I Supported My Fiancé for 10 Years After He Said, 'Let's Get Married When I Succeed,' but When He Finally Did, He Dumped Me. By the Way, I'm a Witch and Turning 30 Next Year!! - Episode 14
Before noon, when the central street became busy, the herbal witch’s pharmacy opened.
Since the store was closed yesterday, customers arrived quickly.
“Welcome!”
“Oh, good! You’re open today.”
The visitor was the innkeeper’s wife from across the street. It seemed she had come to the pharmacy yesterday but found it closed and couldn’t buy the medicine she needed.
“You could have told me if it was urgent.”
“It’s fine. It’s for my husband!”
“Did he hurt his back again?”
“That’s right.”
The innkeeper’s husband suffered from chronic back pain. He saw a doctor, but in the end, he always said that my medicine worked best.
To completely cure him, he would need a high-grade magic potion, but that required a prescription from a magic doctor and a personal request. However, the innkeeper’s husband refused, saying, “That’s too much trouble!” and sent his wife to buy pain-relief potions instead.
“He should buy his own medicine!”
“The pain is so bad he can’t move, right?”
“Exactly. He’s completely useless like this.”
As I wrapped up the usual magic potion, the innkeeper’s wife suddenly asked a question.
“Oh, by the way, I saw a sign on your door saying you started serving lunch.”
“Yes, I thought I’d start something new.”
“Something new?”
She gave me a curious look, as if wondering if something had happened. The moment I met her gaze, I regretted my words.
I should have just said, “That’s right,” and left it at that.
“Did something happen?”
“Well…”
The innkeeper’s wife had always worried about me not getting married. She had tried to introduce me to good men more times than I could count.
If I wasn’t going to marry Rymer, she would definitely find it suspicious.
So, I decided to tell her the truth.
“Actually, Rymer broke off our engagement. The wedding is completely canceled.”
“What! That awful man! How could he do such a thing?”
I hadn’t even explained the reason yet, but she immediately assumed it was all Rymer’s fault.
In fact, she was the only one who had always warned me, “You should stay away from Rymer.”
Apparently, Rymer was a regular at the tavern attached to the inn, and he often got horribly drunk.
“But why? You two were engaged for ten years and practically living as a married couple.”
“He wants to marry the Saint.”
“The Saint!? That good-for-nothing wants to marry her!? That’s completely ridiculous!”
I couldn’t help but agree.
Why would the Saint, Sui, choose Rymer?
“Unless she lost her memory or something, I can’t imagine she’d agree to marry him.”
“I think so too.”
Hearing the words lost her memory, I wondered if that could be the case.
After all, the Saint and I knew each other, yet she had acted like we were meeting for the first time.
Her personality was also completely different from before.
Saint Sui used to be a quiet person, always covering her face with a veil.
Whatever happened to her, it wasn’t something I should interfere with.
After telling the whole story, I honestly shared my new plans with the innkeeper’s wife.
“I’ve decided to live freely from now on.”
“Live freely?”
“I’m going to live my life without being tied down by anyone.”
“So you mean… you won’t get married and will live alone?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
I braced myself, expecting her to criticize me.
But instead, she smiled.
“That kind of life might be nice too.”
I was surprised. She had always tried to get me to marry someone other than Rymer, so I thought she would insist that my decision was wrong.
“Why do you look so surprised?”
“Well, you’ve always encouraged me to get married, so I thought you’d say this kind of life is a mistake.”
“I wouldn’t say that. Hearing you talk about living freely… I actually feel a little jealous.”
The innkeeper’s wife realized that, just like my old self, she had been living a life tied down by others.
“Every morning, I take care of my husband, work for my customers, handle housework, and as soon as I catch my breath, I have to open the tavern… I never have time for myself. Compared to that, a free life sounds wonderful.”
She even said that if she could, she’d love to follow my example.
“Now that I think about it, I gave up my free time on my own. Maybe I could have made time if I had tried.”
“Like right now?”
“Now? Well, I came here to buy my husband’s medicine.”
“Yes, but while you’re here, how about trying the Witch’s Whimsical Lunch?”
When I made the suggestion, she smiled mischievously, like a child with a secret.
“That sounds great.”
“Are you hungry?”
“I sure am. I’d love to try it!”
“Of course!”
I served her the meal I had prepared before opening the shop.
“Wow, this looks delicious.”
“Thank you. There’s extra bread if you want more, so eat as much as you like.”
“I will, thank you!”
Watching her enjoy the food filled my heart with warmth.
In no time, she finished everything.
“That was delicious! Thank you! I haven’t eaten someone else’s cooking in a long time. It made me feel so happy.”
Hearing her words made my chest tighten with emotion.
I had never realized that my cooking could bring happiness to others.
After the meal, I served herbal tea with a special deodorizing effect to remove the smell of garlic.
The innkeeper’s wife drank it slowly, then took her husband’s medicine and left with a cheerful goodbye.