Published: July 26, 2025
As I was making handmade hair ornaments, I heard a gentle knocking at the front door.
After exchanging glances, Tulli went to check.
"Yes, who is it?"
"It's me, Lutz. I brought the hairpin parts."
"Got it. I'll open it now."
Tulli unlocked the door and opened it with a creak. Lutz came in, still shaking off snow that hadn't completely fallen off him, along with the chilly outdoor air.
"Wow, it looks cold."
"Is the blizzard bad?"
"The path to the well was pretty blocked, but it's better now."
Saying that, Lutz completely shook the snow off right after coming inside.
"Here are the hairpin parts. My brothers each made three, so there are nine in total."
Lutz laid the hairpin parts on the table. Seeing the line of hairpin pieces, Tulli stood up and brought over the completed ornament parts.
"Ah, then let's finish the ones that are ready, okay? That way, we'll know how many hairpin parts we're missing."
It seemed a lot had been done while I was bedridden with a fever. Looking at the decorations laid out on the table, I decided to test Lutz.
"There are 12 ornament parts, and you've brought 9 hairpin parts. How many hairpin parts are missing?"
"Huh? Uh, three."
"Correct. Good job. You're studying well. Tulli and Mom, please handle making the hair ornaments. I'll take care of Lutz's studies."
Noticing Lutz was carrying a bag containing a stylus and a calculator in his other hand, I said this.
Tulli blinked several times, then tilted her head.
"I heard he was doing calculations at the gate, but can he really be taught by Myne?"
"I can at least teach letters and arithmetic."
When I showed my slight pout at the lack of trust, Lutz chuckled beside me.
"Myne's great at letters and arithmetic. Well, her lack of strength is impressive too."
I wish he’d just stop at the first half of that.
No matter how much I glared at Lutz, both Mom and Tulli were smiling, so it was pointless.
Lutz took the stylus and slate from his bag, so I dashed to the bedroom to take out a notepad made by cutting usable parts from failed papers and charcoal pencils from my wooden box.
Under the pretense of teaching Lutz, I planned to continue making books.
Usually, it feels uncomfortable to slack off while Mom and Tulli are diligently working on handicrafts beside me, but if I teach Lutz while working on the books, since we're both writing, it wouldn't stand out much.
Alright, time to continue making books.
I write occasionally when I have free time, gradually compiling Mom’s bedtime stories into a notepad, but it’s still not enough to call it a book.
Carrying the notepad, charcoal pencils, slate, and stylus happily, I was heading back to the kitchen when I heard Mom’s voice.
"Hey, Lutz. Carla and the family are against you becoming a merchant, right? Are you okay with that?"
Caught off guard by the sudden serious topic, I tiptoed back to the kitchen, careful not to make a sound.
Next to Mom, Tulli was frozen, unable to move, and across from them Lutz looked tense and serious.
I sat beside Lutz, and Mom slowly exhaled, looking between Lutz and me before speaking.
"I wonder, could it be Myne's influence that made you want to become a merchant? Because Myne wanted to, and you, being kind and helpful, are just going along with it?"
"That's not true! I want to be a merchant, and I asked Myne to introduce me. I dragged Myne into this, Aunt."
Lutz denied immediately. Lutz wanted to become a traveling merchant, learned about citizenship, and decided to become a merchant on his own. Honestly, I had nothing to do with his decision.
Mom nodded slightly, quietly watching Lutz.
"I see. You want to be a merchant. But if you apprentice at the same place as Myne, you'll probably still try to look after her as before, right? Apprenticeships aren’t easy enough to work properly while distracted by taking care of Myne. If you focus on her care, your work will be half-hearted."
I could tell Mom’s advice hit Lutz hard. He gasped, surprised by her unexpected words, which I noticed sitting beside him.
Those words also pierced my own chest. Mom’s words weren’t wrong.