The first bite I took was rock solid, my fork broke into it—crumbling most of it—in comparison to that of Edward and Katherine whose forks floated through it.
I was unable to taste the intended taste, conquered by the overwhelming burn that lingered on my tongue.
"...So what do you think...?" She asked me, slightly hiding behind the couch as she held her hands.
I told her the complete truth—my truth.
"This is the best cake I've ever eaten! So please make it again next time—okay?"
"Okay~!" She jumped into my arms, and sat down next to me, reaching for my plate.
Her reaction was instant after a small bite.
Her lips had turned upside down, with her eyes narrowing together as they stared at me.
"You liar! This is nasty... bleh~!" She threw multiple punches at my shoulder.
"I swear it! I bet even Katherine, Edward and Albert will like it... right?" I hid a slight grin while meeting their eyes.
"Yes it will surely be amazing!" Katherine took my plate, and took a bite as well.
"..."
"It's really great!" She showed a smile bigger than she normally would as she passed it on to Albert.
"..."
"Mim, you listened well." A slight smile appeared on his otherwise unreadable face.
"Here try it sir."
Edward directly took a bite and said,
"I really like it Mim, good job!" He also showed a smile.
Edward might be the most unreadable in this room...
"Really... everybody likes it..." She said, holding my sleeve.
"Yes, it's really great... you just don't have an adult taste like us yet..." I said.
"Adult?" All three of them reacted.
"You need to wait a few more years, before you can say that, and even then I would not acknowledge you as one—boy," Edward said.
"I completely agree," Katherine added.
Albert nodded with each word they said.
"...It was still amazing!" I said, keeping my smile up.
All three broke out in laughter after seeing me, leaving Mim to look around in confusion once again.
We continued to sit in that room, talking to one another, and refusing the cake Edward and Katherine wanted to give me—what Mim made was enough for me.
Afterwards Albert did tell me that he made some for me as well, but he didn't want to tell me next to Mim.
We ate our dinner before we went to bed, having decided that we shouldn't ask Mim about school yet—waiting for us to understand it all a bit more.
Along with that I also said that I will sleep with Mim until she gets independent enough, or after she heals.
Both of them agreed with me, understanding my choice.
As we both lay in bed, being taken in by the silence around us, we both fell asleep—unable to remember who it was who fell asleep first.
I heard the early chirpings with the first rays that reached my eyes, waking up surrounded by silence, even before Albert.
I wanted to stay in bed for a bit longer, but I knew that I could not afford to do that yet.
I got up—my sword to my side—and went to the inner yard and started swinging my sword, trying to remember what Edward did before as well.
Create don't imitate... move your surroundings along with you...
Watching Edward in a fight made what I had to do clearer as I deflected,
I need to generate essence before I can strike back...
But it was impossible.
While I understood the way my body had to move, I couldn't understand and see what Edward meant.
Everything has its essence, right... While understanding that part, it was still unclear to me.
"Tjer, come eat with us." Edward had walked over to me seeing me through the windows, while walking past it.
"I'm coming."
Maybe it's easier to think on a full stomach...
I walked over to the dining room.
Mim was left asleep, knowing that we shouldn't wake her up.
We sat there—just the three of us, only the sound of chewing filled the room, with some sighs filling the gaps in—we had just woken up after all.
"And are you getting the hang of the technique?" Edward asked me having emptied his mouth of bread.
"Maybe... I'm not sure actually." I had to hold my sigh in.
"I get what you mean, but I am sure you will be able to progress quickly. I believe in it."
"Thank you... I just need to understand the words you said that time..."
"That is the most important part—the first step, which is also the jump into the deep."
"But like I said, you will be fine, after all your understanding of essence is a lot better than most—without even truly learning it is especially strange... that just goes to show how talented you are. "
"Honey just eat..."
"Sorry Tjer, he is just rambling on like a maniac," Katherine said, wiping her eyes as she interrupted him.
We knew that Ryan would come check up in around three hours, with Edward leaving after he spoke to Ryan.
The time we had left made us eat calmly, with some conversations that bloomed forth.
This is nice... I looked at the fork I held.
...My understanding of essence... The silence left me alone with my thoughts.
The words Edward told me, made me realize something.
I am a phony.
This is all because of T isn't it... The fork kept hanging for longer than normally in my mouth.
Maybe I should ask for his help once again.
'T...'
'Yes, what is it?'
'You heard my thoughts right?'
'...no... no I didn't.'
'I've been unable to do so for a while already...'
'What!? Since when...?'
'...'
'When my essence started to grow a bit...'
'...W-when was this...?'
'...Sometime in the day you arrived here... But one thing I remember clearly is—'
'Eden the wise.'