Chapter 66: House Sitting

[Tiana's POV]

♡♡♡

"Tiana-chan, can we talk for a moment?"

Alice stood holding mugs in both hands. Master were out working, and I was house sitting at Stella-sama's shop. I had been helping with cooking during the day and was on my way to the room assigned to me, where I would eat the provided meal.

"Um ... I'm going to bed now."

"Oh, come on. Just for a little while."

I was troubled when a loud voice echoed.

"Alice, give it a rest. That girl is an important ward, you know."

Stella-sama approached.

"It's okay if it's just for a bit. She won't do anything strange."

"I wonder about that. You're probably thinking of something foolish again, aren't you? If you can't sleep that much, how about peeling vegetables all night?"

"Ugh. Fine then. Tiana-chan, let's talk again tomorrow."

Alice hurriedly ran off.

Stella-sama sighed.

"Tiana-chan, it's better not to talk too much with Alice."

"Is she a bad person?"

My voice might have sounded a bit frightened.

Stella-sama smiled.

"Alice isn't bad. Don't worry. It's just that foolishness tends to rub off."

"Is that so?"

I may not be as smart as my Master, but I don't want to become more foolish.

"Hmm. What should I say? She tends to think about dreamlike things. Like wanting to become the wife of Count Reckenberg."

"Really? I've never seen such an important person, so I don't really understand."

"Ah, I see. You didn't know, heh?"

"What didn't I know?"

Stella-sama hesitated for a moment.

"That man who joined the table halfway through last night, did you see him?"

"Yes. That was Zach, right?"

"That man is Count Reckenberg, who rules this town."

"Is that so?!"

I unintentionally raised my voice. I had thought his greeting was unusual, but was that how important people behaved?

"Well, never mind that. Just humor Alice a bit. Now, let's rest."

As I lay in bed, a growing unease about something that had bothered me intensified. My Master entrusted me to Stella-sama and went out, but at that moment, I couldn't perform my usual charm. There were so many people around, and I felt a bit embarrassed. Is my Master safe? The effectiveness of my charm is probably trivial, but...

There are other things on my mind. Who was the beautiful woman my Master chased after last night? I think he mentioned someone called Aisha. When he stood up, the color drained from his face, and he ran off without responding when I called out to him. Something feels uneasy. Last night was fine because I was with my sister, but tonight alone, I couldn't sleep because I was worried.

The next day, as I was peeling onions, Alice came over.

"Should I help with peeling, too?"

Alice brought a small chair and started peeling next to me. While skillfully working, she asked in a soft voice.

"Hey, Tiana-chan, what kind of person is Harris?"

"My Master? He's a kind person."

"Oh, really? What's he like?"

"He never gets angry, lets me eat various things, and I can sleep in a big bed."

"A big bed, huh? Do you sleep together?"

"Yes. We're always together when we're at home."

"I see. That's how it is."

Her gaze seemed to have changed a bit. I wonder why.

"By the way, I got this too."

I showed her the earrings, and Alice admired them.

"You have a good taste. So, what does he do for a living? He's an adventurer, right?"

"He said he's a scout. But not only that, he's also in charge of training new adventurers. He said the guildmaster asked him to do it."

"He's close to the guild master, huh? Impressive. So, how much does he earn?"

"I don't really know."

"I see. Is there a wife?"

"There isn't. But why do you ask about such things?"

"Well, I'm just curious about what kind of person he is. Thanks for telling me."

After finishing peeling the onion skins, Alice was called somewhere and left. I washed vegetables, cut them into the same size, and did some preparation. Then, I stuck close to Stella-sama and learned how to cook some dishes. I tried making a soup with vegetables and chicken and a stew with the organs and beans that my Master liked.

"Tiana-chan, you're skillful. Everyone was just praising you for good reason."

"Thank you. I'm happy."

"You need to carefully remove the impurities. Also, boiling time is crucial. It's best when skewered like this."

Despite being busy with the shop's preparations, Stella-sama kindly taught me.

"I understand. But is it okay for you to teach me these tricks?"

Stella-sama smiled.

"I'm not planning to open a shop in this town. Well, if it becomes popular, just say it's Stella's special."

"Of course. I'll advertise that all the dishes are delicious."

Although she told me I could rest, I helped with taking orders and delivering dishes during lunch and dinner. I mentioned feeling guilty about not doing anything while my Master was working, but Stella-sama just laughed.

"But I like hardworking people. Harris seems to be a lucky man."

"Do you think so?"

"No doubt. Tiana-chan, I think he must be grateful to you. But, do you have any troubles? If there's something, I can talk to him for you."

"Troubles? It's not that troublesome, but I feel like he drinks a little too much. I'm worried he might get sick."

"Ah, alcohol. My husband was like that too. He was a great guy, but he loved alcohol and ended up dying from it. Alright, I got it. When Harris comes to pick you up, I'll give him a good scolding. I'll say, 'Are you planning to leave behind such a cute girl and die early?' Just leave it to me."

Stella-sama rolled up her sleeves and flexed her muscles. I hurriedly asked her to stop.