When I placed breakfast on the table, Veirya looked at my face and out of the blue, remarked, “You didn’t sleep well last night.”
I lingered before replying, “Indeed, I couldn’t sleep last night. I kept on thinking about some things.”
“Did you. Reach a conclusion, then?”
“No.”
Veirya blurted, “Thinking about a problem. That you can’t find a solution to. Is a waste of time.”
I smiled helplessly.
Perhaps that was how it worked for Veirya. None of it was considered an emotional issue. She didn’t think about the problem from an emotional perspective, yet I continued to drift between my feelings. Veirya was so slow that she couldn’t feel it. I felt that Veirya resembles the man, while I played the woman of our relationship…
Veirya looked up at me again. She asked, “Did you pinch yourself again?”
“Uhm… Uhm…”
Veirya looked at me with puzzlement, “How weird. Why do you always pinch yourself? Is there some significant meaning to it? Deliberately hurting yourself isn’t a good habit.”
“No… I don’t do it on purpose… Whatever the case… You don’t need to concern yourself with me. Let’s have breakfast.”
Somebody suddenly knocked at the door. Veirya’s expression immediately turned very terrifying. She drew her long sword and prepared herself to meet with hostility, thereby giving away who was at the door.
‘I really want to have a word with Angelina, though. Will I be able to find an appropriate moment next time? Angelina always comes for me so early in the morning. I’ve just woken up. I haven’t even had breakfast yet. Going over there to go back and forth with so many people before I even have breakfast kills me.’
I went to the door and pulled it open. Angelina spoke with a cold tone, “Mr. Lin, the bishop wishes to see you. He wishes to discuss the construction of the chapel.”
“The chapel has selected a location?”
“Yes.”
I didn’t expect them to be so fast. I nodded, “Is it urgent?”
Angelina shook her head, “No. I merely came to notify you. You can come anytime, as long as it’s within the day. You can come find us at the hotel after you are done with your own business.”
“Come have breakfast, then.”
I looked at Angelina and made way.
We didn’t have much, but I didn’t think that she’d wolf down a lot just as Veirya does. Plus, Angelina might not have been a big eater…
Angelina looked at Veirya. Veirya grumpily looked at me. She stood up and came over to me. She pulled me back into the house, and then coldly looked at Angelina. Angelina reciprocated the cold look. The two of them confronting each other is colder than a snowy, windy day in winter. Leah came down stairs while yawning. She looked at the empty table with bewilderment. She then went to the door. When she saw Angelina outside the door, she revealed a happy smile. She exclaimed, “Sister Angelina!”
‘Sister…’
I noticed the corner of my mouth twitch. Angelina’s cold eyes immediately shifted to my face. She seemed to notice that I almost smiled.
‘If I really did smile, Sister Angelina will probably finish me off with one sword thrust, won’t she…?’
Leah cheerfully ran over and squeezed past us to get in front of Angelina. Veirya revealed a panicked gaze for the first time. She immediately went to grab Leah by her arm; but nonetheless, Angelina had already picked her up. Angelina’s ice-cold expression immediately melted. What replaced it was a very bright smile. I knew that Veirya’s pretty face would look more beautiful than anything if she wore a bright smile, so beautiful that you practically wouldn’t dare to look at her. Angelina pinched Leah’s face after picking her up, “How are you now, Leah? Has that woman been mean to you?”
“No.”
Leah may not be too fond of Veirya, but she glanced at Veirya and didn’t say anything unfavourable to her. Instead, she responded honestly. Veirya grabbed one of Leah’s arms and looked at Angelina’s face. She coldly said, “Let go. She’s not yours.”
Angelina didn’t wipe off her smile. Instead, she continued holding Leah. She looked at Veirya and replied, “And she’s yours? You’re not Leah’s mother. Mr. Lin hasn’t spoken up, so what right do you have to tell me to let go?”
“If you don’t let go. I’ll make it so you have no hands!!”
Veirya reached for her long sword with complete disregard for everything. I quickly pressed my hand on hers and seriously exclaimed, “Don’t, don’t, don’t, Veirya, don’t be rash. You may very well end up hurting Leah if you attack now!! And don’t just draw your sword for everything! That won’t solve problems!”
Veirya coldly looked at me, “Get Leah to leave Angelina. And come to me!”
“I can’t control that… But let’s do this. Angelina, come in and join us for breakfast.”
Angelina gave a small nod, and then put Leah down. Leah ran over to me and cheerfully took my hand. While Veirya was filled with displeasure and very reluctant to let Angelina inside, she had to make way when she looked at Leah. When Angelina entered, though, I realised a big problem, and that is how we were going to allocate the seating. There was no way that Veirya would sit next to Angelina. Sitting opposite to her and seeing her face would probably irritate her even more. Thus, Leah would have to sit with Veirya, while I sat with Angelina.
Once we sat down at the table, Veirya coldly shot a glare at Angelina. She picked up her bowl of stew and knocked it back in a very displeased manner. Angelina looked at the bowl of meat stew in front of her, and then had a taste.
I was very confident with my meat stew. After Lucia gave me that miraculous flavouring, I had been able to create a wider variety of dishes.
I looked forward to Angelina’s praise after she had a taste. However, Angelina’s face didn’t show praise. To the contrary, she was surprised. She looked at me, “You have the flavours the elves produce, as well?”
“As well?”
I looked at Angelina, feeling slightly surprised. Angelina’s expression instantly turned awkward. She pursed her lips then shifted her line of sight back to the meat stew. After a moment of silence, she replied, “I’m just very surprised. This flavouring is very expensive. One grain is the equivalent of a grain of gold of the same weight… I’ve only ever had dishes with this flavour when at the chapel… That’s why I’m somewhat surprised. How do you have this?”
“This was given to us by Veirya’s comrade, Lucilia. There’s not much, but is it really that expensive?”
“It’d only be even more expensive in the Imperial Capital.”
I responded with a small nod. Leah and Veirya didn’t mind our conversation. Veirya actually cared, but she didn’t seem to understand what we were conversing about. I could understand, though. In saying that, those few sentences from Angelina made me look at the green spice floating on top of the stew and space out until I finished my meal.
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