“I’m not sure if I approve of you walking alone at night, Fraulein. Especially the night after an attack,” I said.
Putting my own grumbling aside for later, I had an obligation to scold this young lady for sneaking out of bed.
Miss Firene was wearing a big coat over her warm-looking nightwear. She looked pretty surprised I’d clocked her before she could even call out to me; her hands were waving about in thin air. With her in front of me, it was pretty clear why she was here. She was using her two main arms to try and hide her fluster, but her second set were clutching at a wicker basket in a desperate urge to not let it fall.
“I noticed that you hadn’t eaten much dinner,” Miss Firene murmured.
“I am truly grateful for your kindness. But it’s dangerous to walk unattended on a night like this. The Night Goddess’s hands are still so cold.”
By the Night Goddess’s hands, I meant the wind—a well-trodden euphemism hereabouts. Even though it was late spring, it was still cold for a well-to-do young woman. That went double given that she sneaked out without alerting anyone, wearing only a coat over her night clothes.
“I-I’m fine. This coat has been stuffed with fine cotton, so it’s very warm!”
However, I realized that I had misjudged her. Someone in her family had given her this coat and had prepared this little dinner for me. What are you thinking, Mister Giesebrecht?! Wait, calm down, Erich... Maybe all she wants to do is give you this food.
If she had come to deliver me dinner on a night as cold as this, I couldn’t turn her down. In usual times, I would take the basket, send her home, and share the food with a nearby Fellow on patrol...but my partner’s words echoed around my head. No way. No chance. But I should check...
“Thank you for the food,” I said.
“Um... Do you...want to eat together?”
I’d held out my hand, thinking I’d take it and would just need to send her back, but what I received was a wishful gaze.
No way... No damn way...
After a few brief seconds of confusion, I asked her to wait in a house that had been left empty after the family that owned it had left to seek refuge. It was almost time for a shift change, so I would be able to join her. I swapped with some sleepy but well-equipped members of the Watch, suppressed my presence, then went to Miss Firene. When I arrived, she had just finished setting up the food on the table.
“I’m sorry, I could only prepare something simple,” she said.
“It looks like quite the feast,” I said.
I wasn’t even being polite. The amount of food made her modesty seem almost offensive. Much of the spread had been chosen for its ability to remain delicious eaten cold: trout meunière, white asparagus, and sauerkraut. She had prepared white bread—out of reach for any commoner—and the fruits for dessert were evidently given out of a rich person’s kindness. Of course, there was wurst and cheese—essentials at mealtime—which looked like good stuff and smelled like they’d pair well with some alcohol.
I felt a bit guilty to have this delicious spread all to myself, but I’d throw a big blowout party as compensation to the public. They’d find it in their hearts to forgive me.
“Thank you,” I said.
It had been so long since the last time someone had watched me while I ate that it felt a little bit uncomfortable. In the light of a small candle—although this, too, was a high-end piece—the young noblewoman stared at me from the other side of the table while I ate. She’d said she wanted to eat together, but she hadn’t taken a single bite.
This was different from watching my mother smile as I gobbled down all of my favorites back home in lovely Konigstuhl. The expression on Miss Firene’s face had an undercurrent of worry that I might suddenly up and vanish at any instant.
I vacuumed up the meal like a good soldier, not really sparing a thought for how impolite I must have seemed. I probably came off like I was in a hurry compared to the leisurely way that well-to-do young women were taught to eat. All the same, I made sure to observe some decent table manners. I didn’t let the food dirty the corners of my mouth and my cutlery made no sound, so I hoped that she didn’t find me too much of a sorry sight.
“Thank you for the wonderful spread.”
Once I’d eaten the apricot—designed as an after-meal palate cleanser—I noticed Miss Firene was shaking. I almost felt the blood leave my face as I realized I’d totally missed this. Crap, I’d been so on edge that I hadn’t even noticed her!
I slowly stood up, took off my coat, and, as Miss Firene looked up at me in confusion, placed it over her shoulders. It was my specially made coat with insulating enchantments—she’d be plenty comfy in it. But when I tried to help her put on the coat properly, I noticed that her porcelain-white hand was as cold as it looked. I knew from my partner that insect demihumans ran colder than mensch, but I couldn’t chalk this up just to the chill of the night. She was scared—haunted by a fear she couldn’t shake off.
I knew what one ought to do for a woman in a situation like this.
I held her hand in both of mine and massaged it slowly to share my heat with her. It would be weird if I was just standing up, so I joined her on the long seat. Miss Firene drew my hand to her chest and leaned her head upon my shoulder. There was a faint smell of perfume, like fresh fruit but without the overbearing scent of citrus. As she pulled in closer, I realized that this refined fragrance was frankincense.
There were a few reasons a woman would add this fragrance, unobtainable to a common person, to her clothes. However, I only knew of one reason she would use some while in her nightwear. It was designed to mask body odor, create a suitable atmosphere, and show her partner that she was willing to head to bed together.
Oh man... Margit was damn right...
I felt a cold sweat over my palm and felt my fingers tighten around her gradually warming hand.