CH 62

After leaving the “War Maiden” party house, I was shopping at the market as originally planned.

After buying the ingredients in the memo, I was walking to buy bedding when I was approached by a street vendor selling fruit.

“Oh, welcome Gray-san. There’s some good apples in here today!”

I am familiar with the owner of this open-air market because I used to buy fruits for breakfast before I met my children. After I started living with my children, I often go there to buy fruits for dessert.

Come to think of it, I forgot to buy an apple for Ratz’s snack.

“Oh. Two of those…”

Then I remember what Ares said.

“At the orphanage where I was, we were served little fruits for dessert on special occasions. “

…a special occasion.

“No, I’ll take eight.”

“Yes, thank you as always!”

I paid for the apples, received them, and put them in my magic bag. One apple for each person is a bit much, so I will cut them up and serve them as dessert after dinner.

By the way, when I give apples to Ratz, I give them to him as the apple is. I can watch him happily nibble on the apple with his little mouth for the rest of my life….Although Ariamel will get mad at me if I feed him too much.

Now, all that’s left is bedding. No, wait, speaking of which, what should we do with their clothes? I can’t just leave them in their tattered clothes.

Besides, we don’t have enough room as it is now…and above all, I need to ask them what they themselves want to do.

This is a bit aggravating, but should I talk to the innkeeper’s father about it?

There was a lot to think about, but for some strange reason, it was not hard for me.

“I’m home.”

“Gray-san, welcome home. Thank you for shopping. Shall I make some tea?”

“Oh, please.”

When I returned home after shopping, Ariamel approached me with a friendly pout. As I took the food to the kitchen, I looked at the children and saw them talking about something, separating into two groups: the children who had originally lived here and those who had been in the orphanage in Kodar.

Well, it can’t be helped. It is impossible to get along with someone out of the blue, and there must be some awkwardness.

However…Nina and Stella are glancing at Lulueco, and Lulueco is occasionally glancing in their direction, as if she is curious about them.

It would be nice if they could get along.

“Ariamel-san, I’m done here.”

“Thank you Mia-chan. Can you take care of this one next?”

“Yes, please leave it to me!”

When she was preparing dinner with Ariamel, Mia came to the kitchen and she asked her to help.

I look at Ariamel, the master of our kitchen. Then Ariamel…

“It’s pretty painful not being able to do anything at a time like this.”

Said to me in a small voice, and then to Mia

“Can you please do that for me?”

After saying that, she quickly set to work. Fio, as the minister of dish arrangement, is instructing the little ones on this and that.

Meanwhile, me, Iska, and Ares are turned into ornaments in a corner of the kitchen so as not to get in the way. Ares, in particular, was magnificent in his posture of aloofness. He is a part of the atmosphere with his eyes closed and his breath concealed.

To the extent that I doubted whether he possessed such a skill.

“Maybe we should learn from this.”

“Eh…”

“I’m not happy…”

Iska looked puzzled at my words, and Ares furrowed his brow and sighed.

The presence hiding technique is quite powerful, but…

In the end, we, the ornament group, had the job of carrying things from the storage room that could be used as tables and chairs.

After everyone finished eating, before cleaning up

“Wait a minute”

I said and then I went to the kitchen. While I was cutting apples and arranging them on a plate, Ariamel came over and helped me without saying a word.

I thanked her and smiled.

“I hope you’re pleased.”

She said.

“Yes”

Ariamel is not supposed to know what’s going on, but I feel like she sees right through me.

Appraisers can be fooled, but Ariamel can’t be fooled…that’s what I feel. Don’t tell me this is the power of a saint or something? …No, I’m thinking too much.

I couldn’t put the apples on one plate, so I divided them into two and took them to the living room one plate at a time.