Chapter 14

It has been a month since Fiona became a member of the First Magic Corps.

Today, after breakfast, the members were visiting the commander's office one by one. Fiona was also told to come, so she arrived with Nina.

"Fiona, this is your salary for this month. Since you haven't been on any missions, it's less than everyone else's, but it's for your contributions to improving the members' magic skills and for working hard on cleaning the home. Good job."

When she received the brown envelope from Commander Reyla, her eyes sparkled.

"Wow... This is my first salary."

Hearing those words, Nina felt a lump in her throat. She knew that in the Empire, Fiona had never received any compensation no matter how hard she worked.

"Fiona, that's great...!"

"Yeah, I'm happy."

After being hugged tightly by Nina, who shared her joy, Fiona returned to her room with a warm feeling. She sat in a chair next to her bed, gazed at her first salary, and thought of Matthias.

With this, she could repay him a little. She looked forward to his return from his mission.

Before dinner, Matthias visited Fiona's room. He handed her a hand cream he bought at a store on his way back from his mission.

"Your hands have been getting a bit rough lately. Be sure to apply it thoroughly after cleaning, and after your bath too. If you leave them dry, they'll get worse."

"Thank you. I'll apply it properly."

Caring even about her rough hands, he was truly a wonderful mother figure. She showed him the brown envelope she received today.

"Look, this is my first salary. I got it today."

"That's great."

Saying that, he patted her head. Since he knew it would make her happy, he had started patting her head whenever he could.

"Next time, I want to go to town with you. I want to get something to thank Matthias."

"You don't need to thank me. That's money you earned by working hard. You should use it for yourself."

Matthias gently refused. He was incredibly happy by her gesture, but he thought it would be a waste for her to spend her first salary on him.

He declined for her sake, but she visibly drooped and looked down.

"...Oh. I wanted to use my first salary for Matthias... but I can't."

"Ah..."

Her eyebrows drooped, and tears welled up in her purple eyes. He instantly regretted making her cry and decided to accept her offer.

"Of course you can. I'm very happy that you thought of me."

Gently patting her head and speaking softly, Fiona looked up at him with moist eyes.

"Then, will you accept something?"

"Of course."

Hearing that, she beamed with joy. Matthias had to suppress the urge to accept her entirely, not just the gift.

Three days later, the day they planned to go out arrived. Fiona wasn't supposed to have a day off, but she swapped with another member, so she unexpectedly had a day off.

She didn't know that Matthias had arranged for this to happen.

After breakfast, Fiona invited Muriel and Nina into her room. Muriel told her to dress up a bit, but Fiona was unfamiliar with such things, so she decided to let the two of them help her.

Taking out a few clothes from her chest, the two chose a simple white flared dress without hesitation. The sleeves and hem were made of chiffon, and Fiona had never worn it because she was afraid of getting it dirty.

The neckline was wide, so she wore a round blue stone necklace. She let her hair fall slightly in front of her ears and tied the rest into a soft braid, adding a hair clip with a flower-shaped gem.

She lightly applied foundation, dabbed a light blush on her cheeks, and applied a hint of red lipstick.

She also put on blue shoes with straps for easy walking and a white handbag. Knowing she would be asked if she had a wrap, she prepared a scarf to match her shoes.

"Hey, Nina... What do you think?"

"Perfect."

"Right..."

The two were very satisfied with her outfit. Fiona checked herself in the mirror and felt uplifted by her more elegant appearance.

She twirled to the left and right, making her white skirt sway.

"Thank you both. I feel really stylish and I love it."

She thanked the two and was seen off. Waiting in her room for Matthias to come, she felt a ticklish excitement.

"Fiona, are you ready to go?"

A few minutes later, Matthias came to her room. Fiona peeked out from behind the door.

"Yeah, I'm ready."

Only her face was visible through the door, but it was clearly more elegant than usual, making him wonder. When she came out of the room, he was struck by her beautifully adorned appearance, standing there speechless.

"Muriel and Nina helped me dress up... How do I look?"

Fiona lifted the hem of her skirt slightly and looked at him shyly.

– Damn, she's so cute.

Matthias praised Muriel and Nina in his heart for doing such a good job.

"You look great. I'm glad they did a good job."

"Thank you. It's all thanks to them."

Finally getting a compliment, she smiled bashfully.

Walking alongside Matthias, she felt warm gazes from people they passed in the hallway. She was praised for being cute by members of the First Magic Corps and the cleaning staff, making her feel ticklish all over.

With a light and fluffy feeling, they arrived in town.

"Matthias, where do you want to go? What do you want?"

Her goal today was to treat Matthias with her first salary and to give him a gift.

"Let's see. I was just thinking of getting a new handkerchief. Can you help me choose one?"

"Sure, I'll do it."

Of course, Matthias didn't really need a new handkerchief, but he thought it would be a good choice as a gift because it wasn't too expensive and easy to give.

He knew that refusing would make her sad, so he had to accept something.

He decided to keep the handkerchief she gave him in a box and treasure it. He was also looking forward to it.

They arrived at the town's most well-stocked handkerchief store, which offered both ready-made and custom-made items.

Fiona followed behind as Matthias slowly walked through the store, looking at the products.

He had said, "Can you help me choose one?" but Fiona didn't know what kind of handkerchief a man would like. She followed him, watching him look at the products.

"Haha... I thought you were going to choose."

Seeing Fiona, who had confidently said she would choose but didn't, he asked a bit mischievously.

"I don't know what kind you like. What do you prefer, Matthias?"

Hearing her honest response, Matthias thought, "Let's see..." He didn't care about the color, design, or texture of handkerchiefs, only their function as something to wipe his hands.

Since he didn't plan to use it and would keep it in a box, he picked up a handkerchief with a soft, blurry, and gentle color that reminded him of someone.

"I like this one. Can I have it?"

He handed the handkerchief to Fiona. She stiffened for a moment, then awkwardly reached out to take it.

"Okay, I got it."

She went to pay, and when she handed him the paper bag with the handkerchief, her expression seemed to say something.

"Thank you, I'll take good care of it. Is there something on your mind?"

Pretending not to know, Matthias asked casually.

"Nothing."

She averted her eyes and replied softly, her cheeks slightly flushed. Matthias smiled, satisfied to see her clearly aware of him.

Since the goal of giving a gift was achieved, he thought they could freely explore the town, but Fiona had other plans.

"Matthias, what else do you want? Is there anything you want to eat?"

"How many gifts do you plan to give me?"

"About the same amount as when you took me to town and bought me a lot of things."

That meant carrying a lot of paper bags in both hands. It seemed the handkerchief was just the beginning, and Matthias thought about what to do.

"The gift I received is enough. I don't keep many things and don't need souvenirs. So, can you treat me to a meal? That would be more than enough."

"But... that's not enough..."

"It's enough for me. It's not about the quantity or the amount, but the sentiment. Is that not enough?"

"…No, it's not."

Fiona reluctantly agreed. She didn't want to force him to accept more and make him uncomfortable.

"There's still time before lunch, so let's walk around town. I plan to eat a lot, so be prepared."

Saying this jokingly, Fiona's expression brightened.

"Sure, I'll eat a lot."

They explored the town together. Every time they walked, Fiona's white dress swayed, and Matthias's eyes trembled with joy. He genuinely thought this was the best gift.

As lunchtime approached, Matthias led them to a popular cafeteria. It was known for being cheap, delicious, and filling, and he thought they could keep the cost reasonable no matter how much they ate.

Fiona, who had no experience with dining out in the Empire, didn't realize his plan and only thought it was a lively place with many tough-looking people.

"Matthias, let's order a lot and eat a lot."

She handed him the menu with a serious face, making him smile.

"Sure, what should we order? Can you help me choose?"

"Sure, I'll do it."

While making her think she was choosing what he wanted, Matthias actually chose what she wanted to eat.

As the dishes were brought to the table, they shared and ate together. Fiona seemed to enjoy the flavors, and he watched her eat with satisfaction.

After finishing their meal and leaving the restaurant, they walked down the main street, and Fiona brought up a topic.

"I want to thank Luke too. What do you think would be good?"

"How much do you have left?"

"About 100,000 G."

"…You need to save some for the future. Let's look for something within 10,000 G."

"Okay, I understand."

While teaching her about saving, Matthias led her down a side street and further into a back alley.

They entered a small black shop at the end of a row of old buildings.

The shelves inside were filled with items whose uses were not immediately apparent.

They all looked well-aged but well-maintained, and Fiona looked at them with interest.

"Oh, it's Master Matthias. It's been a while. What brings you here?"

A plump man with brown skin came out from the back of the store.

"This girl wants to give a gift to Luke. Can you help her find something?"

"Of course. What wonderful timing. I just acquired a special item."

The man disappeared to the back of the store and returned with a small box in his hands.

"I'm sure Luke will be delighted with this."

He placed the box on the counter. Fiona looked at it curiously. The red box was wrapped in multiple layers of white ribbon, with black patterns densely covering it.

According to the man, the box was a legendary item from a distant western country, and even the most skilled sealers couldn't unlock it.

Matthias began negotiating the price with the man. At the end, they whispered, and Fiona watched, thinking they must be good friends.

"Fiona, he says he'll sell it for 10,000 G."

"Really? Great."

She was happy to find something within her budget. However, she wondered if this mysterious box was an appropriate gift.

"…Will Luke like this?"

"Yes, I guarantee it. Don't worry."

"Okay, I'll get this then."

Since Matthias said so, she decided to buy it.

After leaving the store, they explored the back alleys, followed a cat, and bought and ate fruit candy from a street vendor, enjoying their time in town before returning home.

After dinner, Fiona visited Luke's room with her gift.

"Here, I want you to take this. It's a thank you for unsealing the curse and for all your help."

She handed him the legendary red box, a bit nervous about whether he would really like it.

"…Wow."

Luke's eyes widened and sparkled. His excitement grew.

"What is this? It's super cursed! This is amazing!"

He held the box in both hands and jumped around like a child.

"Thank you, Fiona. I'm really happy."

"You're welcome."

Relieved that Luke was so happy, Fiona returned to her room with a warm feeling and sat on the sofa.

On the sofa were a teddy bear and a small white and black cat plushie, which were in the paper bag Matthias had given her on their first trip to town.

Hugging them tightly, she felt warm inside for being able to show her gratitude.

She still had a lot to thank the two who saved her, but she was glad to have repaid a little.

She was determined to do more when she received her next salary.

Thinking about today's Matthias,

She was glad to have been able to give him a handkerchief, but she didn't expect him to choose such a color.

He often wore black or gray, so she thought he preferred subdued colors. Yet, the color he chose reminded her of herself, making her incredibly embarrassed.

If he chose it thinking of her, that would be great.

She hoped he liked her, even a little.

Fiona couldn't help but feel a faint hope.