Chapter 30: 24.2

Chapter 4-24 : Sleep Over After A While (part 2)

 

Today’s business went well as always.

After Lorea-chan and I finished closing the store, we went to the kitchen to have dinner.

By the way, today’s dinner was a bit more extravagant than usual.

Of course, I’m not thinking, “Since Iris-san and Kate-san aren’t here, let’s have an extravagant dinner by ourselves!” No, there’s a reason. Trust me.

Usually, Lorea-chan doesn’t have much time to prepare dinner for us since she has to go home before it gets too late at night.

After all, there are so many Collectors from other places staying in this village, it’s not good for a girl like Lorea-chan to walk outside late at night.

However, today she’s going to spend the night here, so she has a lot of time to cook. Therefore, she wants to prepare a different dinner than usual.

「Sarasa-san, how does it taste…?」(Lorea)

「Mmm~! It’s really good! Your food is delicious as usual!」(Sarasa)

After taking a bite, I smiled at Lorea-chan who looked a bit nervous.

She let out a sigh of relief after I complimented her.

「Really? I’ve never made this kind of dish before, so I was worried. I’m glad that it suits your taste!」(Lorea)

「Mm~ Mmm~!! It’s so good that no one would think that this is the first time you’ve made it!」(Sarasa)

「Hehe~」(Lorea)

She looks so happy.

Well, I’m not a connoisseur of food, so I can’t judge her food precisely, but it’s without a doubt a good meal. I would rate it ten out of ten for sure.

「By the way, it’s been a while since the last time you spent the night here.」(Sarasa)

「You’re right. I should have stayed overnight here more often.」(Lorea)

「I remember you once almost fainted in the bath when you stayed here.」(Sarasa)

「Y, You still remember that!?」(Lorea)

「Yeah, there’s no way I would forget about that.」(Sarasa)

「Geez! Sarasa-saaan!」(Lorea)

Lorea-chan blushed and started hitting my shoulder lightly. I could only smile wryly at her.

She might think that I was teasing her, but the reason why I can’t forget about that is that she almost fainted because of me.

Back then, I hadn’t fixed the well yet, so I filled the bathtub with the water I produced with magic.

As a result, Lorea-chan, who had little resistance to magic, got dizzy and eventually lost consciousness while soaking in the bathtub.

Fortunately, we bathed together back then, so I was there when that happened.

I quickly pulled her out of the bathtub, dried her body, and kept her warm. I was so panicked and felt a bit guilty.

「Ahaha… I’m sorry about that. It was totally my fault.」(Sarasa)

「U, Umm… It’s not what concerns me… The thing is… You carried me and wiped my… stark naked body… It’s a bit embarrassing, so…」(Lorea)

「Hm?」(Sarasa)

She gradually spoke quieter. I couldn’t hear her voice in the end.

「A, Anyway, please forget about that!」(Lorea)

「Alright, I will try…」(Sarasa)

Her face looks red. Is she embarrassed that I touched her naked body…?

「By the way, I felt very dizzy back then because the water contained magical power, right? Now that I’ve learned a little magic, will I feel dizzy if I bathe in that kind of water again?」(Lorea)

「I think you will be fine. You have more resistance to magic now.」(Sarasa)

Because Lorea-chan has worked here for quite a long time, and because she started learning magic recently, she has gotten used to magical power.

In other words, if you get into contact with the air containing magical power for a long time, or if you start learning magic, your resistance to magical power will increase.

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I’m pretty sure Lorea-chan will be fine even if she bathes in hot water produced with magic.

By the way, since I fixed the well, I no longer fill the bathtub with magic, so everyone can enjoy the bath.

「I see… Does that mean I have changed?」(Lorea)

「Yup. Ordinary people usually have a low resistance to magical power because they have no connection with magic, but Lorea-chan, you’re special.」(Sarasa)

「Hehe, it’s all thanks to you.」(Lorea)

People who are not used to magic are people who don’t usually use artifacts in their daily routines.

Before I came here, no one in this village used artifacts but now, most of them do. After all, I made a couple of artifacts for public use. By the way, they were made at the request of Erin-sanー no, the true village mayor.

Unlike Lorea-chan, Iris-san and Kate-san are different. They have a quite strong resistance to magical power from the beginning.

Iris-san is a daughter of a noble, and a noble family normally has a couple of artifacts to use in their house.

Moreover, Kate-san’s mother, Katerina-san is a magic user, so they have gotten used to magical power since they were little.

「Say, Lorea-chan, do you want to do an experiment?」(Sarasa)

「Experiment?」(Lorea)

「I will produce hot water with magic and fill the bathtub with it and see if you can handle it this time. Don’t worry, I will join you.」(Sarasa)

「Eh? But… Umm… Are you sure I will be fine?」(Lorea)

「Of course. You’re no longer the old Lorea who has low resistance to magical power.」(Sarasa)

「If you say so…」(Lorea)

「Alright, let’s take a bath together later.」(Sarasa)

「Un!」(Lorea)

She looks happy but also looks a bit embarrassed for some reason.

Anyway, we need to finish our dinner before taking a bath.

「Oh, right. Lorea-chan, you didn’t ask me to let you stay here because you thought I would be lonely, right? Can you tell me the real reason?」(Sarasa)

「So… You noticed…?」(Lorea)

「Well, yeah…」(Sarasa)

Somehow I knew that it wasn’t the reason.

I awkwardly glanced at Lorea-chan with upturned eyes, waiting for her answer.

「Umm… Honestly, I’m a little envious of Iris-san and Kate-san. They seem to be having fun living with you here… Besides, I admire living like an adult where you live separately from your parents and can be independent.」(Lorea)

For some reason, she shifted her eyes as she answered. She looked like a child yearning to be an adult somehow.

I kinda understand her feelings.

When I lived in the orphanage, sometimes I thought of leaving and starting a new life by myself.

「Hmm, I see, I see.」(Sarasa)

「But that’s not the only reason… Somehow, I feel like staying here with you today, so…」(Lorea)

「Hee~ Is that so?」(Sarasa)

「U, Un…」(Lorea)

I knew it.

She could have asked me anytime if she wanted to stay, but she was too shy to ask.

What a cute girl.

Ah, I got an idea!

Winter is approaching, meaning that Lorea-chan will turn fourteen soon.

Fourteen years old is old enough to start living separately from your parents, right?

「Say, Lorea-chan, why don’t you move here and live here with us from now on?」(Sarasa)

After thinking for a while, I made that suggestion to Lorea-chan.

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