After that, we enjoyed the dinner that Milka had prepared.
Milka looked very happy as she started to talk to Nia.
“So, you are going to live with us too?”
“Uh, just until we find a new place.”
“That’s too bad! Isn’t it, Mister Locke.”
“Yes. We’ll be very lonely when they leave.”
“Groof-groof.”
Grulf also wanted Shia and Nia to live with us.
As we talked about it, Goran arrived.
“Locke. I came here to see you!”
“Ah, thanks for visiting.”
“Mister Goran, will you eat with us?”
“Oh, really? That would be nice.”
“Leave it to me.”
Milka quickly prepared a plate for Goran.
Serulis laughed.
“So you came here to day afterall, daddy.”
“Well, Serulis. Don’t you visit all the time as well?”
“That’s true!”
And they laughed together.
When we were finished eating, Serulis said,
“Milka, Nia! And Shia. Let’s take a bath together.”
“Ah, yes. Thank you.”
“Thank you!”
Shia and Nia wagged their tails. They must enjoy taking baths.
But Milka shook her head.
“I’m sorry to have to refuse your kind offer, but I have to clean up.”
“I see…”
“I’ll take a bath later.”
“Alright, I will help you clean then.”
“No, you’re a guest, Sister Serulis!”
Milka said modestly.
Then I turned to them and said.
“Milka and Serulis. Both of you can go and take a bath.”
“Uh, but…I have to clean.”
“I’ll do it for you.”
“But it’s my job, you know.”
“Don’t worry about it. Now go take a bath.”
After they left, I started to wash the dishes.
“Groof-groof.”
“Cluck-cluck.”
As I was washing the dishes, Grulf and Lord Gerberga were walking around behind me.
Lord Gerberga was riding on Grulf’s back. It was wonderful that they were such good friends.
Just then, Luchila brought over the plates.
“That’s all of them.”
“Ah, thank you.”
“Now that I finished, I’ll help you wash them.”
“Yes, that will help.”
And so we washed the dishes together.
Goran had also offered to help, but I refused, since he was a guest.
“Luchila, do you really hate taking baths?”
“Uh, not exactly.”
“I see.”
Milka had said that Luchila hated taking baths.
And that he hadn’t bathed in a long time.
“So, when’s the last time you took a bath, Luchila?”
“Uhh…”
“Have you bathed since leaving your village?”
“…I cleaned myself in rivers.”
“…I see.”
It was like the life of an Adventurer on the road.
It seemed that he really did hate bathing.
“Lord Gerberga seems to enjoy being in the water.”
“He also loves bathing in sand.”
“Cluck!”
Gerberga clucked happily.
“Then maybe I will order some nice sand and make a sandbox in the garden.”
“Cluck!”
“Luchila. Once Milka and the others are finished, we can bathe with Lord Gerberga and Grulf.”
“No-no! I already took a bath today!”
“It won’t kill you to take another one.”
“No! I am fine! I am very fine!”
“I see.”
He must really, really hate it.
On the other hand, Grulf was wagging his tail. He wanted to take a bath.
We finished cleaning the dishes and retired to the drawing room.
Goran was waiting there.
“Sorry that I didn’t help you!”
“You’re a guest, Goran. I’m just sorry that there was no one here to keep you company.”
“Don’t worry about that. I was helping myself to your wine.”
“I see.”
I poured more into his cup.
“Goran. How did you go about Serulis’s education?”
“…Oh, do you really feel like I messed up? Is she bothering you that much?”
Goran thought I was rebuking him over her poor education.
“Sorry. That’s not what I meant. Not what I meant at all.”
“Hmm?”
“Milka seems to be very smart. But isn’t making the most of it because of her lack of education.”
“I see. So you need a private teacher.”
“Exactly. As long as she is an apprentice here, it would be embarrassing for me if she were not given a proper education.”
“That is very true. I called several teachers for Serulis. To teach her manners and history or culture, etcetera.”
“Hmm. Hmm. Would it be possible for you to introduce me to them?”
“Well, most of them were quite old… They are either ill or dead. So that might be a little difficult.”
“I see. I guess I will have to ask Eric if there are any good teachers available.”
Luchila, who had been quietly carrying Lord Gerberga on his lap, suddenly spoke.
“A private teacher? Yes, Milka definitely needs one.”
“She’s not the only one. You will be studying too, Luchila.”
“What?”
“Of course you will. You are still very young.”
“Thank you.”
Luchila said with a bow.
Education cost money. And so he was thankful.
Goran looked serious as he said,
“I thought that maybe you were going to accept little Nia as an apprentice as well. Are you?”
“I wouldn’t mind that, but it is up to her.”
“I see.”
It was true that it would be more convenient for her in different ways if she was my apprentice.
It would be like having a guarantor within the royal capital.
However, Nia had a good guardian. So there was no need for me to ask her myself.
Like that, we talked late into the night.