I stared at the two pieces of bread that had been served warm in front of me for two whole minutes.
For a while now, I couldn't stop thinking about how I would be sleeping tonight in the same tent, at the same time, and of course together with Kayo.
Maybe I had slept beside him before, but I couldn't remember that time at all anymore. Besides, that had already been left behind in the past.
If only Mother were here, I would definitely be able to ask her about all the things I had forgotten. But in a situation like this... there was no way I would ask Kayo.
I was far too embarrassed to ask him about that, and he would surely laugh after seeing my genuinely shocked reaction to the fact that I would be sleeping beside him.
Ever since we left that city, I had been thinking about far more things than I usually did.
Various memories had returned as well, although some of them weren't mine. Even now, I was still confused about this matter.
Seeing me sitting there in silence with an empty stare, Kayo placed one of his hands on my shoulder while looking at me warmly.
"What's wrong, Lin? Are you feeling unwell?"
"It's nothing. I just feel a little dizzy, but I'll be fine soon," I replied as I finally snapped out of my meaningless thoughts.
I picked up the bread and started eating it rather quickly, without even trying to enjoy its bland taste with every bite.
Even though this bread had been reheated using magic, it didn't affect its already bland flavor. I would probably feel sick if I had to eat this twice every day from now on.
I hoped we would arrive in Nakuso as soon as possible. Our lives would surely change and move in a better direction if we could get there.
That way, we could tell the people in Nakuso about that city so that they would begin to be more careful whenever they wanted to come to the continent of Londerg.
Brrr. A cold breeze blew gently toward me, causing my ears and tail to twitch immediately.
Could this be because I was wearing rather thin clothes? Lately, I had also been feeling a slight chill deep inside my body.
Sometimes, cold sweat would suddenly break out all over me, only for my body to become hot again before I even realized it. Don't tell me I'm suffering from some kind of illness?
After finishing my share of bread, I took a glass of water from Mayoi-san before excusing myself so that I could leave as soon as possible.
Oh right, I should say something to Kayo as well. He would definitely worry if I suddenly disappeared.
"Kayo, I'm heading back to the tent first, okay?"
"Yeah... that's fine. Oh, right, don't forget to wash yourself before going to sleep," he replied.
I simply nodded as I walked away from him, leaving behind everyone who was still gathered there, chatting with one another in that warm atmosphere.
For a moment, I felt Kayo's gaze on me as I became the first person to return to the tent. But when I turned around, I found him still chewing on his bread.
Maybe it was just my imagination...?
——
As soon as I arrived inside the tent, I immediately remembered what Kayo had said earlier. Before lying down on the cloth that had already been spread out, I needed to wash myself first.
Out of curiosity, I sniffed the sleeve of my clothes, and sure enough... it smelled rather damp after going unwashed for so long.
I took my towel and underwear before stepping out of the tent again to meet that person.
Yes, the person who could help me prepare some clothes. Besides that, she was also responsible for carrying clothes specifically for women. I was sure she could solve this problem.
I arrived near her tent and looked around in case she was outside, but my search yielded no results.
Because of that, I bent down and slowly opened the entrance to her tent, peeking inside as I spotted someone there.
"Oh, Lin? What brings you here?" the woman asked.
The mature-looking woman with orange hair was a tailor who had been working since I was still a child.
She was also the one who used to prepare clothes for my family, though she chose to quit that job once I reached my teenage years.
Because of that, I felt as though she had become part of my family. Likewise, she even called me by my real name.
I closed the entrance to her tent after crawling inside and knelt down in front of her so that we could speak more closely.
"Mayoi-san, do you have any clothes that would fit someone my size?" I asked, looking at her with hopeful eyes.
Her gaze swept over every piece of clothing I was currently wearing, including the spare clothes I had brought with me.
She cleared her throat as a small smile formed on her face. "Ohh~ I see. So, you want to look a little bolder, hmm~?" she said, teasing me.
My cheeks nearly turned red because of the tone of her voice, which was hitting my weak spot perfectly. I had no idea how I was still holding myself together.
"T-that's not what this is about! I want to change my old clothes. I haven't changed these clothes for several days now—"
Mayoi-san cut me off by raising her index finger as she stood in front of me, one hand resting on her waist.
"Yeah, yeah, I get what you mean. I was only joking earlier," she said as she walked toward another corner.
Anyone would know that was just a joke, right?!
She opened the bag in the corner of the tent, rummaging through it like a child trying to retrieve a toy that had gotten stuck in a gutter.
Not long afterward, she pulled out her hand while gripping a piece of cloth between her fingers. Mayoi-san turned around and showed it to me.
"Ta-da~ What do you think? Simple, but beautiful, right?"
It was a plain white dress with lace beneath the chest area and along the hem. Its sleeves were short and slightly puffed at the ends.
It was a simple dress, yet it looked rather pretty in my eyes.
"Want to try it on first?" Mayoi-san asked once again.
—
Without taking off my old clothes, I slipped the dress on with ease through the opening at the top.
As the fabric brushed past my nose, I caught a wonderfully pleasant scent, as though I were standing in a field full of blooming flowers.
It was calming, yet at the same time, it gave me a sense of just how important this dress was for it to carry such a fragrance.
"Wow~! Look at yourself now!"
"Wait, wait... There, take a look in the mirror."
Mayoi-san picked up a mirror from beside where she had been kneeling and propped it up against a pile of bags so that I could see my appearance.
...
...
Is that really me? Seriously? I had always thought that plain clothes like this would make me look boring... but this!
I couldn't stop moving around to see just how well the dress fit my body.
A joyful smile was clearly etched across my face, which was now glowing with delight.
"That dress still isn't complete if you're going to wear those wrinkled undergarments you brought with you."
I could only remain silent when she shifted the topic and began talking about my underwear. I waited patiently as she reached for something else.
"Here! A pair of undergarments that'll make you look like a grown woman!"
I froze, as motionless as water exposed to the freezing air of winter, shocked by what she was holding.
...My face quickly turned red before I even had the chance to think about what would happen next.
"W-What kind of underwear is that?! Besides, who would even want to wear something so embarrassing?!" I shouted, trying to deny her words.
Mayoi-san merely chuckled softly without attempting to respond to my objection. It was as if she was telling me to wear it without saying a single word.
"But, Lin... isn't it about time for you to be a little bolder? Am I right~?"
"Try thinking about these clothes again. I'm sure you'll feel comfortable wearing them after your bath. Pleeease~? Hmm?"
Ughh...
I lowered my head and imagined myself wearing them later.
Wait.
Wouldn't that mean I was indirectly accepting them?
"Fine, FINE! But only this once, okay—"
Mayoi-san immediately jumped from where she was and hugged me so tightly that my waist began to ache a little.
So... there's no escaping now, huh?