The bath had helped to relax my muscles to the point where I fell asleep in the little basin Charlotte had set up for me as a bathtub.
Charlotte was certainly responsible for getting me into clean and dry clothing and into bed. When I awoke, it was dusk, and the candles were lighted throughout the house, providing not just light but also warmth.
The fireplace in the main room, which Charlotte utilized as a kitchen area, added further warmth to the house.
"You're awake? Come on over and eat." She gave us instructions as she lit one last candle and placed it in the center of the table we were seated at.
"What's the point of lighting so many candles?" I inquired, despite the fact that this was also done in the palace. They would light torches and even candles, and there would be no dark hallways or nooks in the entire castle.
I was surprised to see her doing the same. Was she frightened of the dark?
I couldn't think of anything else that would make her light so many candles other than the fact that the residents of this little hamlet were having a hard time getting and earning money.
"I work as a candlemaker. These are the extras that I manage to cram into the orders I get, so I didn't waste any of my money in them." She explained.
"What exactly do you mean?" I asked. I couldn't understand how she wasn't spending her money on candles like these.
"I receive orders from the wealthy because I create the finest candles. I can produce fragranced candles, toxic candles, bug repellent candles, and a variety of other items. But before I produce them, they pay me in full, and because my work is so much better, I charge them a lot, and when I acquire the materials, I get them from wholesaler merchants who offer high-quality items at low prices." She elaborated.
"So, if someone requests for 10 candles, I can squeeze in 10 additional candles that I may sell to other people or use for myself." She explained. "That way, I can utilize the candles without really going out and purchasing them with my own money and utilizing them for myself. Additionally, when I squeeze in additional candles and sell them, I make extra money."
Her method of thinking was fascinating me.
She was astute, and I aspired to be like her.
"If you can't tell, these candles are fragranced; the fragrance is lavender, and it helps to relax muscles and the nervous system." She continued to explain.
I inhaled deeply, filling my lungs with the aroma that filled the room, before expelling forcefully seconds later.
I hadn't noticed it before, but now that I did, I adored it.
"Wow." As she rose up and proceeded to the fireplace, She put some porridge into a bowl using a wooden soup ladle to gather the porridge from the pot into the bowl.
"Here, eat some porridge and if you wish, this bread as well. I made it while you were sleeping." She remarked this as she moved aside another bowl containing two loaves of unsliced bread.
She was so kind to me now that I nearly forgot she was the same lady who had been so tough with me the day before and early today.
"Eat up." She remarked this as she sat down and poured herself some porridge in another bowl, breaking the bread for me by cutting one corner by hand and handed it to me to eat.
I grabbed it from her, murmuring a polite thank you.
"Are you planning on punishing me?" After many minutes of demeaning silence, I inquired.
"No, I'm not a crazy lady," she sighed as she set her dish down, "I definitely observed what occurred." She stated.
This was the most joyful news I had received since my coming here.
She was the first person to discipline me, and I didn't want to be punished again.
"However, Charmaine, shattering a gourd with water is considered an omen." She stated. "Do you understand what an omen is? Because I've been speaking to you as if you're an adult for the last twenty-four hours, and I'm not sure if you're understanding what I'm saying."
"I'm more mature than my age, according to daddy," I nodded again. In answer, I told her.
"Shattering a gourd without water isn't as horrible as breaking it with water inside; we'll have to go to the temple and pray tomorrow, maybe before it's too late." She stated.
"What about the stream? Did those maidens choose a different stream than we did?" I inquired, recalling seeing them approaching from the opposite direction.
"They rely on the nearby well. You've seen how awful Amelia is. To prevent further squabbles with her, I prefer to obtain my water from the stream rather than the well, where she will not leave me alone." Charlotte elaborated.
"In the future, if you find yourself in a position that you cannot handle on your own, simply walk away. If you are capable of handling the matter but do not want to get your hands filthy, walk away as well. It is always better to be cautious than sorry." She counseled.
"Is it because of Jin that she despises you?" I asked. She just stared at me and ate without answering the question.
*********
"Don't you think it's time for you to die, your highness?" The icy chilly woman with edgy nails that looked like ice spikes asked, adding mockery to the name 'your highness' as she approached the wounded queen.
"P-p-please don't," the queen, who was lying on the floor just in front of the throne, said as she crept towards her assassin with bloodied hands. She merely wished to elicit ghoulish laughter from the three sisters.
"Have you seen how I murdered all your maids? I'm not compassionate." The spike-nailed lady inquired, stooping low enough for the queen to hear her.
"Tell the devil that it was a pleasure to have you here on Earth." The spiky-nailed woman said this before the queen let out a tremendous scream.