Quinn
Despite the journey being too damn short for my liking, since I liked being in Aldric's mighty arms during the ride, I didn't mind that it ended because my backside was so sore from the saddle. I supposed now that I was living in this world, I should start learning to ride a horse myself and get used to the hard saddle.
Aldric dropped me off after we entered the town, and I said, "Thank you, sir, for the ride."
Vincent said, "I'm curious, are you Bedford born and bred, Quinn?"
How to answer that? It was half and half, I supposed. But since I was Quinn Chen, I said, "I'm not, sir. I've only been here around three weeks."
"Ho? Are you also a guest here then?" Mr. Wakefield asked.
I chuckled. "Something like that. I'm staying with my relatives." So to speak.
"Relatives. I see," Aldric said.
Because I was eager to know, I asked, "From your behavior and how you look, I take it you're not a Bedford born and bred, and that means you're also guests here? Will you be staying in Bedford long, sirs? Will we, uh, meet again, do you think?" I was egging for another engagement since parting again so soon just felt... incomplete.
Aldric said, "Unfortunately, we won't be staying long. We have business here and will be gone within a day or two."
Disappointment filled me and I said, "Well, of course. I see." My shoulders slumped, I turned on my heel. "Very well then. Good luck with your business, sirs." With that, I hastily left.
As I paced homeward, I reprimanded myself. Gosh, what was I even thinking, wanting to see Aldric again? He had a son and wife to go back to, and I was in no position to...
I sighed and looked heavenward. To what? Flirt? Steal a kiss or two maybe? Have a fling? With a married man? Hell, no! I was not a homewrecker, that was for sure. Besides, I myself was about to get married... to Lord Norsewood, who no doubt must be a middle-aged man with gray hair and rotten teeth, just like bastard Bedford. Then again, since he was rumored to have slain many enemies and monsters, he must be very strong.
Strong, eh? Suddenly, I remembered Aldric and the way he moved, with grace and sexual appeal, and I groaned.
Stop! You must stop, Quinn! I snapped at myself.
Okay, let's go home and practice more magic. Yes, let's do that and forget about Aldric and what it'd feel like kissing him and...
I groaned again.
I arrived at the cottage a bit later, and Maria greeted me with a tight hug as she said, "That filled roll thing was so delicious, Quinn. I just couldn't stop thinking about it. The softness of the bun, the creaminess of that thing you called avocado, the crispiness of the chicken, the slight spiciness and tanginess of that sauce, they were to die for. And the chocolate cake, too. It was so out of this world and to die for. Please make more for lunch tomorrow."
I chuckled and peeled her away from me. "I will, but not tomorrow. I think we should try different things and then rotate around." I was never a fan of eating the same food twice in a row. Besides, I had always done that as a poor student and on a tight budget after my parents' death, but now that I could create whatever ingredients I wanted, there was no stopping me from trying out different things I had always wanted to.
"Oh, yes, that sounds good," Maria said.
I asked, "How's the packing going?"
"We don't have much to pack, so technically speaking, I'm almost done," she said.
"Aren't you efficient?" I teased.
"Aren't I?" she replied, chuckling.
I took a seat and noticed the filled rolls and slices of chocolate cake I had made earlier. I asked, "Mother and Liam not home for lunch?"
Maria shook her head. "Perhaps they are having theirs up at the manor?"
"Do you think so?" I asked. "When they're not even working there anymore. They'd be starving by now."
Maria fiddled with her thumbs and said, "I supposed I should, uh, take those to them?"
I understood she despised going up to the manor and even vowed to never step foot there again unless she had to, but Elizabeth and Liam might be busy and couldn't come home.
I stood and said, "I'll go."
"No wait," she said quickly. "I don't want you to waste your time. You mentioned you need to practice your magic, so I'll do that."
"Are you sure?" I asked.
She nodded furiously. "I'll just have to... avoid certain people."
"Then I'll pack them for you," I said.
A few moments later, Maria left, carrying a basket packed with filled rolls and slices of chocolate cake.
Alone, I started practicing with my magic barrier, the glowing blue fading to clear as I pumped in more mana, and I widened my eyes with a pleasant surprise. I did not expect that. So increasing mana could change the shade and strength of the barrier. Didn't that just mean I'd have to increase my personal mana storage to stabilize the barrier? Though I hadn't a clue how I could do that yet, increasing my mana storage. I knew there must be ways, and I'd have to do more research regarding that.
I managed to hold on to the barrier for around two hours when Maria returned, very red in the face and fluttering about like a bird.
She shut the door and went to sit on the chair near the fireplace, looking very dazed. Concerned, I asked, "Is... everything all right? You didn't meet either Austin or Charles, did you?"
God, I hoped she didn't. But if she did, I hoped they hadn't gone and bullied her again. If so, I'd have to march up there and beat the crap out of them with my magic, and to hell if my blessing was revealed.
She shook her head and then turned her gaze to me. "Quinn, are all knights of the kingdom that nosy and... and... Oh, he makes me so... Who does he think he is, calling me a suspicious lassie? It's not like I want to step foot in that goddamn manor."
"Calm down," I said, chuckling. "And why would you ask me that? You know I know nothing about knights of the kingdom."
She pouted. "You're right, and I'm sorry," she said. "But he really is very nosy, that man."
I asked, "Right. So did you manage to get lunch to Mother and Liam?"
She nodded. "Oh, yes, and indeed you are right. They were starving. They were rather busy. Liam is making very good progress with driving the carriage and maneuvering the horses and Aunty Beth was helping Mrs. Ross in teaching the new head maid her duties."
"I see," I said.
Despite the lords and ladies of the manor mistreating her, Elizabeth was still kind enough to make sure the new maid taking her position understood her duties. What a dedicated woman. If it were me, I'd brush the dust off my boots and be gone and let them deal with the mess.
While I continued training with my magic, Maria practiced learning the English language, or rather divine language as she called it, I had taught her. Not just her in fact, but Elizabeth and Liam as well every night after dinner. I thought it'd be useful for them, and me, in the future.
Obviously, Maria was reading a children's book I had created, and she seemed to enjoy it and thought the illustrations were so cute.
By evening, I started preparing dinner. It'd be spaghetti Bolognese with a tossed side salad tonight. I summoned my creation magic circle and conjured the ingredients I needed.
Maria came toddling over and eagerly leaned on the table. She asked, "Need any help?"
I chuckled. "Can you please start boiling the water? Fill the water to about half of the pot and add a pinch of salt in."
She asked, "Why add salt?"
"It'll heat up the water faster," I said.
"Oh, I see," she said, chuckling. "You learn something new every day."
"Indeed," I said.
I started chopping the garlic, onion, carrot, and celery stick. I was just finished when the door opened, and Elizabeth and Liam walked in. I didn't miss that both looked a little frizzled, and more so, quiet.
"Welcome home," I said.
Elizabeth looked at me and gave me a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Something's up, I thought.
Liam came over and hovered over my shoulder. "Looks great," he said.
"It's spaghetti Bolognese," I said. "It's especially nice after a long day of work."
"Can't wait to dig in," he said. "Need any help?"
I shook my head.
"The water is boiling, Quinn," Maria burst out. "What do I do next?"
I turned to her and instructed, "Put those in." I pointed to the dry pasta. Maria picked up the lot and put them in the boiling water. "Stir them occasionally so they don't stick to the bottom of the pot. When they're slightly al dente, it's done."
"What's al dente?" she asked.
"Cooked that's firm to the bite," I said. "I'll show you."
Returning my attention to my job at hand, I took out the frying pan and started making the sauce. Once heated, I ladled a spoonful of olive oil and then added the minced garlic and onion and sautéed it until light brown. Then I added the minced beef and cooked that until brown, too. As this was happening, I eyed Elizabeth, who kept pacing back and forth. Meanwhile, Liam was practicing his reading.
Shifting my eyes back to the pan, I added the chopped carrot and celery stick and then added the ready-made Bolognese sauce and left it to simmer.
"I think it's al dente, Quinn," Maria said excitedly.
I turned to her and tested a string of pasta by popping it into my mouth and bit. I nodded and did a thumbs-up. "Good to go. Drain it and we're done."
Maria nodded and started doing what I had instructed.
While I waited for the sauce to fully cook, I started with the side salad. It was a simple thing, adding mesclun, cherry tomatoes, and chopped-up cucumber into a wooden bowl and then adding a ready-made French dressing. By then, the Bolognese sauce was done as well, and I brought the whole pan to the table.
Five minutes later, we all sat down to eat. Maria's eyes were sparkling as she watched me grab a bunch of spaghetti with a tong and place it on my plate. Then I added a ladle full of the Bolognese sauce on top. Grabbing a tong full of salad, I added that to the side of the plate, and I was ready to go.
I waited as each member of the family took turns repeating what I did, and then we started digging in.
"Mmm..." Maria groaned. "This is so nice and tasty."
"This is delicious, Quinn," Liam said.
Elizabeth nodded but didn't comment. She seemed to enjoy her food, which was enough for me, though I was still curious about what was on her mind.
It was at the end of the meal, and we were drinking tea and eating berries and fresh sliced apple and pear for dessert, when finally, Elizabeth broke her silence. She said, "You're being asked to present yourself at the manor tomorrow, Quinn."
I raised my gaze to her. "Me? What for?" I chuckled and jested. "Surely Lord Norsewood hasn't arrived yet? I was told it'll be at the end of next week."
An expression of concern on her face, she said, "He's just arrived this afternoon. I don't know the details, but the manor was in an uproar when he turned up, and well, Lord and Lady Bedford were in a panic, and they requested my presence."
"I see," I said, quite dumbfounded. And here I thought I'd have at least another week of leisure training on my magic.
"He arrived a week earlier than expected," Maria said.
"Does that mean... I'll be getting married tomorrow?" I asked.
Elizabeth nodded. "Yes. It appeared Lord Norsewood requested the wedding be done as soon as possible. He plans to depart right after the ceremony."
Maria widened her eyes, flabbergasted. "But that means we hardly have time to prepare ourselves. Not that we needed to, but..."
Liam said, "He must be eager to return to Norsewood, and I don't blame him. Winter is about to set in and traveling through the Northern Alps is more dangerous when it snows."
I nodded my head in understanding. I guessed he meant us no disrespect by speeding up the wedding date and leaving me unprepared, not that I wasn't, but the timing was everything.
I stood and said, "Well, it looks like we're leaving Bedford sooner than we expected. We'll have to get a good night's sleep and be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed tomorrow."
All three looked at me, and Maria said, "Quinn, aren't you scared? I mean you're going to be getting married to Lord Norsewood. It's Lord Norsewood, the infamous earl, the monster who killed his last wife."
I waved her concern aside. "Rumors, Maria, rumors. Besides, I can't wait to see what's out there."
Indeed, I was looking forward to traveling across the country and experiencing what other towns and cities in Athol had to offer in terms of sights, food, and culture. Of course, there'd be dangers, too, but well, one couldn't possibly be expected to gain the whole other world's experience thing without a dash of danger.
I turned to my new family. "Right, let's clean up and then have a spa treatment. I did plan to do that a day before my wedding day, but it looks like it'll have to be the night before now."
"What's a spa?" Maria asked.
I winked at her. "You just wait and see.