I had finished making some different flavored mochis for Elena which is weird because a few days ago I wouldn't have even thought of being friends with her.
The next day I held the box of mochi not knowing how to apologize. In my last world, my parents never apologized for doing me wrong, neither did others. I was supposed to forget and move on. I was never allowed to even acknowledge the wrong I had to endure. So I was just standing outside of her wrong looking stupid.
"You should just say 'I'm sorry for kicking you yesterday.' And she will forgive you." One of the maids who was put in charge of attending to my needs said. She opened the door and asked me to enter.
Elena was getting her hair done for the day when she noticed me.
"Hey? Are you okay? Did you sleep well last night?" She asked in a concerned tone. She couldn't move from her seat at the moment. I awkwardly offered her the box.
"I'm sorry for kicking you yesterday. I made these." I quickly spoke prompting her to laugh loudly.
"I never knew a sarcastic man like you who talked back to a god could act like this but don't worry. I know there was a reason. If you don't want to tell then you don't have to but let me try these." She took the box and tried one of the mochis.
"Oooooo~ Sweet. I like it." She spoke but then a maid rushed into the room.
"Her highness has fallen sick yet again." She announced.
Elena quickly stood up and ran in the direction of where the maid had come from in shock.
"Sick? What sickness?" I asked.
I was told of her symptoms and was taken to her room. This was actually my first time seeing her mom. She wasn't present when we first met because she had just recently recovered from a sickness and was resting. Her dad was sitting right next to her holding her hand. He looked devastated but I can't blame him. The woman in question looked pale and frail. Almost as if a bit of pressure would shatter her body.
I walked around the room and noticed her makeup. I asked the maid about the details and was told of the ingredients of the makeup and as expected lead compounds were part of composition. I walked up to Elena and asked if I can check her mother's condition. I guess because she knew I was an outlander, she agreed. I held onto her wrist and took my phone out and checked her heart rate. Not normal.
"Do you know about the repercussions of using this makeup kit?" I asked the maid.
She hesitated at first and shook her head no.
"Elena, do you know what happens when you use this substance?" I asked as I walked up to dressing table and picked up one of the box. It was probably concealer or foundation.
"I only recently started applying. I asked the maids and they said it was to make me look paler. Is something wrong?" She asked.
"I ask you last time, did you know what happens from continuous use of this?" I looked at the maid and she averted her eyes from me before saying no again.
"I see." I poured all the makeup powders on her head which lead to her coughing and rubbing her eyes. I think her eyes were probably burning and she involuntarily inhaled some powder.
"What are you doing?!" Elena stood up from her chair to look at me in concern.
"If this doesn't cause any problems then some ingestion won't cause issues to this maid either, right?" I asked before grabbing a cloth and rubbing the face of her mother clean of all makeup.
"W-Wha! Hey!" Elena tried to push me off her mother but once I was done I looked at that maid again.
"Do not use this makeup from here on. Make sure you don't feed ANYTHING solid for time being. Start with porridge and move up from there." I informed Elena. "And you too. Continue using that and you will be in same situation as her."
"Explain yourself. If you assaulted our maid without reason, you will be punished!" The father finally spoke up.
"Well... simply put, a substance is used to make the skin look paler which uses lead. Short term effects might not be too bad, but long term use of it leads to exactly similar situation as your wife. That maid knew what she was doing. It would be counted as attempted murder." I answered.
"Did you, really?!" Elena looked at the maid in utter disbelief.
"Why would you do that?!" The duke was even angrier than Elena and was ready to throw hands.
She went onto explain how she was jealous of her and how she wanted to take her place and as the duchess died, she would seduce the duke and become his wife instead. It filled me up with disgust and I really wanted to slap her but I'm not exactly in the position to do anything of sorts.
"Then why did Elena receive the same makeup kit?" I asked.
"Because I didn't want extra troubles from her. If she fell sick too, it would've further broken his spirit and hence..."
"Easier to manipulate." I finished her sentence since she didn't want to.
"How dare you!" Elena was about to attack her but I stopped her.
"Lets just put her under arrest for now." I suggested. and the entire situation came to end with her arrest and other maids received stern scolding for believing her without fact checking.
...
"How can I possibly thank you." The duke was sitting at the dining table with me and Elena on either side of the table.
"I would like to be paid." I answered.
Duke was dumbfounded but maybe Elena expected it.
"Dad, he is an outlander. He has no money so, I think it's fair he asked for it. He is straightforward."
"O-oh? How much? You essentially saved my family."
"I don't know enough about market yet so... enough to buy a house and all the furniture and enough for one year worth of groceries." I answered.
"Fine. That sounds fair." He answered.
"You should be a bit more discreet with things, y'know." Elena scolded me. She then went on to tell her dad about how I spoke to Amelia and Moh.
"That is indeed... crude way of speaking. Amelia is next in line to become holy saint of this world and Lord Moh is the ruler of Deem and Scofinia. I would suggest getting lessons." He said.
"I'm a mere peasant. I have no real reason to mingle with high class. I just want to make money and live my life in peace."
"Too honest..." Elena sighed.
After breakfast, Elena served the mochi to her dad too who seemed to like it very much.
"Can you share the recipe?" He asked.
"Nope. I actually plan on opening a tavern like place where I will serve this with wine. So this is a trade secret." I answered.
"Such honesty would come back to bite you at some point." Elena said in a sarcastic tone.
"So, how do you plan to raise Lord Ahankar?" Her dad asked.
I went over my entire plan about raising her and how and what to teach her. I want her to feel save in the house and around me and how I want to make sure she is ready for the world sooner than later. She is one of the grand order after all.
He nodded to my plan.
"Almost like you were made for it. A respectable father figure who puts his children before everything else. But it is important to know that this is idealistic and can never be truly achieved."
"I know but I think it's more about consistency than being absolute. I want to consistently show care and love." I answered.
"Admirable. Only if you were part of nobility... I could've given my daughter hand in marriage to you."
"Yea... about that..." I looked at her and then back at her dad. "I prefer peace." I answered.
"WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?!" Elena scowled.
"She is too... blunt. Just like me. Two blunt people can cause too much chaos. One needs to be more empathetic while other being too logical." I answered.
"So, who in your opinion is the best leader: the most intelligent man in the land or the most empathetic?"
"Neither. Someone who is capable of making right decision at the right time. But if I were to choose between the two, I would say make empathetic man the leader and the smartest man his assistant."
"I see. I like your answer. Maybe try to win some land?"
I knew his implications with that the last statement. Marrying Elena? That would never happen. I can't have her future be destroyed. But I'm not an adult either but those restrictions don't work here. We are at the perfect age for marriage. I don't think she is a bad person but I better keep my trauma to myself. I let it accidently escape when I kicked away Elena. I can't let that happen ever again.
"Aren't you more interested in Amelia?" She asked and I shrugged.
"I have no such feelings for her either." I answered.
"But a man your age should be chasing the right woman, no?" Her dad asked. "Don't tell me! Are you-"
"NO! I just want to be left alone." I sighed. "I can't marry because of politics. I know at some point I will become politically strong person. That's why I want to say it, I do not plan on marrying anyone."
Marriage... love... They're not bad nor do I hate the idea. I do want to get married and I do want to fall in love but sex is an inevitable part of such relationship. I don't think I can be comfortable with it. Me attacking someone in self-defense is not that farfetched. When put in situation, my brain can't distinguish between what is safe and what is unsafe. It will react the exact same way but pushing away whatever it considers danger. This impulse is not something I can control at all.
After the breakfast, the horse riding training continued where we left off yesterday.