6
That night, alone in her room, Petra had a long, hard think.
Why wasn’t Subaru angry? Why had he forgiven her?
“Is it because I’m…?”
Pretty? No, that wasn’t it. Petra already knew all too well that there were some problems being pretty couldn’t solve. So that couldn’t have been the reason.
Naive. Simpleminded. A pushover—that was how she thought of people all the times she used her prettiness as a weapon to mess with adults and children alike.
But none of those seemed to explain it, either. There could be only one reason why he forgave her.
“It’s because…he’s kind.”
The moment the word kind appeared in Petra’s mind, everything fell into place. Subaru had forgiven Petra because he was kind. Subaru had entered the forest to save the children, risked his life fighting for them, gotten terribly hurt without a word of complaint, smiled at the villagers to ease the worry in their hearts, and patted Petra’s head when she cried—all because he was kind.
“Oh.”
Suddenly, Petra realized then that she had lived her whole life under a gross misapprehension.
Whenever the village adults forgave Petra for playing pranks or stealing food or ditching her chores, she’d assumed it was because she was pretty. But she was wrong.
What a horrible misunderstanding. That was never it at all. The adults forgave her because they were kind, too.
The reason they overlooked her half-hearted apologies, lack of remorse, and flimsy promises that she would never do the same thing again—it was all because she let herself be spoiled by their kindness.
Petra’s life was built on the kindness of others.
Only then did she finally realize it.
And she had only managed to have this realization thanks to the greatest act of kindness she had received yet.
“Hey, Petra. You’re looking very fashionable today.”
When Petra and Subaru saw each other the next day on the village green, Subaru smiled at her. He considerately didn’t mention anything about the tears she’d shed the day before. Petra realized that was yet another act of kindness. She wanted to honor his kindness, so Petra didn’t mention her tears, either.
Instead, she gripped the hem of her skirt and did a cute little twirl. “Hee-hee. I know, right? So, am I pretty? Am I?”
“Yeah, you’re super pretty. Where did you buy those clothes?”
“So the truth is, I didn’t buy these clothes—I made them!”
“You made them?! Wow! That’s crazy. Dang, Petra, you rock!”
Petra was a little confused by Subaru rapidly alternating between comprehension, surprise, and acceptance, but she appreciated the sincerity in his response. She blushed and puffed out her chest with pride.
The dress she had on today was a lovely little one-piece, and just as she had told Subaru, she had sewn it herself using one of her treasured bolts of fabric she had bought exactly two years prior. This was the first time she presented her creation to the world.
“You’ve got great taste, Petra. You could totally open a shop when you grow up.”
“Do you…really think that?”
“Hmm?”
Subaru’s innocent remark made all her happiness wither away in an instant. He was a little perplexed by the sudden gloom he heard in Petra’s voice.
She was scared. This wasn’t her first time confiding in someone about her dream of opening a clothing shop someday.
But she had always done so jokingly, so nobody took her seriously. The adults laughed, and her friends wouldn’t believe her. They didn’t believe in Petra’s dream.
But how would Subaru respond? A surge of emotion rushed through her.
“You see, when I grow up, I’m gonna move to the capital and make clothes for a living. This dress I’m wearing now… It’s practice…it’s just one dress, but I’m gonna practice more, and then—”
A bit too quickly and with great difficulty, Petra told him about her dream. And not in the joking way she usually did. She poured all her hopes and wishes into it. She wanted him to know.
And when he learned of Petra’s dream, Subaru said—
“That’s a great dream, Petra. I know you’ll run the best clothing shop in the capital.”
“Oh.”
She’d expected Subaru to respond with a chuckle like he usually did, but he didn’t laugh. With a solemn gaze and voice, he patted Petra’s head and gave her encouragement.
Everyone else laughed at my dream—but not Subaru.
Why is he so kind?
As Petra asked herself these questions, Subaru filled her big round eyes…and without realizing it, she was blushing.
The face that she only let Subaru see then was Petra at her absolute prettiest.
At twelve years old, Petra Leyte had a dream.
It had been to become a first-rate seamstress and open the best clothing shop in the capital—but not anymore.
“I do love making clothes. That part hasn’t changed…”
As she stared at her finished treasure, Petra remembered the day her dream first came to her. That day, Petra’s gaze was stolen by the colorful bolts of fabric, and she dreamed of spreading her wings and flying to the royal capital then and there. But now, Petra knew the true meaning behind the emotions she felt that day.
It wasn’t all the fabric that had captured Petra’s heart. It was the tremendous allure of seeing something that did not exist in her little world, the shock of encountering the unknown.
Her passion did not need to be limited to clothing. What mattered most was to make Petra Leyte’s world just a bit bigger.
Petra assumed once that the world revolved around her because she was pretty. She’d had no idea how much kindness had protected her all this time. But learning that lesson had broadened Petra’s worldview with as much impact as those colorful bolts of fabric.
And that was why—
“Luca is going to be a lumberjack like his father. Mildo is going to revive the village tavern? Or open a restaurant? Dyne and Cain…nah, there’s no use in asking them. Definitely not.”
She was with her friends, talking about the future as they had done many times before, and Dyne and Cain began to quarrel again. It was, as always, over who got to marry Petra.
“What about you, Petra? Do you still wanna move to the capital?”
Perhaps due to the budding realization that she would be a big sister soon, Meyna posed the question to Petra with more confidence than before.
Petra blushed and answered, “Well…I think my dream changed a little.”
“Really? So what do you wanna be when you grow up now?” Meyna pressed.
Petra stuck out her tongue. And with the sweetest little smile that could make any heart flutter, she answered, “When I grow up—I wanna marry a good, kind man.”
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login