Chapter 241: A New Beginning

Gideon simply listened until Freya’s sobs gradually subsided.

The tension in her shoulders slowly melted away. Her trembling hands finally steadied enough to wipe the remaining tears from her face before she took a long, calming breath.

"I’m sorry for being too emotional," she murmured, though he heard every word clearly.

She lowered her gaze to the water before quietly continuing, "But... even if what Mom and Summer said is true, I want to wait. I want to find the truth myself before I decide what to believe."

She slowly lifted her head. Her blue eyes, the same shade as Delilah’s, were much clearer than before.

"That’s okay, right?"

Gideon smiled faintly and reached over to gently rub her head.

"Of course it is. Just don’t pressure your mother like you did yesterday. If you need time, then keep your distance for a while. Ignore her if you have to. But if you do talk to her..." He looked into her eyes. "...Do it kindly."

Freya nodded before letting out a bitter laugh.

"I know. It’s embarrassing, isn’t it? I acted like a child and almost caused my mother’s baby to..." She couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence and lowered her head again. "I’ll just stay quiet."

"Hey." Gideon squeezed her shoulder gently. "You didn’t kill anyone."

He waited until she looked back at him before continuing.

"But after you’ve apologized, don’t burden your mother with everything you’re feeling. She’s carried this secret in her heart for years, and these past few days she’s been under pressure from every direction."

His hand remained on her shoulder as he spoke. "I don’t know exactly how you feel, but if you need someone to vent to, come to me. Or Elaine. Even Summer. Just... don’t make your mother carry that weight too."

Freya silently nodded before leaning back against the edge of the bath.

She closed her eyes, allowing the warm water and fragrant steam to wash away the exhaustion that had built up throughout the night.

Only after she had finally calmed down did she begin washing herself properly.

Gideon helped where he could, pouring warm water over her hair before carefully combing through the tangled strands. It looked as though she hadn’t brushed it since a week ago.

After finishing, he leaned closer and lightly rested his chin against her shoulder.

"You smell much better now, Freya. I know it’s freezing outside, but don’t forget to bathe every day."

Freya immediately turned toward him, her cheeks flushing.

"Ugh... there are more important things than taking a bath."

"There are?" Gideon tilted his head innocently. "Like planning to run away, only to make it five hundred meters outside the territory before turning around and coming back?"

The blush instantly spread all the way to her ears. She quickly shrugged her shoulders, knocking his head away.

"How did you know that?! A-And I wasn’t running away! I... I was going hunting!"

Gideon couldn’t help grinning.

"You know Eugene talks a lot, right? Besides, the guards in the Defense Towers record everything unusual they see and submit reports to the council every day." He spread his hands helplessly. "So yes, pretty much everyone knows."

Freya groaned and buried her face in both hands.

"Ugh... I should’ve just kept going."

Gideon laughed even harder.

Embarrassed, Freya reached over and twisted his arm.

"Ow!"

He rubbed the sore spot while still chuckling.

"I’m glad you didn’t. Running away would’ve only complicated everything. Sometimes talking is a lot harder, but it’s also the only way to actually solve the problem."

He stood up and stretched. "Come on. Let’s finish our bath. William’s waiting for me and so is your sister."

Freya raised an eyebrow. "Why my sister?"

Gideon stepped out of the bath and reached for a towel.

"She asked me to spend the night with her. I haven’t been with her for almost two months." He sighed. "I’ll have to be careful, though. She’s already almost three months pregnant."

Freya climbed out of the bath after him and casually nodded.

"Yeah... that makes sense." She began drying her hair. "That’s probably why she’s started using that really strong scented lotion."

Gideon stopped halfway through drying himself.

"Lotion? What kind of lotion?"

Freya looked back over her shoulder while continuing toward the changing area. She stayed silent for a moment, as if deciding whether she should answer.

Then a mischievous smile appeared on her lips.

"You’ll see."

She disappeared behind the curtain before Gideon could ask another question, leaving him far more curious than before and followed her inside.

The bathhouse was far more luxurious than anything most people in the Safe Zone had ever imagined.

Rows of wooden lockers lined the walls, while comfortable sofas were arranged near a polished bar on one side of the room.

A tennis table occupied the corner, and at the end of the hallway were several rooms dedicated to spa treatments and saunas.

A place built purely for relaxation. Ironically, Gideon rarely had the chance to enjoy any of it these days.

"Gideon." Freya’s voice broke the comfortable silence between them.

He looked over while buttoning his shirt.

"Thank you... for listening to me."

She lowered her gaze before smiling faintly. "Mom, Summer, even Elaine... none of them ever let me finish whenever I talk about Dad. It’s like even mentioning the good things he did is some kind of sin."

Gideon tucked the edge of his shirt into his pants before looking back at her.

"Of course I’d listen. If you want to talk about him, then talk. I’ll listen to everything and try not to judge."

He paused for a second before adding with a helpless smile, "Though I can’t promise that’ll be easy."

Freya pouted. "Hmph."

She lightly punched his arm.

"Then maybe I’ll just talk to the wall."

Gideon laughed. "Sure. Just don’t do it in front of everyone."

He picked up his coat and slung it over his shoulder.

"I’m still not planning to build a mental institution."

"This isn’t funny!"

Freya hit his arm again, this time hard enough to make him flinch.

"Ow! That actually hurt."

She couldn’t hold back her laughter anymore.

The sound echoed through the quiet changing room.

Gideon laughed along with her.

For the first time since the argument with Delilah, the heaviness weighing on Freya’s shoulders seemed just a little lighter.

***

Gideon didn’t let Freya return to her room.

Instead, after they finished bathing, he brought her straight to the newly completed apartment building, where everyone had already gathered for the opening ceremony.

William stood near Jacob, discussing something while occasionally pointing toward the buildings.

Aria held a wooden clipboard with a checklist in her hands, going over the final preparations as Daphne helped her grandfather, Johan, organize the remaining belongings.

Eugene and Percy were also busy carrying boxes and supplies.

Most of the tents had been dismantled, leaving only a handful standing for the patrol units, the clinic, a temporary storage and workshop for tools, and several tents reserved for newcomers still living in the tents.

Ji Hoon, Ji Eun, and Laura remained near the entrance, watching the bustling scene. Laura noticed Gideon almost immediately and greeted him with a warm smile.

Everything had been organized by Aria, Johan, and William.

Just as Gideon had expected.

"Chief."

Aria waved enthusiastically as soon as she spotted him.

Gideon walked over at an unhurried pace, still gently holding Freya’s wrist so she wouldn’t quietly slip away.

"We’ve finished moving all the furniture inside. Every apartment is ready to be occupied!" she reported excitedly, glancing down at her checklist.

"We’ve already assigned rooms for everyone, including families and couples who wanted to live together. A few people still have to share rooms, but we let them choose their own roommates instead of assigning them randomly."

She smiled proudly.

"You said before that forcing strangers to live together would only create unnecessary conflicts, so we avoided that."

"Good." Gideon nodded in approval. "How about the inspection? Water supply? Heating?"

William had just finished speaking with Jacob and stepped forward to answer.

"I inspected every unit personally. There aren’t any leaks or seepage, and the plumbing is working properly. The windows are reinforced well enough to withstand the snowstorms, even during the Eternal Snow."

"Right..." Gideon folded his arms. "How bad is the Eternal Snow, exactly?"

Johan walked over, leaving Daphne chatting with Ji Hoon behind him.

"It’s far worse than any snowstorm," the old man explained. "Without a proper heat source, furniture becomes so brittle that it can shatter with a single touch. Buildings aren’t much different if they aren’t heated consistently."

He gestured toward William.

"That’s why he carefully calculated the coverage of every heating pipe connected to the Oil Aberrant furnaces. As long as the temperature stays above the critical point when the Eternal Snow comes, the structures should remain stable."

Johan smiled proudly. "You chose a good man, Chief. He’s exceptionally skilled at his work."

William simply lowered his head slightly, quietly accepting the compliment.

Gideon chuckled before patting him on the shoulder.

"Of course he’s good."

The unexpected gesture made William stiffen for a brief moment, clearly still unaccustomed to physical contact.

Gideon looked around at the crowd gathering outside the apartment complex. The anticipation on everyone’s faces was impossible to miss.

They had spent weeks sleeping in tents through freezing nights. Today, they were finally getting a real home.

A small smile appeared on his face.

"Well, it looks like everything is ready. Let’s open the apartments."

Then he raised his voice so everyone waiting nearby could hear him.

"It’s time for everyone to move into their new homes."