In the morning, Loir woke up naturally. It was quiet in the morning but a disturbing scent came into the room.
'Something is burning.'
Loir felt his morning crumbling down. He sat up and went to wash and dress up. After that, he opened the room door and felt bad.
The scent was fetid and rancid, extremely disgusting that one wants to vomit right off-bat.
(*Fetid: decaying or rotting smell.)
Loir was already a weak and sick person and such a smell was an enhanced version of a bad heart attack for him.
Soon the air flow changed around him and the smell disappeared from his surrounding.
'Natural flow of air.'
A spell he made when...
Loir shook his head, 'Old stuff not worth remembering, Let's see the matter.'
When he reached downstairs, dark smoke was in the living room and the source was from the kitchen...
'No way...'
He went to the kitchen and coughing sounds were heard.
"Cough! Sir Theon, the soup has burned into coke!!"
"Jace, hurry and add water to the soup and why is fish so black-cough cough!"
"Sir Theon, Won't adding water make soup watery?"
"Soup is water!"
"Oh, yea Sir!"
Loir who heard such a dark chef talk felt...nothing. He knocked on the door which successfully gained the attention of the two.
"Sir Loir!"
"Sir Loir, Good Morning!"
'It's a dark and smokey morning.'
Loir thought to make himself less sad about the loss of his kitchen.
"Guard Theon and Guard...Jace, Go out and wait."
Theon and Jace looked at each other and nodded. They went to the living room while coughing and waving their hand to clear the smoke.
Loir turned the exhaust fan and opened the kitchen window and the back door.
He checked the burned dishes and the damaged soup pot. Then put them aside to wash later and threw the burned dishes in the trash and tightly packed the trash.
Looking at the vegetable scrap and weird meat pieces and sauces here and there, he cleaned up and then cleaned the counter and washed the floor.
After doing so much he was already hungry and tired.
He glanced at the sun outside, It was still early morning.
After looking at the grocery that escaped the demonic hands of the two dark chefs, He made 3 dishes and a soup.
Loir set up the breakfast table for three people and sat in one seat and waited.
He didn't call the two Guards but the two guards came on their own.
Guard Jace was extremely happy when he saw the delicious dishes. While Guard Theon thanked for the grace.
The three ate quietly however Jace sometimes asked Loir questions.
"Sir Loir, This Villa is so huge, yet you have no servants or any Guards, why?"
"No money."
"Then, why don't you plant some vegetables or flowers in the garden, it is so big but so barren?"
"Can't afford."
"Sir Loir, your cooking is so good, why don't you open a restaurant?"
"Don't want to."
Though Loir gave short answers, Jace happily talked more as if nothing, and Theon just wanted to eat more, it was delicious.
The dishes were left to Theon to wash while Jace went hunting.
Jace looked at this village, This village was near the Border City but a bit far too. The border City is Grand Duke Seiji Dullac's Land, The Avitva City.
This village, Valwa Village is between two mountains and is barren with a population of 50 households and 300 people. But the scenery is extremely peaceful and calming, The calm beauty of nature and wildness mix perfectly here.
Jace went to the mountain to hunt rabbits or a wild pheasant. He wants to eat meat for lunch!
Theon cleaned the kitchen and felt tired.
"Is this work a human can do?"
He just washed dishes but he felt tired, he had to focus so he don't break the plates, the slippery plates need to be grabbed tightly but not so tight so they break or not so loosely so they fall...
Loir who was rarely reading a book in the living room while sitting on a comfortable chair near the window.
"This is what women do every day for all their life."
Theon nodded, Yeah, His mother also washed the dishes back then. Remembering those days made Theon nostalgic and a bit dazed.
Loir glanced at him for a moment, then refocused on the book. It was a good story to pass time.
After a while, Theon got back his mind and found a topic to talk about.
"Sir Loir, There are two floors of this Villa, you live on the first floor so what's on the second floor?"
Hearing this Loir thought.
"A Library, A huge Library."
Theon was surprised.
"On the whole floor?"
"Yes."
"Where did all those books come from?"
Loir paused for a moment.
"Parents."
Theon felt as if he misspoke so he wanted to change the topic however Loir spoke.
"They loved books, Both."
Theon looked at Loir, The boy was 16 years old but his temperament was like an old man worn out by the world and living a retired life.
In the evening Jace came back with two rabbits and a Pheasant. Theon went to buy vegetables.
Jace like his orange hair had an orange personality, His emotions were always on his face.
"Sir Loir! Wait for me to cook you a delicious rabbit stew!"
As soon as Loir who was leaning on the couch to rest and sew gloves heard this, he jumped up.
"Don't! I will cook."
Jace blinked his eyes a few times and then remembered the morning scene and wilted like a flower.
"Ok Sir."
He pouted and glanced at Loir.
Loir ignored him and snatched the rabbits and pheasant, going straight to the kitchen.
Jace crouched and poked his index finger at the ground.
"I want to cook too~"
"My Father is a chef~"
"My Mother is grows delicious fruits~"
"Why the only child, me, am a solider~"
"Ah~This is life~"
Theon who just came back heard such a nonsense song and kicked aside Jace.
"Don't pollute the air."
Jace pouted more and simply splayed on the ground in a cross position.
On the dinner table, Roast Pheasant, rabbit stew, and mashed potatoes with Mushrooms.
The table of dishes was once again swept away by the three eater elegantly.
Jace still talked the most.
"Sir Loir, When Princess Asteria comes to live, Will she housework?"
"Why not?"
"Won't she hate you like that?"
"Why will she?"
"Because she has never done such work and will feel bad?"
"So what?"
"Then who will cook?"
"Me."
"Really?! That's so good! I will retire and come to live with you, Sir Loir."
"Don't."
"Ah? Sir Loir, I can hunt, I can sweep the floor, and even Guard your gate! and for free, just let me eat!!"
"...We will see."
"Thank you, Oh, I met an old lady today, She was happy that her son became a graduate of Sword Academy."
"Auntie Miah."
"Yea her! She gave me a milk candy too."
Loir sighed, This child talks too much. Theon who was used to this loose-mouth guy just ate peacefully.
After Dinner, It was Jace's turn to wash the dishes but he only knew how to break the plates so he was once again kicked out of the kitchen but this time by Theon.
Loir went to walk in the garden.
The garden was barren as Jace had said.
The dead leaves, broken fence, and dead trees with wilted grass.
Loir seems to see another scene instead of the barren one, The beautiful flowers, The lush grass, The Pavillion, and a golden-haired woman with fair skin sitting on the chair, Opposite her was a tall man with pale purple hair.
The two seemed to be talking while smiling, The birds on the Pavillion chirped with them and the scene was no less a fantasy fairy Tale scene.
After a short daze, Loir lowered his eyes.
He tilted his head and the Villa came into view, big yet barren. Only one owner remains.
'It's old now.'
A silence covered the air.
"Sir Loir! I counted! There are 20 free rooms in the Villa, the storage, kitchen and living room are not counted!"
"We should hire a maid to clean the Villa, There is a lot of dust collected and however the furniture is all fine."
"How about me and Sir Theon help you clean the Villa?"
Loir stared at Guard Jace and a mocking smile came on his face.
"Don't waste your talent to sweep the floor."
Jace was stunned to see the smile though it was mocking him, the expressionless face seemed more beautiful.
"Sir Loir, So you were a human!"
Loir, Loir felt nothing. Stupid people always show their stupidity.
Jace also felt as if he said something wrong.
"No, I meant, you were always so cold so I thought you were a vampire and your physique is weak and you are so pale and handsome..."
Loir shook his head and went to rest.