Chapter 5-36 : Epilogue Ⅰ (part 1)

 

「Iris-san, Kate-san, welcome home!」(Sarasa)

「Welcome home!」(Lorea)

It’s been three weeks since Baronet Kirk was captured.

Iris-san and Kate-san have finally returned.

The reason why it took them so long to return was that they had to take care of Madison-san and his men.

After receiving news that Baronet Kirk had been captured, Iris-san decided to wait for a while longer until the situation had settled down before she let Madison-san and his men leave the Lotze Territory.

After confirming that the situation was safe for Madison-san and his men to return to their homes, Iris-san and Kate-san sent them to South Strugg and then returned to my house.

The both of them looked somewhat tired when Lorea-chan and I welcomed them home, but I’m glad that they looked well.

「Store Owner-dono, Lorea, we’re home!」(Iris)

「We’re sorry we were not here when you needed us.」(Kate)

「It’s alright. You did what needed to be done, so don’t worry about it. We were doing just fine while you two were absent. Right, Lorea-chan?」(Sarasa)

I asked Lorea-chan for her consent, but she glanced at me and pouted.

「Not really. You know, when I made cookies for the prince, I was so nervous that I had a stomach ache.」(Lorea)

「The prince? Do you mean His Highness, Prince Ferik?」(Iris)

「Yeah. It was the most nerve-wracking job I’ve ever done since I started working in this shop.」(Lorea)

「Ahaha… Well, that person suddenly wanted me to serve him sweets, but you know that we don’t have a pastry shop in this village, right? I had no choice but to ask you.」(Sarasa)

「I understand. It wasn’t your fault that I had a stomach ache. It was his fault. But, thanks to that, I didn’t have to stand by at the counter and didn’t have to see Baronet Kirk back then.」(Lorea)

「See? It wasn’t bad at all, right? Besides, Prince Ferik seemed to like your cookies, so there was no problem at all.」(Sarasa)

In fact, Prince Ferik did say that the cookies were delicious.

I want Lorea-chan to have more confidence in her cooking skills.

「You see, I’ve eaten expensive cookies in the royal capital, and I think that your homemade cookies were not inferior to them at all. That’s why I believed that Prince Ferik would like your cookies.」(Sarasa)

「I… Is that so…?」(Lorea)

Lorea-chan glanced away from me and blushed. She seemed to be happy when I complimented her cookies.

When I replied to her with a nod and smile, she looked a bit embarrassed.

「I’m sorry. I know Sarasa-san, who was actually dealing with him, had a harder time than I did. I shouldn’t have complained.」(Lorea)

「Y, you understand my hardship!? Huuu~ I know you are empathetic and kind, Lorea-chan! As you said, dealing with that prince was soooo tiring. Mentally, I mean. Not only because he is a royal family member, but also because of his crafty and hard-to-read personality!」(Sarasa)

I met various nobles when I worked at Master’s shop, and I could tell whether they were a bad person or a good person by just looking at their expressions, gestures, and the way they talked.

However, I’ve never met anyone who was difficult to read like Prince Ferik. I didn’t know what he was thinking or what he was planning.

He didn’t seem to be a bad person, but he didn’t seem to be a good person either. One thing I understand from him is that he will do anything for the sake of this kingdom.

「I understand how you feel, but Store Owner-san, you shouldn’t talk about a prince like that, especially in a place where anyone can hear you.」(Kate)

「ーAa… You’re right.」(Sarasa)

Thanks to Kate-san pointing that out, I realize that we are standing by the entrance right now.

I immediately covered my mouth with my hands and then I stuck my head forward and looked around to make sure no one was around.

I saw no one, but then I remembered that Prince Ferik’s special army could hide their presence.

I think I should just pray they are not here…

「Let’s get inside, shall we?」(Sarasa)

Everyone replied to me with a nod and then we got inside the house.

 

◇    ◇    ◇

 

Because it was around noon, we decided to close the shop temporarily for a lunch break and have lunch together at the dining table in the kitchen.

Only Lorea-chan and I had surrounded this lonely dining table for quite a while, but now that Iris-san and Kate-san have returned, everything turns back to normal.

Lorea-chan’s smile looked brighter than when Iris-san and Kate-san were still absent.

「Aahh~ Eating Lorea’s delicious dishes really makes me feel that I’ve returned to this lovely house!」(Iris)

「Fufu. You’re right. I even start to feel like the Lotze Family’s mansion is our second house, and this house is the first one.」(Kate)

「I’d be happy if you think that this house is your home. The time I spent living in this house is not that different from you after all.」(Sarasa)

When my parents were alive, we usually moved from town to town since my parents were peddlers, so we rarely spent our time together in our house back then.

After they died, I was raised in an orphanage, and when I was a student at the Royal Alchemist Training School, I lived in the school dormitory.

Therefore, I didn’t have a permanent house before I became an alchemist.

Now, I have a house. A place I can call a home with lovely people I can call family.

 

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One Comment

  1. Thank you for the chapter!
    Somehow subtle yuri power can be felt. Is it because interactions like this are common between couples in other stories..?

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