Aether exhaled deeply while sinking into the bed's thick cotton, mind still unlocking from sleep.
The distant clang of metal brought to mind the cooks' ongoing work in the kitchens downstairs, eager to please the inn's patrons with a hearty breakfast. This effort was made more obvious still by the smell of garlic that wafted in despite the shut door of the compact yet comfortable room.
It had been very boring after breakfast yesterday, with both Amber and Noelle nowhere to be found. After some consideration, he had figured it was best to just book the expensive inn and cry about the devastating financial loss later.
The bed rustled as Paimon continued to wrestle fiercely with the Sumerian tiger stuffed toy in front of where Aether laid on the bed. The thing was inaccurately colored black in what must have been a hare-brained attempt to complement the dark, almost black wood of the rest of the room.
"You purposefully misleading pile of fluff! Paimon's gonna make you meet your maker!"
Paimon became incensed by the poor thing the moment they'd checked in. As Teyvat travel guide, she couldn't stomach the inaccuracy, and minutes earlier, resolved to beat the living daylight out of it to show it was made as cheaply as its color job was.
He sat up on the bed, half to get a clearer view of the match and half not to get caught in the crossfire as Paimon raged at fluff.
"Hyaa!" She launched a flurry of punches onto the stuffed tiger before working her wings to drag it up into the air. With a deep breath, she threw it with a force that sent it bouncing twice over the bed before crashing face down onto Aether's lap.
Head physically spinning, she crashed down onto her belly herself.
She panted. "Did Paimon… prove her point?"
"You sure showed him."
No, he looked practically untouched. Too bad for her, but Aether was not feeling like paying for a replacement.
She rolled onto her stomach with a groan. "When's breakfast…?"
"Soon is my guess."
He laid back down onto his pillow. Soon he hoped, too. Just remembering last night's dinner was sending his stomach to a growl. Creamy mushroom pizza, cheese hot and bubbly… The experience was still fresh in his mind.
It had been the highlight of the afternoon. He'd spent most of yesterday in his inn room, intermittently napping and swinging his sword. All quite boring. He had much rather have been out and about with Noelle, though he understood he'd only just made the offer to tutor her and she probably still had to set out time in advance to meet him.
He rolled over onto his stomach and ran his hands across his pillow, full and plush with cotton. "If I ever settle here in Teyvat, I want to know who makes these pillows… So soft…"
"Ahem! And who was the one who pushed you to buy the room when you were saying it was overpriced?"
Someone thought herself quite superior now.
Aether turned over, frowning at Paimon. "It's still overpriced, I counted how much Mora we lost, it was—"
"That's right, me!"
He sighed. The bedding, at least, was comfy, and the room was homey. He couldn't in good conscience be anything less than grateful she convinced him.
"Alright, fine. The room was worth it. But if we stay here for too long, we're going to go broke, so enjoy it while you can."
"Aw, don't tell me we're camping out! Let's take a break from the wilderness this time…"
He frowned. "Remind me who called me a lazy adventurer again?"
Thump, thump..
A knock sounded on the door. Soft, it sounded somewhat hesitant.
It was strange for the staff not to ring the bell like they had last night, but whatever floated their boat. It was their establishment after all.
He stood up from the bed and turned the door handle. The frame gave way to Noelle standing center-view outside, in the narrow, dark-wooden hallway overlooking the downward staircase.
She appeared oblivious to the door being open as she adjusted the paper rose that decorated her right ear. Her brows furrowed deeply as she squinted at the object of her task.
The door creaked as he brought it further open. She shook in place, eyes shooting wide and meeting his.
She grinned at him and in a second, picked up the pace of her adjusting work. Within a second, her hands—and the rose ornament—were a literal blur.
…Uhm, how..?
Within a second, her hands reappeared at her sides, the paper rose now not an inch out of place.
"Ahem," she cleared her throat, "I'm sorry you had to see that, Honorary Knight… It just wouldn't stop coming off on the way here. I've been having trouble with it all morning."
Yet now she'd done and fixed the problem in the matter of a second. If nothing else, this girl had a talent for being unknowingly brilliant in the heat of the moment.
"Don't worry about it, it happens," he waved it off. "What brings you here?"
"Well, I asked around, and was told I could find you here…"
She fidgeted with her hands.
"Uhm, I hope you're not busy… I'd love to try and train with you today, if it's alright."
She looked away with a shy smile.
He smiled. "Not just alright, I'd love to. We can start right after breakfast if it's good with you."
"Of course! I haven't eaten breakfast either, we can meet up later at…"
Her face lit up. "Oh, we could eat together! I… I have some ingredients to spare, I could cook for the both of us—"
She flinched, something seeming to dawn on her, and shrank on her feet.
"Oh, I… how silly of me," she grinned, "The cooks were working hard downstairs just now… you must be looking forward to breakfast here already. I won't intrude, I'll just go home and we can meet at—"
"No, no! Really, they charge extra if you eat the breakfast they offer, so if anything, my wallet's glad you came in time, and well…"
She looked to him again, smile wide and eyes sparkling—happy emerald gemstones.
Maybe his smile was wider than hers.
"…And well… I'd really love to."
"Oh, Honorary Knight, really? This is…"
Her back bowed to bring her gaze to the floor as she covered her mouth with her hands.
"I-I'm sorry. This is all rather surreal, for someone so respected by everyone in the Knights like you to… well, to want to be at table with a simple maid… M-Make no mistake though, I'm honored!"
"I should be the one who's honored. It's not everyday someone offers to cook you a nice meal, you know."
She shook her head. "No, please—I figured I might as well treat you, since I'd be imposing on your free time probably most days you'll be staying here. It would only be fair."
"We could train every day if you wanted, actually," he shrugged. "I mean it. I mean, you've been wanting that for a while now, it seems, so I feel I owe it to you."
Noelle gaped, eyes a glimmer. "You… That—That's great! I'll…"
She looked sharply over her shoulder down at her feet, leaving her voice to trail. She'd started standing on her toes—while in metal heels, mind you—and had somehow managed not to trip over.
With a cough, she brought herself back to ground. "Sorry—I'll… well, I won't disappoint you, Honorary Knight."
She looked over her shoulder to the hallway beyond. "It'll just be a short walk from here to the inn I'm staying at… If you'd just follow me."
Aether nodded, and he and Paimon followed Noelle through the hallway and down the stairs.
Paimon put her head to Aether's ear. "Paimon demands a forty percent cut."
"Twenty percent, and not a bite more. Being the smaller creature, you have the smaller stomach. And that being the case… smaller needs."
She opened her mouth, but he crossed his arms and looked away.
Nope. He was not taking any complaints.
Noelle led them out of the inn and across the street, a slight bounce in her step.
He couldn't help but smile. It was endearing how excited she was about the opportunity to eat with him.
Being honest, he was excited too. Besides having impressing him, she had a pleasant way about her. It would certainly be nice if, besides helping her along her way, he and her could be friends.
What better time-tested way was there to start along that path than by a chat over breakfast?
"Oh, you… And what are you smiling about, hm?" Paimon growled, floating close to his ear. "You're in the middle of ruining Paimon's breakfast with your stingy attitude."
"Twenty percent is how much you usually eat when we have to share meals. You can't fault me for being consistent and not overfeeding you."
She crossed her arms and pouted her lips.
He raised a brow. "You seem to be in an especially foul mood today."
"Paimon's anger at that inaccurate stuffed toy knows no end."
He shook his head. "...We can buy the thing, if you really want."
"As if Paimon would ever... Wait, really?!"
"I'm sure we can. I'll have to ask the receptionist later."
"Yes! And let Paimon bring it with her!"
"You bet," he said.
"Woohoo!" She performed a little dance in the air.
He smiled. So much for her act of indignant travel guide. She just wanted an excuse to hug the darned thing… or did she warm up to the thing, despite its flaws?
Noelle stopped in front of Aether, drawing his eyes to what lay in front of them.
Sure enough, it was a Mond inn. An inn unfortunately familiar—it was outwardly pleasant, with the standard characteristics of a Mondstadt building, but the faint yet foul smell reminiscent of dung crept into his nostrils, betraying outward appearance.
Noelle looked back to him. In a panic, he quickly set his mouth into a purse-lipped smile, and she smiled back obliviously.
"We're here..." she said, "I just have to get the ingredients from my room, then I can ask the owner if I can use the stove."
...Couldn't they go to the Headquarters and use the kitchen there? He was sure they wouldn't mind...
He opened his eyes wide as he realized Noelle was waiting on him for an answer.
"Oh, yes, of course," he said, immediately gritting his teeth at how awkwardly he'd put it.
He followed Noelle as she entered into the inn, already setting his jaw tight so as to betray at all costs any reaction to the inn.
Restraint, restraint… Good conversation would surely flush out the dreadful smell, and if not that, the smell of fresh food, for sure.
…Goodness, with the things he'd been coming across as of late he almost wished he'd been born without a nose. Hopefully breakfast would make him reconsider.
They emerged into a shabby lobby. The white paneling of some of the walls was chipped, and the brown wood of the floor showed its fair share of scratches, but save for that, it was clean. No hint of what was causing that awful smell.
He was sorry to dwell on that final point, and maybe his hyper-fixation on it exaggerated how bad it was, but it was hard to ignore.
Noelle closed the door behind them, and from a counter on the other end of the room a man called out to her with a friendly grin.
She waved back with a smile and turned to Aether. "That's the owner, Joseph. He's very nice. He lets me use the stove to cook my breakfast. I sometimes see his wife and daughter running around too—they seem very loved."
She glanced at the stairs. "Oh, sorry I rambled. Could you come up with me upstairs?"
Aether smiled. "Of course."
Ramble or not, it was sweet for her to be so complementary of the man. He was sure the guy was nice.
Hopefully he would take care of that smell sometime, though.
Aether and Noelle went up the stairs and walked down a bare wooden hall until they reached a door. With a steel key Noelle unlocked the padlock on the handle and went in before Aether.
Aether passed a brief glance at Paimon, who grimaced as she pinched her nose. He glared: she could have at least tried not to look bothered.
He entered after Noelle and shut the door. The room was small, the floorboards of grayish wood still shining faintly as though recently garnished. Noelle stood by a desk by the window on which rested potted flowers and rose potpourri, eying a wind chime hanging from the window frame that faintly swayed but not to the point of sounding.
The room, in far contrast to the rest of the place, had a pleasant smell. Hints of indeterminate assorted flowers flanked a dominant powdery rose aroma, fresh and prominent yet not so strong as to irritate the nose.
Noelle moved to look between some five paper bags sitting on her rose red bed, revealing behind where she had stood a clear bottle of pink perfume—likely the cause of the pleasant olfactory atmosphere along with the potpourri.
She had good taste in aromas, that was for sure. And Teyvat thank their gods she did. Could they eat here, and not… out there?
"The salary I have as a maid isn't much, but it's enough that I've been able to keep this room rented for myself," Noelle said, paper bag rustling faintly as she fished into it.
"You take very good care of it," he said, giving the room another once-over. "How long have you stayed here?"
"About... two years now. I used to live out at a farm with my family. It's far out from here, but there's an outpost of Knights near there. I always used to see them pass by and sometimes check in and see if everything was alright at the farm."
She turned around, two paper bags in hand.
"Sorry for rambling again." She held up the bags. "I've got our ingredients."
"No harm done." He wouldn't even be completely opposed if instead of training, she just talked about herself all morning. How in Teyvat did someone as small as her lift up a grown, comatose man? It made his mind turn.
She smiled and averted her gaze, then led him and Paimon downstairs. She approached Joseph at the counter and spoke in a hushed voice. He smiled widely with an 'of course', at which she nodded her head and she laid her bags on a countertop near the stove sitting behind the counter.
She took two heads of lettuce in hand and looked to Aether. "Oh, you can sit down if you like. I'll be cooking my salad first. I wouldn't want for you to have to wait on me to whip it up and have your pancakes cold."
"Of course, of course," he said, and he took the nearest seat to the counter, at a small round wooden table for three.
"Paimon doesn't need a seat," Paimon said, eying one of the empty chairs.
Oh, right. Ah, but how not to look like an idiot?
"You will when you collapse into a food coma."
"Food coma? That sounds scary..."
"It is. And that's why you are not going to steal my food behind my back again."
"Hey, Paimon has never..!"
"Oh, that's what I thought, but your cheeks have looked puffier lately. I make sure to only share you food according to your dietary needs, so that implies you've been sneaking bites behind my back…"
"There is no way you've been that thorough!"
"I haven't." He grinned shamelessly.
She shook her fist with gritted teeth, then flew to where Noelle worked at the stove.
Aether set his sword on the table. If it was getting slightly on in years—chipped here, irreparably stained there, and a tad dull by any self-respecting swordsmith's standards—he could always count on it looking sufficiently battle-hardened to scare off anyone trying to steal his table away from him.
That was a real risk because when the alternative was dozing off in a dubious-smelling mess hall doing nothing, he could bet he'd be watching Noelle cook the whole time.
He went to the small cooking area past the counter. Noelle regarded him with a smile and a nod as she continued her work.
Her hands were quick as she set lettuce and tomatoes onto the cutting board and cut thoroughly; quicker still as she carefully placed the cut portions in neat array onto a plate, and atop the finished dish poured a small portion of dressing. She'd not so much taken a breather or had to swear at a mistake, the whole thing done in a few minutes.
Not wasting a breath, she set her finished plate of salad aside and measured out into wooden bowls what she needed out of a bag of flour, a few jars of milk, a carton of eggs, cream, chocolate, and some assorted ingredients Aether had no clue of and had no business trying to name.
"You're an efficient worker," he hummed. "I might take longer making salad because I didn't have the dressing made in advance, or have to get a surface I can cut the food on."
"Really?" Noelle laughed. "I think everybody makes mistakes like those, even when they've been cooking for a while. I know I do, though I do try to keep the pace." She poured all the ingredients into a single bigger bowl and began to mix them together with a twig whisk.
Even then, somehow the way she went about the process seemed ever so slightly more efficient than he was used to seeing. "Caught you on a good day, then?"
"Well, you won't know that until you've tried the food! Uhm… being time-efficient doesn't necessarily mean good food on its own, of course…"
"But it does say something about how experienced you are, doesn't it? And that bodes well."
Her face beamed with a smile and hint of red flush as she whisked the ingredients together vigorously. "Oh, Honorary Knight… I'll just have to make sure this round of pancakes is the best it can be, if you expect that highly of me."
Soon enough, the batter was mixed, half of it poured into a single round construct of butter in the frying pan, the hot, somewhat sweet scent emanating as the cake settled on the pan giving the impression this batch would be the best it could be.
"Mmmm…" Aether mumbled as he and Paimon caught whiffs of the kitchen aroma almost in unison. It wouldn't be long until it faded away for the smell of the inn again, so they surely were of one mind that it was best to suck as much as they could up before it was all gone.
"They should sell perfume that smells like how it smells while you're cooking…" Paimon frothed at the mouth.
"Wouldn't that be torture, though? Always smelling food, almost ready to be thrown out of the pan and onto a plate… food that never comes."
"Ooh, good point. Okay, Paimon will just stick to tagging along whenever Noelle's cooking, then!"
"Oh, you," Noelle smiled. "Well, I'd be happy to have such a bundle of joy around to watch me cook." She flipped the pancakes over. "You could taste-test for me too!"
Paimon clapped her hands. "Sign Paimon up!"
Aether shook his head. "Don't give her any ideas. She'll throw me to the wolves for a new cushy job in the Knights' kitchen at this rate."
"Hey, what do you take Paimon for?! At most it would be a… part-time thing."
A thud erupted from the direction of the entrance, prompting Paimon to scream. There appeared Barbara, who appeared to catch her breath there some seconds before dashing for Joseph at the counter.
"B-Barbara!" Joseph cried. "A star like you, in our establishment… I should have fast-tracked the wall panel repairs—"
"S-Sorry, I'm just here to see Noelle! This is really important, I need to—"
She stopped as she caught sight of Noelle and the group, and made a beeline for them, vaulting over the counter.
"Noelle! Noelle… I…"
Barbara doubled over and clutched her knees. Her skin was flushed, her pigtails uneven with rampant split ends.
"Deep breaths, Barbara, deep breaths," Noelle intoned, placing a hand on Barbara's back.
"It's okay, I—I think I'm fine now. Ah, that smells great…"
She shot up. "Right! Oh, I really, really, really need a favor! You know how I usually have breakfast pretty early?"
Noelle nodded.
"Well, I overslept, agh! And if I don't eat now, I'll be breaking the fast I'm supposed to observe for one hour before the morning service at the Cathedral! So I'd really appreciate…"
"Barbara, there's no need to trouble your friend!" Joseph cried from the front counter. "I've got some smoked meat here that'll fill you up right quick, no need to cook."
"Sorry sir, I'm all out of Mora—thank you though!"
She looked to Noelle, hands clasped. "Pretty please?"
Noelle looked to the pancakes in the pan, then to Aether. "Honorary Knight, Paimon, would it be alright for you to share? I'm… afraid I don't have enough ingredients to spare right now to make any extra…"
"Fine with us," Aether waved it off.
"It pains Paimon, but what Barbara needs is more important."
"Thank you two," Noelle smiled.
Barbara fell on her knees. "Oh, thank you," she heaved out. "They should make you a Knight already, Noelle, you're indefectable—no, in…delible? In—"
"Indispensable?" Aether offered tentatively.
"Yes, that's it. Oh, why oh why did I try to follow Sister Rosaria when she snuck off late at night? She was so fast, I ended up just getting lost in the city for hours…"
"Oh, dear," Noelle frowned as she continued minding the pan. "I hope you didn't get hurt."
"Thank Lord Barbatos I didn't. But it took me a long while to get back to the Cathedral, so I barely got any sleep… Lord Barbatos, I need some grape juice…"
Deaconess Barbara, driven to drink. Well, fruit juice, but times were still strange.
Within a minute, the pancakes were done, and it was a few more minutes of work for Noelle to finalize the dish, topping each pancake with cream and chocolate—the topmost with an adorable little strawberry on cream and a square grid of chocolate. She separated the bottom pancake onto another plate and decorated it like the top proper, then handed it to Barbara.
"Thank you, Noelle, who knows what I would've done without you? I…"
Barbara ran off to the owner. "Innkeeper sir, I'll return this plate right after morning service, I promise! And since I couldn't pay you, I'd be happy to perform here for all of you later in the evening, if it's all right with you."
"Oh, but Barbara, this establishment is too small for someone like you, I couldn't…"
"No, please, I'll be really disappointed if I can't. You have the kindest residents, really." She winked Noelle's way.
"…Alright, then. I'll let everyone know. Thank you, Barbara."
She waved Noelle, Aether, and Paimon goodbye with a flourish before heading out with plate in hand.
"Thank Barbatos…" Joseph muttered loud enough for them all to hear as he laid his head on the counter a good few steps away.
"Looks like someone unintentionally did someone a huge favor," Aether grinned.
Noelle shrank on her feet. "Oh, I wouldn't call it that. I'm just glad Barbara is helping Joseph out. Someone as popular as Barbara coming here is sure to make a difference."
She looked off to the table Aether reserved and picked up the plate of the two remaining pancakes. "Ready to eat? These won't be as warm for long!"
Aether grinned. "In that case, we'd better get to it."
They made their way to the table, Aether and Paimon with their pancake in tow and Noelle with her salad. Aether laid his plate beside his sword and took a seat in front of his food as Noelle put her salad on the table. Paimon floated beside him, licking her lips with a smile.
A light growl emitted from his stomach, and he took his spoon and fork with eyes glued to the pancake, excellently decorated if he said so himself.
He looked to Noelle. She remained standing, gaze fixed and widened upon his sword on the table.
Oops.
He nabbed the ugly thing away in an instant. "You probably don't want this old thing on the table while you're trying to eat. My bad."
Noelle laughed lightly as she sat down opposite Aether. "Why would you think that, Honorary Knight? That's your famous 'Dull Blade', isn't it? I couldn't resist admiring it."
Aether furrowed his brows. "…Admire it?"
It was about the most bog-standard sword there was, one in terrible shape, at that!
"Well, yes!" she insisted, taking hold of spoon and fork. "All of us are in awe of how you defeated Stormterror with such an ordinary sword. The bards all sing stanzas about how bright and radiant the weapons of Mondstadt's ancient heroes were… yet there you came, saving our skins with a sword Wagner could smith in an afternoon! You don't know how inspiring that is to so many people."
Fame was a funny thing for the famous—something they hardly even thought about could easily and irreparably be transformed into a wellspring of inspiration for strangers. Now Aether was hero of the poor aspiring adventurers of Mondstadt…
He scratched at the back of his head with a grin, unsure what exactly to say to that. "Well… I'm happy to hear that."
A sharp growl rang out beside Aether—turning, he saw Paimon, sad eyes not parting from their shared portion. He rushed out a whispered 'sorry' and cut his pancake in half with his fork, with which he divided the strawberry on top between the two portions.
He had to renege on the twenty-percent deal… he'd be heartless to have Paimon eat less than a quarter of a pancake.
She cheered with a pirouette in the air, then ripped herself a small piece of pancake to eat.
Cutting a small piece for himself too, he leaned into the table, a conspiratorial smile flashing Noelle's way.
"Paimon can only handle a certain amount of pre-meal chatter reliably. Longer than thirty seconds and it's a one in four chance she speaks up and demands that everyone quiet down and start digging in. We're lucky the growl came in before that—"
"Ahhhh, sho good!" Paimon screamed.
"This is the second day in a row. Don't eat with your mouth full," Aether sighed.
Noelle laughed. "I guess I'll have to adjust whenever I get to eat with you two then. Eat first, chat away later."
"No… please don't. That's how it is with me and Paimon already, and I don't want to force you to adjust for her. I already have my ways of keeping her content when we eat with others that I'd be more than happy to use for you."
"Oh? What would those be?"
"…Three chicken skewers or so are very useful for freeing up, oh… five minutes of chat before lunch proper?"
Noelle looked to a preoccupied Paimon with a grin as she brought a fork of lettuce and tomato up to her mouth. "I'll be sure to prepare some pretty treats for her beforehand then, if we get to eat like this again."
He grinned. Following her, he brought the piece of pancake into his mouth. He started to chew, slowly, and—how was it so soft?
It was softer than any sponge cake he'd ever tasted, and lighter than… well, it was probably the lightest bit of food he'd ever felt come into his mouth. The warm chocolate and cool whipped cream lather perfectly amplified the mildly sweet base, and the whole thing lingered pleasantly in his taste buds after he came to a swallow.
If they got to eat together again? He hoped they would.
The sound of tiny footsteps approached hurriedly with a slight echo, delivering a little girl with black hair and a long and loose blue nightgown to Aether, Noelle, and Paimon. She carried a wooden tray of three simply cut glasses of water that wobbled slightly in her arms as she looked between the three with wide eyes.
"Um, you're the ones Papa said just sat down, right? Do… do you need water?"
Noelle stood up from her chair, extending her arms and smiling down at the girl. "Oh yes, Marta, thank you so much! It's great you're helping out your dad a lot now."
Marta handed Noelle the tray. "It's a bit hard to carry the trays with lots of stuff on them, but I think I've gotten strong enough to hold drinks easily."
Noelle distributed the glasses between the three of them at table then handed the tray back to Marta. "You're such a dutiful young lady. Maybe in a year or two you'll be helping your pa with the ledgers." She chuckled as Marta looked down at her toes.
"…Numbers are hard. Maybe not that soon... But if you say so, Miss Noelle, then maybe I can."
She ran off toward the far-off front counter where Joseph now stood, accompanied by a dark-haired woman heavily resembling her. She crashed into the woman who flinched ever so slightly before wrapping her around in an embrace.
Noelle looked off toward there with an open smile. "They're such an adorable little family, aren't they?"
Aether took a sip of water. "I hope they have a long and happy life together."
The three dug into their meals heartily. Noelle's face brightened in a blissful smile as she chipped at her salad, while Aether and Paimon stole away conservative pieces at a time with the aim of enjoying their pancake as much as possible—they only had one, after all.
Oddly, Aether didn't notice the smell of the inn at all since they'd sat down to eat—in fact, as he took in a whiff of the air to check, the same rosy scent of Noelle's room came back into focus. Had they left the door open? Er, not that he was complaining—please, whoever was upstairs, never shut the door.
Noelle stood up with a slight frown, wiping her mouth with a napkin. "My apologies, Honorary Knight—I'll need to use the washroom a moment."
Aether nodded. "It's no problem, don't worry."
She made off at a somewhat heightened pace. With her, the scent left.
Ah, so she'd been wearing the perfume. That made more sense.
He cupped his chin in his hand as he took another bite of pancake to chew on, eyes lingering on the path she tread for the lavatory.
She must've put it on while he and Paimon were dilly-dallying outside her room. Why she did he couldn't wrap his head around—a hefty day of going out under the sun surely awaited them, after all.
Though he wasn't complaining. For however long it would last, the pretty scent would suit someone like her. Her personality was just as pleasant, after all, to say the least of the rose motif it looked as though she was cultivating. It was enough that he could almost entertain the thought that…
COUGH, COUGH COUGH!
He had to bend down sharply as he hacked involuntarily at the morsel's sudden passing down his esophagus. Paimon dashed through the air and handed him his water, which he chugged down with grateful speed.
No, surely she hadn't put it on with the purpose of… impressing him, right? The possibility was flattering, he realized as a hot flush wrapped around his cheeks, but…
Come now. Yes, she clearly admired him, but they'd only met in person the day before. And she obviously knew he'd be leaving in a week's time. There was no way.
The click of heel on the floor's wooden planks faded in, echoing and bringing Noelle into view, approaching from out a corner of the room. She flashed a crooked smile as she approached, again, with some haste. Perhaps she was apologetic at leaving him and Paimon alone.
Aether sighed to himself—the thought seemed even more ridiculous actually seeing her again now: a touch egoistic even. He hadn't the right to assume such of any person, much less this passionate and promising understudy who for sure only had self-improvement in mind in seeking him out.
Noelle took her seat in front of Aether. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Honorary Knight. Though maybe not having me to chatter with gave you a bit of time to savor everything."
She put a hand to her mouth. "Oh no, that's a little presumptive of me, isn't it? The dish may not be to your liking, after all, and then there wouldn't be much of you to savor."
He waved a hand. "No need to worry about that. Honestly, these are—"
"THE BEST PANCAKES PAIMON'S EVER HAD!"
A clear of the throat. "…Well, I'd normally say that's a bit much, but those are my thoughts exactly."
She looked to Aether's plate. "Ah—really? Even with how well-traveled you surely are?"
Honest!
He nodded, flashing her a thumbs-up,
"Really…? Well, I really have to believe you, but…"
She shook her head frantically. "Er, surely there's some flaw or mark for improvement! Any input from you, Honorary Knight, would be incredibly valuable."
Aether grinned. "Well, if you say so. All I have in mind is—"
She leaned in with widened eyes, bringing her hands together in a clasp.
Never before had he seen anyone so eager to have their work nitpicked.
Not that he could do that here. All he could offer was…
"…Make more next time?"
He could even book the whole bucket load of ingredients himself if her budget was tight.
She ducked down in her seat and bit into a forkful of lettuce and tomato, her features painting with pink flush.
Well, of course—who could stomach such a big compliment as essentially being told your cooking was the best in the world? But it was the truth.
The meal's pace picked up as the topic of conversation became how Noelle apparently had wanted to train with him yesterday, but had gotten caught up in a sludge of work besides her usual schedule, helping a lost boy find his way back home to his mother and, of all things, delivering a love letter for a teenage boy.
The job description of a maid of the Knights of Favonius was certainly something. Did she sign up for that or was she doing what the full-fledged knights were supposed to?
Aether still had some chunks of pancake left on his plate when Paimon had long finished hers and Noelle, surprisingly, had quickly followed her. It was strange, as she hardly seemed consumed with her food. Her eyes were trained on him practically the entire time she laughed and smiled—even chewed into her salad—recalling her day and listening to his comments on it.
"Yes you did hear that right! A hundred squats is my routine, no more, no less. A hundred is the golden number I go by. Push-ups, sit-ups… no gain without the pain! Though this time, it did stop me from being able to train with you, sad to say…"
She laid that out smiling with perfect earnestness, but there was no way she really—
"Oh, you could join me when I exercise sometime, maybe! There could be something I'm missing or doing wrong that's hindering my progress."
—Okay.
He wiped at his mouth with a napkin."That sounds like a good idea. I'm curious to see you in action. And, uhm, if I can even keep up with your routine…"
"Oh, I'm sure you can, Honorary Knight! If a simple maid can do it, you of all people can pull it off."
He'd never even tried that much in a day, so who knew, but he wasn't optimistic.
A-Aah!
Paimon yelped with all the attack and timbre of a boiling kettle as her hand knocked over her half-full glass of water on the table, sending its contents spilling onto most of the wooden surface.
Aether sighed, righting the glass back up. "Be careful..! We're lucky that wasn't juice or anything that'd leave a mark."
"It's alright, Honorary Knight, it'd be nothing a thorough wipe wouldn't fix. Besides, I always clean my own table to make things a little easier for Joseph, so you wouldn't be burdening anyone else."
"You're too kind. I'm sure your work keeps you pretty busy too."
"Oh, no, please, no need to worry. It's the least I can do as a guest here—not everyone who stays here has the time to tidy up."
…Well, he'd found Joseph seemed to actually care about the place, so he already had a hunch the problem was shoddy clientele…
"It doesn't take as much time as I'm sure you think," she smiled, taking a white towel from out a crevice in her gauntlet. "Besides, I am crazy for cleaning."
He gaped a bit. "Really? I get the final result is satisfying, but…"
She chuckled, standing up and running the towel throughout the table's surface. "Maybe it'll grow on you. But I certainly can accept that it's not everyone's cup of tea. I've always seen cleaning as a hobby, really, not a chore."
"I wouldn't have expected you to say that, since you are a maid as a stepping stone to becoming a Knight…"
"Oh, but I really do love what I do, however much I'm determined to serve the Knights more directly," she smiled. "I felt very blessed seeing a lot of the things I already loved doing come up in my work, and finding it easy to love the things I didn't yet."
Tucking the towel back into her armor, she sat back down again.
"What didn't you like about it at first, then?" Aether asked.
"The more mentally taxing things, really… I'd patched up a few wounds back on the farm, but I'm tasked with tending to anyone in the vicinity when no proper Knight's close by. When it's not someone you know, it's easy to worry you've not handled the injury properly, or put the wound in danger of infection…"
His brows raised as he scooped up the last few chunks of leftover pancake. Again with how she described her work not at all matching what he surely quite reasonably had assumed maids did.
"…These days, though, I think I have a good enough hang of first aid that I don't sweat it anymore, though I know I can't afford to get complacent."
"That's a good attitude to have."
"It's for my own good," she smiled.
"Just one thing that I'm wondering, though… what exactly are maids of the Knights like you expected to do? Er, it's just the idea is new to me, so I'm not sure if being a maid for them means something different than usual."
"It means exactly as you probably imagined! We're tasked with cooking, cleaning, handling groceries, and fetching any things the Knights need."
"..That's all?"
"Oh! You must be wondering about why I seem so busy doing things maids aren't much expected to,"
He nodded.
"Well, until a few years back, my work for the Knights more or less just involved conventional maid work. Though my workload already was heavier than usual by then, with my fellow maids asking me for help with this chore or that, or some poor citizen approaching me for help with small personal concerns…"
That sounded like taking advantage of her generosity and clear misunderstanding of a maid's job respectively, honestly…
"…Er, but then, long story short, a poor adventurer had gotten stranded in Dragonspine leading up to the Harpastum festival… The Knights were so busy with preparations, and knew they couldn't organize a rescue quick enough. I was able to bring him back myself, thankfully, after which Cavalry Captain Kaeya informed me that from then on, I was allowed to provide medical care to the injured and devote myself to helping anyone I came across."
She raised a hand. "Oh, but so long as I had enough time to finish all my assigned work for the day, of course…"
"Quite the job you've settled into, then."
"Oh, definitely. Though I have to say I did notice that after that, my formally assigned work pretty much doubled… not that I'm annoyed about that, of course."
"Really? It sounds a little bit like now that they see your potential, they're using you as a bit of a pack mule."
"…I've never thought of it exactly that way. I like to think that the Acting Grandmaster notices my determination and is trying to help me by having me take on more responsibilities and take the initiative to help people. I've learned a lot from all the workload, after all."
That made sense. If it was the case then he was sure it wouldn't be so hard to help her get to the point she could be welcomed into the Knights. Whatever the truth, it seemed her diligence hadn't gone unnoticed.
"You're probably right. Sorry, I'm sure you know them better than I do."
It was just the hurt little cynic in him showing a bit.
…
"You can tell me all this later! Let's just go home..!"
"Home..? Yes, of course."
"'Home' is wherever we are together. But…"
"Until the Abyss has engulfed the thrones, my war with destiny will see no end."
It was hard to believe those madman's ravings were really coming from his sister's mouth. How could she really be head of that band of murderers and thugs?
"Once you reach the end of your journey, as I did, you will see for yourself the true nature of this world."
Obvious, what she meant by that. Travel the world, see how horrible it is, then destroy it with me. You're my reliable brother, after all—you'll make it through, even without me there. You could handle everything we came across traveling together, you'll handle this.
…Idiot. Could she fathom just how much it meant to him to be by her side?
…
"H-Honorary Knight..?"
He held the back of his head, mind freeing itself from that memory and bringing him to turn back sharply toward Noelle.
She leaned in slightly over the table, brows furrowed with clear concern.
"…I must've gotten spaced out. Please, don't worry."
He brought a paper napkin to his mouth, cleaning his face of residual pancake oil. It would probably do him best to keep in mind the bang-up breakfast he'd just had instead of dredging up ghosts.
Her lips parted as she seemed to consider saying something, but nothing came of it, and come a few seconds she simply gave a nod.
She looked to his plate, now completely empty. "I hope you were able to enjoy the meal, despite the smaller portion. Er, it was just a spur of the moment idea to have you come over for breakfast, so I couldn't make sure there were enough ingredients, sad to say."
"No, it's no problem," he shook his head. "The thing's pretty big, and there's a strawberry on top, so it's still pretty filling. Though that's not the most important thing, is it? It's the taste, and, again, you delivered there."
She smiled. "…Thank you, Honorary Knight. I'm very happy you of all people think that. I promise the next time I'll try and cook to your satisfaction as well—Ah!"
She put her hand to her mouth. "…I'm sorry, I must have been so excited to get your input on my work that I didn't consider if you had other plans for the rest of the week. Meals at Good Hunter or with a friend or such…"
No, no, more maid-food would be great—and cheap on time and effort, he had to think fast—"Uhm, do they test you for cooking skills at the selection trials?"
"H-Huh? Well, yes…"
"Perfect! Then, for the week, if we're training on a day, we can eat some meals together, if you want. It'll both save time and give me the chance to give you feedback."
She clasped her hands together. "Really? I know it'd mean we'd use up less practice time if we have to take a break for lunch or tea, but you must have some other commitments…"
Aether shrugged. "Not really. Me and Paimon originally just came back here to get some rest and relaxation, so my schedule is at your whim."
"…Alright, then. I know how to whip a good little pick-me-up if ever we need to train past lunch. I hope you'll like it!"
She laughed, cheeks dimpling.
That pleasant cheer was infectious enough he cracked a smile, though he was already happy at the opportunity to sample more of her culinary work.
He stood up from his seat. "Shall we be going, then?"
Noelle followed him up, taking her plate in hand. "Oh, yes, certainly. But you can go ahead. I'll help tidy up."
"Where can we meet up, then?" he asked.
"Hmm…"
She brought a finger to her chin.
"By the statue, maybe? If it's alright, I'd like for us to work at the training grounds... er, where Miss Ellin sometimes sleeps—that's where I usually hone my swordwork."
Uhm, where Ellin sometimes sleeps?!
"Er... what you usually do..? Well, that won't do, then. If we want a change, we need to get outside your comfort zone!"
"A-Ah..."
She looked sidelong to nowhere in particular, expression half grimace and half grin. "…Stabbing at my weak spots already... But that already gives me a burst of confidence in your tutelage. Alright, then."
"Why the reluctance, though?" he asked. "I'm sure you're not averse to the chance to put yourself to the test with the monsters out and about."
"Ah, well, it's just a silly worry of mine, really... Someone might be in need and I won't be there, and I'll feel awful if they wanted to call on me..."
Sweet bard's drinking problem.
Surely they could spare a few hours without her?
"...I wouldn't worry about that, honestly, especially if you're looking to break new ground with your training."
She cast a frowning gaze across the floor, folding her hands together in front of her.
Did some people really rely on her to that extent?
...And what kind of person was she, to consider all that an impediment to something she knew would help her in the long run?
Aether had to stop himself from letting out a sigh—not because he was disappointed, or that she ought to have been ashamed. No—it was a bit unreasonable, since the other Knights were around anyway, and of course she needed to hone her skills on monsters, and yet... he was a bit awed at the sense of other she had to think the way she did.
He shook his head. "R-Really, I mean it. You know the other Knights will be there, and if anything crops up that really needs you—not to feed your ego, but... well, I'm sure one of them will come running your way."
She met his eye, gaze wide but a bit of a frown still on her lips.
Still uncertain.
He scratched at the back of his head, lifting into a grin. "And, uh... heck, I'll have Amber put up posters, so everyone knows. 'See Noelle if fail-proof first aid needed...'"
Noelle broke into a grin. "Alright, don't worry, that won't be necessary... I get what you mean now, Honorary Knight."
She cleared her throat. "In that case, I suppose we can meet... oh, at the bridge over Cider Lake? If that's alright."
"Sounds good to me. Break a leg—ah, a plate—no, that sounds bad—"
Noelle's eyes shifted behind Aether, toward footsteps approaching. Joseph closed in on her, his smile ear to ear.
Aether offered a weak wave Noelle's way and made for the door with Paimon.
"...I still can't thank you enough, Noelle. Who knows how many customers Barbara will bring to the inn?"
"Oh no, please, Joseph. It's all Barbara's doing… But I'm sure she'll bring a lot of people here. You all deserve that much for how hard you're working. I don't know why you've had such a hard time!"
"Yeah… Business has always been rough."
"Don't worry, you know that Barbara's a star! Oh—I know, I can help you decorate the lobby later… With Barbara coming, everyone needs to know that this establishment is on the rise!"
He stopped right before the front door, smiling. Just overhearing her offer warmed the heart.
There was something special there. He'd never thought there could be anyone as considerate as her.