“Hmm, has the color faded a bit?”
Reflected on the surface of the water bucket was my image, with a collar around my neck. It was a black collar with a small gem embedded in the center.
Maybe it was just my imagination, but the color surrounding the gem seemed a bit faded.
It was still pure white without a single flaw. But there used to be something faintly surrounding it, and now it felt like that had slightly disappeared.
“Kid.”
Just as I was about to start the mountain of dishes piled up as usual today.
Grandma Miranda held out a shabby piece of cloth in front of me.
“Clothes. Try them on.”
“Huh?”
“How long are you going to do the dishes in those rags? Just looking at you makes me feel suffocated.”
I thought it was just a piece of cloth, but it turned out to be clothes. I almost made a mistake.
Though I was flustered, I unfolded the clothes Grandma Miranda had given me.
A plain blouse with white lace and navy frills attached. There were no decorations, and it had a simple design with only a few buttons.
It was the kind of clothes commoners would wear, but surprisingly, it was quite light and made of a soft material that was comfortable to move in.
The long skirt looked like it would drag on the ground if I wasn’t careful. But fortunately, it was a dark brown color, so even if it got dirty, it wouldn’t show much.
Lastly, a pair of brown leather boots and a piece of cloth that looked like it was meant to be worn on the head.
Honestly, by the standards of my life as a noble, all of this was too embarrassing to even call clothes.
Yet, why did the clothes in my hands feel warmer than any other clothes?
“…Are they free? I don’t have any money.”
“Damn it. No money? Then give them back.”
“No. These clothes are too uncomfortable.”
I hugged the pile of clothes tightly and took a step back from Grandma Miranda.
Seeing the determined look in my eyes that I wouldn’t give them back, Grandma Miranda reluctantly shrugged her shoulders.
Even though she probably intended to give them to me for free, her grumbling was her own way of being kind so I wouldn’t feel guilty.
I quickly went into the bathroom to change.
As the heavy and uncomfortable dress, which I didn’t even know when it was last washed, came off, and the soft, light fabric draped over my body, I felt much lighter.
I firmly put on the leather boots, wrapped the white cloth around me, and ran to Grandma Miranda.
“How do I look? Do they suit me?”
“……”
Her reaction was just her eyes widening for a moment. After that, she rested her chin on her hand and started pondering something deeply.
I wasn’t expecting praise, but the lack of reaction made me feel awkward.
“I’ve thought of a way to increase the shop’s sales.”
With a sly smile on her lips, Grandma Miranda confiscated my precious soulmate, the dishwashing gloves.
“Kid, how long are you going to just do the dishes and waste money? It’s time to try other things.”
“Other things?”
“Of course. Did you think you’d spend your whole life just doing dishes in this shop?”
I didn’t know what Grandma Miranda was thinking, but for some reason, I couldn’t shake off a bad feeling.
Of course, I knew Grandma Miranda was a good person, but that smile she had earlier kept lingering in my mind.
Surely, she wasn’t going to make me entertain customers or something.
If Grandma Miranda told me to, I would do it. After all, I am a sinner.
If my wretched body could at least lessen that sin a little, there was no reason to hesitate.
Still, I couldn’t help but feel a bit scared inside.
“Come on, follow me.”
Following Grandma Miranda led me to the kitchen next door.
The space where she prepared and served the shop’s food.
This kitchen, which would be cramped even if five people like Grandma Miranda were in it, was always filled with the fragrant smell of food.
“Do you know how to cook?”
“Co, cooking? I’ve never done it before…”
I could boil ramen, but there was no such convenient food in this world.
“I knew it. A kid who’s never even done dishes before wouldn’t know how to cook.”
Despite Grandma Miranda’s indifferent tone, I was somewhat interested in cooking.
In fact, in my past life, my favorite TV program was the cooking channel.
I used to feel a vicarious satisfaction watching the process of making high-end foods that I would never see in my lifetime.
Watching the scenes of people tasting delicious food on screen, I could feel a bit luxurious while eating the cold bread in my hand.
“You’ll need to learn how to make simple menus from now on.”
Grandma Miranda put wood chips and hay into the stove under the pot and struck flint with her rough hands to start a fire.
The small flame that warmed the kitchen was beautiful enough to catch my eye.
“…Do I have to start a fire like that too?”
“Looking like you can’t even lift a stone, what are you talking about? Use this.”
What Grandma Miranda handed me was a small gunpowder tool the size of a palm.
I put the gunpowder tool in my wide pocket and quietly watched Grandma Miranda’s cooking process.
Chicken was placed in the oiled pot, and vegetables and various seasonings poured over it like rain. A savory aroma began to fill the kitchen.
The movements that showed years of experience. Under Grandma Miranda’s hands, the ingredients sizzled and danced in the oil.
Before I knew it, chicken surrounded by fragrant seasoning and a savory potato stew were placed in front of me.
“How is it? It’s nothing special, right? You can do it, can’t you?”
“Huh…?”
“Now it’s your turn.”
It was a sudden statement. Grandma Miranda nonchalantly threw a raw chicken into the pot.
“I showed you once, so give it a try. Be careful not to burn the chicken. Well, you’ll probably burn it anyway.”
“What?! I, I’ve never cooked before…!”
“That’s not my concern.”
It seemed like she really intended to make me cook, as Grandma Miranda took a step back, crossed her arms, and started watching.
While I was staring at her blankly, the sound of the chicken starting to burn came clearly to my ears.
“Ah…! If it burns, it’s not my fault!”
Finally, I steeled myself, clenched my fists, and put on the cooking gloves.
I moved my hands hurriedly to get rid of the smoke rising from the pot.
Even if it turns out bad, it’s not my fault, so let’s just go with the flow.
I promised myself like I was talking to myself and moved my hands busily.
※
Kiraz Frontline.
Once the fierce frontline between the Kingdom of Kaladwen and the Empire, now a hideout for the remnants of the fallen kingdom, crawling like cockroaches.
Since the Kingdom of Kaladwen had collapsed to the point of no recovery, there was no possibility of war breaking out again, but the unease of what those who had sworn loyalty to the kingdom might do permeated the frontline.
However, stationing a large number of troops on a frontline where the battle had already ended was inefficient. Most of the defense here was done by a small number of imperial troops and mercenaries hired by the guild.
And among those mercenaries.
Ailey, known as ‘Wolf’s Claw,’ stared blankly at the girl in front of her with wide eyes.
“Did you really make this?”
“Um, is it not good?”
In front of her was a girl looking at her with nervous eyes.
Her clear, transparent blue eyes and snow-white hair made her look as pure as an angel.
She had a lovely atmosphere that didn’t fit this gloomy frontline.
But what surprised Ailey wasn’t the girl’s beautiful appearance.
A bowl in front of her. In that bowl was a slightly charred baked potato and chicken salad.
That was until Ailey mindlessly devoured it all.
“It’s damn delicious. Even better than Grandma Miranda’s. Did you learn this somewhere?”
“No… I just tried it for the first time…”
“First time? This is really good though?”
“R, really? I’m glad you liked it…”
“……”
The girl in front of her slightly opened her eyes and smiled shyly.
Her eye smile genuinely showed that she was happy with Ailey’s praise.
Looking at the faint blush on her snow-white face, Ailey muttered blankly.
“Marry me.”
“Wha, what?!”
The words reflexively jumped out of Ailey’s mouth.
Ailey was lost in thought for a moment.
Even though she lived a tough mercenary life, suffering from muscle pain almost every day, she thought about how much strength a lovely wife like this would give her in such a hard life.
Every day, after finishing the tough work, she would come home to be greeted by that lovely eye smile and be served this meltingly delicious food.
After the meal, those small, white, delicate hands would carefully wash her body.
And after the bath, a time to relieve the fatigue accumulated throughout the day awaited.
Pinning that small, slender body beneath her, she would freely release the violent desires accumulated throughout the day.
The girl in front of her would willingly accept all her desires, spreading her legs wide.
She would hug her desperately with both arms. Her waist would tremble as if in a spasm.
A beautiful song, mixed with urgent and heavy moans, would be sung to her.
And after such a time, they would end the day with a short kiss on each other’s foreheads.
How happy would those repeating days be?
‘No, crazy… What am I thinking?’
Ailey, who had been lost in thought, opened her eyes wide and shook her head violently.
She had no interest in homosexuality. Yet, she couldn’t believe she had such a fantasy.
No matter how lovely the girl in front of her was, there were clear lines that had to be maintained as a human.
“Tch, my words slipped. Can I have another bowl of this?”
“Ye, yes…! I’ll bring it right away…!”
The girl nodded with sparkling eyes. And with excited steps, she returned to the kitchen.
Ailey blankly watched her back.
Her swaying hips, like a fox’s tail, seemed to tempt her to squeeze them.
The desire to immediately pin that female down on the bed and press her hard rose again in her mind.
“No, why am I like this…?”
Have I been too deprived lately?
It seemed like she needed to calm her body down once she got home.
Ailey looked at the innocent bowl and tried hard to suppress the fantasies rising in her mind.
She decided to think that the reason she, who usually didn’t have strong sexual desires, had such fantasies was because the food was just that delicious.
After all, it was really delicious.
