The plates in her hands fell to the kitchen floor, shattering. Shelley stared wide-eyed at Elin.
"Is it true?" she asked.
Elin slowly nodded twice.
"Oh." After a moment of silence, she continued, "Did you tell Jorgen?"
"I did. But first, let me ask, are these plates the ones I bought out of my own pocket, fearing we wouldn't have enough for the wedding dinner?"
"Yes."
"Well, that's another expense."
"I'm... sorry."
Shelley crouched down to pick up the largest shards, but after two seconds, she suddenly stood up, clutching her right hand.
"I cut myself."
"Are you kidding me? Shelley, how many years have you been running this inn, and you still make such a rookie mistake? Is it deep? Never mind, go put some medicine on it, I'll handle this."
Shelley left the kitchen. Elin noticed one of the plates wasn't completely broken, just chipped. After a moment of thought, he threw it in the trash with the rest of the shards. Two minutes later, Shelley returned with her right middle finger simply bandaged. She sat down on a stool, staring ahead with a focused yet confused expression. Then, she suddenly stood up.
"I... should I go see her? Elin, do you think..."
"Calm down, sit back down. Stay calm." Elin gently pressed her shoulder, making her sit again. "Right now, only Mardias and the doctor can see her. She just woke up, and it's hard to say how things are."
"So you didn't..."
"No, I haven't seen her either. Mardias' people informed me. She's awake. That's all I know. That kid thought her acquaintances should know, but for now, it can't go public. This is a completely private matter, Shelley. We can't let certain people use this for leverage."
"Leverage? What does that mean?"
"There's no choice. We must be cautious. After all the commotion, we need to stay as low-key as possible."
Shelley placed her hands on her knees, straightened her back, and took a deep, deliberate breath. Her body relaxed with the exhale, but it wasn't a natural reaction. It was her effort to calm herself. Her gaze was still restless, but it leaned more towards cautious joy than worry.
"Four years, Elin."
"Just about, maybe two months shy."
"How did Jorgen react when you told him?"
"Surprised. Happy. Of course, in his own way."
"What does that mean?"
"Well, first of all, we're talking about Jorgen, and he's still in prison, so you can't expect him to shout and punch the air like a gambler who just won big. But if you'd been there, you could see it. Remember the time we tricked him here at night, then revealed it was actually a surprise birthday party? His expression then? Pretty much like that. But I shouldn't have stuck around, so after I told him, I left quickly. I don't know what happened after."
"How much longer will they keep him locked up?"
"Hard to say right now. The key is for MI7 and the Church to mend relations quickly, making the Council look like idiots sticking their nose in everything. I guess you don't want to hear about all that."
"He must feel awful. Dalia's awake, but he's still in prison."
"Don't worry too much, Shelley. I brought him two pieces of great news. Before this, he was a death row inmate, so things aren't that bad. He'll get through it."
"Years ago, when he broke up with me, he said he hoped I would be happy in the future. At the time, I thought it was a complete lie because I was the saddest person in the world, and happiness seemed impossible... Anyway, just the kind of thing a girl would think. Back then, I really couldn't wish him the same. But now, I have a caring husband, capable children, and the inn's business is doing well. I guess his words came true. But..."
"Don't overthink it. A few words don't have that much power."
"I know. Anyway, I hope all of this settles down soon and Dalia recovers quickly. As for you..."
"What?" Elin stretched his hands back, clasping them behind his head. "I, Elin Tias, am about to get married, leave behind the most frustrating job in the world, and start my own cheese business. Life looks pretty bright. Jealous?"
"You're far from opening a cheese shop. Face it, you're an unemployed groom."
"I have enough savings, Shelley. At least in that regard, I should thank the Shawl family. But you're right. For example, if a stranger sees me at the wedding dinner and thinks I'm the handsomest groom over thirty-five they've ever seen, they'll naturally want to know more. If you're there, please don't tell them I just quit my job."
"Hmm... looks like Jorgen definitely won't be able to attend. Are you really not inviting your family?"
"They probably think I'm dead by now. Considering how fast the scar healed from the kick my old man gave me when I left, I doubt he'd want to see me now. Besides, I don't have time to invite them in person. I can only send an invitation, and I can't guarantee that'll work."
"I'm not too sure about the specifics, but parents can't stay angry at their children for that many years. Besides, they just wanted to push you to stop living idly, right? They've surely been waiting for news from you."
"Don't preach to me, Shelley. It's a law."
"This isn't about morality... okay, think of it this way. You want to open a cheese shop. Not just sell what you have but make your own cheese, carefully selecting the ingredients. Those are your words, right? Your family has a ranch, and your parents have been in this business all their lives. They have experience..."
"You're really determined to convince me, aren't you?"
"I'm just saying, it's your wedding. If neither you nor Glocara has family present, that would be a shame."
Elin brought his hands forward, covered his eyes for two seconds, then lowered them and rubbed them on his pants.
"Fine. You win."
"This isn't for me."
"Of course. I get it now. But expecting them at the wedding is impossible, there's not enough time. After the wedding, I'll take Glocara to meet them, and I'll explain why I lost an eye and have a fourteen-year-old daughter who's not ours. Doesn't sound too promising, but at least my old man won't have the strength to kick me anymore."
"Speaking of children..."
"What's with that look? Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"Do you have plans?"
"We do plan to have one. Given the circumstances, it'll just be one. Looking ahead, Elaine's school fees are piling up too. So yeah, I need to get that cheese business going soon."
"Well, whatever happens, keep your word."
"Shelley, give me your right hand. I need to thank you for letting me feel the weight of responsibility before the wedding even starts."
"What are you going to do?"
Shelley extended her right hand, and Elin took it, giving the back of her hand a quick kiss.
"Besides family, this will be the last kiss Elin Tias leaves for another woman in this world. Keep it safe."
"...I'm going to wash my hands."
Shelley turned toward the sink. "Careful not to wash the wound," Elin said to her back.
He left the Pig and Whistle Inn. It was now dusk. The calm canal rippled occasionally as boats passed, spreading the soft, amber glow of maple-colored sunlight. The frenzy that had swept through the city during the archbishop election had slowly subsided, giving way to a more peaceful and effective influence. A young boy passed Elin, handing him a flyer announcing a neighborhood-organized public prayer ceremony to bless the new archbishop's smooth appointment. Perhaps this was the same effect that had allowed the real prayer ceremony to emerge, but Elin had no interest in pondering such things now.
That conversation had reminded Elin of years past. He had left home with almost nothing to his name. To leave the vast, sparsely populated ranch behind, he had crossed mountain after mountain, often going hungry. Many times, he had thought about turning back, but he never did. In hindsight, he couldn't find any reason for why he had to leave that way. He had no expectations for the future, nowhere he wanted to go. Yet, the more regret he felt, the less courage he had to return, until the journey had taken him too far. Returning home without money or food would have undoubtedly led to starvation.
Later, he found a small village. Though still in the mountains, he confirmed that the villagers had no connection to his hometown and decided to stay temporarily. An elderly couple, whose children were no longer with them, offered him shelter and food in exchange for household chores and livestock management. A month later, Elin stole twenty silver coins from them, leaving behind an apology letter and continuing his journey. In the letter, he promised to return and repay them one day.
That was one of Elin's many regrets. He had made many mistakes, some too painful to recall, like all those promises he never kept. But some mistakes had led to his good fortune, like Elaine coming into his life. He turned and looked at the inn's entrance. In a few days, it would host his wedding with Glocara. Since neither of them had religious beliefs and his past profession was sensitive, the ceremony and reception would be understated, which clashed slightly with his personality, but it wasn't a real issue. He couldn't say which of his life's mistakes had played a part in bringing him to her. Perhaps all he could do now was be grateful for those mistakes and remind himself to avoid future ones as much as possible.