Age 14 Part 9
The freshly baked bread and pepper soup for dinner were well-received. There were no compliments from Mal or Fritz, but I could tell they liked the meal from how eagerly they ate. I've noticed before, but their table manners aren't that bad. Even though they munched on, they didn't talk with food in their mouths. It seemed even commoners are educated in that regard.
"I'm planning to go shopping tomorrow."
I announced tomorrow's plan to everyone.
"Shopping?"
Mal grumbled unhappily.
"Shopping for groceries. We need ingredients to make soup, right?"
"Since school is closed tomorrow, we're planning to go buy it ourselves. We have money from selling herbs at the adventurer's guild, so Anna doesn't need to go," Mal replied, with Fritz nodding in agreement. But I also wanted to go shopping.
"That's right. The three of us can go. Anna doesn't know about the market, right? Marl and Fritz, you can teach her."
"Eh?!"
"Mom's busy with sewing. Please, help Anna understand about this town. Especially, be thorough about places to avoid."
"...Got it."
Marl reluctantly agreed. I wonder what kind of places are off-limits. When you're told not to go, it makes you want to go there.
"Hey, you're probably thinking something strange right now. If you can't listen to us, we shouldn't take you along," Marl said. How does Marl know what I'm thinking?
"I'm older than Mal, you know. I can handle shopping by myself."
"Anna, that's not okay. While this area is relatively safe, it's not completely so. Especially for young girls, you need to be careful not to be deceived. Until you learn about it from Mal and Fritz, you're not allowed to go out."
There's something undeniable in my mother's serious eyes. Marl seems weak against those eyes.
"Yes. I understand."
And so, tomorrow's outing with Mal and Fritz was decided.
I was able to help with the cleanup after dinner today. Although dishes could be washed with magic, I washed them while being taught by my mother. Doing things together with my mother somehow felt enjoyable.
Clew sat on my shoulder, watching over me.
Returning to my room, there was an unopened box waiting.
"Aren't you going to tidy up?"
"Well, these are all clothes I'll never wear anyway, right? And there's no place to place them."
The chest in my room contains clothes Annette wore. What I need now are clothes for commoners, not the ones I wore as nobility. Wouldn't it be fine if they just slept in this box? But it certainly feels cluttered in this room.
"I guess so. I'll take care of it. This box makes the small room feel even smaller," Clewy said as he put the box away. His spatial magic is really convenient. It's a pity I don't have the talent for spatial magic.
"I was planning to buy a lot of flour and stuff tomorrow, but it's impossible to leave it to Clew when Marl and Fritz are around."
"In that case, why don't you use spatial magic?"
"But if that's the case, it'll be troublesome if I'm asked to use spatial magic when Clew's not around. You can't always be by my side, you know?"
Clewy occasionally goes somewhere. I think he has fairy business to attend to.
"That would be troublesome."
"Yeah."
It's a very convenient magic, but not something you can use recklessly. Especially since nobody else can see Clew, you have to be careful.
There are times when I want to ask Clew but can't. If I were to ask and Clew were to disappear, I couldn't bear it.
It's about the blue-headed fairy who is Clew's companion. Is he with Annette? Does Annette, like me, see fairies?
There are many things I want to ask. But I can't ask.
And even if I were to get an answer, nothing would change. Even if Annette was with fairies just like me, nothing would change. Even if the reunion between parent and child on the day of the exam results was not a coincidence but planned, there's nothing I can do about it.
"Are you going to sleep?"
"Yeah, after I use cleaning magic. But still, when are you going to take a bath?"
Mom and Annie spend most of their time indoors, so it's not that bad in their case, but Mal and Fritz are a little dirty. They seem to wipe themselves with wet towels, though... Maybe I should use magic on them while they're sleeping. But causing a commotion in the morning would be troublesome.
"Why not tell them you can use domestic magic? There's no need to hide it."
"Hmm, that's true. But compared to Annette, my magic is pretty weak, so it's hard to say."
"Even though it's just domestic magic, I think it's amazing for commoners."
"Hmm, it's about time to stop being silent about it. I'll talk about it tomorrow."
When I lie down in bed, Clew curls up at my feet.
In my dreams, my previous family appears. A kind smile from my family. Even now that I know it was all a sham, my family in my dreams is kind.
And always, there's Ed at the end. There's Ed with the grumpy face I first met, and there's Ed who eats my cooking and says it's delicious.
Both Eds are nostalgic. I want to see him. But I can't see him anymore.
When I wake up in the morning, there are always traces of tears. Will I ever stop having these dreams?
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