Please Answer Me - Chapter 153

“It’s, it’s hot!”

The sand had absorbed all the sunlight throughout the day, becoming scorching hot. When the heat from the sand touched her bare feet, Rosetta flinched, unsure of what to do.

Rashid then lifted her into his arms. Rosetta wrapped her arms around his neck and chattered cheerfully, “Is the sand always this hot?”

“No, it’s because of the sun right now. It’ll cool down again once night falls.”

Rashid set Rosetta down on the wet sand. As she started to walk on the damp sand, cool seawater wrapped around her feet.

“It’s so refreshing!”

Rosetta laughed like a child, splashing her feet and running around. Rashid watched her with a smile. Seeing her like this, no one would guess that she was a married woman with a child.

A few months after giving birth, Rashid had taken Rosetta to the western sea. It was partly to fulfill his promise to show her the sea, but also because he had desperately missed spending time alone with her.

After the birth of their child, Rosetta’s attention had been entirely focused on the baby, leaving Rashid feeling somewhat neglected. He had expected this to some extent, but he couldn’t help feeling a little hurt.

Since the most troublesome issues had recently been resolved, there were no urgent matters to attend to for the time being. Rashid planned to stay here for a few days, relaxing and enjoying their time together.

“Let’s go back now.” Rosetta approached him, wringing out the water from her wet skirt.

When Rashid simply stared at her, Rosetta added, “I’ve seen enough of the sea, so let’s go back to Edirne.”

“……”

Rashid ran a hand through his hair before letting it drop. “You’ve always wanted to come to the sea.”

“Yes, and I’m here now. I’ve seen it, so we should go back.”

“…This isn’t a place we can visit often. Don’t you think it’s better to stay for a few more days?”

“A few days? We can’t stay that long!” Rosetta sighed deeply, “I miss Iskar so much already. I’m worried about whether he’s sleeping and eating well. We’ve been apart for too long.”

It had only been a week since she’d been separated from their son, Iskar, but Rosetta spoke as if it had been a year.

“There are two nannies with him. Is there really any need to worry?”

“That’s exactly why I’m worried. You know how they’re constantly arguing. Having two nannies is actually more of a problem!”

Rosetta’s words were true. Their son, Iskar, had two nannies, which had recently become the biggest source of trouble. While both Rosetta’s nanny and Thelma loved Iskar dearly, the difference in child-rearing practices between Lysa and the Quat tribe had been the cause of many conflicts. Whether or not to put socks on the baby, whether to feed him at scheduled times or on demand—these were just some of the issues on which Rosetta’s nanny and Thelma could never agree. As a result, the two were constantly at odds, neither willing to back down.

“Maybe this will give them a chance to bond.”

“Do you really think that’s possible?”

“Just wait and see; I’m sure I’ll be right.”

Rashid removed his shoes and began walking along the beach with Rosetta.

“I’m thinking of building a large harbor here.”

“A harbor?”

Rashid nodded. “Yes, one that can accommodate large ships. We’ll create a land route to the east and a sea route to the west.”

“Who are you planning to trade with?”

“The Katan tribe is close by, and there are other continents farther away. And… if we prepare a sea route in advance, it could be very useful in case of an emergency.”

“In case of an emergency?”

Instead of answering her question, Rashid asked Rosetta one. “How about you? How’s your work going?”

Rosetta shrugged slightly. “Still a lot to learn. But I think I’ll be able to make an announcement soon.”

She smiled brightly at him. “I’ll soon be able to officially announce a law that will completely ban bride kidnapping within the Quat tribe.”

This was something Rosetta had been considering for a long time. Despite having a developed culture, one of the reasons for the low status of women in the Quat tribe was the custom of bride kidnapping. Getting rid of this practice was essential before she could discuss any further plans.

That’s why Rosetta had spent so much time studying Lysa’s laws. Lysa’s legal system, refined over many years, was considered one of the best in the world. However, she didn’t forget to adapt it to the specific circumstances of the Quat tribe.

“Even though our relationship began with bride kidnapping, I believe it’s a truly barbaric custom that must be eradicated.”

“Customs are more frightening than laws. It won’t be easy to stop all the covert practices.”

Rosetta nodded in agreement. “You’re right. But if we keep making efforts like this, perhaps someday, in the distant future, a woman could even become the ruler of this land.”

There was a strong resolve in Rosetta’s voice. Rashid smiled and held her hand.

After finishing their walk along the beach, they decided to head to the inn where they would be staying for the night. As Rashid suggested, Rosetta agreed to stay here for a couple more days.

On the way to the inn, small shops lined the road, selling various items, mostly by the local villagers. Rashid, aware that Rosetta was feeling tired from walking too much today, suggested, “Rosetta, wait here for a moment. I’ll go fetch Akal.”

“Alright.”

While Rashid stepped away to bring Akal, whom they had tied up nearby, Rosetta browsed the items in the shops. Most of the goods were food items like dried fish and fruit, but there were also pretty, quaint things like sachets made from dried flowers. As she was picking out a few souvenirs to take back with her, a distinctive floral scent wafted over on the breeze.

Rosetta sniffed the air, trying to locate the source of the scent. She noticed that the fragrance was coming from a shop next door, where something in bottles was being sold.

[Young lady, would you like to take a look at some of our local whiskey?]

The shopkeeper, noticing Rosetta’s interest, pointed to the colorful bottles and smiled.

[Look at these. They’re so pretty, and they smell wonderful too.]

[Whiskey? Are you talking about alcohol?]

Rosetta had grown quite familiar with the language here, though she still spoke with a slight foreign accent. The man quickly took her by the arm and led her into his shop.

[You must be a foreigner, right? If so, you should definitely take some of this with you. It’s whiskey, a kind of alcohol, but it’s unique to this area and impossible to find anywhere else. It’s truly exceptional.]

He poured a small amount of whiskey into a glass and handed it to Rosetta, urging her to try it. When she brought the glass close to her nose, she was surprised by the rich floral fragrance that filled her senses, as if she were in a garden.

[It smells amazing!]

[The scent of whiskey varies depending on where it’s made. And of course, the taste is different too. If you’ve never tried it before, once you do, you’ll be hooked on this whiskey.]

Rosetta thought of Mark. He would probably love this, and she was also curious about the taste. A whiskey with such a strong floral scent seemed like it would have a unique flavor as well.

Just as Rosetta was about to take a small sip, encouraged by the shopkeeper’s persistent recommendations, a sudden, fierce hand snatched the glass from her.

[Rashid?]

Rashid, who rarely got angry, was now glaring at her with a furious expression. He slammed the glass down on the table with a loud thud and turned to the shopkeeper.

[Do not offer this woman alcohol so carelessly. Unless you have a death wish.]

The shopkeeper trembled, terrified by Rashid’s menacing aura, as if he might kill someone at any moment. All he had done was offer a taste of the product before the purchase, and now he was being threatened as if he had committed a crime punishable by death.

Rosetta was just as shocked. She had never seen Rashid, who was usually friendly with merchants, speak so threateningly.

“Rashid, that’s…”

Before Rosetta could finish her explanation, Rashid lifted her onto Akal’s back. He then mounted behind her and urged the horse into a swift gallop.

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t going to drink it; I just wanted to taste a little.”

Rosetta apologized profusely as they rode, but Rashid’s expression didn’t soften. If anything, he seemed to grow angrier with each passing moment.

“I don’t see much difference between drinking and tasting. You know you’re not supposed to touch alcohol at all.”

“I know that, but I wasn’t planning to drink enough to pass out like last time.”

“The problem isn’t that you’ll pass out from drinking.”

“Then what is the problem?”

“……”

Rashid let out a frustrated sigh. Still unaware of why he was so upset, Rosetta followed him into the inn.

Thankfully, Rashid seemed to calm down a bit as they unpacked their things and sat down for dinner in the inn’s restaurant. He even cut up the abundant seafood on her plate for her.

“It’s delicious.”

Seeing her eat the food he had prepared for her without even pausing to breathe, Rashid finally smiled.

Just as the meal was becoming peaceful, they suddenly froze at the sound of a voice from nearby.

[The Riga? That guy’s completely crazy!]

It was unclear what the context was, but it was definitely an insult directed at Rashid. Rosetta put down her fork and quietly turned around. A group of sailors had gathered in the restaurant, talking loudly and boisterously.