"So what was he doing at our doorstep when you told me that he had already found his bride?" Mama asked after she had quietly led me to her room.

Ah, well. I knew this situation was coming next after the whole fiasco earlier. How could it not?

"I said earlier," I sighed, shrugging. "We got attacked by assassins last night, so it's a given that the event had been called off. He never got to choose the girl."

Mama frowned, bewildered. "You weren't kidding?"

I shook my head. "Not at all."

"Huh..." Mama muttered and flopped down on her armchair. "That's crazy."

She went quiet for a few minutes. I leaned against the wall, and the side of my head nudged against something. I looked up and saw the large unframed canvas painting of the girl in the grand dress. Where her toe pointed at the border of the canvas was the fingerprints left behind from constantly messing with it, and I held myself from stroking the uneven paint.

"Was it a coincidence?" she suddenly spoke up again and I jerked my head towards her. "That he was his son? Lucan? Wild chance, if you ask me."

I chuckled quietly, a bitter undertone hidden behind it. I could see how shaken Mama was after her encounter with her past lover, and to see how well he was doing without her… I couldn't even begin to imagine her pain and envy.

"It was good that we both escaped from a near bad relationship, wasn't it?" I asked, my eyes readily studying her expressions.

A small, sad smile appeared on her cracked lips. "Well, that's another thing to add to our similarities."

Softly, I laughed and Mama joined in. It was good to see her doing better and gathering her composure after such an encounter. My laugh withered away as I realized how much she was forcing herself to match.

"Mama," I said to fill the deafening silence that followed, "that guy Lucan seemed really surprised to see you. But I read, um, that he knew about your inn. Did you perhaps change the location after he left?"

She shook her head, settling into her armchair. "No, it's been the same inn since day 1. It's been so many years… It's possible that he forgot where I lived. Also, I've taken down my sign board up front, so it must've been hard to locate the exact place. Every other building looks the same around here, anyways.."

I nodded. "I see,"

"Mm, yeah. He was a douchebag. I have no idea why I ever got involved with him in the first place. You don't wanna know that story."

I leaned forward, suddenly interested. "Do tell."

She gave a deep sigh and poured herself some tea before settling back down, getting comfortable before she began her story.

"Lucan Huxley. Ahh, where do I start? I suppose you already know he was a merchant. He sold milk and dry yoghurt, which made him quite a fortune, really. Sovia's dairy is the best of all bests. Anyways, he came upon me at the marketplace and he asked for my name at once. I thought he was a perverted cat-caller, actually, so I had ignored him and went about my way. Soon after he was beside me again.

"I lashed out at him, yelling to leave me alone. But he tried his best to convince me he wasn't a rude passer-by; he was genuinely interested in me. We had exchanged addresses, since I had wanted him to leave me alone as soon as possible. Next thing I know he's standing on the door of my inn. I was still new to the business so I had mistaken that his goal all along had been to get a place at my inn for a bargain-able rate. But he did nothing but have lunch and express how much he admired my beauty. He was the first person who had ever said something like that, so I was very… I was very flattered.

"After that we had frequent lunch dates, and he was always nothing less of a respectable gentleman. He opened the doors for me, pulled out my chair so I could sit, and always kissed my hand when dropping me off at home. On the surface, he and I might've looked like a perfect pair of star-crossed lovers, but I always felt that for some reason unknown to myself, I wasn't content with what I had.

"He and I just didn't click. He was blunt and too full of himself. He was always undermining my efforts to work the inn, and always offered- no, he tried to force me to shut down my inn which I opened after so much blood sweat and tears. He said he wanted me to depend on him, and I kept telling him time and time again that that's not what I really wanted. And he was bad to Lissy, oh Lord. He looked upon her with contempt, as if she was a little piece of scum coming in between his relationship with me. He refused to let her partake in our conversations or anything concerning us at all!

"Lissy was forced to stay at the inn on nights he and I went out, even though I always wanted to take her along. Messed up, like I said. Then one day Lissy fell ill and he refused to help me out by contributing to the hospital bills. I can't even count the number of nights Lissy passed agonizing in bed because of his refusal and utter negligence. That's when I knew I had to find someone new.

"As if sent by God himself, Elric came along and brightened my life like the sun he was. I never told Lucan about him, for how could I? I was afraid he'd lash out at me. That he'd get angry and hit me. He was short tempered, and hot-headed. Even Lissy, a naïve child, cowered in his presence. Soon, our relationship became more toxic than I would've ever expected and he became extremely possessive of me, yelling and threatening to snap the necks of any man who so much as even looked at me. I wanted to leave him, really, I did. But I was much too scared.

"Elric, on the other hand, gave me advice on how to lose him. He was forever helpful and even offered to face him head on, but I declined it straight away, knowing that he won't be able to beat Lucan with his gentle nature. Lissy loved him. She was always begging to hold his hand and play with him, and he was forever letting her do it. I felt whole when I was with Elric, but I couldn't say the same for Lucan. I always felt like I was walking on eggshells around him.

"But then Elric proposed to me at the Pond. It was embarrassing, I admit, but I was very happy inside. The question was, how do I tell Lucan? He'd kill him. I kept the decision off for days, even though I knew who I wanted. Then came Johanne's tea party. Elric was there. He helped us pull the whole thing off… well, before Lucan came crashing in. He had smashed open the door to Johanne's house, cracking it at the little lock and had marched straight up to Elric before grabbing him by the neck. I think he realized his problem then and he even might've felt some remorse for how he treated me, because that's the last day I ever saw him. Fortunately, no one died that day. Elric and I got married the following month, and I remember the day oh-so-clearly. It was the brightest day of my life.

"I had thought it was the last I'd ever see of Lucan Huxley...well, until today. It was the biggest shock of my life, seeing the old man. It reminded me of his prime. He'd aged really well, actually, but I can't even begin to imagine how he might treat his wife. She must be the most patient, most brave woman on the face of the Earth and I commend her for marrying him in the first place. And a duke! He's become a f**cking duke! Who would've known that a merchant would rise the ranks like that? I never knew he was a man of such importance, never in a million years."

I blinked.

"So that's how it is."

Mama downed her tea in one gulp and gave a long, long sigh. "Yeah, I guess so. See? Douchebag."

I nodded, agreeing with her words. "But did you, even for a moment, believe that he ever loved you?"

Mama shrugged, her eyes on her lap. "I don't know. Maybe he did, maybe he didn't. I think he just wanted me for my face."

Just like Marquess Huxley did, I thought to myself. We really were so similar.

"Do you ever wonder if you made the right choice?" I asked, twirling a strand of hair on my finger. "Marrying Elric, I mean."

Mama smiled as fond memories flashed in front of her eyes. She didn't answer for a long moment. Just when I thought she had dozed off, she spoke again.

"No. I've never made a choice I regretted later on."

I smiled at her decisiveness. She was so sure about her life choices, which was one difference between us. I feel like everything I do is somehow either wrong for me or for someone else. Even now, I felt a little bit regretful about turning Marquess Huxley away. I know I shouldn't, but I did.

"The tea you made sucked, though," Mama commented to dissolve the silence.

I laughed, because I knew she didn't mean it, judging by the warm smile on her face. I was grateful for her, and how much I had learned from her. She was truly an admirable woman and a role model for sure. (Even if she was a bit blunt sometimes.)

"Come, let's have a cup together," she said as she patted on the ottoman beside her chair. Happily, I followed and sat down next to her and poured her, as well as myself a piping hot cup of my own blend.