“So that’s why you came home late today, father,” said Elysia.
“Yeah, and man, I’m starved.” Zen was waiting at the dining table for Elysia to reheat his lunch. He naturally hadn’t brought anything to eat to the town hall, since he’d fully intended to come home before noon, after all. He’d endured the rest of his work with a growling stomach, casting sidelong glances at Max spreading out the lunch his wife had lovingly made and Anna returning home to eat.
It really had taken a whole two hours to clean up ten days’ worth of quotas. There were five days before Zen’s departure, so he had thought of dividing the work and doing it little by little, but he’d figured there was no time like the present. It was important to strike when the iron was hot and give it your all.
“Hee hee. Oh, but father, you love saying that you won’t work hard anymore. I see that you truly are diligent to your core.” Elysia giggled, standing in front of the stove. Her ponytail swayed happily as she stirred the pot. It’d already been four months since they’d come to Todd Village, and it was totally natural to see her standing in the kitchen now.
“No, really,” Zen insisted. “I have zero motivation to be so serious about my work now. I just don’t want to burden anyone.”
“That sounds like you’re serious to me, though? Back in the imperial capital, were you not always striving to work more than everyone else, worrying about dragging other people down and making extra effort to support your coworkers who were in poor health?”
“Ugh... I might have been.”
She giggled. “Hee hee, I thought so. I can picture it.”
“This is probably why I get teased for being a workaholic.” Zen looked up at the ceiling.
“As opposed to someone who’s not serious and burdens everyone around them, I think it’s quite wonderful.” She ladled the stew from the pot into a deep bowl and placed it in front of Zen. With that action alone, the sweet fragrance of fatty duck wafted through the air.
Zen decided to pull himself together and dig in.
This duck was something that the best hunter in the village, Gota, had delivered. For some reason, ever since he and Zen had fought together while they were eradicating the twintail fox, he’d occasionally share a portion of the game he caught while hunting. Zen had asked why many times, but Gota, ever the taciturn man, never answered. Even if Zen tried to decline, Gota would ignore him and leave behind a portion of his spoils, not even accepting anything in return.
Elysia had been nothing but delighted, exclaiming, “I’m sure it’s because he likes you, father” and “He’s like a good fairy,” but Zen couldn’t help feeling like he just had to pay Gota back somehow.
“Everyone we’ve met since coming to Todd Village has been so nice... It truly is a great place to live.” He was sad that he couldn’t see his family, friends, or acquaintances, but otherwise, he didn’t miss or lament his flashy imperial capital life at all.
“Yes, I feel that way too.” Elysia nodded with a smile, having sat down across the table from him. She’d already had lunch, but Zen was glad that she was keeping him company. No matter how delicious the stew, eating it alone would dull the taste.
Above all else, though, I’m happy she seems to be in a good mood. It’d be awkward if things were still the way they were this morning. I wonder if this invitation to Alona worked on her—it’s an amazing kind of thing to bring home, after all. As he thought to himself, he scooped up the stew with his spoon.
“Ms. Mina is also a very nice person. She came personally to invite us, after all,” he said without thinking.
“Mm-hmm.” For a second, Elysia’s face stiffened...or at least it looked like it had.
“Is there something about Ms. Mina that’s bothering you?”
“No, nothing at all. She was thoughtful enough to make it so Keel and I could go on the trip with you. She’s a very good person.”
“Yeah.” Had it been his imagination? It must’ve been. Yeah, he’d go with that.
Reassessing his observation, he then relished the deliciousness of the duck as much as he could. Duck meat was prone to becoming tough, but Elysia’s cooking had improved remarkably. Since it had been stewed until soft, its chewiness was just right.
While Elysia sat across from Zen, watching him eat her home cooking like he was really enjoying it, she thought to herself, extremely calm. Sir Zen said that woman Lady Mina is a good person, but I can clearly see that she has some ulterior motives this time.
After all, it didn’t make sense. If all Mina had to do was find a man who wouldn’t misunderstand her intentions, she could’ve simply selected someone from the prefectural government office who already had a wife and kids. As long as they weren’t an obsessively dirty-minded man, they’d probably understand that it was an official business matter and not giddily assume Mina was trying to participate in adultery. Not to mention, they wouldn’t act so insolently to the prefectural governor’s niece. It was much stranger to come all the way to Todd Village to ask Zen in person.
To Elysia, the things Mina did made it look like she had feelings for Zen and actually wanted him to “get the wrong idea.”
But it seems that, unfortunately, Sir Zen firmly believes the reasoning Mina gave him. He hasn’t thought that deep into it. He was an extremely intelligent person, but it appeared he hadn’t caught on to her ulterior motives.
Sir Zen tends to be a bit slow when it comes to people showing him affection. Elysia judged that it likely had to do with Zen’s peculiar upbringing.
First of all, he had been raised surrounded by siblings who were just too brilliant, and in addition, he’d been thrown into extremely harsh circumstances at the mere age of fourteen by challenging the Advanced Civil Service Exam at the youngest age possible and competing against every great mind from across the nation (with most being much older than him). Elysia thought that was probably the main reason Zen had such low self-esteem. Writing it off as part of his humble personality wasn’t enough to explain it.
And then, for the same reason, he had a tendency to not fully grasp when other people were praising him. In other words, he had turned into a thickheaded person who didn’t comprehend affection when presented with it.
Well, it helps me out this time that he’s thickheaded. Elysia would hardly complain about having no rivals in love. Mina might make some moves on Zen during the trip, but all Elysia had to do was obstruct her attempts.
Zen probably had no idea what Elysia was thinking. “Anyhow, I’m glad that you’re happy about the Alona trip too, Elysia.”
“Yes. I’m really happy to also be invited.” Thanks to that, Mina and Zen wouldn’t get to be alone together.
Yes, I will absolutely not let that happen. Elysia steeled her resolve underneath her smile.