An Apology on a Sinking Boat
I had been curious about this medicinal tea dimension anyway.
At a glance, every plant in sight belonged to the Eastern Continent.
‘And it’s not just the plants. The architecture is Eastern Continent style too.’
The guests of the tea dimension sipped their drinks in Eastern-style pavilions, strolled through the gardens, and even rowed boats across the pond. It was an incredibly grand teahouse.
‘To run a place like this, they’d need an enormous amount of magic stones.’
They said Count Raspael Debor was one of the wealthiest men on the continent. Now it made sense.
‘But……’
Is he just going to keep following me?
Kanna glanced over her shoulder.
About five paces behind, Raphael maintained a precise distance as he trailed after her. The constant presence was starting to feel pitiful, so she spoke up.
“It’s fine if I walk alone. This dimension is only for nobles anyway, so it’s safe. There are guards everywhere.”
Raphael answered in his usual blunt tone.
“If it makes you uncomfortable, I will walk farther back.”
“No, that’s not what I meant.”
Not that, exactly…….
‘What am I even supposed to say?’
She thought for a moment but soon gave up on explaining. What could she do? Juhwa had made her disgust blatantly obvious all this time.
‘Ugh, whatever.’
Still, having him follow a few steps behind was incredibly distracting.
‘Maybe I should just tell him to walk beside me.’
But if she did, Raphael would immediately go on high alert. Given everything Juhwa had done, he would surely assume she was plotting something vicious again.
‘I really want to apologize to him properly.’
It wasn’t something I did, but it was my body that did it.
Kanna recalled every single awful thing Juhwa had done to Raphael, one by one.
‘Juhwa, I really can’t take your side on this.’
She let out a small groan. As she pondered, her eyes landed on the pond. Several people were leisurely rowing small boats across the water.
‘Yeah, that would be better.’
If they were in a boat, at least they could face each other naturally while talking.
“We still have plenty of time. Shall we go for a boat ride?”
Fearing he might refuse, she quickly added,
“Other people are enjoying the boats too, so there’s no reason we can’t. Oh, and I’ll row.”
“You may not.”
Why not again!
“That is not something a wife should do.”
“That? Do you need qualifications just to ride in a boat?”
“I was referring to rowing.”
A short silence fell.
“……”
Ah. I see.
Only then did Kanna realize.
‘So that’s why he refused earlier too.’
He believed her status was far too noble for sorting medicinal herbs or for rowing a boat.
In other words, Raphael saw her as a proper lady.
‘Doesn’t he care that I have black hair?’
In this world, that was an unusual case.
‘Well, it’s probably because I’m Sylvien’s wife.’
But if he remembered what Juhwa had done, there was no way he would see her as a ‘wife’ or ‘lady.’
‘Is it because he used to be a priest? He’s practically a saint.’
Raphael’s rowing was impeccable.
The small boat glided smoothly through the water. Kanna pretended to enjoy the leisurely ride before cautiously bringing it up.
“I want to apologize to you, Raphael.”
“I’ve done…… a great many things to you that were wrong.”
Raphael didn’t respond. He simply continued rowing, his face still expressionless.
Kanna pressed on determinedly.
“I regret it in so many ways. Why on earth did I do those things?”
Juhwa, why the hell did you do that?
Kanna began her apology in earnest.
“I’m sorry for dropping a bucket of dirty water on your head.”
It was the truth.
Shockingly, Juhwa had done something so vulgar. She had waited by the window, and the moment Raphael stepped out, she hurled the bucket at him.
‘Luckily, he dodged the bucket itself.’
Unfortunately, he still ended up drenched in filthy water.
‘She must have copied some weird delinquent manga she read as a kid.’
The water-soaked Raphael had silently lifted his head and stared at her. After a long, wordless gaze, he simply turned and walked away.
Without a single curse or even an irritated groan.
Even now, she could clearly picture his soaked hair and the droplets falling from his chin.
‘What an incredible person. If it were me, I would’ve run straight up and slapped her across the face.’
And that wasn’t all.
“I’m also sorry for throwing food waste at you, for cursing at you out of nowhere and running away, for slipping curse letters into your pocket, and for throwing rocks at you……”
To think her own body had done such things!
The more she spoke, the more embarrassed she became. Kanna fanned her flushed face with her hand.
Of course, she hadn’t actually done any of it.
But to him, she had. Which meant he must see her as a complete lunatic!
“I’m sorry for all of it.”
Since Raphael’s attire resembled priestly robes, it somehow felt like she was making a confession.
“……”
Raphael remained silent, simply listening.
Or was he even listening?
With that perpetually blank face, it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.
‘He must find me repulsive. How ridiculous it must sound, hearing an apology now after all this time.’
A sigh escaped her. The even sadder truth was that this damned confession still wasn’t over.
“And…… I’m sorry for lying about liking you and for hugging you without permission.”
“That.”
For the first time, Raphael reacted. He stared quietly at the water’s surface and said,
“That was indeed your wrongdoing, my lady.”
Was it just her imagination? It almost sounded as if that was her only wrongdoing.
“If I ever got the chance, I wanted to apologize properly. I was immature back then.”
“My lady.”
“Yes?”
It would have been easier if he had lashed out and condemned her, but Raphael did no such thing.
Instead, he said something completely unexpected.
“Do you know how to swim?”
“……Why are you asking that all of a sudden?”
“There is a hole in the boat.”
What!
He was right. When she looked down, water was already pooling at the bottom of the boat!
‘Oh my god, I was so focused on apologizing that I didn’t notice!’
“I only asked in case. If I row faster, we can reach the shore safely, so please do not worry.”
Raphael spoke calmly, then began rowing with powerful strokes.
‘Ugh, it’s wet!’
As the water rose, the hem of her skirt began to soak.
When Kanna frowned, Raphael suddenly stopped rowing, secured the oar, and removed the outer layer of his priestly robe. He spread it beneath her feet.
Then he resumed rowing.
“……”
It had happened so quickly that she hadn’t had time to react.
‘H-he didn’t have to go this far.’
It was fine…….
But it was already done. It was too late to give it back now.
‘Ah, I don’t know anymore.’
After a brief internal struggle, Kanna gently placed her feet on top of his robe. And once again, she realized something.
Raphael clearly regarded her as Sylvien’s wife, the Duchess of Valentino, a noble lady of high status.
‘Even if I am Sylvien’s wife, he must know it’s only in name.’
Yet here he was, treating a woman who had once hounded him like a mad dog with such courtesy.
‘Then again, even when Juhwa tormented him like that, he never once complained.’
He had simply done his best to avoid her. Raphael had never shown any sign of dislike toward Juhwa, nor had he ever told her to stop.
‘Are all priests like this?’