32 - Sandwich and Red Shoes
"Come here, Tina."
Beckoned, I approach the work desk. Leonardo opens a drawer and takes out a can.
"Honey... candy?"
I recognize the can resting in Leonardo's hand. It looks exactly like the can that held honey-flavored candy.
"Sorry it's not candy... here, open your mouth."
"Ahhn?"
It's not candy? I tilt my head, but open my mouth as told. A sweet lump drops into my widely opened mouth.
"...Crunchy?"
My image of it is like a chocolate bar I ate in my previous life. The coating isn't chocolate, but candy. It's a confection made by finely crushing nuts and cookies and shaping them into a round ball with candy. When I bite into it, it's crispy and delicious.
"It's, good."
"Is that so. Good."
Leonardo gives me the whole can, saying I can have the rest. Since I'm hungry, I obediently accept his offer.
"Leonyaldo-san, ahhn too."
Feeling bad about eating alone, I offer one to Leonardo. But instead of bringing it to his own mouth, he brings it to mine.
"...You didn't want it?"
"I already had a proper lunch, so it's fine. You're hungry, right Tina?"
So the candy from this drawer must be Leonardo's emergency rations. For when he doesn't have time to eat or feels a little hungry.
"Tina, I used to have younger siblings, but I've spent more time alone than I did with my family. When it comes to taking care of children... I only looked after my little sister a bit when I was a kid myself. I don't know what's necessary and what isn't."
Leonardo picks me up as I eat without hesitation and sets me on his lap. Since he seems to be saying something important, I listen carefully and look up at him.
"That's why, even if I'm making you bear things, I won't notice unless you tell me."
"...Need, to say, what?"
I was just staying quiet so I wouldn't disturb his work. Was that bad too?
"I told you to sit still, but I want you to tell me when you're hungry or when you want shoes. I'm apparently no good at picking up on things."
"Okay. I'll say, properly."
Well, that's true. If I stay silent out of consideration so I don't bother Leonardo, he wouldn't know what to do for me either. Communication is important.
"Then, right away, I have, something to say. Okay?"
"Hm? What is it? Something you want to eat...?"
I can tell from his slightly relaxed tone that he's expecting a cute request, but I decide to go with a super direct approach here.
"Pee."
Maybe I should have at least said restroom or lavatory, but what came out of my mouth was this. I'm just about at my limit. It can't be helped that my desire came straight out of my mouth. After all, I was already caught by Leonardo when I broke his order and got off the chair because I was feeling the limit.
"I'm not, a doll, that just, sits. Pee."
I pat Leonardo's knee lightly, urging him to let me down. Carrying me carefully, putting me on his lap and feeding me sweets... this isn't how you spoil a child you're supposed to raise. I meant to assert that I'm not a doll, but Leonardo froze, looking troubled.
"Leonyaldo-san? I'm not, a baby. Before I, have accident, let me go, toilet, plea'e."
I pat his knee again, a little harder this time, prompting him. After a moment, Leonardo finally recovers his senses and sets me down safely.
When I return from the toilet, a black knight is just leaving the office. He's carrying a bundle of documents, so maybe Leonardo's work has reached a pause.
"...I'm home."
It's strange to say "I'm home" after coming back from the toilet. But as the words slip out, Leonardo gives a wry smile and welcomes me back with "Welcome back."
"Work, finished?"
"No, I just had him take some snacks and the processed documents. There's still work left."
"Then, I'll sit, quietly again."
I walk toward the chair I've been sitting on since noon, but Leonardo moves it closer to his desk. Naturally, I end up near the desk by following the chair... is this okay? Even if I sit still, being right next to his desk would probably be in the way.
"Let's take a break together, Tina. Do you know what a sandwich is? It's food made by putting vegetables and ham between bread..."
This time, instead of on his lap, I'm seated on a chair facing Leonardo. On the plate he offers are sandwiches cut into small squares and triangles. Maybe they were cut small for me.
...Wait, wasn't the sandwich named after some gambling-loving Earl or Baron of Sandwich, some noble or other? Why is it called "sandwich" in this world?
Rather than thinking it's a coincidence, I feel it makes more sense that a reincarnated person spread it. Still, since this is the first time I've seen one in this life, I'm not supposed to know what a sandwich is. I reach for the sandwich, acting like it's completely new to me.
"...The bread, is soft."
The bread I've eaten so far has been really hard. I understand it's for preservation, but it's dry and sucks all the moisture out of my mouth, making it hard to eat without soup. But the bread used in this sandwich is soft, and it feels close to Japanese bread.
"Aurelia's place only had hard bread for storage. If you live in the city, you can eat soft bread."
That's a little nice. Hard bread has a good texture too, but I still think of bread as something soft. Soft, delicious bread is very welcome.
I take a bite of the sandwich. The saltiness of the ham is wonderfully delicious. I've been improving my own cooking, but there's still some subtle dissatisfaction. It's probably the limit of my self-taught methods. But this sandwich, whoever made it, is undeniably delicious. It's the first meal besides sweets in a long time that I can praise as excellent.
"...I need to prepare a room for Tina too."
As I quietly munch on the sandwich, Leonardo mutters. Maybe it just slipped out while he was thinking. I keep chewing my sandwich, but his gaze isn't on me, so it's probably unconscious.
"I'll get the carpet and curtains in Tina's favorite colors, then the bed, the closet, and what goes in the closet. And..."
The number of things listed by Leonardo scares me. Mainly, the cost worries me. What does he mean, getting carpet and curtains in my favorite colors? Can't we just use what's already there? And what does he mean by "my room" anyway? It sounds like he's saying he'll get a bed and closet from scratch.
"...I guess the guest room will do for now."
Since he won't have time to do anything substantial until the epidemic settles down, Leonardo's spending plan is interrupted. Personally, I don't have any way to pay back large sums, so I'd prefer to make do with what's available. He seems to have given up for now, but as he starts thinking about whether he's missed anything, I try to change the subject to distract him.
"Jean-Jack-san, his infection, do you know why?"
As far as I know, Jean-Jacques was the first infection in the city. Since Jean-Jacques didn't touch any infection source, why he got infected is something we absolutely need to figure out.
"It's because he went to Meiyu Village. Jean-Jacques went to burn down Meiyu Village. He didn't join the search for the merchant carrying the infection source."
"Just, going to village, doesn't, infect."
If just coming to the village was enough to get infected, for example if it were airborne, then there's no way Leonardo and I wouldn't be infected. Not just Leonardo and Jean-Jacques, but other black knights also came to Meiyu Village. Yet so far, only Jean-Jacques has shown symptoms.
"Only, Jean-Jack-san, infected. Strange."
Jean-Jacques spread the infection to the prostitutes and other black knights at the fortress. Since only Jean-Jacques developed symptoms among those who came to Meiyu Village, there's no mistake about this.
"...Now that you mention it, the infected knights at the fortress are mostly those close to Jean-Jacques and those who went to burn Meiyu Village. If Lorenz, who stood guard at the village entrance for a while when they went at the village chief's request, had been infected, I'd understand, but only Jean-Jacques being infected is strange."
"Jean-Jack-san, when burning, village, did he, do something?"
Considering that masks provided some protection, it's droplet infection. The villagers of Meiyu were already dead, so there were no infected people spreading droplets. So to catch the disease in Meiyu Village, you'd need to do something that Leonardo and I didn't do. Jean-Jacques must have done something in the village.
"Commander, the Brownie couple from the mansion is here..."
My thoughts are interrupted by a knock. Behind the black knight who enters and reports, a middle-aged couple stands.
...Are these people the Brownie couple? Brownie... isn't that the name of a helpful house-elf?
As I'm thinking this, my eyes meet the woman's. When our eyes meet, she smiles warmly and shakes a small box in her hand, as if trying to catch a little girl's attention.
...What is it? Is there something inside?
After a moment of silent communication with the woman, the black knight finishes his report and leaves the office.
"Tina, come here."
Called, I get off my chair. Following Leonardo around his desk, I face the Brownie couple.
"Try them on."
Leonardo takes a small pair of shoes from the box the woman handed him and places them in front of me. The contents of the box the woman was shaking were apparently shoes for me. Red shoes, with cute flower decorations. The design is a bit childish, but I'm a genuine little girl now, so I can wear them without hesitation.
When I sit on the floor to put on the shoes, the woman helps me. A little girl's body proportions are surprisingly unbalanced. I can't put on shoes while standing, and if I tried, I'd definitely fall. Knowing this, the woman helped me. Leaning against her body, I lift one foot and she puts the shoe on me. I'm being treated completely like a child, but with this body, there's no helping it.
"Perfect fit."
Not too big, not too small. The shoes are just the right size for my small feet. Now I can finally walk around without worry.
"Now then, Tina. These two are Bart and Tabitha. They manage the lord's mansion."
They bow as their names are called, so I can tell who's who. Bart is the man, and Tabitha is the woman who just helped me with my shoes.
"We're quarantined, but there's still an infectious disease in this fortress. Honestly, I shouldn't have brought you to the fortress... but I can't leave. So go ahead to the lord's mansion with these two."
"Mm, okay."
The lord's mansion? Not Leonardo's house? I wonder, but I know Leonardo is busy. I should just understand that I'll be entrusted to this couple for a while. Probably.
...But Leonardo-san. You said you'd take me in as your little sister, but you're already passing me around. You don't seem to realize it though.
Entrusted to Aurelia, sent Alf to pick me up, and just when I think he'll finally take me in, he entrusts me to another couple. As expected, it might be impossible for Leonardo to raise me.
"...Once the fortress calms down, I'll come check on you right away. Just wait for me at home for now."
Saying that, Leonardo pats my head.
By the way, the sandwich in this world was named sandwich by pure coincidence.