Morning. When Termito came down to the dining room, Elena was already preparing the meal.
“Good morning.”
“Oh, you’re up very early. You should have slept a little longer.”
Elena muttered. She had yawned, and tears were welling up in the corners of her eyes.
“Sorry. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a guest and I got a little excited. I didn’t get much sleep last night.”
She stirred the pot in a daze.
“I’m sorry, but breakfast isn’t ready yet. Please wait just a little longer.”
“Wait a minute. I’ve been in your care since yesterday, but I’m still a little nervous. Isn’t there anything I can do to help?” He subconsciously felt an itch.
Elena, who couldn’t see it coming, said,
“Then, there is a spring flowing behind the mansion, can you fetch some water from there?”
“Yes!”
When he came to the back of the house, he immediately noticed the spring. He filled up the bucket she gave him and carried it to Elena.
“Thank you, it’s nice to have a man around.”
Elena smiled, and Termito’s face heated up. He hadn’t thought much of her yesterday, but he realized once again that she was a beautiful woman.
As they ate breakfast, Elena casually asked.
“What are you going to do today?”
“I don’t want to be a burden to you any longer, so I’m going to leave as soon as I have eaten.”
Elena looked sad for a moment at Termito’s answer.
“…You were collecting medicinal herbs, weren’t you, Teru?”
“Yes. That’s right.”
“You got lost and got to this mansion while you were obsessively collecting medicinal herbs. Isn’t that right?”
“That’s right…”
“What is it?” As he was about to ask, Termito also realized what Elena was trying to say.
“Do you know the way home?”
“….No, I don’t know.”
Elena grinned at Termito, who shrunk, as if she had just taken the head of a demon.
“I could show you the way to town, but it won’t be for free.”
“Uuu… But I don’t have a lot of money…”
“Don’t worry about money, you’ll pay it with your body.”
“With my body!?”
They went outside to visit the hut that stood at the side of the mansion.
Elena was wearing the same neat dress as when they had met, elbow-length gloves and a black parasol.
When Termito asked, she chuckled in annoyance and replied, “I have sensitive skin.”
“I feel bad for forcing you to listen to me.”
“No, no, you let me stay here and you treated me so well. I’ll do anything you want.”
“Then can you cut down this tree for firewood?”
Elena pointed to a piece of wood randomly placed by the side of the hut.
She casually says this, but the amount of firewood consumed in an average household is equivalent to one month’s worth.
“Eh, all of this?”
“Of course, as much as you can.”
“B, but, I’ll do my best….”
“I’m not in a hurry, so just take your time.”
“I understand.”
“You don’t have to be so intense.”
“? Yes, I understand.”
“Take it easy and get as much rest as you can.”
“Yes, I’ll do my best!”
“……”
Termito began to cut the firewood silently as Elena had instructed. There was no hesitation in his movements.
He must have been working out on a regular basis. She can see that he has a high level of physical strength.
Elena felt a little uneasy, but she couldn’t resist the urge to sleep and went to bed.
In the evening. When Elena woke up, she felt ashamed of her mistake. Termito would have been hungry by now.
As she started to prepare dinner, Termito came home.
“Welcome back. How’s it going?”
“Elena, I finished cutting everything!”
Elena’s face tensed slightly as Termito proudly reported.
“…everything’s done?”
“Yes. All of it.”
Elena does her best to stop herself from collapsing in shock, and smiles as best as she can.
“…Thank you Teru. I knew I could count on having a boy around.”
With that one word, the day’s exhaustion blew away, and strangely enough, my exhausted body felt lighter. My cheeks loosened up sluggishly
“Ehehe, thank you too.”
“? Why are you thanking me, Teru?”
I don’t know why I felt the need to say thank you. But I felt so grateful to Elena that it came out naturally
“Please let me know if you need to cut wood again. Now that I’ve got the hang of it, I think I’ll be able to cut faster next time.”
Elena’s voice rises at the brash words.
“Haha… I think I have enough firewood…”
After dinner, Elena suggested they take a bath. Though Termito refrained saying, “I’m dirty from the sweat and dirt, so I can take a bath after you, Elena.”
“Don’t be shy. The first one who goes in the bath is a privilege for hard workers.”
With Elena’s words, he was given the honor of going in the bath first.
As he washed his body, he thought about what Elena said to him.
“Reliable, huh…”
Of course, this may have been Elena’s way of paying lip service, and I may have just been carried away by it.
But still, I was strangely embarrassed because I felt as if Elena acknowledged me. I couldn’t help but feel a smile on my face for no reason.
Just then, he heard the door of the bathroom open. Reflexively, he turned around and saw Elena standing there without a stitch of clothing on.
Morning. When Termito came down to the dining room, Elena was already preparing the meal.
“Good morning.”
“Oh, you’re up very early. You should have slept a little longer.”
Elena muttered. She had yawned, and tears were welling up in the corners of her eyes.
“Sorry. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a guest and I got a little excited. I didn’t get much sleep last night.”
She stirred the pot in a daze.
“I’m sorry, but breakfast isn’t ready yet. Please wait just a little longer.”
“Wait a minute. I’ve been in your care since yesterday, but I’m still a little nervous. Isn’t there anything I can do to help?” He subconsciously felt an itch.
Elena, who couldn’t see it coming, said,
“Then, there is a spring flowing behind the mansion, can you fetch some water from there?”
“Yes!”
When he came to the back of the house, he immediately noticed the spring. He filled up the bucket she gave him and carried it to Elena.
“Thank you, it’s nice to have a man around.”
Elena smiled, and Termito’s face heated up. He hadn’t thought much of her yesterday, but he realized once again that she was a beautiful woman.
As they ate breakfast, Elena casually asked.
“What are you going to do today?”
“I don’t want to be a burden to you any longer, so I’m going to leave as soon as I have eaten.”
Elena looked sad for a moment at Termito’s answer.
“…You were collecting medicinal herbs, weren’t you, Teru?”
“Yes. That’s right.”
“You got lost and got to this mansion while you were obsessively collecting medicinal herbs. Isn’t that right?”
“That’s right…”
“What is it?” As he was about to ask, Termito also realized what Elena was trying to say.
“Do you know the way home?”
“….No, I don’t know.”
Elena grinned at Termito, who shrunk, as if she had just taken the head of a demon.
“I could show you the way to town, but it won’t be for free.”
“Uuu… But I don’t have a lot of money…”
“Don’t worry about money, you’ll pay it with your body.”
“With my body!?”
They went outside to visit the hut that stood at the side of the mansion.
Elena was wearing the same neat dress as when they had met, elbow-length gloves and a black parasol.
When Termito asked, she chuckled in annoyance and replied, “I have sensitive skin.”
“I feel bad for forcing you to listen to me.”
“No, no, you let me stay here and you treated me so well. I’ll do anything you want.”
“Then can you cut down this tree for firewood?”
Elena pointed to a piece of wood randomly placed by the side of the hut.
She casually says this, but the amount of firewood consumed in an average household is equivalent to one month’s worth.
“Eh, all of this?”
“Of course, as much as you can.”
“B, but, I’ll do my best….”
“I’m not in a hurry, so just take your time.”
“I understand.”
“You don’t have to be so intense.”
“? Yes, I understand.”
“Take it easy and get as much rest as you can.”
“Yes, I’ll do my best!”
“……”
Termito began to cut the firewood silently as Elena had instructed. There was no hesitation in his movements.
He must have been working out on a regular basis. She can see that he has a high level of physical strength.
Elena felt a little uneasy, but she couldn’t resist the urge to sleep and went to bed.
In the evening. When Elena woke up, she felt ashamed of her mistake. Termito would have been hungry by now.
As she started to prepare dinner, Termito came home.
“Welcome back. How’s it going?”
“Elena, I finished cutting everything!”
Elena’s face tensed slightly as Termito proudly reported.
“…everything’s done?”
“Yes. All of it.”
Elena does her best to stop herself from collapsing in shock, and smiles as best as she can.
“…Thank you Teru. I knew I could count on having a boy around.”
With that one word, the day’s exhaustion blew away, and strangely enough, my exhausted body felt lighter. My cheeks loosened up sluggishly
“Ehehe, thank you too.”
“? Why are you thanking me, Teru?”
I don’t know why I felt the need to say thank you. But I felt so grateful to Elena that it came out naturally
“Please let me know if you need to cut wood again. Now that I’ve got the hang of it, I think I’ll be able to cut faster next time.”
Elena’s voice rises at the brash words.
“Haha… I think I have enough firewood…”
After dinner, Elena suggested they take a bath. Though Termito refrained saying, “I’m dirty from the sweat and dirt, so I can take a bath after you, Elena.”
“Don’t be shy. The first one who goes in the bath is a privilege for hard workers.”
With Elena’s words, he was given the honor of going in the bath first.
As he washed his body, he thought about what Elena said to him.
“Reliable, huh…”
Of course, this may have been Elena’s way of paying lip service, and I may have just been carried away by it.
But still, I was strangely embarrassed because I felt as if Elena acknowledged me. I couldn’t help but feel a smile on my face for no reason.
Just then, he heard the door of the bathroom open. Reflexively, he turned around and saw Elena standing there without a stitch of clothing on.
