“So Mother still cares about saving money.”
“What, the royal family shouldn’t save money? Aren’t allowed to save money? What are you thinking?”
“Uh, right.”
Eileen watched from a distance as the mother and daughter conversed in low voices. Although she couldn’t make out the words, they were probably discussing whether to stay for lunch.
“Alright.” Flora said soon after.
“That’s perfect.” Eileen happily clapped her hands, “Miss Flora, is there anything you’d like to eat? My cooking is just average, but I can manage some home-style dishes.”
Flora thought for a moment.
“Just make whatever you have.” she said, then paused, “Just make something you usually like to eat.”
Eileen smiled and nodded, turning to walk inside. Kaan and Cole followed her, one going to help with the fire, the other to fetch water.
Only Flora and Ilya remained in the courtyard.
“She doesn’t know about you.” Ilya said softly after a moment of silence.
Flora looked at the half-open wooden door.
Ilya said nothing more.
“Mhm.”
Flora stood where she was, listening to the voices coming from inside. Eileen was instructing Kaan on what to chop, Cole was asking where the salt was. Those sounds mixed together, noisy, trivial.
Those sounds mixed together, making her feel a sense of familiarity, and a little dazed.
It seemed she couldn’t just let them do it; she should go help too.
She turned and walked towards the house.
Cole was chopping something on the cutting board nearby. The kitchen wasn’t big.
Eileen stood in front of the stove, and Kaan was squatting by the firebox adding firewood. When Flora appeared at the doorway, Eileen noticed her first.
“Miss Flora? Why did you come in? Please go out, it’s smoky in here.”
“I came to help.” Flora said plainly.
Eileen was taken aback for a moment, quickly waving her hands, “No, no, you’re a guest, we can’t let you work. The three of us are enough, you can go sit in the house and wait.”
Kaan also looked up, “Yes, Miss Flora, please don’t stand on ceremony, we can handle this little bit of work.”
Flora didn’t move.
“Idle hands are idle hands.” she said, “What needs to be done?”
Eileen looked at her, somewhat at a loss. This young lady had single-handedly dealt with Glen and his gang last night, but today she said she wanted to help cook. The contrast left her momentarily unable to react.
“Well…” she glanced at the cutting board, “How about you help me peel these scallions? It’ll be done soon.”
Flora nodded, walked over, and sat down on the small stool beside the cutting board.
Cole quickly scooted over to make some room for her. The knife in his hand paused, he stole a glance at Flora, then quickly averted his eyes and continued chopping.
Eileen stirred the soup in the pot while saying softly, “I really didn’t expect you to know how to cook.”
“A little.” Flora lowered her head to peel the scallions, “Not very well.”
“That’s still better than us.” Kaan squatted by the firebox, adding another piece of firewood, “We just make do, as long as it’s cooked.”
Cole nodded beside him in agreement.
Flora didn’t respond. Her movements peeling the scallions weren’t fast, but they were steady. The peeled scallions were placed neatly in a bowl beside her.
Eileen glanced at that bowl of scallions, feeling a bit strange.
The way this young lady worked didn’t seem like someone who wasn’t very good at cooking. But she didn’t dwell on it, just assumed the other learned quickly.
After a while, Kaan stood up, patting the dust off his hands.
“That’s enough firewood, I’m going out to the courtyard for some air.” He walked out, pausing slightly as he passed by Flora.
That profile…
He was stunned for a moment, then shook his head and pushed the door open to leave.
***
Three people remained in the kitchen. The soup in the pot bubbled away, its aroma slowly wafting out.
The meal was ready.
Eileen brought the dishes to the small table in the courtyard, with Kaan and Cole helping to set out the bowls and chopsticks. The table wasn’t big; the five of them sat close together.
Flora sat next to Ilya, with Eileen opposite them. Kaan and Cole sat on either side, one next to Eileen, the other next to Flora.
A few dishes were placed on the table: a plate of stir-fried vegetables, a plate of scrambled eggs, a bowl of pickles, and a plate of sliced smoked meat. It wasn’t lavish, but it was steaming hot and looked appetizing.
“There’s nothing fancy, just some home-style dishes.” Eileen said somewhat apologetically, “Please don’t mind.”
“It’s fine.” Ilya picked up her chopsticks, took a bite of the stir-fried vegetables, and put it in her mouth.
Eileen watched her nervously.
Ilya chewed a couple of times and nodded.
Eileen let out a sigh of relief, a smile appearing on her face.
Flora also picked up her chopsticks. The taste of the stewed dish was the same as she remembered, savory and fragrant, with a hint of wild scallion aroma. She ate with her head down, not speaking.
After eating for a while, Kaan spoke up.
“Miss Flora, yesterday that… that ice you used, that was magic, right?”
Flora looked up at him.
Kaan nodded, asking no further.
But Cole couldn’t hold back beside him, asking quietly, “Then you’re a mage?”
“Sort of.” Flora said.
Cole’s eyes lit up a little. He wanted to ask something but felt it wasn’t appropriate, his face turning slightly red from holding back.
Kaan patted him beside him, “Don’t ask nonsense.”
“It’s fine.” Flora said. She glanced at Ilya, who was drinking her soup with her head down, showing no intention of joining the conversation.
“What about you?” Flora asked, “Have you always lived in this town?”
Kaan nodded, “Yes, grew up here since I was little. Father was a blacksmith before, later taught me, and I’ve taken over his work now. Cole is learning from me, almost ready to graduate.”
“How’s business?”
“Not bad. I’m the only blacksmith in town, enough to get by.” Kaan smiled, “Just sometimes busy, can’t always look after Eileen here.”
Eileen said softly beside him, “I don’t need you to look after me.”
Cole scratched his head, “Just seeing if there’s anything we can help with, if anything needs fixing, we come by every couple of days.”
Kaan nodded, “Right, it’s not far anyway.”
Flora listened without speaking. She looked at Kaan’s rough fingers, Cole’s faded old shirt, and Eileen’s slender wrist revealed as she drank her soup with her head down.
They were all a bit thinner than before, leaner and more wiry.
Kaan looked at Ilya, then at Flora, and asked cautiously:
“Lady, you two… just the two of you came?”
“Mhm.” Ilya said.
“Then your husband…”
“He’s not here.”
Eileen kicked him under the table.
Kaan realized he’d asked the wrong thing and quickly shut his mouth.
Flora glanced at Ilya. Ilya seemed to have frowned slightly. She lowered her head to continue drinking her soup, as if trying to cover it up, as if nothing had just happened.
‘I guess Ilya probably just meant that only the two of us came, but Eileen and the others misunderstood. It’s probably because of my situation.’
‘After all, they don’t know I’m still alive. The implications are too big, it’s easy for them to react that way, to think in that direction.’
After a while, Cole couldn’t hold back and asked quietly:
“Then, Lady, you and Miss Flora… do you always travel around like this?”
“Not necessarily.” Ilya said, “Wherever she wants to go, I accompany her.”