After a considerable amount of time had passed talking with the Elder and his wife, I thank them for their hospitality.
Smiling gleefully as I leave their home, I wave to them on my way outside.
Feeling quite satisfied from the delicious treats and tea from earlier I then pull out my handwritten list once more to confirm that I've gathered everything.
Double-checking my self-written list, I attentively confirm whether every ingredient has been gathered.
“Seems like that’s it…”
Having fully made sure that everything was gathered within the basket, a sudden wave of relief and tension lifts from my shoulders.
“Haaaaah…”
“Now I can get everything ready…”
It’s a shame about what happened with the soldier who had previously snatched my basket from me.
“…”
But there’s nothing that could have been done about that, huh?
Well…
Let's head home.
----------------------------------------
Roughly Twenty minutes had passed.
The Orphanage finally came within view.
Making my way along the dirt trail closer to the entrance of the orphanage, there's a commotion of some kind coming from inside.
It sounds like the other children… but they’re usually off playing in or away from the village during this time of the day.
What could possibly be happening...?
To be entirely honest, I’m not sure if I'm confused or not at this abnormality.
Maybe I feel just a bit excited.
Or perhaps that's just my anxiety.
Shaking my head as if to expunge these excessive thoughts, I decide to head in and see what’s happening.
After that, I can start on preparing the meal for tonight.
With slight apprehension and anticipation, my hands start unconsciously gripping my handbasket tightly.
Walking past the pathway near the front garden, I open the door to the Orphanage and step inside.
----------------------------------------
It takes a momentary few seconds to assess the situation once inside.
Glancing around, the other children who reside here at the orphanage are all clamoring amongst themselves.
This includes a disgruntled Grunhilda, as she begins to explain aloud.
“Now then children, settle down!”
“I expect you all to be on your best behavior in greeting a new addition to our household!” She rolls her eyes as the statement comes off of her tongue.
“With that being said, the newest child staying here will be a girl!"
"So I would implore the other girls here to treat her well and to get along cordially!”
Cheer and excitement is shown on full display from the other girls excluding me at Grunhilda’s words.
She then clears her throat dramatically and continues to speak.
“Ahem…!”
“As for the boys…"
"Please do control yourselves and conduct yourselves appropriately!"
"Otherwise, you will suffer the appropriate consequences!”
In stark contrast to the girls, the boys then start to grimace and frown at her openly targeted remark.
“Do I make myself clear?!”
“Y-Yes Grunhilda…” The boys reply meekly.
“Very good!"
"Now then…”
She trails off slightly as I feel cold, piercing eyes dart in my direction.
Noticing me standing a reasonable distance behind the other children, I tightly clutch my basket in hand.
Her eyes shift to a nearby Grandfather clock for a brief moment.
Afterwards, she turns her attention back to the other children and continues in her explanation.
“Right now, the sun is nearing the highest peak of the day!"
"Supper will be served but an hour after the sun’s earliest setting!”
“Our newest addition to our 'household', shall arrive here before then!"
"You will all gather at that time and be here to greet her together!”
“Do not be late! Run along now!”
As Grunhilda says this, the children hurriedly scatter off in different directions.
Some of the children head upstairs, while others opt for the rear entrance leading to the back gardens.
One of the children walks this way, looking to make their way past me.
“Hehe."
"How is your day going, Mai?”
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
"Are you having fun...?"
“Jessabelle…”
Taking her questions at face value, I fumble with my words as I try to answer her.
“I…I just got back from shopping and-“
Jessabelle then cuts me off.
She places a finger near her lips as if to quiet me.
With her other hand she fans the room as if swatting an insect.
"You’re so serious, Mai...!
“I wasn’t actually expecting a real answer when asking you that of course!”
"Hahaha!"
“…”
Don’t react.
Stay calm.
Doing my best to remain unfazed, I force out a laugh in response to her provocations.
“Hehe...!"
"Maybe you’re right!"
"Perhaps It was my mistake for taking you so seriously.”
"..."
“…Hmph!”
Not a single attempt was made at hiding her dissatisfaction in response to my choice of words.
Frowning in response to my laughter she begins to glare at me as she slowly walks past me.
Whispering quietly to me as she walks by.
“It’s okay..."
"You won’t be laughing for much longer...”
“I saw what happened today after all…”
"Heehee... I'm looking forward to tonight's supper, Mai."
"See you later." She says this while leaning an uncomfortable distance towards me.
“...?”
Feeling her approach closely within my personal space, I unconsciously retreat back a few steps and draw myself away from her.
Jessabelle takes notice of this, and laughs gleefully.
With that, she finally takes her leave.
In few moments she’s already several paces away on the dirt trail outside of the Orphanage that leads into the village below.
----------------------------------------
…Relationships are too difficult to figure out.
I'm barely unable to contain my inner thoughts.
Well, there's no one here anymore except for me...
It might help to sort my thoughts if I just speak out loud to myself.
“This always happens…”
“She always seems to have something snide or hostile to say to me.”
“I’d honestly like to tell her she’s wasting her time...”
“But in the end, things usually end up okay.”
“I need to do my best to not give her any kind of satisfaction.”
“…”
O-Oh right! I almost got sidetracked!
Right now there's more pressing issues.
Like having to cook tonight’s meal!
Remembering my important task for the day, I fail to notice something.
There’s still one person here that I completely lost notice of while caught up in my previous distraction.
Turning around slowly…
I notice Grunhilda… staring down at me.
“...”
"..."
She silently taps on the ground with her artisan-crafted sandals wand her arms crossed as she glares daggers at me.
“Are you finished wasting time yet…?"
"It took you long enough to get everything together!”
“Bah! What a stupid, useless child…”
"U-Um..."
“I-It took the usual time to get all of the things I needed though, if I’m not mistaken…” I state meekly as I peer at the same Grandfather clock Grunhilda had glanced at beforehand.
“…!”
Oh no...! It’s much later than I thought it was...!
The clocks within the Orphanage are all synchronized to the same time, including the ones located on the upper-floor.
I assumed it had only been roughly over an hour since I came back from my errands.
Maybe I shouldn’t have joined the Elder for snacks after all...
“Hmph! For someone who can actually read the time, that doesn’t mean you can make excuses for being over an hour late!”
“You have the luxury of even knowing these constructs and the concept of reading time because of my mercy towards harboring a creature like you!”
“If you’d have been left to any other household, they would have discarded you like the waste that you are!”
"..."
Truthfully enough, it's because of how much wealth Grunhilda had accumulated from her former occupation and the donations she receives from many people while running the Orphanage that she could acquire such luxuries.
These mechanisms that can accurately depict the time of day are newly emergent technology from Meraki, barely a decade old.
Only wealthy people even know these kinds of things exist, let alone how they work.
“…I-I’m really sorry…”
But you weren't the one that taught me how to read time anyway…
So it's not like you need to gloat about anything either...
"..."
Despite my thoughts, I nod obediently.
It's a much easier way to diffuse the situation if I grant her the illusion of subservient obedience through a simple gesture that she’d come to expect from me at times like these.
Still, I can’t help but feel a bit rebellious...
Grunhilda smiles in approval upon seeing me nod, then places her hands firmly on her hips.
"Now then, you arrogant know-it-all…"
"I take it you’ve gathered all of the ingredients?"
“Y-Yes…!”
Holding up the handbasket shakily, I stare at Grunhilda, expectantly.
Nervously hoping she won’t notice that I’m missing anything.
“...”
“I've left my reading optics in my personal quarters, so I will presume you've gathered everything…”
She turns away after examining my basket.
Breathing a sigh of relief, I hold my handbasket to my chest.
Suddenly, Grunhilda screams.
“Why are you still here?!”
“Prepare supper at once!!”
"...!!!!"
Startled, I autonomously reply.
“Y-Yes Grunhilda!!!!”
Cradling the basket tightly to my chest, I hurry down the hallway as quickly as possible towards the kitchen.
“Huff… Huff…”
My heart races and my adrenaline pumps continuously.
Once I feel I’m a safe distance away from Grunhilda’s piercing gaze I glance up, taking a brief look around the familiar kitchen.
The countertops are made of various quartz and fine wood atop some sturdy stone fixtures.
Laying down the woven handbasket on one of the kitchen countertops, I then begin preparing the various ingredients for the Meat & Basil-Lentil stew.
“Let’s see…”
“So, for 'Meat & Basil-Lentil Stew'…”
“Without the meat this time, unfortunately.”
“There could be a substitute for it possibly…”
Thinking out loud to myself as I usually do, I make my way to the kitchen dry-storage to see if there’s anything that could help remedy the situation.
Pushing open the simple wooden door to the dry-storage room I peer inside.
"..."
Looking around intently inside of the storage, all that can be found are sacks of grain, flour and other sorts of dry-food related items.
“Hmm…"
"Guess not…”
A sigh escapes my mouth, as If to signify my resignation.
Coming to the conclusion that there’s simply no way easy way out of this predicament, I feel the pangs of anxiety as to how Grunhilda might react in regards to this revelation.
“Everything will be fine...”
“…”
“Hopefully…”
As I vacate the storage room, I immediately start work on preparing the essentials for the night’s supper.
First, the vegetables.
“Hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, hmmm~ ♪”
Getting into the rhythm of my task, I subconsciously start humming to myself.
----------------------------------------
Around Fifteen minutes pass after I've finished prepping the vegetables.
“Next is…”
Gathering an iron pot from one of the cabinets nearby I place it down onto the stovetop.
Turning one of the knobs on the side of a pipe overhanging the stove, a glowing crystal can be seen from the inside of the fixture.
After a few seconds it then produces a steady stream of clean, drinkable water, ready to boil.
“That should be enough…”
Twisting the knob back towards the opposite way, the crystal dims and the subsequent flow of water stops.
With the pot filled up, I then feel a heat rising from within the stove begin to burn without any required action on my behalf.
Within Ten minutes, the contents of the pot vigorously bubble.
“Huuuum, huuuum, laaaaa~ ♪”
Carefully measuring all the necessary ingredients, I add, mix, season and simmer, then finalize my finishing touches on the dish.
----------------------------------------
The entire process takes about a few hours in total.
“Phew…”
Using a nearby clean cloth I dabble away at the sweat acclimated on my forehead
"Finally done!"
The stew wafts with a delicious aroma, one that simply begs for attention.
With a wooden ladle, I taste the broth.
“Mmm! Delicious!”
Quite proud of my efforts, I proceed with storing away the meal.
Then, I finish cleaning up the utensils and kitchen wares.
After the cleaning has been taken care of...
I have some time to myself before dinner.
"Hmm..."
"Well..."
“I guess I could always head back to my room and read some books.”
“There isn’t much else to do anyway…”
Most of my time is taken up with errands and chores that Grunhilda tasks me with.
Occasionally, she'll let me just head outside into the village to do whatever I please.
But I feel that’s because she can’t stand to look at me sometimes…
However...
That’s okay.
What ever I can do to please Grunhilda is good enough for me.
Anything to make up for what I’ve done wrong…
I’ll do whatever it takes.
…
Feeling a bit despondent at these passing thoughts, they’re soon cast away.
Something fun comes to mind.
"Oh...!"
“I’ll go and practice some new Chess theories I’ve been thinking about! ♪”
It’s been a while since I’ve even bothered to play Chess lately, let alone think too much about it.
Probably because it feels rather...
Bittersweet.
However, I still really enjoy Chess whenever possible.
With my mind made up, glancing at the kitchen to make sure everything is clean, tidy and confirming that things are taken care of here...
I happily trot upstairs towards my bedroom.
My handbasket gripped tightly to my chest.
----------------------------------------