[Valentia] ‘I will pretend you didn’t say that…….Wait, I’m sorry?’
Valentia covered her mouth with her hands. What did he just say? Did he just ask her……to work at his commerce guild?
[Jays] ‘As I thought, it’s a bit difficult, isn’t it?’
He was so determined a moment ago, but at her rather lukewarm answer, Jays’ shoulders drooped.
[Valentia] ‘But what did you just say? Your commerce guild?’
[Jays] ‘Hah, I ask only that you reconsider my offer. I know it’s a bit sudden, but I really want to be able to help you if I can.’
Oh.
Valentia felt her face burning up in embarrassment.
Now she knew she really had no social sense, considering she made that kind of misunderstanding.
Though, it should’ve been obvious. Unless he was trying to mess with her like Lexus was, why would he ever fancy a woman like her? Rather than confessing his love, an offer for work made much more sense.
And hearing this kind of suggestion from him, she felt both grateful and sorry.
Valentia smiled bitterly.
[Valentia] ‘There’s no need to pity me.’
But of course, that kind of sympathy was desperately needed. A part of her wanted to ignore the obvious pity in his offer and accept since she needed work now more than ever.
[Jays] ‘What do you mean, pity?’
[Valentia] ‘I sincerely thank you for the offer, but I don’t know how much help I could offer in return. And I wouldn’t wish to place a burden on you.’
[Jays] ‘A burden? No, it’s not like that. I don’t know what’s making you think like that, but I will be honest. This offer is very much in my favor.’
[Valentia] ‘What do you mean?’
This was in his favor? That was hard to believe, considering this was a matter of him unconditionally lending a helping hand towards a woman in a difficult situation.
[Jays] ‘I’m actually looking for someone to assist me, but the last person I spoke with just rejected the offer. He said he didn’t like the idea of a smaller guild like us, and I didn’t do a very good job of negotiating his wages.’
[Valentia] ‘Oh, that….’
[Jays] ‘But you were the brightest mind in the Academy, taking the top position for your entire academic career. If you can’t help me, then no one can.’
It sounded for a moment like he was about to slip out of formal speech, but he smiled and spoke with cheer in his voice.
[Jays] ‘As you may well know, Miss Valentia, I am not the most skilled negotiator. In all honesty, I am uncertain a commerce guild as small as mine can promise you the payment you deserve. That’s why I helped you yesterday. I was hoping it might make this offer more appealing in your eyes.’
In other words, he was saying his assistance from the previous night was also a form of extending this job offer towards her.
But somehow, she was getting the feeling he would’ve helped her anyways, even if he wasn’t interested in hiring her. Just like before, Jays was the only person who expressed concern when he noticed Lexus becoming close to her.
[Jays] ‘I can provide you with a place to stay as well. Once your child is born, wouldn’t it be good to have a job and a home to raise them in?’
He said this arrangement would be favorable for him, but everything he said was a near perfect situation for Valentia.
[Valentia] ‘……Thank you.’
[Jays] ‘Is that a yes?’
Jays’ face brightened.
[Valentia] ‘I would be most grateful if you took me on. But I don’t know much about commerce, so I’d like it if I could start with something simple.’
[Jays] ‘That can certainly be arranged.’
[Valentia] ‘In exchange, I myself have something I’d like to ask for in return.’
[Jays] ‘Whatever it is, you need only ask.’
[Valentia] ‘You said he was looking for me.’
[Jays] ‘I did.’
[Valentia] ‘Then I’d like to change my name before I accept.’
She didn’t want to see him again, especially not now.
So in that case, she needed to make it impossible for him to find her.
* * *
That was how she came to work for the guild.
Thinking about how it all happened in retrospect, she ran into a rare stroke of luck meeting Jays that day. She didn’t want to imagine what would’ve happened if he hadn’t found her, and she probably wouldn’t have been able to find a place to settle.
And it would’ve been hard finding work during a time when her child still needed his mother.
When he was still very young, she couldn’t send him to the child care center, so she got by doing smaller jobs at the guild while caring for him. Then, once he was a little older, she could send him to the center and start her work in earnest.
[Valentia] “What should we have for dinner tonight?”
Now, she was at a place where worrying about the little things was fun.
She stopped by the market, not forgetting to purchase some of her son’s favorite vegetables—mainly broccoli and beans. Elijah was a very strange boy sometimes, and he often enjoyed bitter vegetables more than sweet fruits.
Then, she went off to the child care center. Just inside, she saw her son, speaking with his teacher.
[Valentia] “Eli!”
Elijah Reid.
He was Valentia’s son. Or more specifically, he was the son of a woman named Valencia Reid.
After she left that place, she gave up the name of Syner that she held since she was born, and after she heard Lexus was looking for her, she changed her given name as well. Reid was her late mother’s maiden name, the surname she carried before her marriage to Baron Syner.
Though she thought she’d lost all the remnants of her mother, it turns out this small little legacy of hers still remained.
And so, Valentia actually rather liked her name now because it was one she had chosen for herself.
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[Elijah] “Mom!”
Noticing her, the boy ran up to her and threw himself in her arms.
He had lovely blond hair, sparkling pink eyes, and chubby cheeks that made everyone around him muse about how adorable he was, as well as envy towards her for having such a cute child.
He was healthy too, and the only minor concern she held was that he was a little small for a six year old boy.
[Valentia] “My Eli. I’m sorry Mama was a little late today.”
[Elijah] “No, I liked waiting for you.”
Sometimes she wondered how it was even possible for a child to be so lovely and kind.
[Valentia] “Have you been waiting patiently?”
[Elijah] “Yes.”
[Valentia] “Thank you again, Miss Teacher.”
[Teacher] “It’s truly no trouble at all. Elijah is a calm and gentle boy. It’s my own joy to be able to care for him.”
Even the lady who worked with the children at the center looked upon Elijah with eyes filled with affection.
[Teacher] “I will see you again tomorrow, Elijah.”
[Elijah] “See you tomorrow, Miss!”
Elijah waved his hand, saying his goodbye to his teacher. With her bag in one hand and Elijah’s hand in the other, Valentia went on her way.
[Valentia] “Did you have fun today?”
[Elijah] “Yes. The book we read was fun, and I like playing with my friends. But today, two of them fought and they had to make up. I don’t know why they have to fight every day.”
Valentia held back her smile. She’d already heard before from the teacher about this one, and so she knew the story of how Elijah’s friends kept bickering.
The start of it was a fight between two little girls who were also being cared for at the center. They were both fond of the same dolls, and so they would often fight over which of them would be able to play with them…….
That was when Elijah intervened, holding each of their hands as they fought, scolding them by saying how friends shouldn’t fight so much, and lo and behold, their squabble ceased.
It was all because of how lovely and adorable Elijah was. Ever since then, any time they started to fight again, he would hold their hands and help them reconcile. Those two little girls would always forget exactly why they were fighting when Elijah held their hands.
His big and sparkling pink eyes were a powerful tool—one that no one wanted to upset.
[Valentia] “So did you help them make up again?”
[Elijah] “Yes. They’re good friends again.”
Their home, just beyond the city center, was a greystone building, topped with a triangular roof. A myriad of vines snaked their way around the exterior, decorated with both the buds and blooms of various different types of flowers. It had a modest yard and a single floor, just big enough for three people to live in.
As they got closer, the door opened seemingly on its own, and the final member of their family ran out to greet them.
[Elijah] “Goldie!”
[Goldie] “Bark! Bark!”
Letting go of Valentia’s hand, Elijah ran off as Goldie ran to match his pace.
Bringing his leash with him, Goldie put the handle of it in Elijah’s hand, and once he had it in his grip, the two of them went on their way with Goldie taking the lead. This had become somewhat of a routine for them.
Valentia went about her work, moving to organize the groceries she had bought while Elijah topped off Goldie’s water, pouring some of his food into his bowl. Even while Valentia was busy with the cooking, Elijah took to watering the herbs in the garden and playing with Goldie.
In fact, Goldie really liked playing with Elijah, and he was good at it, too.
When it came to parenting, Goldie was Valentia’s dearest friend who’d been watching over Elijah ever since he was a little baby.
Having become accustomed to everyday tasks and chores, Valentia quickly put together dinner using the ingredients she’d brought back from her trip to the market.
[Elijah] “Thank you for the food.”
With a lovely smile, the boy said his proper thanks.
[Valentia] “Enjoy, everyone.”
That was how every meal of theirs started—a small thanks for the food before them. Just as they started to eat, Goldie dug into his food, too.
[Valentia] “You always eat so well, my sweet.”
Unlike other children who would quickly turn these foods away, Elijah really enjoyed broccoli soup and cooked beans. He liked certain types of meat, but his sense of taste was a little unique in that he far preferred vegetables.
Though, she wasn’t sure exactly where this palette of his came from. As far she could remember, Lexus never showed any kind of preference for vegetables.
[Elijah] “Everything you make is yummy, Mom.”
By the standard of another, one would be hard pressed to call Valentia’s food ‘delicious’ or ‘yummy’, and so she was grateful Elijah was a sweet and kind boy, enough to speak such words regardless.
When she first tried to cook, everything turned out a mess.
She did exactly what was written in the cookbook, or at least she thought she did, but the end result was a complete disaster. She could’ve sworn she measured everything perfectly, but the proof of her failure was right before her eyes.
She thought maybe her ill fated attempt was because it was her first try, but no part of her cooking got better no matter how much time went by. It was while she was eating yet another one of her strange flavored attempts that Valentia realized something—she had no talent for cooking.
But now, at least her food was edible.
Valentia cut up some of the sausage on the plate and passed it off to Elijah, who immediately stabbed at it with his fork.
Sometimes, he’d puff out his cheeks when he chewed and it was the cutest thing in the world. All she wanted to do was kiss him, but she held back since he was eating.
The happiness her son gave her was indescribable. There was no word that could adequately sum it up, but on the whole, it was unconditional.
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She did not know such happiness was even possible for someone like her to achieve, but right now, she was the happiest she had ever been in her entire life.
* * *
astralmech t/c: Elijah’s name is spelled like [에시아] or ‘Aisha’ in direct hangul to romanization. However, Elijah’s nickname is spelled like [에샤], which is like, a phonetic syllable difference ‘Aisha’ to ‘Aesha’ or ‘Elijah’ to ‘Lijah’. Later on in the story, they remark the difference between his nickname and his name as being pretty important, but in contrast to the raws, the difference is basically nonexistent when I translate his nickname directly, so I changed it to the more recognizable shortening of the name Elijah, ‘Eli’.
I felt like this was a fair change to make considering that the direct translation of the name doesn’t really work all that well in English. I agonized over it for a while, but this is the decision I’m settling on, haha — astralmech
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