𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟓𝟎
“That should’ve been enough for Amane to give up,” I thought with relief the next morning.
Mabel, who came outside to hang the laundry, held her head.
“Why are you still here…?”
“I’m not one to give up so easily!”
The grassy lawn sparkled in the sunlight.
In one corner, a magnificent tent had been set up.
It was not a simple makeshift shelter but a special thick fabric with waterproofing applied, supported by sturdy pillars. There were even entrances and separate sections. Mabel was once again impressed by Kytha’s craftsmanship.
Amane, the owner of the tent, was still smiling brightly.
“It seems you’re not a woman who can be swayed by material possessions or money. In that case, I thought the only way for you to truly understand my worth is by living together.”
“Living together, you say?”
Mabel felt a headache coming on.
While she was relieved that Amane had given up on the quantity strategy, now it was about cohabitation. As she understood that Eugene was the owner of this castle, she assumed they were camping in the garden.
She pondered how to convey the message for them to leave when Eugene, hearing Amane’s laughter, descended from the sky with a flutter.
Though his face was hidden behind a mask, it was likely composed of the highest level of frustration.
“Don’t create strange things in my castle.”
“With such vast land, why are you nitpicking? Ah, perhaps you’re worried.”
As Mabel closed her eyes in dismay, Eugene remained silent, extending his long arm towards Amane.
Mabel tried to stop Amane, fearing that she would be blown away again, but strangely enough, Amane didn’t get blown away. Instead, he remained calm and smiled.
“What a shame. Is that a magic tool?”
Amane pulled out a necklace from his clothes, adorned with large metal decorations.
The mention of a magic tool reminded Mabel of the weapon Travis had.
A “magic tool” referred to a special mineral infused with a mage’s power.
It was a remarkable item that allowed even non-mages to utilize magic. However, they were extremely rare, making them highly valuable even in Eakes.
It seemed that Amane had taken measures against Eugene’s magic.
“The same thing is attached to that tent. Give up.”
Amane smirked triumphantly, causing Eugene’s anger to simmer. Worried, Mabel glanced at him, and Eugene muttered bitterly in a voice that crawled along the ground.
“A magic tool of that level? If I go all out…I think I can still do it?”
“Please, just stop…”
Mabel heard Eugene’s short click of the tongue.
From that day on, their strange cohabitation began.
“Mabel, is there anything I can help with?”
In the evening, as Mabel peeled potatoes in the kitchen, Amane appeared, peering over her shoulder.
True to her words of wanting to be known, Amane diligently followed Mabel around. If Mabel was cleaning the windows, Amane would sit next to her and help. If Mabel was hanging laundry, Amane would pull the rope. Surprisingly, she was quite skilled at these tasks.
“Amane-san, really, you don’t have to do anything.”
“Well, don’t say that. I just want to show you how reliable I am as a man.”
With a confident smile as always, Amane sat down on the chair next to Mabel. She grabbed a potato, wondering if she should peel it, and skillfully peeled off the skin with a small knife.
Impressed, Mabel blinked. At that moment, whether it was good timing or bad timing, Eugene also appeared in the kitchen. As soon as he spotted Amane, his face twisted in discomfort.
“Why is this person here?”
“As you can see, I’m here to help with dinner. I can’t bear to leave Mable-san alone.”
Amane answered proudly, and Mabel couldn’t help but sweat nervously.
Surprisingly, Eugene didn’t make any sarcastic remarks. He remained silent, his mouth forming a straight line as if lost in thought for a while.
Eventually, he sat down on the chair opposite Amane, sandwiching Mabel between them.
“Y-You, Eugene-san. . .?”
“Sorry, could you lend me a knife?”
With trembling hands, Mabel handed Eugene a spare knife, and he began peeling the potatoes with awkward movements.
Witnessing this rare sight, Mabel couldn’t believe her eyes, but it seemed that Eugene had his own thoughts about it.
Seeing his clumsy yet well-intentioned efforts, Mabel couldn’t help but smile.
―That was all fine, but…
“Hey, what’s that? You’re barely leaving any flesh on it.”
“Shut up. The sprouts are poisonous. What’s wrong with peeling them properly?”
Mabel was caught in the middle of the two, as they argued back and forth. Looking closely, Eugene’s hand was clutching fragments of a potato that had almost lost its original shape.
“Well, there won’t be anything left to eat at this rate. Look at my perfectly peeled ones.”
“…”
Eugene stared at the potatoes held by Amane for a while, then let out a sigh and placed the potato and knife he had been holding on the kitchen counter. Just as Mabel was about to stop him, Eugene said something.
And then, the potatoes that had been packed in a basket suddenly floated in the air.
“Huh?!”
In front of Mabel’s astonished eyes, the potato skins were smoothly peeled off, revealing the white flesh in an instant. It was as if a thin blade of wind was passing through, and the peeled potatoes piled up in the empty basket.
“Using magic is cheating!”
“It’s my power. I can use it however I want.”
“Hmph! If that’s the case, I have an idea too.”
As soon as he said that, Amane stood up and shouted, “Hey!” towards the outside of the kitchen. Shortly after, his attendants who were waiting in the tent rushed in all at once.
“Peel all the potatoes here. Don’t fall behind!”
With a synchronized command, several adult men lined up in the hallway and started peeling the potatoes with single-minded focus.
One by one, the potato flesh piled up on the table, and perhaps feeling the pressure of the speed, Eugene tried to float more spare potatoes from the back of the kitchen―
“Both of you, stop!”
Unable to bear it any longer, Mabel stood up.
At the desperate tone of her voice, Eugene and Amane involuntarily stopped their hands.
“Just how many are you planning to peel? We can’t eat that much!”
Finally realizing it, Mabel shouted, “Attention!” to the two.
Pushing the backs of Eugene and Amane, who stood up reflexively, she then firmly closed the door that was usually left open.
With her back against the locked door, Mabel furrowed her brows at the mountain of potatoes that had been piled up.
“What should I do with this amount!”
Letting out a sigh, Mabel finally began preparing dinner.
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