Chapter 12: Harp and Eve

“Oh my goodness.”

“Well? How is it?”

I stared down at the dining table, filled with a variety of colorful dishes.

Salads, sandwiches, warm tomato soup—an unbelievable assortment of food, all apparently made from just one fruit basket.

I couldn’t help but gape.

Seriously? She can cook this well?

What on earth have I been doing with my so-called cooking skills until now?

“Does it suit your taste? I haven’t shown off like this in a while.”

“This is amazing! Incredible!”

“…Thanks for the compliment. Here, try it before it gets cold.”

“Okay!”

A salad that looked fresh and crisp, even without dressing.

A hearty vegetable sandwich.

A steaming bowl of tomato soup.

And a plate of apple slices cut into the shape of a rabbit.

What should I start with? The sight alone left me happily overwhelmed.

How do I choose which to eat first to truly do it justice?

Every dish looked so appetizing that it was an almost impossible decision.

“Let’s start with… this!”

After much deliberation, I picked up the sandwich.

Of course, since this orphanage didn’t exactly stock proper bread—only that rock-hard hammer bread—the “bread” was actually thinly sliced beetroot wrapped around the filling.

I grabbed the sandwich with both hands and took a big bite.

“Ahhh!”

“Uh, Headmaster, your mouth is small, so if you bite that big, it won’t—”

“Mm-mmph! Mmph!”

“…Here, try dipping it in the tomato soup and swallowing it that way.”

“Mm… Aah, thank you. Whew…”

For some reason, the beastkin girl was looking at me differently now.

It didn’t seem like just my imagination, but I decided to brush it off.

Anyone can choke a bit when eating too quickly.

Happens to the best of us.

—I was really hungry. Like, a lot.

“…Mmm, this is really good.”

“Thank you.”

After that small incident was brushed aside, I continued nibbling on the sandwich, but a sudden question popped into my mind.

“Hey, can I ask you something?”

“Of course, ask away.”

“So, if you can make things this delicious… why did you cry when you ate my soup?”

“Ah.”

She can make food this incredible, yet she cried after eating the soup of a complete novice like me.

Why?

I mean, her cooking is clearly miles ahead of mine.

I hate to admit it, but it’s true.

“Um?”

“Well, the soup was really… warm.”

“Warm?”

“Yeah, warm and comforting. It was a kind of warmth I’d never experienced before in my life.”

“Oh… I see.”

“When I looked at it, it made me feel at ease. It felt cozy, and I just… wanted to stay with it forever.”

“…You’re talking about the soup, right?”

“Of course.”

That’s strange.

The soup I gave her had been sitting out for a while and was completely cold by then.

She must have a really bad fever…

Poor beastkin girl.

She was probably sick but didn’t show any signs of it because she wanted to grant my request and cook.

…Wait.

Doesn’t this make me sound like a total villain?

I paused and replayed the events from earlier in my mind.

I tried to kick out a kid who had collapsed in the freezing cold, not even fully recovered from their cold.

And then I made them cook for me—forcing them to work.

Thinking about it now, this is straight-up exploitation, isn’t it?

Yeah, it really is.

My conscience pricked at me. Guilt whispered, “What on earth are you doing?”

No, seriously—if she was sick, she should’ve just said something…

“So, how about it? Did I pass? Can I stay at the orphanage?”

“Not… Um, of course.”

“Thank you—”

“Now, come on, sit down. Let’s eat together.”

“…Huh? No, it’s not proper. Beastkin and humans shouldn’t share a table—”

“Our orphanage has a rule. Everyone eats together at mealtime. So, take a seat.”

“Then… if you insist… Thank you.”

Honestly, I only had her make food because I was hungry and had planned to send her on her way with a polite refusal.

But how could I possibly refuse now?

Not only is she unexpectedly good at cooking, but my conscience keeps poking me, making it impossible to say, “No, you can’t stay!”

“Here, have a spoonful of soup. It’s best while it’s warm.”

“No, you first.”

“…I can’t understand you while you’re eating, Headmaster. Finish your bite first, then talk.”

“Mm-hmm.”

Still, looking at the girl’s bright smile…

The awkward smile of someone who seemed like they’d never laughed genuinely before…

For some reason, it made me feel a little warm inside.

Well, the orphanage is pretty big, so having one more person to live with shouldn’t be a problem.

It felt like all my past worries—and even the ones about the future—melted away into the soup and disappeared.

“Here! Try this! It’s super delicious!”

“The last sandwich should go to you, Headmaster—mmph!”

“Just eat it! I’m full anyway!”

“…No, you’re not.”

“Pfft, I am full! And stop laughing!”

“Pfft, hahaha~!”

I smiled back at her, responding with an easy, cheerful grin.

My meal with the beastkin girl passed by in no time.

It was a simple rhythm: a bite of food, some small talk, another bite of food, more chatter.

Before I knew it, all the dishes were empty.

“That was delicious.”

“Thanks for the meal.”

It’s been ages since I last ate this much.

My stomach was completely stuffed.

When I gave it a little tap, it made a light, drum-like sound.

“Headmaster, do you want me to help you down if it’s hard to move?”

“No, I’m fine.”

Even though I might look a bit rounder now, don’t forget—I was once a top-tier warrior.

A little extra weight won’t slow me down.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Y-yeah.”

“…Does it really take five minutes to answer?”

That’s strange.

From a height that wasn’t even that high, I stared at the ground below and felt a sudden wave of fear.

I couldn’t summon the courage to jump down.

Why, though?

Sure, it was about the same height as my own body, but as long as I landed properly, it’d be fine.

Move, body. Move!

Show the strength of the elite warrior division leader you once were!

“Come here. I’ll help you down.”

“No, I… Okay, please.”

“You could’ve just asked sooner.”

Apparently, the strength I wanted to show off wasn’t in me anymore.

The beastkin girl, unable to watch me struggle awkwardly on the chair any longer, gently picked me up in her arms.

“Oh, this is quite… comfortable.”

“Huh?”

“N-nothing at all.”

I thought I heard her sniffing a little, but in any case, she carried me down to the floor with surprising ease.

And that’s when I saw it.

I saw something I absolutely, completely, utterly did not like.

“Why… why are you so tall?”

“…Huh?”

The beastkin girl was clearly a child.

She should be a child.

So why was she so much taller than me? Tall enough that I had to look up at her? This was absurd!

“It’s because you’re small, Headmaster.”

“What?”

“Also, there’s an age difference between us, so it’s just how it is.”

“What do you mean, ‘just how it is’!?”

“Who’s older?”

“Me. By about five years, I think?”

“How do you even know that?”

“Magic.”

…Well, if it’s magic, I guess I don’t really have anything to argue with.

“Then why are you speaking formally to me? You’re older.”

“Um, because you’re the Headmaster? I’m not sure, but I feel like I’ll keep using formal speech anyway.”

“That seems kind of wishy-washy.”

“Life’s like that, isn’t it?”

…Maybe?

Now that I think about it, that kind of makes sense.

“Then, can I ask you a question too?”

“What is it?”

“We’re going to be living together, so I think I should know. What’s your name?”

“Huh? I told you, just call me Headmaster.”

“No, not that. Your real name.”

My real name, huh?

Now that she mentioned it, I hadn’t thought about that until now.

“Name… name… uh…”

I can’t just give the name I’ve always used.

It’s a man’s name, and it wouldn’t suit this tiny, adorable body at all.

“Um… Eve. My name is Eve.”

Eve.

The name just popped into my mind, like a sudden spark.

I don’t know why. Maybe it stuck with me because I once marched on Christmas Eve?

I’m not really sure; it just came to me.

“Eve. So, Eve it is.”

“What’s wrong?”

“The name really suits you.”

“…Compliments won’t get you anything, you know.”

“But you’re smiling.”

“Gasp.”

“Just kidding.”

As I hastily covered my mouth, the beastkin girl flashed a playful grin.

Teasing an adult already? She’s got the makings of a troublemaker, doesn’t she?

Still, it wasn’t an unpleasant joke, so I decided to let it slide with the magnanimity of an adult.

“That aside, I’m kind of envious. You have a name, but I don’t.”

“Really? Then shouldn’t I give you one?”

“…Would that really be okay?”

“Of course!”

I had actually thought of a name when I first met her, but I didn’t expect to have the chance to use it so soon.

“Alright, get ready!”

Time to show off my amazing naming sense.

With my hands on my hips, I struck a confident pose.

“Your name is ‘Harp’!”

“Harp?”

“Yeah! It comes from the saying, ‘Well begun is half done,’ since you’re starting anew here at the orphanage!”

“Half… as in ‘orphan,’ huh. That kind of makes sense.”

“Wait, saying it like that makes it sound weird.”

“It’s not entirely wrong, though.”

Hmm, it did feel a bit thrown together, but hey—life’s always a little like that, isn’t it?