The young widow sighed deeply, "If you don't want to tell me the truth, that's fine, that's your right. I'm just interested in how you two are getting along."
"We," Vir glanced at Aira, "get along?" he continued, glancing back at Daisy. "Yeah, right!"
"Who would want to be getting along with you?" Aira retorted with a frown. "You lousy man!"
"Oh, you—"
"Hey, enough, enough!" Daisy smiled widely as she shook her head. "Tonight, sleep here. And hey," she said to Aira, "if you want, you can stay with me. You know, I don't have any children."
"Uhm, I..." Aira was nervous, then glanced at Vir.
"Don't look at me, you damn girl!" Vir chuckled. "It would be better for you to agree to her request."
"Hey," Daisy said to Vir. "Don't say rude things like that to a girl, especially when she's a minor."
"Take that, you rude man!" said Aira indifferently.
"Yuck!" Vir grinned again. "You're happy to have someone defending you, umm?"
"Shut up!"
"Oh my!" Daisya tapped his forehead. "Knock it off, finish your food quickly. You know," she said to Aira, "I hate people who waste food."
Aira forced a smile and nodded stubbornly while Vir chuckled. Well, Vir never wasted any of his food, always eating up every morsel he got.
"What a greedy bastard!" muttered Aira.
"Whatever!" replied Vir. "Hey, Daisy," he said to the young widow, "you know, when we were traveling through the Southeast, we were approached by the people of the Central Empire."
"Huh?!" Daisy frowned.
Vir nodded. "One of them was the emperor's cousin named—hmm..." he scratched his head.
"Magnius," Aira said.
"Right, that's him," Vir said, then looked back at Daisy. "Magnius."
"Magnius the Mighty?" the frown on the young widow's forehead grew even more. "Are you serious?"
Vir and Aira both nodded.
"How come?" asked Daisy. "I mean, isn't that something that happens very rarely? Well, not everyone gets to meet the mighty man. But you guys, he's the one who met you. Wow, you guys are so lucky."
Vir and Aira looked at each other with furrowed brows.
"Don't tell me that you—"
Daisy giggled with a blush on her face. "Come on, Vir," she said. "I'm a woman, and you know that I've been widowed for a long time."
"Do you like him?"
Daisy laughed softly in response to Aira's question.
"Which girl wouldn't want to be with the Mighty Magnius?" Daisy said. "I'm the same way. Imagine being his wife? Even as his mistress, I'd be willing."
"What a woman!" Vir grinned. "You sound cheap, Daisy."
"Come on, Vir!" Daisy said. "He's my kind of guy. Tall, well-built, and muscular—aah..." Daisy gulped, aware that the underage Aira was there. "The point is, I like him, just like all the other girls."
"But I'm not!" Aira said.
Vir choked and Daisy giggled at the little girl's innocent answer.
"Listen, you!" Vir stifled his laughter. "You're just a kid, what do you know about adult feelings, hmm?"
"But you know what I mean, don't you?"
Vir paused, then glanced at Daisy, and looked nervous. Of course, this only heightened Daisy's suspicions and her curiosity about Aira's background.
"Vir," she said, "tell me, where exactly did you find Aira? Who is she exactly?"
"I told you that earlier, didn't I?"
"Come on!" Daisy laughed almost silently with a shake of her head. "You expect me to believe that lie of yours, is that it?"
"He's not lying," Aira said. "My parents did die in the hunt for Scalgon Aurea."
"You know that's a myth, don't you?" Daisy was becoming more and more convinced that Vir had something to hide about Aira, and even the little girl was supporting Vir's false story.
"Of course," Aira gulped. "I mean, my parents were killed by other creatures, not by that dragon. Because, well... that kind of dragon doesn't exist, it's just a myth."
"Oh, really?" Daisy frowned.
"Ghost wolves," Vir said.
"Right!" Aira nodded quickly. "We were attacked by a pack of Ghost Wolves."
Daisy took a deep breath and folded her arms under her large breasts.
"Anyway," she said, "I don't believe your story. But never mind, if you're not willing to tell me, that's fine. I will not insist even though I can sense that you, Aira, do not like Lord Magnius. Everyone has their own reasons for liking or disliking one thing or another."
"Thank you," Aira gulped.
"Never mind," Vir said as he glanced at Aira. "Finish your food or the princess will become angry with both of us."
"Stupid bastard!" Daisy smiled and shook her head.
After finishing their dinner, Daisy took Aira to a room to rest, while Vir was still sitting in the kitchen with a cup of redbrew.
Daisy even very nicely covered Aira who was lying on the bed. In recent years, this was the first time Aira had slept on a bed with a soft mattress, and it felt even better to her.
"Now, go to sleep," Daisy said with a smile, and then she left.
"Uhmm, Daisy!"
The young widow stopped at the doorway, turned around, and looked at the nine-year-old girl.
"Yes?"
"Thank you."
Daisy smiled. "Don't worry about it," she said. "Just rest, pretend this is your home, and I'm your family. Okay?"
Aira smiled and nodded.
"Good night, Aira."
"Good night, Daisy."
Daisy closed the bedroom door and continued her walk towards the kitchen, Vir was still there.
"Hey."
"Does she like her bed?"
"I hope so." Daisy sat down across from Vir. "How's your drink?"
Vir chuckled and took another sip of the red liquid in the large cup in his hand. "You know, don't you? Your redbrew is the best."
Daisy giggled and shook her head. "Whatever the intention behind your compliment is, but thank you."
"Oh, come on now!" Vir smiled widely. "I'm just telling you the truth. And I was wondering, why don't you just open a food stall? Or, a small bar? You know, that kind of business is very popular in the West."
"Yeah, yeah..." Daisy took a deep breath. "There's no need for you to tell me. I have only one reason."
"And what is that?"
"To avoid a flirtatious man like you!"
"Oh goodness!" Vir laughed almost silently. "Another one that puzzles me."
"Yeah, I can see that."
"Come on, I'm trying to be serious here."
"All right. Tell me, what are you confused about?"
"You!"
"Me?" Daisy giggled again, then took a sip of her redbrew. "You seem to care and concern for me a lot."
"Has this not been obvious to you all this time?"
"Aw... I'm flattered."
"Damn it!" Vir grinned in response to the young widow's wink. "Of course," he said. "You're beautiful, Daisy. And you're so young. How old are you again? 20 years, right?"
The young widow smiled and shrugged her shoulders.
"That's it!" said Vir. "Why don't you get married anymore? I mean, at least you'll have someone to help you in your shop."
"Aw, you're really caring and considerate of me, how sweet."
"Oh my God..." Vir tapped his forehead. "I'm serious, Daisy. Why?"
"I don't know!" Daisy shrugged her shoulders again. "I still like my time, I guess."
"What kind of answer is that?"