The morning sun is finally beginning to appear in the early morning. As I pull down a chair in the dining room, feeling sleepy, Yuna and Elina come through the entrance.
The reason why Yuna and Elina are coming at this time of the day is, of course, to deliver the vegetables to us.
Good morning, you two. I'm going to call my father.
'Oh, and I was wondering if you could give me some water to drink, too.
When I was about to move to the kitchen, Yuna asked me to do so with her hands clasped together.
It was a little bit of a mocking gesture, but when Yuna did it, it was strangely elegant and cute.
Perhaps, it would seem mocking when Ira does it.
Yuna, you don't have to ask for your own water, do you?
'Because it's already warm. Besides, the water here has a delicious lemon flavor. Even you drink it at lunch time, don't you?
'I'm not drinking it all in one gulp! You're not drinking, are you, Tori?
Elina, blushing, asks me to make sure.
'Yeah, it's normal.
'See?
'Oh, really?
To tell you the truth, Yuna is right, Elina drinks a lot of water, but I'm not the one who doesn't understand a maiden's mind.
'Well then, wait in the courtyard while I call your father and get you some water.
'Sorry, Tori.
Thank you!
I told them and moved to the kitchen again.
In the kitchen, my father was cleaning the cooking utensils.
He was looking at his knife with a serious expression on his face, so I approached him, making noises with my footsteps so as not to startle him.
Dad, Yuna and the others brought vegetables.
'Okay. I'm coming.
Dad replied, and continued to check the knives for a while.
I guess he would go to the kitchen after checking the knives for now.
Meanwhile, I filled the jug with water and put sliced lemons into the jug.
Mix lightly with a stir stick, and it's done. By that time, my father had finished checking the knife and was slowly putting it on the cloth.
Oh, you want me to bring you some water? You're so thoughtful, aren't you? A guy like that will be popular with the ladies.
My father patted me on the head and praised me when he saw me preparing jugs and cups, but unfortunately it was not spontaneous.
'Then I'm not popular because I only did what Yuna asked me to do.
'What? I'm sorry for the compliment.
When I honestly told him the truth, he frowned and ruffled my hair.
I was so happy to see him.
When I went out into the courtyard with my father, I found Yuna, Elina, and their father, Mr. Carls.
They must have come all the way here today from a distant village with a load of vegetables. Mr. Carls had sweat on his forehead and was wiping it with a towel around his neck.
Yuna and Elina also had a bit of sweat on their foreheads.
Although it is still spring, it is getting warmer these days. It is quite an effort to push a cart full of vegetables to this point, so it is only natural that they are sweating.
Here's some water.
'Oh, Tori! How thoughtful! A guy who can do that kind of thing will be popular with the ladies, you know?
When I brought the jug to him, Mr. Carls said the same thing as my father.
I wondered if, according to their sensibilities, this kind of consideration was an element of attractiveness.
But what about this? Your daughter urged me to bring it. Should I be honest and say so?
'That's great, Tori! You're so thoughtful!''
'Oh, thank you.'
Yuna said so innocently while I was worrying like this, and Elina called for air with a wry smile.
Father, who knew the story, looked at Mr. Carls with a complicated expression of admiration.
I guess that's what happens when you have the same misconceptions as I do.
'Pfft, cold water tastes good after all!
'Ah, cold food is the best when you're sweating!
Yuna and Mr. Carls look relaxed after drinking cold water.
However, Elina is the only one with a delicate look on her face.
She has already emptied her glass and is glancing at the pitcher, but does not seem to refill it.
This is probably because she is not interested in what Yuna said to her earlier.
He should not mind drinking water.
I'll get you a refill. It's so hot today, you must be thirsty.
'Oh, thank you.
'Heh, you're very thoughtful in that way.
Yuna said this to me in a whisper as I took Elina's cup and filled it with water.
I don't think she's so much witty as she is a waiter at an inn, so I guess she just notices people who seem to want something to drink.
After Mr. Carls and the others had a drink of water and took a rest, they went about their usual business of stocking up.
Looking at the fresh vegetables on the cart, Dad assesses what to buy.
There are a lot of potatoes today. Some I've never seen before.
Dad is right, there are a lot of potatoes in the pile today. Some are round and lumpy, some are long and thin, and some are even purplish like sweet potatoes.
These purple ones aren't sweet potatoes, are they?
You've got my attention right away. They're called red potatoes, and they're yellow inside like sweet potatoes. They get sweeter when cooked, and are delicious in stir-fries or mashed potatoes.
'Oh, let's try these then.
After listening to Mr. Carls' explanation, Dad decided to give it a try.
Sweet potatoes are good for making mashed potatoes. I'm looking forward to eating them at home.
But still... Potatoes. When we have a meat chopper and can mass-produce hamburgers easily, maybe we can serve fries with them.
It's hard to know when to cook them, but other than that, it's relatively simple and not bad.
Wow, Tori! Someone very s*xy is here!
While I was listening to Mr. Carls' explanation about potatoes, Yuna tugged at my sleeve in a panicked manner.
I turn around to see Natalia in a purple dress returning with Mack, her escort.
She must have returned from her job at the whorehouse.
Although she was wearing a black fur gown, her dress was too revealing around her bosom and her ample breasts did not hide her s*x appeal.
'Ew!
'Wow, that's a great ...... look.'
Yuna and Elina muttered to each other, blushing.
Natalia's s*x appeal is real, since even their own surnames can think so.
If I hadn't been in contact with her every day as a guest, I would have gazed at her silently like Mr. Carls did.
'It's all right here. Thank you. See you tomorrow night.
As Natalia enters the courtyard of the inn, Mac, her escort, bows to Natalia and us and leaves.
I'm home!
As soon as she sees Mac off, Natalia's posture and facial expression slump, and her voice becomes stilted.
It seems that she has completely gotten out of her work mode now that she is back at the inn.
Welcome back. Good work again today.
I'm tired because I've had three guests today. I'm going to bed for now.
'Come down for breakfast.
'Well, I'm not sure I'll be able to get up, so Tori will have to wake me up.
Natalia says languidly and goes inside the inn.
She stops and looks back as if she had just remembered.
Oh, Lilith was asking when the hamburger stand was going to be open. She and the other girls from the whorehouse seem to like it a lot.
Oh, come to think of it, I haven't had a food stand for a few days since the day I sold the hamburgers to Natalia and Lilith.
I guess.
I'm glad more and more people like my hamburgers, but it takes a lot of work to make them by hand. If possible, I'd like to reopen the meat chopper after Dodogal finishes it.
'Hmmm, I'm ordering the cookware now, so maybe when it's done?
'Okay. I'll let them know.
I said this and Natalia waved me inside the inn and up the stairs.
'Yo, you're the sister who works at night, right?
''Sort of.''
'After all, there are all kinds of people when you go to the city.
They stare somewhat excitedly at the inn where Natalia has disappeared.
Ten-year-old Yuna and twelve-year-old Elina, both at that age, could not hide their excitement at seeing Natalia, a resident of the night world.