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Chapter 52
“Penelope, I’ll do that.” Said Udorean, who was turning the hand mill that Uven had found yesterday.
“Just leave it there. I’m almost done with this.” Udorean, who had been grinding wheat without a break, now offered to start the fire as well.
It was the second day Udorean had been so actively helping in the kitchen.
He had rarely come to the kitchen since the newcomers arrived, but he started helping with various tasks two days ago. Even when he was doing other work, he would appear from somewhere when it was time to prepare a meal.
Perhaps because Udorean was in the kitchen, Uven also worked more actively.
This was a very good thing for me.
Because those two were actively involved, there were only four of us in the kitchen: Udorean, Uven, Lilia, and me.
Occasionally, Lumi or Heresdon would come to help, too.
In any case, the newcomers no longer lingered, offering to help with kitchen work.
Thanks to that, my heightened nerves eased a little.
I didn’t know the reason why Udorean was stuck in the kitchen, but thanks to him, I was also able to escape the hours I had to stand still in front of the fire.
“Then I’ll…” Having been relieved of the duty of starting the fire by Udorean, I quickly looked around the kitchen.
Everyone seemed quite excited at the thought of finally eating bread after constantly having only soup and potatoes.
Lilia and Uven, in particular, seemed more thrilled than usual.
Since Uven knew the recipe, he insisted on doing everything from start to finish, so there wasn’t much for me to do.
“You haven’t tried whole wheat bread?”
“No. What about you, Lumi? Have you had it?” Lilia, who was glued to Uven, watching him make dough by mixing whole wheat, water, and salt, asked Lumi, who was standing nearby, with curiosity.
“I’ve had it a few times.”
“…A few times?” Uven tilted his head and looked up at Lumi.
“I’ve eaten a lot of bread, though?”
When Lumi silently nodded, Uven looked at him, surprised.
“You must have lived well?”
“Well, I suppose so.” Uven shifted his gaze from Lumi and kneaded the dough.
“Now, you have to keep doing this.”
“For how long?” Lilia was very eager, determined to learn it well and try it herself next time.
“Until it stops sticking to the bowl.” Uven said, continuing to pound the dough.
However, his hands gradually slowed down as if he was running out of energy.
“Uven, should I take over?” In the end, Uven handed the dough over to Lilia and moved quickly again.
Because with the increased number of people, this amount of bread wasn’t enough.
“Whole wheat bread… Does it taste different from that bread?”
“I don’t know. I think it was a little rough, but I don’t recall if the taste was different.” Lumi shook his head lightly.
“I’m not very sensitive to taste.”
“I hope it’s delicious.” Lilia murmured.
Even considering the circumstances, they had only been eating the same few dishes in rotation, so she seemed to be looking forward to bread after a long time.
The vitality brought by the hand mill and the gentle sound of laughter in the kitchen.
I helped Lilia, suppressing the anxiety that was rising in a corner of my mind.
Despite roughly drying it, water droplets slowly fell from my wet hair, dampening the shoulder of my clothes.
I pressed the ends of my hair again with the towel I was holding to remove the moisture.
I considered cutting this hair, as drying it was always a chore, but what if my veins swelled up again without warning…?
Thud! The moment I was passing through the first-floor corridor to go up the stairs, something shoved me.
“Ah…”
“Ouch, Uven.” It was Uven, who had collided with me and fallen down weakly. Of course, I fell too.
I got up first and offered my hand, but the child just bit his lip and didn’t take it.
“Of course, I didn’t see you, but you should have been careful too, you know.” I withdrew the hand I had extended, saying this to Uven, who was staring at me rebelliously.
It was a remark that was a form of self-defense.
Before Uven could get angry at me again.
But contrary to what I expected, Uven didn’t say anything, just abruptly got up and walked away with heavy steps.
He definitely looked like he wanted to say something to me…
I pressed my stinging palms—which had broken my fall—and picked up the towel from the floor.
It was when I passed through the corridor, where voices were faintly leaking out, and entered my room.
Slam. My head snapped around at the sound of the door opening without a knock, let alone permission.
Before my eyebrows could fully contort in frustration, Uven came into my view.
He looked hesitant even after opening my door.
“…What is it?”
“……” Uven pressed his lips together, and his brow furrowed.
The child’s small hand gripping the doorknob twitched, and then the child entered the room and closed the door.
“Why are you acting like that?”
“What do you mean?” After a silence, the only thing Uven said was a strange question I still couldn’t understand.
“Why do you dislike the newcomers so much?”
“…Me?” I wondered if my dislike for them was that obvious, but I quickly shook my head.
“That’s a lie. You’re wary of them.” I had denied it because it wouldn’t be good for Uven to know my intentions, but the child was already certain.
The child frowned intensely, his small shoulders rising and falling.
“That’s why you don’t let those people anywhere near the food, isn’t it? Even though you didn’t used to do the cooking yourself.” His tone was sharp, but his eyes darted around, looking confused.
“Ah…” More than the fact that Uven had caught onto my intentions, the uneasy flicker in his eyes struck me more deeply.
“Why are you doing that?” His small hands were trembling slightly.
“Uven, did something happen? Huh? Did those people…”
“Who said anything happened to me?” Uven cut off his sentence rather quickly and turned his head.
Only after his shoulder rose significantly, as if to sigh, did he lift his head again.
“It’s obvious.” He was no longer looking at me.
“Those people will know, too. That the Lady dislikes them, that you’re being careful around them as if they are germs.” His hesitant voice eventually filled with irritation.
“You really don’t know? That they are uncomfortable because of the Lady. You know, but you still do it, don’t you?” His face was etched with dissatisfaction.
“That…” My voice didn’t rise, but my words of rebuttal naturally subsided under his resentful, sharp gaze.
“You said you were sorry to me, didn’t you? Then you should change! But why!” A suppressed breath, unstable with a mix of resentment and confusion.
The child’s emotions were intense, suggesting he had been hurt again by my actions.
“Because of the Lady, I end up…” Trailing off, Uven furrowed his brow, seemingly uncomfortable with the situation himself.
“Because of the Lady, I’m getting uneasy too.”
“…Uven.” I called the child’s name quietly, not knowing what to say myself. But Uven didn’t answer, sighing softly as he turned his back.
The child left as abruptly as he had entered.
Clack. Even after the door closed, the child’s words lingered in my ears.
The child had been angry at me, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that something must have happened between the newcomers and Uven.
