Published: July 26, 2025
“Still, it’s really spacious, isn’t it?”
Lutz began exploring the director’s office with an excited expression. On the second floor were the master’s room, rooms for the female attendants who took care of daily needs, and a storage room.
Guild Master Gil was reluctant to enter, citing unfinished cleaning as the reason, but we decided to explore the first floor anyway. Just to the right after entering the director’s office was a door leading to four rooms for attendants and a storage room. The door on the left side of the hall connected to the kitchen, which was quite large—large enough for several chefs to use—and there was also a basement storage room.
“If we clean here, we could serve tea to visitors. We should prepare tea utensils, Myne-sama,” Fran said with satisfaction as she looked around the kitchen. But my eyes were fixated elsewhere. At the far end of the kitchen was something very similar to the oven we had at the Guild Master’s house.
“That’s an oven, right?”
“Of course a kitchen would have an oven, wouldn’t it?” Fran tilted her head and said. While an oven was a typical facility in the temple of the azure nobles, it was a rare and highly desired piece of equipment for us.
“Lutz! Oven found! We have to report to Master Benno!”
“Right!”
Lutz, who had been acting together with Benno and Mark for opening the Italian restaurant, also lit up and looked around the noble’s kitchen.
“Hey, Fran. Do you think we could clean this place and bring in some cooks?”
“Of course. It’s normal for blue shrine maiden apprentices to have cooks and helpers,” Fran replied.
As I mentally planned to raise cooks here and provide meals to the attendants and the orphanage, Fran tilted her head.
“Myne-sama, you didn’t bring any cooks today. What will you do about lunch?”
In the temple’s system, each blue priest had their own cook who prepared meals, and leftovers were passed down. Since I didn’t have a cook, eating lunch here by myself was impossible.
“Let’s eat out. Both of you, go change.”
“Change clothes?”
I went back upstairs and took out the cloth-wrapped bundles from the basket Lutz had carried. I placed them on the table and gently pushed them toward the two.
“These aren’t divine blessings from the gods but rewards I prepared to thank you both for all your hard work. These aren’t things to be shared with anyone else.”
“Thank you very much, Myne-sama.”
“Ah, really? Is it okay?”
Fran and Gil, with faces full of confusion, joy, and anticipation, carefully unwrapped the packages. They looked like children receiving presents for the first time. Then it struck me—they really were receiving presents for the first time. In the orphanage where everything was equal, presents probably were never distributed.
I had received presents at milestones like when I was first allowed to venture into the forest, during the baptism ceremony—even though we were poor, my parents gave me gifts at each important stage. Fran and Gil had never experienced that.
“…Hey, this is clothes, right?”
“Right. You’ll change into these and go outside.”
“Really!? I always wanted to go out once. I’ll change right away!”
Gil hugged the clothes tightly, his smile shining brighter than ever. He took big strides, almost hopping as he ran downstairs. Seeing Gil’s obvious joy in receiving clothes made me happy too, but I turned my gaze to Fran, who said nothing.
Fran quietly stared at the clothes spread on the table as if looking at something dazzling, her fingers gently tracing the embroidered edges. Her slow, savoring manner of happiness made me want to chuckle.
“Fran, can you change and show me?”
“!? Y-Yes, of course.”
Fran blushed at being watched and quickly went downstairs. Lutz and I quietly laughed at Fran’s rare flustered behavior—she was usually so composed.
“I’m glad they’re happy, Myne.”
“Yeah.”
After Lutz glanced downstairs, he lowered his voice.
“…But what did you mean by wanting to go outside once? This place is kinda weird, isn’t it?”