Humans will never be satisfied. That was my first thought when Erwin told me he wanted to make musical instruments. More than year has passed and our lives have become secure and easy. It seemed like he was bored after his responsibility for our business was drastically reduced. Now he wanted entertainment.

  And considering that there really isn't anything in this place. I also agree with his idea. The world is full of new things I wanted to see and adding something to listen to seemed like a good idea. Erwin could do his hobby of making things, and we get entertainment.

  "But, who will play the instrument?"

  "Who? Me, of course."

  "Of course, it's you huh. . ."

  I know that Erwin is amazing. But I think he has too many skills his character is just simply broken. He can fight, he can manufacture things, he can cook, and now he can play music. On top of that, he has magic. I think this is getting too much.

  "I can teach my subordinate to play later, want me to teach you too Amelie?"

  "I want!."

  "I like your enthusiasm"

  If it's just enthusiasm, I have plenty. So much in fact that I'm willing to trade it for one of your skills.

  "What about you Haruki? Can you play an instrument?"

  "I can only dance"

  Hearing Haruki's answer, I immediately nodded and said. . .

  "Me too actually, that's why I want to learn to play music!"

  Because dancing is the subject with the most time slots, even if I don't want to learn it, I end up being able to dance. And because dancing is one of the ways the nobles socialize, I am sure that Erwin can do it too.

  "So what do you want to make Erwin?"

  "First is definitely percussion, maybe xylophone or marimba"

  "Or an iron pan"

  "You're watching that guy too huh. . ."

  "Ahahah. . . ."

  After that, Erwin and I laugh, alienating Haruki, who feels confused and lost. In this world, there is no Y**tube, so we can’t watch that guy. But we can still imitate him. As long as something makes a sound when you hit it, it’s a percussion instrument, whether it’s a frying pan, a bucket, or even a trash can.

  "Ok, I don't know why you're suddenly laughing but I think you guys need to stop now."

  "Sorry, sorry"

  Erwin raised one hand and stopped laughing.

  "Ok, after percussion I think we need guita. . "

  "Erwin, I think we should continue this topic next time."

  "Hm... . ."

  This time, it is Erwin and me who put on confused faces. But when we look a little further, we finally realize what Haruki is trying to say. From a distance, we can see a group of workers walking toward the three of us with serious faces.

  "I'm sorry princess, Lord Erwin! We want to report something"

  As the owner of the slave in front of me, I decided to be the one to answer.

  "What is it, Herman?"

  "I want to report that some of our new fields are ruined."

  "Ha? How come?"

  "Actually, in the past two weeks, we have had some problems. ."

  About two or three weeks ago. Suddenly the number of wild animals trespassing on our field increased by a lot. And although animals like birds and wild cats can be easily shooed, It's a whole different matter when the ones coming are wild boar or large deer.

  For the past half month, my slaves try to handle it on their own by taking turns standing guard, building fences, or setting traps. But due to their size and number, which is once again far greater than usual, they end up being overwhelmed by them. After some deliberation, they decide to report it to me.

  "Don't we have any hunters? Herman?"

  "Unfortunately not, princess."

  Everyone here is a migrant, and none of them have experience as a hunter. When we needed or wanted some meat, we would usually go to Punto or the next village which had experienced hunters.

  Because being a hunter is a profession that must be learned over a long period, sometimes even since childhood. In my territory, their number can be counted on one hand. That's why we can't just hire them and station them in my place. Moreover, it seems that other villages are also experiencing the same problem.

  If I take those hunters, it would be their own village that would have its fields destroyed. And considering that they don't have a backup business like me, they need the hunters more than us.

  "Erwin, what do you think?"

  "I think this is an opportunity."

  "What opportunity?"

  "An opportunity to organize a festival"

  "Haaa. . .?"

  "How about a barbeque?"

  I'm all for having a barbecue. Everyone basically works seven days a week. So taking an occasional break seems to be good for their mental health. But even though I agreed, I think you forgot something, Erwin.

  "You heard it yourself, right? we have no hunter"

  "I ca. ."

  "Ok, stop!"

  The stray animals come not only during the day but also at night. No matter how strong Erwin's stamina is, he can't keep up for days on end. If even my numerous slaves get overwhelmed, there is no way Erwin can handle it on his own.

  "Brother Haruki, do you have any other ideas?"

  "The simplest solution is to give everyone a weapon like a bow and arrow or something."

  That way everyone can take turns keeping an eye on the situation and act immediately if they spot any wild animals. But of course, you can't rely on them to fight the animals directly, although you can make arrows for them. Not everyone can use them well. On the contrary, more people were unable to make use of them properly.

  "Do you know how to use bow and arrows, brother Haruki?"

  "I do, but I'm not good at it! In Yamato crossbows are more popular"

  The skill required to use a crossbow is not as high as a bow and arrow. For this reason, they are more popular. However, because their construction is not as simple as bow and arrows. Usually, their number even on the battlefield remained limited.

  Erwin who had been busy thinking finally stood up and said.

  "Alright! Go back to your work, we'll think of something"

  "Thank you, Lord Erwin."

  Herman replied. After that, the slaves left. And not long after, we went inside the house to continue our discussion. However, before I reached the living room. Suddenly my Mum showed up and. . .

  "Amelie, please come with Mama."

  Asking me to follow her.

  "Erwin, brother Haruki I'm leaving first."

  Feeling that I wouldn't be able to contribute much to the discussion between the two of them. I decided to follow my mum. Hunting? weapons? yes. I know absolutely nothing about those two things.

  "Mama, why are we here?"

  At first, I think my mother will take me to her office to help with something. But what happens is she takes me to the kitchen, which is somehow very deserted.

  "Mama, you aren't going to cook, are you?"

  If you still remember how tasteless my mum's cooking is, you're lucky because even now, the trademark flavor of her cooking hasn’t changed a bit. And since her skills haven’t improved at all, she has no right to teach me to cook.

  "You're right, what I want to teach you is how to take care of yourself"

  As a girl from the lower class. My mother of course hardly ever did any beauty treatments on herself. And it made her the laughingstock of everyone when my father brought her to the palace.

  "Okay?"

  Not wanting to embarrass my father any further, she is determined to become someone who looks like she belongs next to a prince. But unfortunately, she has no allies in the palace, making her efforts always hindered by many people, including the servant in charge of her grooming.

  Having no other choice. My mother openly brought up her issue to my father. And with the help of his personal servant, she finally got the tips and beauty concoctions recipes used by nobles.

  After that, she become more beautiful and my father become more and more infatuated with her. Too bad it becomes the trigger of her banishment from the palace.

  "As a girl, you should always look beautiful"

  Well, as a girl, I do want to always look beautiful.

  "And that includes when you're alone and can't rely on the servants"

  Therefore, today my Mum will teach me to make potions for maintaining beauty with my own hands. From potions to make your skin smooth and moist, potions to make it glow, potions to make your body smell nice, potions to make your hair shiny and soft, and potions to clean your teeth and make your breath fresh.

  She wants me to be able to make all those beauty care potions myself. Because it's possible that, just like her, I won't be treated well in the future. Or even just like what happened at the academy, not even being given a single servant.

  "I understand what Mum wants, but why now? Why so sudden? You remember that I'm not even 8 years old yet, right?"

  A child like me doesn't need beauty treatments. As long as you give her nutritious healthy food and time to exercise her looks will be fine. After all, beauty is mostly just a reflection of a healthy body.

  "Don't underestimate personal grooming, if you don't prepare it'll be too late"

  "A.., alright. . ."

  I still don't understand why we have to do it now. But I gave in to her enthusiasm. This is the first time I've seen my Mum this insistent on doing something for me. And I don't mind going along with it. Besides, the lessons she gave were indeed useful.

  It's just that I'm still not strong enough to grind and mash the ingredients. Not to mention boiling some of the ingredients is also a bit dangerous. Most of my time I just spent my time watching and taking notes on all the steps my mother took.

  All these things made me think.

  No wonder my Mum always looks so beautiful. If she works this hard to take care of herself, no wonder she always looks pleasing to the eye. Beauty may be a gift from God, but taking care of it is your way of appreciating it.

  "By the way Amelie, who do you like more, Erwin or Haruki?"

  "??????"

  That question made me tilt my head.

  Erwin is my first friend and the only person I can share my secrets with. On top of that, he promises to be by my side, supporting me just like my mum. So of course, I like him. As for Haruki, he’s like a younger brother that I can rely on, so naturally, I like him too.

  So if you ask me who I like more?

  All I can say is...

  "I like mum the most "

  Sorry Mum, but your question is too unfair. That's why I'm also going to be unfair and ignore your question.

  "Mama also likes you the most!"

  Fortunately, my mother didn't push me to answer her question and just smiled and hugged me.

  Later that afternoon, my mother and I finished making a single bottle of herbal shampoo. On the other hand, Erwin and Haruki had also finished making a plan to resolve our pest concerns.

  ***

  It had been more than two weeks since we decided to get rid of the pests that came over to our fields. Erwin decided to make crossbows and distribute them to my slaves who took turns guarding our fields in 4 shifts.

  He also decided to take a shortcut by using a stamping process, making the crossbow manufacturing process very fast. The quality was poor, but we didn't need quality. What we needed was quantity. Within a few days, we could supply everyone with a crossbow. And since the operation wasn't too complicated, Haruki didn't need a long time to train them to operate it.

  If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  After that, we started hunting one by one the wild animals that intruded upon our fields. And because we didn't have enough space to store all their meat. Erwin's plan to have a barbeque party was carried out. And since we hunted quite a lot of targets, we also decided to make a small party and invite everyone around here.

  The party I watch from my living room.

  "OK, Amelie! You're ready"

  "I've been ready for ages"

  "What are you talking about Amelie, you looked like a little girl before! Now you look more mature!"

  "Aren't you just seeing things, Mum?"

  I'm a little girl.

  "Of course not, you definitely look maturer"

  I'm not sure, my Mum says to look more mature I just need to make the lines of my face, neck, and shoulders more defined. That's why, right now, she's done my hair behind my ears and then tied the back of it up a bit.

  I could see that all these tricks made my face not look as round as usual, but more mature? I am not so sure.

  "Now you're a pretty girl!"

  The reason why I am still in the house when everybody else is making a scene is that my mum is keeping me back. She says that I can't go to a party without dressing up. That's why, right now, my mum is giving me nice clothes and doing my hair as if I am really going to a proper party.

  I felt a bit out of place, but my Mum insisted.

  "Show how pretty you are Amelie and make your Mama proud"

  Just like any other parent, it seemed like she wanted to show off her child.

  "Okay!"

  "Good!"

  With that, my Mum led me out like a knight escorting her princess. And once we both showed our faces, as expected Everyone immediately stopped making a racket like when your boss suddenly arrives while you were having fun. Only, in our case. Not only did they stop making noise, but everyone also knelt down.

  ". . ."

  My mother raises her right hand and orders everyone to return to their activities. She knows that her presence makes many people feel tense, which is why she decides to sit at the special place that has been prepared.

  No one had ordered anyone to make it, but it seemed like nobles needing a special place was the obvious thing.

  As for me?

  "Erwin. . . please write down the recipe for this seasoning! I want to try it at home"

  "Ah? ok!"

  Of course, I went over to my two best friends.

  "Amelie, try this! It's really good"

  Without even properly looking at my face. As soon as I walked up to him, Haruki immediately thrust a piece of meat that he had just finished grilling right in front of my mouth. Having no other choice, I immediately ate it from the hands of the boy in front of me.

  "Mmmm. . . .delicious"

  The flavor is a bit too salty for me. But for the farmers, blacksmiths, and all the people who are tired of working during the day, the seasoning is just right. And as Haruki implies, the seasoning of Erwin's barbecue is really special.

  Literally, Iim salivating entire time the meat is in my mouth.

  "So unfair!"

  Once again, I am reminded of how blessed Erwin is.

  "Erwin, teach me to use that weapon sometime too."

  While continuing to chew the meat in his mouth, Haruki turns his gaze to the weapon he is referring to: an air rifle.

  "Easy, we can even start tomorrow"

  "Nice"

  Making a crossbow does not require any special skills, so Erwin can leave it up to his men. That leads him to think about creating a gun because he is more familiar with it. Unfortunately, based on Haruki's information, the circulation of black powder is strictly regulated by the state, making the only way to get it to work for the kingdom directly.

  Of course, there are some underhanded ways to get them. But if we use that method, even the Association won't be willing to support us. On the contrary, they might even report our crimes.

  That's why. Erwin switched directions and made air rifles instead.

  "But instead of rifles, isn't there something more important to talk about, Haruki?"

  "You mean, like the fact that many of the animals that came here were already injured and weak?"

  As Haruki said, many wild animals were injured and already weak when they came to our field. Some had slash wounds, and spear thrusts, and the most common were arrow wounds where many of the arrow bits were still stuck in their bodies.

  Normally we would think that they were hunted animals that had escaped their hunters. But the scale is too big and the wounds were, in no way, the result of hunters trying to capture them. No hunter treats his prey that crudely because the fewer wounds the prey gets. The higher their value.

  Gashing wounds are unappreciated by a hunter.

  "That's important, but there's something even more important"

  Erwin raises his chin at me, telling Haruki to look at me properly. Because I don’t know what he means by his gaze, I also look at my own figure to make sure that there is nothing wrong with my appearance.

  "Hmm. . . .?"

  But as expected, there's nothing.

  "You're really cute Amlie"

  Aaa. . . so that's what Erwin meant.

  "Thanks Erwin, on a scale of 1 to 5 how cute am I?"

  "Of course 10"

  "Yaaayy. . ."

  I’ve been dolled up by my mum for more than half an hour. Of course, I am prettier than usual. But since the one praising me is Erwin, I can’t trust his opinion. Well, he’s like a grandfather who has a hobby of spoiling his grandchildren; even if his grandchildren are not lookers, he would still say she is the most beautiful girl in the world anyway.

  "Brother Haruki, what are your plans after this?"

  ". . . ."

  " Brother Haruki?"

  ". . . . sorry, I'm a little out of it"

  "Ahem. . . Amelie, Haruki! How about a dance?"

  Smiling, Erwin looked at Haruki. During that time, both of them didn't say anything. But even so, I could feel that they were communicating with each other. Ugh. . . your friendship is so close that you can talk with just a glance? I'm so jealous.

  "What do you mean Erwin?"

  Because Haruki is still busy being quiet, I take it upon myself to ask Erwin back.

  "Yeah, it's no fun if this party is just going to be filled with talking! Look, your Mum already looks so bored"

  I looked at my Mum, and sure enough. She looked bored. Although there were many people, no one dared or wanted to talk to her for fear of saying the wrong thing. I am sure that my Mum would be a good listener to anyone who wants to come forward, but unfortunately, no one wants to take the chance.

  "What do you think Amelie, you want to contribute something right?"

  "Mmmngghhh. . . ."

  He is right; I do want to contribute. Whether it's in infrastructure development projects, expanding farmland, or hunting the wild animals that come to this village, I'm not contributing anything at all. And as Erwin says, I want to give something in return for their hard work other than just a salary.

  You could say, I want to show my gratitude.

  "That being the case, how about you dance with Haruki and entertain everyone?"

  It seemed like I had no other choice.

  "I don't mind, but what about the music?"

  "Ehehe. . . leave it to me!"

  Erwin calls out to his men and tells them to bring the musical instruments that he has apparently already completed. After that, he takes out a familiar instrument from behind the barbecue table. It is a guitar.

  "You finished it?"

  "Yes, we even practiced"

  "WHEEENNNN!!!?"

  "You don't need to know, we want to surprise everyone"

  "Looks like you're really prepared huh, alright! Just don't play any weird music"

  I'm the type of person who would rather make a plan and follow it as closely as possible. When it comes to improvising, my skills are not reliable at all. If he suddenly played music I didn't know, I wouldn't be able to dance well.

  "Brother Haruki. . "

  Timidly, I asked

  "Would you like to dance with me?"

  To the boy in front of me.

  After that, I stretched out my hand to him. Hoping that he would accept it.

  For some reason, Haruki widened his eyes. After that, he smiled then took my hand and said.. . .

  "I should be the one saying that, my princess."

  After that, Haruki led me slowly to the center of the garden right under the brightest lamp that Erwin hung for this small party.

  "Did you get taller, Amelie?"

  "Probably, I'm almost eight after all"

  It's been almost two years since Haruki came here. So it's no wonder that I'm already a bit taller from back when we first met.

  "I'm sure of it, not to mention you look maturer today"

  "I. . . . Is that so?"

  Mamaaa, looks like your trick really worked.

  And with that, we dance to Erwin's music. All this time, dancing is just something I do because I am forced to. But this time, I do it with delight, happiness, and a light heart. I am so happy that we spend several songs dancing until I am exhausted and sweaty.

  I can't believe what I'm about to say, but I'm grateful to have studied at the academy.

  Because if I hadn't gone there. I would never be able to dance with Haruki right now.

  Once Haruki and I could no longer danceed. The people around us also started to become brave enough to join the dance. Fathers asked their children to dance, husbands asked their wives to dance, a girl pulled a boy she liked, small children tried to imitate me and Haruki, and many more.

  None of their dancing is orderly, but that doesn't matter. Everyone is having fun, and that's the most important thing.

  ***

  As a territory with a small population, the mood here is relatively calm. The farmers are more focused on their work and don’t like to chat, while the rhythmic pounding of the blacksmith's hammers has become so natural that it no longer feels like noise pollution. But the tranquility is suddenly shattered when a horse-drawn carriage gallops toward our home.

  "Jonas?"

  As soon as the silhouette of the horse-drawn carriage comes into view, I can tell that the person speeding toward us is Jonas, our regular merchant.

  But his arrival this time is strange. Not only does he seem to be in a hurry, but he is also driving the carriage like a drunk person and having trouble sitting upright. And then the last one.

  "Amelie! Bring the emergency box in my room to the living room!"

  I could see blood flowing from around his shoulders. Just like Erwin who immediately realized that the man seemed to be in dire need of help.

  "Alright!"

  I don’t know what is going on, but it is clear that I need to hurriedly follow Erwin's instructions. Unlike me, whose past memories are only useful for solving domestic problems, my friend has a lot of memories and experiences that could be called a cheat code.

  At one point he even served as a volunteer soldier sent overseas to help a neighboring country.

  All of his life experiences have given him a wealth of skills ranging from martial arts and weapon use, knowledge of electronic and mechanical systems, and an understanding of first aid and survival.

  No matter how you look at it, I'm a supporting character in his story.

  "Found it!"

  Ok, enough with the silly thoughts. I had to bring the equipment and medicine to its owner. Erwin may not be a doctor, but his abilities should be enough to make someone cancel his plan to go die if he acts swiftly.

  In a hurry, I quickly run to the living room. And once I arrive, I am immediately greeted with the sight of Jonas being carried in by Herman and some of my other slaves.

  "Erwin!"

  I quickly handed the toolbox I brought to Erwin.

  "Good, now prepare a place for him to rest later."

  "But. . ."

  Without listening to my reply, Erwin immediately takes off Jonas' shirt and exposes the wound that is the source of the man's oozing blood. On his shoulder, there is a hole that . . .

  "You wouldn't want to see it."

  Haruki covered my eyes then spun my body towards the door and pushed me out. Knowing that I wouldn't be able to help and instead just be a nuisance. I yielded and walked out of the room before calling the maid to prepare the guest room for Jonas.

  The guest room that the servants and I are cleaning up is quite far from the living room where Jonas is being treated. But even so, I can still hear the man's pain-filled cries clearly.

  Based on the information from the maids who help carry him, the wound Jonas received comes from an arrow. However, although the arrow itself is gone, the tip is broken and stuck inside. That scream I am sure is the result of Erwin's attempt to extract the arrowhead fragment from inside his patient's body.

  Hearing that voice should make me feel sorry for the victim, but instead, I only feel terrified. Yes, instead of thinking about his fate, I become scared for my own life. I am so scared that I immediately run away and seek out my mum, clinging to her like a koala until it is all over.

  About an hour passes, and finally, everyone is allowed to see how Jonas is doing. When my mum and I enter, the man's body looks clean, and his wounds are neatly bandaged. But contrary to his appearance, the room we are in is splattered with blood, and the people who help with his first aid are in the same state.

  Seeing that, my Mum immediately gave an order.

  "Servant, clean this place"

  "Yes, your highness."

  And. . .

  "All of you, clean yourself up and get some rest! And Erwin and Haruki! We need to talk"

  The two nodded and everyone dispersed.

  Night comes, and then I, my mum, Erwin, and Haruki decide to eat together, as usual. What is unusual is the fact that there isn’t a single servant around us this time. After we finish dinner, my mum opens the topic with. . . .

  "How is Jonas?"

  . . . Asking how our business partner is doing.

  "The wound isn't too deep, but he lost a lot of blood."

  Jonas is attacked from behind while he is traveling. That reduces the kinetic energy from the arrow that pierces his body. But because the hole it makes is quite large and he loses a lot of blood, he needs a lot of rest to recover. As long as the wound is kept clean, in half a month he will be fine, although it may take more than a month for him to fully recover.

  "Thank goodness, but we still can't breathe a sigh of relief"

  I, Erwin, and Haruki all nod, not only because Jonas is safe but also because my mum can make the right decisions quickly. In the past, she often panics when faced with problems, but with the spirit of not wanting to lose to her children, my mum has turned into someone we can always rely on.

  "Because... Aaaaaaa. . what should we do?"

  Ok, correction. My Mum may have changed, but not that drastically. When she's in front of servants she can put on a calm face and act like a true ruler. But when it's just her family or people close to her. She instantly went back to her young girl mode.

  "Ameliee. . . "

  My Mum then embraced me while continuing to whine. Since Erwin and Haruki were used to seeing it, they weren't surprised or reacted negatively. But as her daughter, I still felt a little disappointed.

  Disappointed and jealous to be more precise.

  "Mum, can you be quiet for a moment?"

  Why am I jealous of my own mother?

  "Ack. . ."

  Upon receiving my impolite order, my mother immediately puts on a disappointed face. That disappointed face is the source of my envy for her. Because even though she is a woman who already has a child, her facial expression is still as sweet as a teenage girl's. Her dismayed face is even adorable enough to make me, if I were a man, immediately want to spoil her.

  "Ugh. . "

  Ok, stop Amelie, stop looking at your Mum like a pervert.

  "Erwin, what happened to Jonas?"

  "He says he was attacked by bandits."

  "Bandits? How can there be bandits in a place like this?"

  Tagave is just a small, remote backwater village with nothing. And after this area, there were no more towns or busy roads. The next major town is located approximately eighty kilometers away, while the other closest town is an area with a fort full of military personnel. Which naturally wouldn't be a target for bandits.

  There's one other territory that's quite close to us. A small town called Punto. But if you wanted to rob someone from that place. They should have stopped the merchants at another location.

  Not on the road leading to this village.

  "Haruki, what do you think?"

  Of course, those bandits could attack this village and loot everything in it. But even though she is only considered a concubine, my mother is the wife of a king. In fact, she’s one of the two secondary queens. If you dare to mess with her, you and your entire bandit group will be exterminated to the core. Not only you but all of your family can be executed

  I don't think anyone would be so foolish as to deliberately attack us.

  "I think I know the answer"

  Haruki replied then added.

  "You guys remember my geography class long ago, right?"

  Erwin and I answered simultaneously.

  "Yes."

  "Yeah."

  Haruki's official position still remained as my private tutor. But in practice, the three of us learned from each other. Haruki and I learned science from Erwin. Haruki and Erwin learned modern economics from me, and Erwin and I learned social studies, history, and geography from Haruki.

  The lesson Haruki is referring to is about the current situation of the main continent.

  Because my mum and I are very isolated from other regions, we aren’t too familiar with the things happening in the outside world. But Haruki, who often shares letters with his father that has a job requiring him to move around, always has information about what is happening outside.

  From the lessons we received. I know that my grandfather started a war and tried to take over all the countries surrounding us about five years ago. But after successfully conquering many of our neighbors, the outer countries started making alliances and striking back. And right now, they're even starting to push back our forces.

  "The arrows they use are weapons used for war"

  Arrows commonly sold as hunting tools are not made with arrowheads that break easily. They are made strong so that they can pierce the thick hide and fur of one's prey and quickly kill it.

  But the arrow that wounds Jonas is designed to make its victim die slowly while feeling pain, a design commonly used for arrows in warfare.

  "In other words. . ."

  Haruki raised both hands.

  "Most likely they are ex-soldiers"

  We don't know if they are ex-soldiers from Amteric or from other countries. But clearly, they were no ordinary bandit group.

  "Ugh. . . now I'm worried about our security"

  Erwin said.

  We did have a large population of men. But apart from Erwin, none of them are trained in self-defense. If they robbed our people, basically no one would be able to fight back.

  "Winter is also getting worse, it'll be bad if we can't buy daily necessities"

  Haruki said.

  "Besides, if we can't sell things out! I won't be able to buy a present for Amelie's birthday"

  This time, it is my mum who adds to the list of things to think about. Of course, since my birthday present isn’t that important, you can forget about it. If there’s anything more important to think about, it’s the fate of. . . .

  "Wait a minute! Is it just me or is no one thinking about Jonas' life?"

  We did save his life. But some of his merchandise was lost, and then. With his condition. He won't be able to work for a whole month. And lastly, because he couldn't contact his business partners out there. He might lose his connections and not be able to become a merchant anymore.

  It's true that he's cheated us all a lot. But on the other hand, he has also helped our livelihood greatly.

  "Ahh. . . "

  ". . . ."

  ". . . ."

  Only, instead of listening to me. Everyone else decided to avert their eyes and pretend not to hear anything.

  "What do you want for your present Amelie?"

  "Don't change the subject Mama!"

  "Ack. . "

  "By the way, when is your birthday exactly Amelie?"

  This time, it is Haruki who tries to change the subject.

  "In two weeks"

  "That close?"

  "Don't think too much about it, I'm already happy if you're with me"

  Brak. . .

  "Brother Haruki? What's wrong?"

  "Nothing..."

  If it's nothing, why are you suddenly banging your head to the table?

  "Erwin, did you hear what my daughter just said? She really has a natural talent"

  What natural talent?

  "Too natural, Amelie! Don't you feel sorry for Haruki?"

  "Why? I really don't need gifts! I need Haruki more than any gifts."

  Brak. . .

  "Amelieeeeeee. . ."

  Our meeting ends with Erwin continuing to lecture me, Haruki unable to say anything, and my mum continuing to laugh until her sides hurt. As for me? I have no idea what is going on.

  But this didn't feel bad at all.

  We are almost at the end of this volume.

  I really appreciate it.