Chapter 5

This is the second chapter of today.

BAM!!

When a loud noise is followed by the sound of a child crying, it’s a given that the adults will be startled.

“‘Aishe!!’”

Uncle Rodin and Link rushed over from the workshop.

“Aishe!? Aishe, what’s wrong!?”

Even Mother Rose, who was supposed to be bedridden, rushed in.

As for me,

I had fallen to the floor along with the chair I was trying to climb, and the impact was severe. Of course, I hit my knees and hands on the floor, but I also hit my chest on the fallen chair, making it hard to breathe. I lay there, trembling, next to the chair.

Seeing me in such a state, Link, who had turned pale, slowly picked me up and let me lean on him. Uncle Rodin, who also looked pale, took a deep breath and gently placed his right hand on my body. Then, a faint white light enveloped me.

“—No bones are broken. …Ah. You hit your chest, didn’t you? It must have been hard to breathe. …Here.”

Gently. This time, a soft purple light, tinged with golden particles, was released from Uncle Rodin’s hand and entered me.

When you hit your chest, it can be hard to breathe, even if it’s not for long.

In my previous life, I had fallen and hit my chest in a similar way.

My previous family was a farming household. There was a task called "rice drying," where wooden poles were arranged in a triangle, and rice was hung to dry.

During this task, I fell and hit my chest on the horizontal poles at the bottom, which made it hard to breathe and caused panic.

—It’s hard to describe, but it’s very painful.

When I thought that my chest was warming up through Uncle Rodin’s hand, the pain gradually subsided.

“Waaaaah!”

When I could breathe again, I felt relieved and—naturally—started crying.

After all, it was scary and painful.

“It’s okay, it’s okay. If you can cry, you’re fine. —Sister, could you hold Aishe? It’s more comforting for a mother to hold her.”

“Of course. Aishe, it must have hurt. But you’re okay now.”

When Mother hugged me, I felt even more relieved.

My beloved Mother.

With her straight silver hair and beautiful purple eyes, Mother, who had a youthful appearance when I first met her, had grown into a calm and beautiful adult woman.

Mother gently stroked my back, and at the same time, a warm light entered me.

It was Mother’s healing light.

It was very similar to Uncle Rodin’s healing light.

With both of them using their healing abilities, the pain in my hands and feet gradually disappeared.

I was startled.

I had heard that using healing abilities when one’s own condition is poor can put even more strain on the body.

So I was worried about Mother. I didn’t want my beloved Mother to feel unwell because of me.

Mother, are you still sick? I asked with my eyes, and Mother smiled with her beautiful face.

“My cold is already gone. I rested for a night, so I’m fine, Aishe. But it’s more painful for me to see Aishe in pain.”

She said this and hugged me tightly.

I love Mother. When I pressed my head against her, Mother laughed softly.

Mother glanced at Uncle Rodin.

“—By the way, Rodin. Is Aishe still without breakfast at this hour?”

“Ah, sorry…”

Seeing the pot of soup left over from breakfast, Mother, who is usually gentle, spoke in a strong tone.

Uncle Rodin and Link looked uncomfortable.

“It’s more like lunch time now.”

“Sorry. We were talking about work and completely forgot.”

“Don’t be so oblivious. Work is important, but you should also keep Aishe in mind.”

Uncle Rodin and Link hung their heads in shame for leaving me hungry, not noticing when I left the workroom, and causing me pain as a result.

“Aishe, I’m sorry. You were hungry, right?”

“My tummy is empty.”

“Yeah, you said that. I’m sorry.”

Recalling our conversation when I woke up, Link had a “I messed up” expression.

On the edge of the table, there was a dried-out loaf of bread from the day before yesterday.

Uncle Rodin, seeing the containers of salt and sugar and the bottle of oil on the floor, tilted his head and put them back on the table.

“Here, have some fresh bread. I’ll spread butter on it.”

Link said this, took butter from the refrigerator, and spread it on the bread.

When I started living here, I was surprised to find that this world also had refrigerators.

They seemed to be expensive and only found in wealthy households, but this house, where the children of a viscount and an earl lived, had one.

He also took out cold milk and poured it into a glass for me.

I was grateful.

After watching me take a bite of the buttery bread, Link went back to the workroom where Deek was still left.

The dining room now had only me, Mother Rose, and Uncle Rodin.

“So, what is this?”

Uncle Rodin, stirring the soup on the stove, picked up the rusks I had made.

“I was hungry, so I made them.”

“You made them?”

“Yes. The hard bread wasn’t tasty, so I put oil and sugar on it.”

Uncle Rodin nodded, understanding why the bottle of oil and the containers of seasonings were on the floor in front of the toaster.

“Did you bake the hard bread again?”

I nodded while chewing.

“They were tasty.”

Seeing my confident nod, Uncle Rodin asked,

“Can I try some?”

I nodded, and Mother Rose’s voice brightened.

“Oh, I’d like to try what Aishe made too.”

“Yes, please.”

I reached out and gave the sugared rusks to both of them.

Uncle Rodin took a bite of the rusk I made, and then Mother did too.

The sound of crunching.

Then, Uncle Rodin and Mother gradually widened their eyes.

“Delicious…”

“Oh! It’s so good! It’s like a dessert, even though it’s bread!”

“The flavor of the oil is also great… and the salt is delicious too!”

Yeah, it’s delicious, isn’t it?

I’m happy they said it was delicious.

“Even better with butter.”

I’m the one who tastes Mother’s cooking.

We often cook together, so everyone knows I have a good sense of taste.

“Yes! I’d like to try it with butter too!”

—A few moments later.

“It’s so delicious…”

Deek, the baker, was so moved that he closed his eyes and looked up to the sky.

After that, we called Deek to the kitchen and started making various rusk samples with the hard bread he brought.

With just butter.

With sugar.

With garlic flavor.

With honey.

With various oils.

Of course, the flavor specifications were mine.

Since we were making several types, we started cutting them into long strips halfway through to make them easier to eat.

“The one made with molasses is the best! It has a deep, rich flavor!”

Deek, with flushed cheeks, was jumping up and down.

Hmm. He’s the type who expresses his emotions physically.

I’m happy he’s so honest in his praise.

Molasses, in my previous life, is the raw material for brown sugar. It’s a byproduct of refining white sugar from the plant, and it’s black and syrupy. It has a strong flavor, so people either love it or hate it, but it’s rich in minerals and nutrients.

And since molasses is a byproduct, it’s relatively inexpensive.

Deek, with a sparkling face, held up the plate of rusks as if offering it to a god.

I was holding the rusks in an empty bottle, tied with a cute ribbon, feeling satisfied, when Uncle Rodin said,

“Alright. Let’s apply for the recipe registration.”

“Yes.”

Link nodded, and Deek also nodded vigorously.

“Eh?!”

Surprised, I was left behind as the rusks were quickly turned into a product.

Thank you for reading.

The part about the rice drying is based on my real-life experience (−_−；)

Please be careful not to fall.