Chapter 4

Finally, we're back to Ashera's perspective.

Another chapter is scheduled to be published today.

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I, Ashera, in the spring of my third year.

This morning, I woke up in Uncle Rodin's room because Mother has been feeling a bit under the weather since yesterday.

Rubbing my eyes as I got up, Uncle Rodin, who was sitting on the bed, gently patted my head and said, "Good morning."

His kind, favorite purple eyes.

I smiled softly and greeted him.

"Uncle, good morning."

My speech is a bit slurred in the morning, but it can't be helped.

"Good morning, Ashera."

When Uncle Rodin carried me to the living room, Link reached out and took me in his arms.

I love it when he gives me a gentle hug.

So, I also wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him back.

"Good morning."

When I hug him with a smile, his smile deepens, and I feel happy too.

"Since the guild is closed today, you could sleep in."

"Yes, three people were drafted from the guild yesterday. The situation is quite tough, to be honest."

The draft is for six months, and if the war drags on, they might have to go multiple times.

"Well, as long as the enemy can't interfere with our internal unrest, they won't be able to make a move. But we're short on manpower, which is tough."

They both chuckled while drinking their tea.

Morning tea is part of their routine.

But I want breakfast, not tea.

"I'm hungry."

When I rubbed my stomach, Uncle Rodin laughed.

At the same time, my body jiggled a bit. Link, who was holding me, also laughed.

Because I woke up late today.

Usually, I would have finished eating by now.

"Hehe. Ashera, I'll warm up the soup now—oh, it looks like Dike from the bakery is here with the bread. Perfect timing."

The first floor of our building is the guild, and the second floor is our private space. From the second-floor window, I could see Dike from the bakery walking over with a slightly heavy body.

We don't have maids or servants in our home.

This is because when the guild was established, the previous viscount and Link's grandfather, the former Earl Dain, wanted us to feel what the people need.

The current viscount is too self-centered, so they wanted Uncle Rodin to develop a fair perspective.

Not just a handful of nobles, but the majority of commoners should accept us.

Incidentally, Mother Rose and Uncle Rodin's mother are from the Dain family.

So, Link is Mother Rose and Uncle Rodin's cousin.

When the guild was established, 16-year-old Uncle Rodin, who was still a boy, was supported by Link, his cousin and best friend, from the Dain family.

At that time, Link, the second son of the earl, was 18 years old, two years older than Uncle Rodin. The plan was to train him to eventually inherit the viscount title.

Because of this, we only have guards to watch for suspicious people around the house, and we take care of our daily needs ourselves.

Three years ago, we couldn't even make soup, and the guild employees felt sorry for us and taught us how to prepare meals.

This led to a closer relationship with the employees, and the guild's atmosphere improved.

We consulted with the female employees who handle customer service about child-rearing and learned about cleaning and laundry.

After three years of this lifestyle, we can handle most tasks naturally.

When I waved from the second floor, Dike noticed and waved back.

Dike, in his white work clothes, comes from the nearby bakery and delivers bread every day except on his day off.

Since yesterday was his day off, it's been two days.

Because we see each other almost every day, he is very fond of me.

He's in his early 30s, a bit chubby, and has charming brown hair and eyes.

With me in his arms, Link and Uncle Rodin walked to the back door on the first floor to receive the bread.

I thought they were just going to get the bread, but Dike had something to discuss, so they went to the guild's office to talk.

I was seated in the kids' corner at the end of the office. Of course, it's a space made for me.

There are toys, so I can play happily.

When I'm playing in the corner of the office, first-time visitors are usually surprised.

They observe my behavior afterward. According to Stan, one of the guild employees, they avoid deep relationships with people who say terrible things. It seems to help judge a person's character.

---

Dike's concern is a common issue among the several bakeries in town.

People buy bread from bakeries because it's difficult to make at home.

Bakeries adjust the quantity based on years of experience, baking several types of bread, but they end up with dozens of leftovers every day.

During this war, they don't want to waste valuable food.

Bread doesn't keep well, and they want to adjust the supply better.

"Anything can happen these days, so we can't reduce the amount we make for emergencies. If we set a purchase limit... but..."

"Should we make a single type of bread and have a reporting system for the number of loaves? But people enjoy choosing their favorite bread from different bakeries..."

"Well, in a pinch, we don't want to ration just one type of bread."

Dike, holding yesterday's hardened bread and freshly baked, fragrant bread, was seriously discussing the issue with Uncle Rodin.

But I was really, really hungry.

My stomach was playing an orchestra.

They were so engrossed in their work that they forgot about my hunger.

I'm hungry.

Uncle Rodin was about to warm up the soup when Dike arrived, so I haven't eaten anything yet.

The smell of fresh bread made me even hungrier.

But I didn't want to interrupt their serious discussion.

Reluctantly, I left the office quietly and went to the empty kitchen.

I bit into a piece of rock-hard bread from the basket on the table.

It would be delicious if soaked in soup, but unfortunately, I can't reach the stove or handle fire.

The bread is so hard. There's no such thing as plastic wrap in this world. After a day, the bread becomes as hard as the original. After two days, it's hard inside and out.

It mercilessly takes all the moisture from my mouth.

I almost choked and teared up.

Freshly baked bread is the best. But Uncle Rodin's discussion doesn't seem to be ending soon.

Even though it's not delicious, eating a bite made my body suddenly feel even hungrier.

Oh.

I'm so hungry~~

Suddenly, I saw something that looks like a toaster from my previous life.

Uncle Rodin installed it because Mother, who was raised as a lady and couldn't cook at all, could use it easily and safely.

I don't understand how it works, but you just put the ingredients in and set the timer, and it comes out nicely toasted.

Plus, it's installed under the stove, so I can easily reach it.

If I can use it...

Okay.

Let's make that.

There are the ingredients on the table.

I cut the hardened bread in half, drizzled olive oil on it, sprinkled salt on one piece, and left the other plain. I put them in the toaster for a few minutes.

The timer went "Ding!" and the crispy rusks were ready.

In my previous life, I loved cooking and enjoyed making things from scratch, even when I could buy them at the supermarket.

My family was farmers, so we grew edamame and harvested soybeans to make miso.

We made fruit wine and jam every year with seasonal produce.

While I can't make miso here due to a lack of ingredients, I definitely want to make it someday.

Miso soup is a comfort for the Japanese heart.

So, I occasionally made bread and pizza, which took a lot of effort.

If there were leftovers, I usually froze them, but I loved turning stale bread into homemade rusks.

In my previous life, I cut the bread into bite-sized pieces, microwaved them to remove moisture, and dried them until they were crispy.

Then, I melted butter in a pan, added the dried bread, and sautéed until it made a crackling sound, sprinkled granulated sugar, and it was done.

It was simple, but the combination of the salty, rich butter and the sweetness of the sugar was irresistible.

I also loved garlic butter flavor.

Since there was no butter here, I used olive oil.

When I took a bite of the rusk, it made a satisfying crunch.

—Delicious!!

I sprinkled sugar on the other piece while it was still hot.

This one is also delicious~~

The hard, tasteless bread has transformed.

I ate it happily, and it was gone in no time.

There were three more pieces of bread in the basket.

Let's make more.

I made more and placed the finished rusks on a wooden plate, stretching to put it on the table.

When I tried to climb onto a chair, it wobbled.

I lost my balance, and the chair fell over.

Naturally, I was also caught in the fall.

With a loud "Thud!!" and the sound of a child crying, the adults were startled, as expected.

Thank you for reading.