20demayo Chapter 296
Chapter 296
The Owner of the Hand
Time flies when you’re immersed in a book. Guu, I was startled by the sound of my stomach and looked up. Such a precise biological clock...! I noticed because I was so focused. Gil-san... he’s still not back. Okay, in that case, I’ll prepare lunch before he gets back.
“I think I’ll make some sandwiches.”@@@@
Gil-san’s a demi-human who doesn’t need to eat every meal. He can even go without sleep for about a week. But he’s adjusting his lifestyle for me, so we’re going to have lunch together. It’s one of the rules in Ortus, that we have to eat as much as possible and sleep at least once every three days. Eh? Of course, I eat three meals a day and sleep every night! I can’t change that habit. It’s not just because I’m a child! Absolutely not!
So I’m going to make two servings! Gil-san and I! I can at least make simple things like onigiri and sandwiches! First, I checked the ingredients through my storage bracelet window. I chose a few and then started making sandwiches.
I’m basically just using the pre-made ingredients. Tio-nee and the other cooks had given me a lot of food before we came to the High Elf Village. They’re so considerate, not just giving me pre-made sandwiches. Because I also want to do more things on my own! Such a child. Well, I am a child.
I happily hummed a tune as I filled the bread. It’s fun choosing from the three different types of bread! For the bread that looks like croissants, I made ham, cheese, and lettuce sandwiches, and egg salad sandwiches. For the sliced bread, I made katsu sandwiches. And for the soft, white bread, I made Shuberry jam sandwiches and cream and Nababa sandwiches. I don’t really know what fillings go well with each type of bread, but I chose based on my own preferences. They look nice and I think they turned out pretty well?
“But... I made too much.”
I got carried away and made too many. Because I wanted to eat them all! But I can only eat three, at most. My small stomach is so frustrating. Well, I can just store the rest. Storage, which doesn’t affect the passage of time, is incredibly convenient. I always rely on it. I’m so grateful to Gil-san, who gave it to me, and to Mikolasch-san and Maille-san, who made it!
“Sorry I’m late.”
“Gil-san! Welcome back!”
Gil-san returned at the perfect time. He seemed a bit flustered, apologizing for being late. But no problem! I immediately turned to him, and he was staring at me in surprise. Fufu, they look delicious, don’t they? I put my hands on my hips and puffed up my chest.
“It was perfect timing! I made them well, right?”
“Yeah, they look delicious. Did you prepare this, Meg?”
He said this, taking off his mask, smiling gently, and patting me on the head. Ehehe, I’m glad I made them!
I quickly arranged the sandwiches on a plate and brought them to the table. Gil-san helped me with that.
“I’ll be the one to make tea this time!”
“Really?”
“You made it last time. I want to get better at making it, Tio-nee also said I need to practice. But... I’m sorry that you’re basically my practice dummy...”
I could tell, even through the shadow bird, that he’d gasped. I hit the nail on the head, huh? I continued, explaining, because I’m sure he’d find it suspicious if I just asked that. About how my special ability is Dream Walking, that I’d entered his dream a while back.
“I didn’t know I could enter people’s dreams... um, and I touched your shoulder in my dream. I’m wondering... if that means I interfered with your dream. So...”
I’m still not good at explaining! But it seems like he understood because he gently called my name.
『Meg. Meg, it’s okay. I see, so it was you, that hand...』
“That hand, huh?” So it really was...!
“I-I’m so sorry! I entered your dream, without permission...!”
『It’s okay, calm down, Meg. Didn’t I say it’ll be fine?』
Father-sama’s voice and Gil-san’s hand, gently stroking my back, calmed me down. Th-That’s right, he said it’ll be fine. Deep breaths. I have to calm down. The reason my heart’s racing is because my magic power’s unstable. Thinking that way makes me feel much better. It’s reassuring to know the cause. Phew.
『It’s true, just like you said, Meg, I had a dream about the past a while back. And I remember someone touching my shoulder.』
“I see... so I can... interfere with dreams. I’ll be more careful from now on.”
Now that I know the risks, I’ll be careful. The important thing is what to do from now on. That’s right, I just have to pay attention. I have to think that it’s a good thing it ended like this. I feel bad for Father-sama, though....
『Actually, I’ve had that dream many times before. But that was the first time anyone touched my shoulder. That’s why it left such an impression. But, you must not misunderstand, okay?』
“Misunderstand?”
It was shocking that he’d had that dream so many times, and the fact that I’d changed it made me nervous. It’s a nightmare, after all. Even though it’s a dream, it’s a memory of a real event, an incredibly painful time. Surely, interfering with something that important is a big deal!? I can’t help but to think that. But he’s saying that I’m misunderstanding, and I understood what he meant when he continued,
『You saved me, Meg. I always felt anxious after having that nightmare. But, that morning... after you touched my shoulder... my heart felt incredibly warm. That warmth... erased all the fear and pain.』
Saved... by my careless action?
『So, Meg. I was grateful to the owner of that hand. And now I know who it was! My beloved daughter, no less! There’s nothing that could make me happier!』
He thanked me. He’s laughing happily, saying that he never imagined he’d be able to thank me directly. And hearing that, I... couldn’t help but to shed a tear.