Chapter 6

After moving into the rented house, Bertine and Dorothe spent several days weeding the garden and polishing the floors with the doors wide open.

One day, three children from the neighborhood gathered. Two boys and one girl.

"Did you just move in?"

"Yes, nice to meet you."

"Are you going to open a shop? What kind of shop?"

"I haven't decided yet what kind of shop to open."

"Whaaat! That's weird!"

"Hehe. I guess it is. Say, do you want some candy?"

"Yes!""Yay!"

Bertine, who had bought some candy on a whim while shopping, took the tin and went outside.

"One each, okay?"

She said, handing out the candy to the children, who then said with innocent faces,

"Thank you, ma'am."

"Thank you, candy lady. See you again."

And left.

"Ma'am..."

"Miss, to the children, all adult women are 'ma'am.'"

Dorothe consoled Bertine, who was frozen with wide eyes. When she looked in a hand mirror, a tired, unmade face stared back at her.

"Indeed, this is a 'ma'am.' It seems I should put on some makeup when I go out."

Feeling a bit down, Bertine entered the house and suggested,

"Let's eat out tonight. You've been working non-stop, and you need a break."

"Really, would it be alright for me to come along?"

"There's no question about it. I have no one else to rely on. Will you come with me?"

"Yes, I'd be happy to."

Thus, the two of them visited a nearby diner.

This was a type of establishment that was not an option when she was a marquise's daughter. It was a casual place, with tables and chairs and a floor that were just barely clean.

But as soon as they stepped inside, the delicious smell of food greeted them.

"Welcome! Please sit wherever you like. I'll come take your order!"

They sat at a table, encouraged by the woman's cheerful and energetic voice. They looked at the menu on the wall and ordered braised pork, vegetable soup, grilled shellfish, bread, and ale.

Just as the food was being served and they were about to start eating, a large man entered weakly and suddenly said,

"Excuse me, I don't have any money, but could you let me have something to eat? I'll definitely pay you back. I'll do any cleaning or dishwashing in the store! My belongings were stolen by a thief, and I'm penniless."

The lively atmosphere of the restaurant instantly turned silent. The owner's voice quickly responded,

"You're asking for something unreasonable at a restaurant when you don't have any money. We have enough staff. I'm sorry, but you'll have to leave. If you don't, I'll have to call the guards."

(That's right, that's how it should be. If we gave handouts to everyone, restaurants would go out of business in no time.)

Bertine fully agreed with the owner but, at the same time, she was remembering the terrible meals she had eaten over the past three and a half days. Hunger is truly a painful thing, both physically and emotionally. She took a sip of ale and thought, (Sometimes it's good to be kind.)

"I'll treat you. Come here."

"Miss!"

She shook her head at Dorothe, who was trying to caution her in a low voice.

"Since I experienced that hunger, I've become very sensitive to the word 'hunger.'"

"Is it alright, ma'am?"

The woman looked worried.

"Yes, it's fine."

The man, who had been watching the exchange with hopeful eyes, sat down next to Bertine without hesitation when she gestured to the chair next to her.

"Thank you. I was about to collapse from hunger. I haven't had anything but water for two days."

"You can order whatever you like. Would you like some ale?"

"Is that okay? Thank you! I'm Evans. I'll be treated."

From there, the man ate without a word.

Grilled meat, grilled fish, soup, bread, braised pork, ale. He went back for more grilled meat and another ale. Bertine and Dorothe watched him eat and smiled wryly as they ate their own meals.

The grilled meat was pork, seasoned with a strong flavor and served with sliced onions. The rich fat was sweet, and the onions, just before becoming mushy, had a satisfying texture that went well with the ale.

The fish was a river fish, with a fluffy white flesh that had herbs sprinkled on it to remove any fishy taste. The skin was crispy and fragrant, with a slight hint of charcoal. It was the first time Bertine had found the skin of a fish delicious.

"Miss, I've never had these shellfish before."

"Me neither. They're bivalves, but it's the first time I've had ones without a briny smell. They must be river shellfish. They're so soft, I could eat them all day."

Evans nodded and continued eating. He was probably in his late twenties. His curly red hair and freckled face made him look like a mischievous child who had grown up, which was endearing. However, he was easily over six feet tall and well-built, with arms as thick as Bertine's thighs. After finishing everything on the plate, he smiled with his gray eyes narrowed into a crescent.

"Thank you. Are you from around here? I'm from a small town in the south. I came to Ibit and had my belongings stolen right away. Big cities are scary, aren't they?"

"That's a shame. Why did you come to Ibit?"

"To become an architect. I visited a few architectural firms, but none of them would hire me."

Bertine thought, (I've met a few architects at the marquise's house, and this man is quite different from them.)

"Oh, right. All my belongings were stolen, but I still have the plans for the houses I designed."

He pulled out a drawing from his chest pocket. It was a series of bizarre and fantastical buildings. One was a flat, oval-shaped house with a grass roof. Another was a structure with a spiral staircase wrapped around a large tree, with small rooms attached to the staircase. The rest were similar fairy-tale-like houses.

"I see. No wonder you weren't hired."

"Yeah, I guess so. I thought maybe in a big city, I could find a firm with a discerning eye."

"That's not it. In a big city, there's no demand for houses like these. Maybe in a place like the Kingdom of Sanlouan, which attracts wealthy imperial citizens, there might be a chance. Oh, sorry, even in Sanlouan, there might not be a demand."

Bertine's blunt words disappointed Evans. Watching him, a vague idea began to form in Bertine's mind.

(I should keep this big man around for now.)

Her heart told her so.

Besides, her father used to say, (You can't stand out by doing the same things as everyone else.)

"Evans, do you have a place to stay tonight? If not, you can stay at my place as a guard."

"Miss, you could just give him some money for a room. There's no need to go that far."

"It's fine. I have nothing left to lose. However, since we are two women, I'll lock the door from the outside. You won't be able to go out at night, but is that okay?"

"Thank you!"

"Then it's settled."

After eating and drinking, they paid and went outside. The boy to whom she had given candy earlier was waiting outside the store with his sister's hand.

"Oh. What are you doing here? It's already dark. You should go home quickly."

The children's faces brightened when Bertine spoke to them.

"Candy lady!"

"Please call me Bert, not 'candy lady.'"

"Bert, we're waiting for our mom to finish work. My sister really wants to see her, so I brought her here."

There were two women of Bertine's age serving food in the restaurant. One of them was probably the children's mother. Still, it was dangerous for children to be out alone at this hour.