Chapter 3

After he finished speaking, he reached out and touched my face again.

In the past, whenever Marcus got this close, I would unconsciously soften my voice. No matter how wronged I felt, I always wanted to lean into his arms first.

But now, all I could remember was him cradling Celia's head and kissing her.

I turned my head away.

His hand missed its target.

"So now you won't even let me touch you?"

"Noah never took anything from Iris."

I looked at him and spoke very softly.

“Noah gave up his room, and I gave up mine too. He stood in the yard for so long, but he didn’t even dare to touch you.”

"How much more sensible do you expect him to be?"

Marcus's smile vanished.

“As I have already said, their situations are different.”

"What's different?"

"Celia can only rely on me!"

His voice suddenly rose in pitch.

A muffled murmur came from the inner room.

I turned around immediately.

Noah rolled over, buried his face in the pillow, and still clutched the corner of the blanket with his fingers.

"Keep your voice down."

Marcus followed my gaze and pursed his lips.

After a moment, he sat down again, his voice lower.

"You know that's not what I meant."

I didn't respond.

He was silent for a moment, then reached out and grasped my wrist.

"Tomorrow night, I'll host a banquet for the leaders who delivered the supplies. I'll have Noah sit next to me and have a good meal with him."

"Whether he wants to ride on my back or listen to me talk about forest patrols, I'll agree to it."

I lowered my eyes and looked at his hands.

That same hand had never reached out to the child who was waiting for him that afternoon.

“Tell him yourself.”

Marcus seemed relieved.

"Okay, I'll go tell him tomorrow morning."

He rubbed the back of my hand, and his familiar gentleness returned.

"Don't be angry anymore. Go stay by the sea for a while, and when you come back, we'll be back to how we were before."

I pulled my hand out and closed the door for Noah.

There was no response.

...

The next day, I went to the hall with the list of the last batch of grain.

The clan elders, guards, and several caravan leaders sat around the long table. The fire in the stove burned brightly, and records from various granaries were spread out on the table.

This was the last check before winter.

In previous years, Marcus sat at one end of the long table, and I sat next to him.

Today, Celia was sitting in that chair.

She was wearing a brand new dark green dress, with warm honey water in front of her.

Upon seeing me, she seemed to only then notice that her seat was inappropriate, and she stood up while holding onto the edge of the table.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you would come."

Marcus pressed her hand back down.

"Sit down. Elena is just here to say a few words."

I stood at the table, holding the list.

A gray-haired caravan leader immediately moved his chair aside.

"Luna, please sit here."

He still remembered who had accompanied them through the cold rain all night when the mountain road collapsed a few days ago.

I nodded to him and put the list down.

As soon as I finished explaining the destination of the last two wagonloads of grain, Celia spoke up.

"Since Elena is going to rest, I'll take care of tonight's banquet."

She turned to look at Marcus.

"These are all guests from neighboring tribes, so we can't keep her running around doing all the chores."

An elderly man frowned.

"Many of the caravan leaders tonight only agreed to make this trip before winter because of the Luna. It would be more appropriate for her to express her gratitude."

Celia slowly withdrew her hand from the rim of the glass.

"I just wanted to share her burden."

"Leave it to Celia."

Marcus interrupted the elder.

He looked at me, his tone even bordering on considerate.

"You've been working so hard, you don't need to worry about entertaining guests tonight."

Before I could even speak, he pointed to the list I had placed on the table.

"Go over the amount of grain for each family and the promised payments to the caravan leaders with her first. She's new here and not familiar with these things."

I looked at him and suddenly found it funny.

The busy work was still mine.

The person sitting next to him, receiving thanks from the tribe, could be someone else.

Celia smiled again.

"With your help, I feel relieved."

She held out her hand to the record in front of me.

"And please help me choose the wine tonight and the gifts for the guests. It's best to write down who they are for so I don't make a mistake."

She said it very naturally.

It was as if I had come here today just to teach her how to take over my position.

The area around the table gradually quieted down.

Marcus's gaze lingered on my face, as if he were waiting for me to get angry.

In the past, if anyone tried to bypass the inventory and secretly move a bag of grain, I would confront them and demand an explanation.

He knew better than anyone that I wasn't a person without a temper.

This time, I simply pushed the list I had already prepared across the table.

"Okay."

Celia was stunned.

I took out the keys and placed them on the table.

The storeroom, wine cellar, and cabinets for storing gifts.

The brass keys landed on the wooden table with a few crisp clinks.

"The arrangements for tonight are already written down. There are still two wagonloads of salt that haven't arrived yet. The caravan leader is only willing to take the ferry crossing on the east side, and the people who will meet them have already been arranged."

I looked at Marcus.

"If there are any changes, the subsequent decisions are up to you."

The tension between his brows finally eased.

"Keep an eye on these little things—"

"You just told me to rest."

I interrupted him.

Marcus paused.

I turned the last page to him.

"I've arranged everything that I've already promised. If there are any changes needed in the future, you can discuss them yourselves."

After saying that, I took back my empty cloth bag and turned to walk out.

No one spoke behind me.

Marcus only caught up with me and grabbed my hand after I left the hall.

"Are you misunderstanding something again?"

I stopped in my tracks.

He glanced behind him and pulled me to the pillar.

“Celia didn’t mean anything by it. You should be happy that she’s willing to help you.”

"What did she do for me?"

My gaze fell on his face.

"I brought back the grain, I invited the guests, and I also have to prepare the payments and gifts for her banquet."

"She just needs to sit next to you."

Marcus's expression changed.

"Do you have to put it so harshly?"

"What part of that was wrong?"

He opened his mouth, but didn't answer for a long time.

The wind blew in from the end of the corridor.

I saw a small section of green ribbon peeking out from inside his collar.

It was the same color as the dress Celia was wearing that day.

Marcus noticed my gaze and instinctively raised his hand to straighten his collar.

Then, he opened his arms and hugged me.

"You are still my Luna."

He lowered his head, his voice close to my ear.

"Letting her host a banquet won't change anything. You don't have to deny her even that much respect."

I didn't struggle, nor did I hug back.

His embrace was still warm.

But I already knew that this warmth could be taken away at any time if Celia spoke up.

“When you come back, I’ll have the west wing renovated,” Marcus continued. “It’s quieter there, and the windows are bigger. You and Noah will be more comfortable there than in the east wing.”

I slowly raised my head.

“You and Noah.”

He said it so smoothly.

He hadn't included himself.

And in that bedroom where I had lived for many years, he didn't even mention that Celia would have to move out.

I suddenly realized that what he meant by "returning to the way things were" was for me to accept the new arrangements and take care of everyone as before.

"Marcus."

"Um?"

“I remember every single thing you’ve asked me to understand over the years.”

His expression relaxed, and he even smiled.

"I knew you'd understand."

He placed a kiss on my forehead and then let go.

In the lobby, Celia was calling him, saying she had a gift but didn't know which team leader to give it to.

Marcus immediately turned around.

"Coming!"

He didn't look at me again.

I stood under the eaves until his figure disappeared behind the door before slowly smoothing out the wrinkles on my sleeves.

My palms felt empty.

That bunch of keys that had tied me to this place for so many years was finally gone.

...

When I returned to the guesthouse, Noah was sitting on the edge of the bed putting on his boots.

Upon seeing me, he immediately looked up.

"Mom, Dad came to see me this morning."

His eyes were a little brighter than yesterday.

"He said he wanted me to sit next to him tonight and that he would listen to my stories."

I knelt down and straightened his trouser legs, which were rolled up inside his boots.

"He told you that himself?"

Noah nodded vigorously.

"I asked twice."

"Dad said he's not busy tonight."

My hand stopped at the edge of his boot.

It turned out that all it took to make a child trust him again was just one sentence.

Noah carefully touched his collar.

"Can I wear that new outfit? The one you sewed for me last time?"

"Of course."

I took the clothes out and placed them next to him.

"Mom will go with you."

He finally smiled.

I patted his head and got up to ask a servant for some warm water.

As soon as I stepped outside the hall, I saw two people carrying Noah's usual chair toward the storage room.

There was still a small soft cushion that I had sewn for him tied to the back of the chair.

"Why did you move it?"

The servant stopped in his tracks, a look of hesitation on his face.

"Luna, this is the Alpha's order."

I looked at the long table that was being set up.

Marcus's seat was still there.

The spot that originally belonged to Noah and me had now been set up with cups and plates for Celia and her daughter.

The servant lowered his head.

"Alpha said that only three seats will be reserved at the main table."

"You and Noah, please sit in the guest seats."