Right when Éireann is starting to panic and I'm starting to research how teachers were replaced in incorporated territories in the old West (short answer: they usually weren't), Vasil Misilevič stops by and things start to get interesting.
Now, there's a couple things you should know about Vasya. The first is that despite being universally considered one of Kainai's more annoying residents, he's actually kind of a lifesaver when it comes to putting out fires. Does he also kind of give vibes like he would set those fires so he could save the day? Maybe. But in this case, the fire's already been set, by a certain Connecticut Yankee in Miss Gallagher's Bed.
The second thing you should know about Vasya is he carries a little bit of a torch for Éireann; at least he did in 1870 when he was her first kiss. Now, the reason I haven't shared this picture before that it's been two years and that kiss is the only thing that happened between them. ACR's threshold for first kisses is super low--they don't even have crush hearts--so I usually don't count them until they go somewhere. It didn't go anywhere, so I didn't count it.
When he shows up out of the blue after two years to kiss her again, though, I start to reevaluate.