While taking a break from looking after the girl, I walked into an alley, and in a corner, I found a dirty kitten. He reminded me of myself. Coming to a country as wealthy as this one had made me reflect on my past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My first memory was of sleeping curled up in a mountain of trash. I didn\u2019t know my parents. I had nothing to my name. The other poor children and I needed to steal just to live another day. My sleep was always restless, because I often would have to wake and run away at a moment\u2019s notice. I was a bony, dirty kid who had never enjoyed a warm meal or a warm bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The kitten was pawing through the trash littering that alley, and I just couldn\u2019t ignore him. I walked closer to him, keeping the sandwich I\u2019d bought for lunch in my hand. When he noticed me, his hair stood up. Such fearful body language reminded me of my past even more. I took a piece of ham from the sandwich and tossed it toward the kitten. He looked at me warily, but slowly approached the ham. He took a bite, realized that it was food, and quickly ate all of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I kept throwing him pieces of ham to eat. Before I knew it, I\u2019d given the kitten almost all of the meat in the sandwich, but I felt good about it. The kitten walked away\u2014maybe he was satisfied. I looked at him and decided that I\u2019d have to stop by this alley again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe dessert was delicious!\u201d one of the girls said with a smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThank you,\u201d I replied. \u201cTomorrow we plan on serving a different one, so if you\u2019d like, please come check it out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The girls started chatting among themselves, saying things like, \u201cReally?!\u201d and \u201cWe must come again!\u201d and \u201cI hope my allowance will be enough.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Harbor Restaurant was full of customers for lunch. Regina had told me that normally, even fewer people came to eat lunch than came for dinner, but today was a different story. We served one of Maria\u2019s desserts and even offered free samples to passersby outside the restaurant, and some girls who loved checking out all things new and trendy walked in. Those girls must have had one impressive information network, because very soon more and more young women started streaming in, saying that they had heard about the place from their friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The old couple that Regina employed usually didn\u2019t come for lunch, since there were so few customers, and Sora was busy loading cargo into ships at the harbor. When the restaurant was close to being full, Regina had to leave the counter to help me wait tables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019ve never seen these kinds of customers come here to eat…\u201d she remarked, impressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Harbor Restaurant usually had grumpy old men as its main clientele, but now it looked like a fashionable caf\u00e9 for students. And since all the girls mostly just ordered desserts, it pretty much was one. Regina usually only opened the restaurant briefly for lunch, since there was no one eating anyway, but this time we kept it open all the way into the early afternoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThank you!\u201d I called to the departing girl, our last customer before we finally closed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I went outside to put up the \u201cclosed\u201d sign as instructed by Regina. The Harbor Restaurant was on a busy thoroughfare, so one would expect it to always have tons of customers. It probably kept steadily losing them after people realized that they just served food from other restaurants. The fact that the town\u2019s girls talking about our desserts was enough to fill the Harbor Restaurant so much was proof of this. At this pace, it was on its way to become a popular restaurant. I proudly put up the sign and went back inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When I returned, I found that Maria, the one who worked the hardest that day, had left the kitchen to join Regina in the dining room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve done great, Maria! Thanks to the sweets you cooked, the restaurant was full of customers today,\u201d I congratulated her, but she started shaking her head, looking concerned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThank you,\u201d she began, \u201cbut it was all thanks to you that we had so many customers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHuh? Me? Why?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBecause you promoted what I cooked to the people outside!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI did do that for a little bit at the start, but people only came in because the sweets were delicious!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was true that I went outside the restaurant to let people try them. If I didn\u2019t, how could anyone know that they taste good? We were on a wide street with lots of people passing by, so I figured I\u2019d stand next to the entrance with samples in hand, praising Maria\u2019s creations. The first girls who came into the restaurant did so only because they\u2019d liked those samples, so I couldn\u2019t take any credit for that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut giving out samples was a wonderful idea. Had it not been for that, those girls would never have walked in at all. I truly believe that the credit goes to you,\u201d Maria insisted, inflexible on this point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maybe for this world giving out free food samples was a wonderful innovation, but I just did what I was used to seeing in my previous life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou two,\u201d Regina chimed in, \u201cthis discussion is going nowhere, and you should take a break after working for so long. We\u2019ll have to start preparing to open for dinner later on, so rest while you can.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She then chased us out of the dining room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhere should we even rest? In our rooms?\u201d I asked Maria as we looked at each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There wasn\u2019t much to do in those empty little rooms other than nap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI still have not seen much of the town, so I would like to take a walk. Would you join me, Lady Katarina?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOf course!\u201d I instantly replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We let Regina know that we\u2019d be outside, and she told us, \u201cThis part of town is safe, in general, but be back before sunset. And don\u2019t go near back alleys and other desolate places.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Being born and raised in the capital, which didn\u2019t really have any dangerous areas, I was surprised by her warning, but she explained that, for other towns, having a few shadier areas was perfectly normal. Even so, people from other countries were apparently still impressed by how safe Sorci\u00e9 was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUnderstood.\u201d We nodded with serious looks on our faces, and started our walk through town, making sure not to wander into anywhere risky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maria had mentioned that she hadn\u2019t seen the town, but I hadn\u2019t seen that much of it either\u2014I\u2019d just been out on an errand to get food for the Harbor Restaurant. I was very excited to explore further. Maybe because of it being a harbor town, there were a lot of people who didn\u2019t look native to our country, and there were a lot of things for sale which you wouldn\u2019t find back in the capital. Fruit I\u2019d never seen before, plenty of fish, little stalls selling food… Everything looked new and interesting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDoesn\u2019t this look tasty? Oh, I want to try that too! But I can\u2019t pass up the other one either!\u201d I commented enthusiastically, unable to decide what I wanted to eat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe will be here for a while, so you could well eat all of them one at a time,\u201d Maria responded, giggling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Indeed, we wouldn\u2019t be going back to the capital straight away, so there was no reason to hurry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou\u2019re right. Then, I\u2019ll start with\u2014\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since I still couldn\u2019t decide, I ended up buying a bunch of stuff which I would then split with Maria. We sat on a bench nearby and ate the things I\u2019d bought from the stalls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHere\u2019s your half, Maria.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLooks delicious!\u201d I exclaimed moments before stuffing a pancake into my mouth. The fluffy, airy cake was full of juicy fruit, giving the perfect combination of sweetness and acidity. \u201cIt is<\/em> delicious!\u201d I announced ecstatically, putting a hand to my cheek.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIndeed! I especially love the fruit.\u201d Maria smiled in agreement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ve never seen this fruit before though.\u201d I was curious about the colorful tropical-looking fruit that I\u2019d never eaten back home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMe too. Maybe it is a specialty from this town.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If Maria said so, it was probably true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI wish I could use it for desserts at the restaurant…\u201d she mused while staring intently at the fruit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat sounds good! I saw a greengrocer earlier, so let\u2019s go there and buy some more before we go back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n After we ate, it was time for window shopping. The clothes on display here were more colorful and flashy than those that we were used to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis is so cute. It\u2019d look great on you. Try putting it on, Maria!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTh-Thank you. Oh, look here, Lady Katarina! This one is wonderful too! Would you not try it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n We also visited a souvenir shop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLook, Maria, there\u2019s a little statue in the shape of a weird animal. I wonder if it\u2019s one of those they keep in the Ministry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat does not seem to be the case\u2014there is an explanation written under here. It appears that this is the deity which is said to guard these lands.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA deity, I see… Look! It\u2019s star-shaped sand!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt is so pretty!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, that\u2019s right! Let\u2019s go to the beach!\u201d The sand had reminded me that Maria hadn\u2019t seen the sea yet and the day before, she\u2019d said that she wanted to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI would love to do so!\u201d she cried, looking enthusiastic about the idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLet\u2019s go then!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I asked the shopkeeper for directions, then took Maria by the hand and made for the beach. Just as I\u2019d been told, going along the main street led us to the harbor, which was full of all kinds of people. The sea in front of us was clear and beautiful. Maria\u2019s expression upon seeing it for the first time was just as stunned as mine was a day earlier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGorgeous, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes…\u201d Maria showed her agreement by nodding vigorously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEven if it\u2019s still Sorci\u00e9, this place is so different from the capital. Other countries are probably even more different…\u201d I reflected while looking at the sea and the ships floating on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSurely so. The world out there must be so big.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I wondered if Cezar had safely reached his country. Cezar was a foreign prince I\u2019d met through some unique circumstances at the recent International Assembly. I was reminiscing about that when Maria, all of a sudden, pulled on my arm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHm?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI just felt like you were going to go someplace far away… Do you want to go abroad, Lady Katarina?\u201d she asked me, probably because I had been staring at the sea for so long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before entering the Academy, I was considering the possibility of living outside of Sorci\u00e9, in case I was exiled, but not anymore. Besides, this time the game didn\u2019t even have an exile end for me. A jail end\u2014that it did have. My only concern right now was finding a way to escape from my cell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I also wanted to see other countries, yes, but, \u201cIf I ever go abroad, I\u2019d rather go with my friends. Going by myself doesn\u2019t sound like fun. Maria,\u201d I added, stretching my hand toward her, \u201cdo you want to come with me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes! I will follow you anywhere,\u201d she answered, blushing. If I were one of the game\u2019s love interests, getting a reply as beautiful as that would be enough to make me fall in love with Maria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I looked at the sky and noticed that the sun had slowly started going down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLet\u2019s get going. Hehe, this was so fun. It was my first time shopping and eating out with a friend like this,\u201d I remarked. As a noble lady, browsing food stalls with friends was usually out of the question. \u201cThank you for coming with me, Maria… Maria? What\u2019s wrong?\u201d Tears were welling up in her eyes. \u201cA-Are you okay? Does it hurt somewhere? Do you want to sit down?\u201d I fired off one question after another, unsure what to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cN-No, this is just… I am only…moved, you see… I am fine,\u201d she said, trying to convince me that there was nothing wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou moved? To where?\u201d I wondered. I was so nervous that I couldn\u2019t even hear her properly. What?<\/p>\n\n\n\n She looked at me, who was still visibly confused, and showed me an embarrassed smile. \u201cI just mean that I love you so dearly, Lady Katarina.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She had kind of lost me there, but having a beautiful girl tell me that she loved me while blushing felt really good regardless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTh-thank you,\u201d I replied, and I couldn\u2019t help but blush too. I still didn\u2019t understand why she was crying, but now she looked okay and was actually smiling. I reminded her that she shouldn\u2019t call me \u201cLady\u201d here and she blushed again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On our way back, we stopped to buy some fruit to use to make desserts. At the restaurant, Regina and her usual lukewarm attitude greeted us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When we told her that we went to the harbor, she asked us if we saw Sora. Now that I thought of it, Sora was supposed to be working there. I\u2019d completely forgotten about it and hadn\u2019t seen him, but Maria said that, right before going to the sea, she\u2019d spotted him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDidn\u2019t you say hello to him?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI did not manage to do so,\u201d she said, and then we went to our rooms to start preparing to open for dinner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s when I remembered that when we were going to the sea, I was dragging Maria by her hand and walking pretty fast. That was probably why she didn\u2019t manage to greet Sora despite seeing him. Did I interfere with their romance again?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ugh. I\u2019d just made up my mind to be more independent and try not to interfere with those two and then, on the same day, I ended up keeping Maria to myself so much that she couldn\u2019t even talk with Sora… That\u2019s the very definition of interfering. I felt terrible about having made another mistake. I\u2019ll have to be more careful from now on! I\u2019ll make sure I don\u2019t get between Maria and Sora anymore!<\/p>\n\n\n\n After reflecting on my wrongdoing, I left my room ready to prepare for dinnertime. Sora was back from his work at the harbor and he told us about what he\u2019d learned there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe cargo is inspected carefully, but it\u2019s still impossible to police every last nook of every single ship. I heard that that\u2019s how contraband can sometimes slip through.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n So it was possible that the harbor was being used for human trafficking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut could that really be happening in a town like this one?\u201d I pondered. Today, during my walk with Maria, I was impressed by how lively the area looked. It was nothing like the place where Keith had been kidnapped. There, everything was in decay and there were people laying down in the streets. But here? It doesn\u2019t seem like a place to commit crimes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur town is lively, I\u2019ll give you that,\u201d Regina answered, \u201cbut we\u2019re close to a harbor where a lot of foreigners come to trade. It\u2019s those people who tend to get involved in shady stuff. But the people who come to the area near this restaurant are mostly locals. That\u2019s why it\u2019s so safe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n So that was why I saw so many people that looked like foreigners near the harbor. I also remembered when, at the Assembly, those entitled foreign nobles who didn\u2019t know about Sorci\u00e9\u2019s rules tried to take Maria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSorci\u00e9 may be safe, but not all countries are the same as this one.\u201d I\u2019d heard that from Cezar, Sora, and many others. The world across the sea suddenly didn\u2019t sound as fascinating anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After reporting on what he\u2019d heard, Sora was ready to go to his room and prepare for opening the restaurant. Before that, though, he asked us if we\u2019d been near the harbor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes,\u201d Maria responded honestly, \u201cLady Katarina and I took a walk through the town during our break.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, that sounds fun. Anyway, this area is relatively safe, but don\u2019t go to any weird places,\u201d Sora warned us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPhew… Sora wasn\u2019t mad…\u201d I mumbled to myself as he left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat?\u201d Maria asked, surprised. She obviously didn\u2019t understand what I meant. As an otome game protagonist, Maria could be kind of dull when it came to understanding men\u2019s feelings. She hadn\u2019t noticed that Sora liked her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI just thought that, you know, he\u2019d get mad at us for not inviting him.\u201d Actually, what I really thought was that he\u2019d get mad at me for keeping Maria all to myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI see. Maybe he wanted to come along too. We shall invite him next time, and go again! All three of us!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTh-Three?!\u201d Why don\u2019t the two of you go?! You wouldn\u2019t be able to enjoy each other if I were there!<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes! It sounds lovely,\u201d Maria replied with the cutest smile ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt does, yeah…\u201d I nodded along.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This was one protagonist to be reckoned with. If I wasn\u2019t careful, I was going to be the one falling in love with her. She was too cute. In my heart, though, I knew that I had to refuse that prospect. If I didn\u2019t, I\u2019d end up interfering and become a villainess and… I kept struggling with my thoughts while preparing the restaurant, until it finally opened for the evening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just as Regina had expected, there were even more customers than on the previous day. She explained that there were so many people living there close to each other that rumors spread incredibly fast. And apparently, along with the rumors about Maria\u2019s cuisine, rumors about me had been spreading as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo you\u2019re a relative of Regina\u2019s? Do your best!\u201d some customers would tell me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the customers came with his daughter. They\u2019d wanted to come for lunch to try Maria\u2019s dessert but didn\u2019t make it in time, so we gave the daughter one to take home after she was done with dinner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that I\u2019d gotten more used to the job, I had enough mental resources left to interact with customers more. Most people were probably familiar with one another to begin with, being from the same town, and the atmosphere was friendly and relaxed throughout the restaurant. Some of the customers even remembered my name and promised that they\u2019d come again. Both Regina and the old waitress praised me for getting so used to the job in a single day. I was happy about receiving compliments again. Maybe I made for a better waitress than a noble lady, I thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThank you!\u201d I saw off the last group of customers. There were even more people than the day before, and at times, the restaurant was almost completely full.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAt this rate, we might even turn a profit…\u201d Regina mumbled to herself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After we were done cleaning and the old couple had gone home, Regina started reporting on what she\u2019d managed to hear that day. \u201cWith all these customers coming in, I was able to hear a lot of interesting things! It\u2019s all because of you guys! Thank you! Of course,\u201d she continued, \u201cI didn\u2019t hear anyone talk specifically about the kidnapping or human trafficking. However, I heard that some foreigners at the harbor were doing something suspicious. That isn\u2019t a rare occurrence, though, so I\u2019ll have to look into it a bit more.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She explained that foreigners behaving in a shady way around the harbor was common and that people would usually just report it to the harbor guards and call it a day. Most of the people caught were smugglers of illegal items.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd this time we aren\u2019t even talking about illegal things, but people. We can\u2019t let that go unpunished. I\u2019ll check on the source of that rumor and tell you what I find,\u201d Regina concluded, and then we went back to our rooms to rest before the next day of work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While we were walking back, Maria approached Sora. \u201cNext time, we should all go around town together, the three of us,\u201d she invited him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou\u2019re right,\u201d he answered, sounding happy at the prospect, though I suspected that he actually wanted to go out with Maria alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I looked at him as if to say Don\u2019t worry, I\u2019ll leave you two alone when the time comes,<\/em> but my message probably didn\u2019t get through, because he just looked at me weirdly and that was it. I really wanted to support the romance between Maria and Sora, but things just wouldn\u2019t go my way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I reached my room, and being just as tired as the previous day, I went straight to bed once again. I was starting to get used to this job, and the restaurant was getting a lot more customers. Now all we needed was a useful lead. If the baron\u2019s kidnapped daughter was here, we had to save her as soon as possible. On top of that, I also had to worry about Maria and Sora and how not to interfere with their relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I have a lot to do, a lot to think about. But I\u2019m so tired I can\u2019t even think straight… I\u2019ll worry about stuff tomorrow.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I sank my face into the pillow, which was harder than I was used to, and before I knew it I was already snoring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n\n\n\n I, Maria Campbell, was once again assigned to a mission together with Lady Katarina Claes. She had saved me, both during our time at the Academy and also at the Ministry, on countless occasions. She was always saving me. I didn\u2019t want to be a weight. I wanted to be the one saving her…<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was our second day since arriving at Ocean Harbor. Our lunch shift was over, and I left the kitchen for the dining area. Katarina was not there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGood job. The people loved your desserts,\u201d Regina, coming out from behind the counter, told me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThank you,\u201d I answered, just before seeing Lady Katarina walk in through the restaurant\u2019s entrance. She had been changing the sign to the \u201cclosed\u201d one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lady Katarina also praised my cooking, going so far as to say that all those customers had come because of me. She smiled at me, but I shook my head. I believed that the credit belonged to her. I explained that, had it not been for her promoting my sweets outside the restaurant, nobody would have walked in. She humbly claimed that she had barely done anything, but I knew that that was not the case. After all, I had done nothing but cook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I knew from my childhood that, no matter how delicious a dessert was, it was pointless as long as nobody ate it. Before, nobody would eat what I, a lonely child with Light Magic powers, cooked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This had all changed because of Lady Katarina. I cooked, because that was what I was told to do, but I did not know how we could show potential customers our offerings. Lady Katarina, however, promptly asked Regina for permission and went out into the street, showing off the desserts to the people passing by, and even offering them free samples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cStarting today, the Harbor Restaurant has desserts too! Come try them!\u201d she would declare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After the first few people, interested by this peculiar sight, actually walked inside, one customer started following another. I explained my reasoning to Lady Katarina, but she did not seem to agree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Regina, however, interrupted us to say that it was time we rested, driving us away from the dining area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As we turned to look at each other, Lady Katarina asked me what I thought we should do in our free time, and I nervously told her that I wanted to see the town, adding that it would be a great pleasure if she agreed to come with me. I thought that inviting her like that was rather impertinent of me, but thankfully, she smiled at me and agreed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We told Regina about what we were planning to do, and she cautioned us about avoiding potentially dangerous places. Heeding her warning, we decided not to stray too far away from the restaurant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The town was thriving with activity as the salty breeze from the sea blew through it. Many of the people around us looked like foreigners, and I felt as if I was briefly transported to another country. What\u2019s more, there were lines of shops and stalls selling all kinds of goods which were not available in the capital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lady Katarina kept shifting her gaze enthusiastically from one place to the next, unable to decide what she should eat. She was endearing in her childishness, and I could not help but smile. I suggested that she simply try all the stalls that interested her, since we had enough time to do so, and she started thinking about where to start. Despite having stared at the various offerings with a serious face for quite a long time, she still seemed to be having trouble choosing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI would also like to try different treats, so why do we not buy several and split them between us?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cReally?! Thank you, Maria!\u201d she replied ecstatically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Soon after, we sat on a bench and started eating together. She split one of the sweets she had bought in half, handing me my share. I really respected her for how nonchalantly she could do something like that despite her noble upbringing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As soon as I\u2019d thanked her, she was already stabbing a pancake with a fork. Moments later she had already eaten it and was rejoicing at how good it tasted. She looked delighted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I ate it too, and found that the soft sponge was filled with plenty of delicious fruit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lady Katarina noticed that we had never seen fruit like that in the capital, and I thought that using a local specialty in the restaurant could make it even more popular. I mentioned the idea to her, and she quickly agreed with me, saying that we should buy some of that fruit before going back. I was more than happy to do so, mostly because I wanted to bake something that Lady Katarina would like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After eating, we went to see the shops near the harbor. I had never shopped with a friend and I was very excited to be able to do so for the first time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While we were looking at souvenirs, Lady Katarina suggested that we go to the sea. I had never actually seen the sea myself but really wanted to do so. I replied to that effect, and she grabbed my hand and started walking. The last time I had walked while someone held my hand was probably when I was but a toddler, and so it felt somewhat embarrassing, but in a pleasant way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On our way to the harbor, I noticed Sora working, but I thought that if I stopped to say hello to him, Lady Katarina would let go of my hand. I did not want that to end. I pretended not to see him, deciding that I would later say, as an excuse, that I did not find the appropriate time to approach him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once we reached the harbor, we were greeted by a seemingly infinite expanse of blue. The water, as clear as the sky above it, reached all the way to the horizon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is…the sea. I expected it to be large, but…how could it be this magnificent? I was so moved by the view that I remained silent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGorgeous, isn\u2019t it?\u201d Lady Katarina asked me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I could only agree and nod. It was, indeed, very beautiful. I knew that I would never forget the sight in front of me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEven if it\u2019s still Sorci\u00e9, this place is so different from the capital. Other countries are probably even more different…\u201d she mused, looking at the ships on the water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The world over the horizon… The countries over there were probably beyond what we could ever imagine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I looked at Lady Katarina, her gaze pointed toward far away lands that she could not see, and I felt scared. I felt that she was going to leave me and go where I could not reach her ever again. I grabbed her arm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She looked at me, surprised, and asked what I was doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI just felt like you were going to go someplace far away… Do you want to go abroad, Lady Katarina?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In my heart, the true question was slightly different. Do you want to go abroad and leave us all behind? But I resisted saying that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf I ever go abroad, I\u2019d rather go with my friends. Going by myself doesn\u2019t sound like fun,\u201d she answered, and my fear suddenly vanished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She then extended her hand toward me and asked whether I would accompany her. She would never leave me behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes! I will follow you anywhere.\u201d As long as she allowed me to, I would stay by her side. Always.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Back when I was shunned and lonely, I could never have imagined that one day, somebody would so naturally ask me to accompany them somewhere. The world was a warmer place than I had thought, and I could feel that warmth in my chest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLet\u2019s get going. Hehe, this was so fun. It was my first time shopping and eating out with a friend like this,\u201d Lady Katarina remarked, but the same was true for me as well. Honestly, I thought that such a day would never come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThank you for coming with me, Maria… Maria? What\u2019s wrong?\u201d she asked me. As her voice made me come back to my senses, I realized that my face was wet. I had started crying without even noticing it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Clearly concerned for me, she asked me if I was hurt. Imagining how worried she would be by seeing me start crying all of a sudden, I told her that I was just deeply moved. She did not understand me, but through no fault of her own\u2014my sudden outburst would have confused anyone. Fighting the embarrassment, I simply told her how I felt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI just mean that I love you so dearly, Lady Katarina.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTh-thank you,\u201d she answered with a smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Seeing that made me feel warm in my chest once more, and I had to exert all of my willpower not to start crying again. I did not want to bother her with my tears.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" While taking a break from looking after the girl, I walked into an alley, and in a corner, I found a dirty kitten. He reminded me of myself. Coming to a country as wealthy as this one had made me reflect on my past. My first memory was of sleeping curled up in a mountain […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3589","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-tak-berkategori"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3589","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3589"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3589\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3590,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3589\/revisions\/3590"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3589"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3589"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3589"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}