The girls spent most of the following afternoon inside, leaving Mia's room only to grab something to eat. Having a day without carriage rides back and forth was a nice change of pace in Lily's opinion. Getting to see more of the world she was reincarnated in was always fun, simply not as fun as spending a whole day with her girlfriend. Between her training and the whole saving the world business, Lily wasn't sure how many free days like this she would have once things really got going. Mia understood that perfectly well too, but she didn't let the thought of upcoming trials ruin their newfound bliss. Whenever Lily's thoughts strayed in that direction, she was there with a kiss to bring her back to reality.
"Much as I love the idea of staying in the whole day, what do you say to a walk around the estate grounds? You've only seen a small part of it so far," Mia asked after beating Lily in another game of chess. The score was now four to one, and the fact that some of the pieces were different in Teras was a small consolation to Lily. She never liked losing, and she made a mental note to read up on strategy before playing Mia again.
"That sounds nice," she replied, happy to end her losing streak. Hearing that, Mia was instantly up on her feet, pulling Lily along. Now that she's fully comfortable around me, her real excitable personality is shining through, Lily thought as they descended the staircase. Mia checked in with one of the servants, to let the staff where they were, and led Lily outside, into the evening dusk.
The golden rays of the dying sun shone through the trees as the girls walked into the orchards behind the manor. Lily had seen their beauty from the balcony above, but walking through on foot, breathing in the fresh air filled with fruity scents was a different experience altogether. From above, she couldn't differentiate between all the species present, but the variety was staggering. The orchard was made out of a variety of citrus, many different kinds of apples, and more exotic looking ones which had no Earth analogues.
"The climate here is very favorable, so we have fruits from all over the continent," Mia explained when she saw her girlfriend's look of bewilderment. "Go ahead, try some," she suggested, handing Lily a green, apple looking fruit. She took a bite, and found it a little too sour for her taste.
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"No worries, there's more where that came from," Mia said with a smile, and reached for a different one. The next half an hour was spent on fruit tasting, as Mia offered Lily alternatives, trying to find her favorite.
Eventually, Lily settled on a pear shaped fruit whose name she couldn't pronounce. It was just the right amount of sweet, with a slightly sour aftertaste and an arena which was not too overwhelming for her enhanced sense of smell.
"That's good, I'll have the servants bring you some fresh ones every morning," Mia said, satisfied. Lily was about to protest, but her girlfriend was having none of it.
"What's the point of having a huge orchard if you aren't using it to spoil your girlfriend just a little. Besides, everyone should have a favorite fruit. You're new to this world, and you need to figure out all of your tastes and preferences from scratch, which isn't easy," Mia said as she put her arms around Lily's waist. "I am here to help. Today it was a fruit, but when we have more time I'll take you out to try the different cuisines Teras has to offer. The cooks my father employs are great, but some of the restaurants in town are truly excellent."
I didn't really think about the fact that I probably won't ever get to eat my favorite pizza or pasta again, Lily thought with some sadness. Well it just means there's new stuff out there to discover.
"What's your favorite fruit," she asked, trying to steer her thoughts away from Earth. Mia seemed to pick up on the slight sadness in the taller girl's eyes, and she smiled in response.
Thinking about her world is still painful for her, and she obviously doesn't want to talk about it yet, Mia realized. Well I know just the thing to cheer her up.
"It's right here," she responded, and reached in to give Lily a cheeky kiss. They held it for a moment, before Lily broke it off.
"I appreciate the sentiment, but I do wanna know the real answer," she whispered, her cheeks blushing slightly.
"It's actually the summergreen apple, the first one I gave you to try," Mia answered. "It has the best mix of -" Her though was interrupted by the sound of raindrops hitting the leaves above.
"Another feature of the climate, rain can come out of nowhere at the start of the wet season. We better get back before it turns into a full downpour," Mia said as she started moving back down the road. There was no need for her to drag Lily along this time, as the taller girl had no intention of getting soaked.
They rushed back to the manor, managing to get there before the sky truly opened. Lily was once again impressed by the efficiency of the staff, as they found their rooms completely cleaned and back in order. They finally split up for the first time that day, as a quick shower was in order, before going to dinner. Another excellent meal later, they were back in Mia's room, Lily having no intention of using her own bed. She did remember to remind Mia to set an alarm for tomorrow, for she fully intended to start training her other skill, and Mia made no protest, teaching Lily how to use the old fashioned clock.
That done, they went to bed, and Lily was soon fast asleep as her girlfriend whispered sweet nothings into her ear.