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<b>Chapter 29 Relaxation</b>
The villa was owned by a family of local lords, distant relatives of the Goudenberts, who were currently on a trip to the capital. Ferris, Alicia and Jeanette were allowed to use the villa as they wished.
In the guest room of the villa, Ferris was lying on one of the three beds, breathing softly.
The sand had been wiped from her feet when she entered the villa, but her skin was still sticky from the dried seawater. She felt like she needed to take a bath, but she was too tired to do so.
Then, Alicia appeared with a towel in her hand.
“I’ve brought you a towel and some water. Here, I’ll wipe you down and put your pajamas on.”
“I can do it myself… I don’t need you to do that for me…”
Ferris tried to get up, but he couldn’t do it fast enough and slumped down.
“Don’t push yourself.”
“Fueeh…”
Alicia poked her forehead and Ferris let out a weak cry.
“Ferris is a hero who saved everyone’s life, so it’s okay to rely on me like this. You have to learn to rely on someone for a bit.”
“I’m not a hero… I’m not, but…”
She made a feeble protest, but Alicia didn’t listen. Soaking a towel in a tub of water, she wrung it out lightly and wiped Ferris’ body with the wet towel.
The seawater and sand particles cleared her rough skin, and the cool air from the wet towel gave her a refreshing feeling. Her burning body eases up.
Alicia wipes Ferris’ arms and legs, then runs her hands down her back and gently picks her up, wiping her shoulders and down her back.
“Are you okay, Ferris, are you cold?”
“Yes… That feels good…”
Her goddess-like eyes stare at Ferris tenderly, and her wet blonde hair hangs down to her body.
As she did this, Ferris felt a sense of peace and warmth deep inside her chest. Without thinking, a voice spilled out from her lips.
“Mama…? San…?”
“… Hmm? What’s wrong?”
Alicia looked at her curiously.
“No, it was nothing!”
Ferris hurriedly looked away from Alicia. She didn’t know who her mother was, but for some reason she felt like calling her that.
But she felt embarrassed to call a girl in her class her mother. It makes her feel like she’s a baby. Feeling her cheeks heating up, Ferris wanted to roll around on the bed.
“Ferris! I’ve made chicken soup for you!”
Jeanette burst into the room, opening the door with a bang. Grabbing a small pot with her mittens, she walks over to the bed.
“Chicken soup… We were just on a hot sandy beach a minute ago?”
Alicia rolls her eyes.
“Chicken soup is the best thing for sick people! I’m going to take care of you perfectly!”
“You’re really going for it…”
“Of course I am, if Ferris is weak, I’m the one who must take care of her!”
Jeanette removes the lid and steam rises from the pot, Jeanette scoops the soup with a wooden spoon and brings it to Ferris’ mouth.
“Yes, Ferris, please eat… Ahn.”
“Ahn.”
The soup flows into Ferris’ mouth, which opens like a baby bird.
“Auhhh…”
“Ah, was it hot! It’s okay! I’ll get you some water right away!”
Jeanette panicked.
It was indeed hot, and Ferris was surprised, but… But the chicken soup melted gently in her mouth, and the rich flavor soothed her body.
Besides, Ferris was so happy to be nursed like this that she could feel her vision clouding over.
When she was in the magic stone mine, no one would help her when she was sick. If she fell asleep, she would just be yelled at by the master to hurry up and work.
Jeanette and Alicia really cared about Ferris. It seemed like such a waste for a slave like herself.
“No, no, I’m fine. It’s very… It’s delicious.”
Ferris chuckled.
“Ferris… Kaa… Cute…! You’re so cute…!”
“Huh…?”
Jeanette hugged Ferris as hard as she could. Her face was pressed against her ample breasts, and Ferris felt like she was going to suffocate.
“Jeanette, Jeanette… I… I can’t…”
“What’s wrong, Ferris, you sound like you’re about to be crushed.”
“She was really about to be crushed!”
With Alicia’s intervention, the tragedy was prevented.
———————————————————————
When Ferris woke up after a nap, the sun was already setting.
Jeanette and Alicia were sitting in a nearby chair, quietly reading a book. Both of them were vying for the top spot in their class, and they looked like intelligent girls.
“Oh, you’re awake, Ferris.”
“Good morning, Ferris.”
“Good morning.”
Jeanette and Alicia smiled at her, and Ferris smiled faintly.
Something about that tickled her. The thought that they had been by her side the whole time she had been asleep made my heart throb.
Perhaps it was because her body had recovered from the wear and tear of resting for a while, but her head was now working properly. Remembering the events of the daytime, Ferris said self-consciously.
“Um… I’m a little curious about something.”
“Oh, what is it?”
Alicia raised her eyebrows.
“That volcano… It was sealed by drawing magic from the earth’s veins, wasn’t it?”
“Yes, I was wondering about that too. If the volcano erupted, it means that the seal has been broken…”
Jeanette brought her balled up palm to her chin, a hint of anxiety in her tone.
“So that means the sealing magic is disabled, which means it might erupt again. If we don’t find out why we can’t use the magic of the earth’s veins anymore, it might be dangerous…”
If the eruption starts again, Ferris thought. It would be good if they could respond as successfully as they did during the day, but if not, there would be a great deal of damage. That had to be avoided at all costs.
“I… I don’t want anyone else to die. I feel like I need to properly investigate the reason for the eruption…”
“But… I think the country’s wizardry corps should investigate these things. If Ferris gets hurt getting so close to the volcano… That would be terrible.”
Alicia admonishes.
“But! I can’t just leave them there! I’ve seen with my own eyes how close they came to dying!”
“Ferris…”
Alicia’s expression clouded.
Jeanette folds her arms and says in a high-pitched voice.
“That’s fine! With the three of us, a volcano won’t be a problem!”
“Does the three of us include me?”
Alicia asks, and Jeanette quickly blushes.
“Well, yeah, I guess so!”
“Hmmm…”
“Hey, hey, don’t get too close! What is it?
Jeanette’s face grew even redder as she stared at her at close range.
Alicia let out a mischievous smile and turned to Ferris.
“Okay, I get it. But let’s not do anything too dangerous, okay? We… I want the three of us to play together forever.”
“Yes!”
Ferris nodded loudly.