who could it be?