Chapter 22 Living at Evelyn’s Grandpa’s House
Kane's POV
I watched Evelyn walk in and gestured toward the window, "I really like it here.”
"Of course! This guest room has the best view in the house. But now I can take you around and show you what life in Amber District is like."
She spoke with quiet pride before heading out of the room, and I followed.
The afternoon sunlight warmed our skin as we stepped outside. The village in Amber District wasn't big, and it was very quiet. We walked slowly along a winding path lined with wildflowers I couldn't name blooming on both sides. Every now and then, a stray cat would wander past us.
I listened to Evelyn beside me, acting like a little tour guide, pointing out every plant and tree along the road, telling me fun stories about her life here. Her voice was light and full of life. I didn't know how to describe it, but it felt like the first time I’d truly listened to someone for this long without wanting to pull away.
"Look, that's the barn. When I was little, my friends and I used to play hide-and-seek in there."
“And that’s the convenience store. Grandpa used to take me there to buy candy. The owner is a very kind old woman who would always give me an extra one—sour and sweet orange flavor."
As we passed a grocery store, a white-haired elderly woman spotted us; more specifically, she spotted Evelyn. She stopped stocking shelves and quickly came out. "Isn't that Evelyn? Are you back to visit your grandpa?"
I saw Evelyn happily greet the old woman. "Yes, Ms. Layla Scott, this is my friend Kane."
"Such a tall young man. Evelyn is a good girl, make sure you treat her well." Layla seemed to misunderstand my relationship with Evelyn, looking at us with kind eyes.
She seemed to misunderstand our relationship, but I didn’t correct her. If anything, I felt a quiet sense of satisfaction. "Hello, Ms. Scott."
Watching Evelyn greet the villagers warmly, I noticed how naturally everyone responded to her, with genuine warmth and easy smiles.
A strange emotion was growing wildly in my heart. This was the place where Evelyn had grew up—everyone was so kind, no mockery, no bullying. Just simple folk customs and warm neighborly feelings.
It made sense now. This was why Evelyn was the way she was; kind and sunny, knowing how to give others care and love, because she grew up in this loving environment.
"Kane, what's wrong?" Evelyn waved her hand in front of my face, snapping me out of my thoughts.
“Nothing,” I said. But that wasn’t entirely true.
I really envied Evelyn. She had a loving family, someone like Arthur, and a childhood filled with happiness. If only I could have met her earlier.
We walked around the village until sunset, when the sky was painted with brilliant evening colors, then headed back.
By the time we returned to Arthur's house, the aroma of dinner was already drifting out to meet us. Tonight Arthur made fish and chips, plus beef and potatoes stewed until soft and flavorful.
Arthur was still in the kitchen, wearing his apron. When he saw us, he smiled and said, "Go wash your hands and come eat."
The atmosphere at the dinner table was even warmer than at lunch. I found myself slowly settling into this atmosphere, as if I belonged here. Arthur kept adding food to both Evelyn’s plate and mine until my plate was nearly overflowing.
As he served us, he said, "Kane, eat more, you're too thin. From now on, you and Evelyn should come back to my house often, and I'll make sure you’re both well fed.”
I looked at the food in my bowl and replied, "Thank you, Mr. Gray."
When I looked up, I caught Evelyn chewing on a fish tail, completely focused on her meal.
After dinner, Arthur yawned and said he was too old to stay up late, then went back to his room to rest.
That left just Evelyn and me in the house. We walked outside and sat on chairs in the yard, waiting for the stars to appear.
The night in Amber District had no pollution—stars filled the darkness, scattered thickly across the sky like diamonds.
Evelyn looked at the sky, in a very good mood. She pointed here and there, asking question after question about the constellations. When she pointed to one cluster, I told her it was the Big Dipper.
This version of Evelyn was very relaxed, so different from how guarded she was at school.
Moonlight washed over her, outlining her figure in a soft silver glow. Her eyes were bright—I thought they looked much better than the stars in the sky.
When she suddenly turned, she caught me staring. "Kane, what are you looking at?"
"The stars." I quickly answered randomly.
Luckily, she didn’t seem to notice my nervousness. We sat there in comfortable silence, simply enjoying the rare peace.
As the night grew later, the air turned cooler. I said to Evelyn, "Let's go back."
She nodded and followed me inside. We said goodnight to each other in the second-floor hallway.
"Goodnight, Kane."
"Goodnight, Evelyn."
I watched her enter her room before closing the door. Then I returned to my guest room and lay down on the unfamiliar bed, smelling the scent of the blanket—it really had that warmth of being sun-dried. I fell asleep quickly.
I slept deeply, without the slightest unease despite being somewhere new.
The next day I was woken by a delicious smell. As soon as I opened my eyes, I heard a knock at the door—it was Evelyn.
"Kane, get up and eat!"
I looked up at the bright sunshine outside the window, confirming again that I really had spent a wonderful day at Evelyn's grandpa's house—it wasn't a dream.
I quickly responded, "Okay, coming."
I quickly washed up and went downstairs to the dining room. Breakfast was simple sandwiches and hot milk, plus jam Arthur made himself.
Arthur said while drinking milk, "Evelyn, Kane, eat more. Once you're back at school, get to enjoy my cooking like this.”
I saw Evelyn with her mouth full of sandwich, saying unclearly, "Yeah, I need to eat more, enough to take lunch with me."
I also replied, "Okay, Mr. Gray."
After breakfast, Evelyn pulled me upstairs. I followed her upstairs, confused, until she stopped in front of her room. "Kane, do you want to see my room?"
I froze. Her trust in me made me not know whether to be happy or sad. I'd already told her not to trust anyone casually, not even me. And yet, here she was, inviting me into her most personal space without hesitation.
I nodded and followed her into the room. Her room was filled with small, personal touches. Landscape pictures covered the walls, the desk had many kinds of books, and there was a stuffed lion on the bedside.
Evelyn saw me staring at the lion and quickly picked it up. "Don't mind this, it’s old,” she said, a little embarrassed. “It’s been my favorite stuffed toy since I was little. Its name is Peanut."