The room had a desk and a bed, but both were covered in a thick yer of dust. *Well, I guess I’ll have to clean this up to some extent…*

  At least there was lighting, so nighttime shouldn’t be a problem.

  Besides, I’m staying in this mansion for free under the pretext of being her bodyguard. I can’t exactly compin about luxury.

  Not that I particurly care about luxury anyway. Once I identify the source of her troubles and confirm my own abilities, I pn to head straight for the kingdom.

  I set my luggage down in the room and opened the curtains—only for a cloud of dust to billow out.

  *Cough…!* *Yeah, I definitely need cleaning supplies. Maybe I should ask Ria.*

  Stepping out into the hallway, I headed toward the dining room, where she was probably waiting.

  But when I arrived without getting lost, Ria wasn’t there.

  *"She’s… not here?"*

  *Where could she be?* Just as I wondered, I heard some noise coming from the next room.

  Following the sound, I found myself looking into the kitchen. Given that this was a mansion, it was spacious—though that made sense, since it was originally meant to house a rge number of people.

  Ria was there, clumsily chopping ingredients with a knife. Potatoes, maybe?

  There were other root vegetables scattered around too. Judging by the rge pot beside her… she was probably trying to make soup.

  But her technique—it was downright dangerous. She was smming the knife straight down from above, making it painfully obvious she had zero experience in cooking.

  At this point, it was less "cooking" and more like "crafting."

  *"Hnn~! It’s so hard to cut…!"* *"You okay there?"* *"Huh? It’s fine, I can do this myself…!"*

  And then—unbelievably—she turned toward me *while still holding the knife.*

  *Hmm. Maybe I should help her with cooking before asking about the cleaning supplies.*

  *"That’s dangerous."* *"What is?"* *"No one chops by smming the knife straight down like that."* *"Eh? S-so that’s not how you do it…?"* *"Here, let me show you."* *"O-okay…"*

  I took the knife from her and quickly diced the potatoes into rough chunks.

  Small, rhythmic cuts—in no time, the potatoes were bite-sized.

  *"Whoa! You’re really good at cooking!"*

  I *am* good at cooking, but my knife skills come from being an adventurer. Back when I was in a party with Theo and Sophia, I was the one in charge of meals. This much is child’s py.

  *"Yeah, well. First, when handling a knife, curl your left hand like a cat’s paw."* *"A cat’s paw?"* *"Yeah. Like this—to hold the ingredient steady. With the knife in your right hand, slice by pulling it toward you. You can also push it away, but never chop straight down. Pull and push—that’s the basics."* *"Ooh. I see…"*

  Ria seemed impressed, but it made me wonder—how had she been eating until now?

  *"Wait, how have you been managing meals up till now?"* *"W-well… I mostly eat out. When I go outside, everyone’s really nice to me. So I usually just have bread or something…"* *"I see. Then why cook at home today?"* *"B-because…!"*

  She looked like she wanted to say something but hesitated. Was there a reason?

  *"I-it’s just… you’re my first guest. I wanted to… treat you properly. And I happened to have a lot of ingredients, so…"*

  Her face flushed red as she admitted it.

  Still, at this rate, she’d end up cutting her fingers sooner or ter.

  *"Want me to teach you? Cooking’s easy. Just cut the ingredients, then fry, boil, or steam them. Anyone can do it if they follow the steps."* *"Really?!"* *"Yeah."* *"Actually… I’ve always kind of admired cooking."* *"Oh? Why’s that?"* *"Promise you won’t ugh?"* *"Sure."*

  Why would I ugh at someone admiring cooking? But her answer caught me completely off guard.

  *"When I get married… I want to make delicious meals for my husband, you know? Hehe. They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, right?"* *"……"*

  That topic was *way* too timely. *W-well, she’s not wrong…*

  Wait, no—Ria was just sharing her own feelings. It’s not like she was talking about *me* specifically. *I’m overthinking this. Bad, bad.*

  I replied as naturally as I could.

  *"Yeah. Then let’s teach you the basics—for your future’s sake."* *"Yeah! Thank you!"*

  Her beaming smile was breathtaking. I’d only just met Ria, but I felt like I understood her a little better now.

  *"You’re trying to make soup, right?"* *"Eh? How’d you know?"* *"The ingredients and the pot gave it away. First, cut the meat and vegetables into rough chunks."* *"R-rough chunks, right…"*

  Ria began slowly chopping the ingredients with unsteady hands. She seemed to grasp what I’d told her earlier, so there shouldn’t be any problems.

  *"But why cut them like this?"* *"They’ll cook faster this way. For soup, you can just chop things roughly and boil them."* *"Wow. There’s a lot to cooking, huh?"*

  I guided her through the steps, and Ria followed along. Despite never having cooked before, she was a quick learner. At this rate, she’d be able to cook on her own in no time.

  Next, we seared the meat in the pot, added water, then threw in the chopped vegetables. There were some herbs and spices too, so we tossed those in as well.

  Before long, a delicious aroma filled the air. Finally, we adjusted the seasoning with salt, and it was done.

  *"Wow… this looks amazing!"* *"Yeah. Nothing beats freshly made food. And the ingredients are really high-quality too."* *"Everyone gives me the best stuff because they’re so nice to me."* *"Makes sense."*

  With the cooking done, we sat down at the table to eat. The table was a bit rge for just two people, so we sat facing each other.

  The meal was simple—sliced bread and soup—but the quality of the ingredients really shone through. Using just salt for seasoning had been the right call.

  *"This is so good!"* *"Most of the credit goes to the ingredients. We should thank the people who gave them to us."* *"Right. I’ll make sure to thank them properly!"*

  Ria ate at a rapid pace. I took a bite too—first, the rich fvor of the vegetables spread through my mouth, followed by the savory taste of the meat as I chewed.

  The saltiness was just right, making it incredibly delicious. The herbs blended perfectly, and the bread was chewy and high-quality.

  *"This is really good… Cooking really is amazing, huh?"* *"Yeah. Food’s important. Just make sure you remember the steps we did today. And *never* chop straight down with the knife again. You’re not splitting firewood."* *"Yeah, yeah~ Hehe. Yuri, you’re kinda like a mom, you know?"*

  Ria smiled. Even with just that small gesture, her beauty was undeniable. But… every now and then, a shadow seemed to pass over her face.

  Come to think of it—why *was* she living alone?

  *"Hey, you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, but… why are you by yourself?"* *"……"*

  She fell silent and looked down. Even in the original story, Saint Ria’s past was barely explored. That’s why I asked, but…

  Maybe it *was* too personal. I quickly apologized.

  *"Sorry. Forget I asked."* *"No… It’s just… I don’t know who my parents are. I was… a foundling. I grew up in an orphanage. I’ve never seen my parents’ faces, and I don’t have any retives."* *"…I see."*

  I’d suspected as much, but hearing it confirmed was different.

  *"Yeah. So, I guess that’s why I wondered what having a mom would be like."* *"Yeah. I’m sure it’d be like this."* *"Mhm."*

  The conversation ended there. After we finished eating in silence, I asked Ria where the cleaning supplies were and returned to my room.

  I quickly cleaned up the pce.

  Most of the dust was gone now, and the room looked decent. I’d do a more thorough cleaning another day.

  By the time I finished, it was te at night. I lit a mp and jotted down my thoughts in a notebook.

  For now, I’d use this vilge as a base to grow stronger. If I could resolve Ria’s issues along the way, even better.

  *"Rain, huh. And thunder too… Hope it clears up by tomorrow."*

  Gncing out the window, I saw a heavy downpour outside. The rain was pouring, and lightning flickered close by—the ck of dey between the fsh and sound meant it was nearby. *Well, time to sleep.*

  Just as I thought that, a sudden knock echoed through the room.

  No doubt it was Ria.

  I opened the door to find her standing there in pure white pajamas, hugging a pillow to her chest.

  She was even wearing a nightcap, looking more adorable than her usual dignified self.

  Her eyes were slightly damp as she peered up at me with a pleading gaze.

  *"Hey…"* *"What’s up?"* *"Um… can I sleep with you?"* *"——Huh?!"*