I Didn't Want to Make Her Anxious
I didn't want to make her anxious. I couldn't leave Eve home alone. I hurriedly started getting us ready to go out together. How lucky I was that I'd bought her clothes the day before. The preparations were finished in no time.
"Alright, Eve. Let's head out together."
"Yes~"
After dressing her in the new clothes, she looked like a little penguin waddling along. It seemed too bare without a scarf, so I wrapped my own around her neck. One more item for the shopping list. I'd have to remember that.
The moment we stepped outside, the winter morning wind chilled me to the bone. Yesterday's snow had long since turned into crunchy ice shards, leaving slick patches scattered across the road. Worried she might slip and fall, I kept a steadying hand on her shoulder. As if she understood my concern, Eve took tiny, careful steps—tap, tap, tap—walking with great caution.
"Eve. Today you'll need to stay at my workplace for a little while."
"...Yes~"
"You still have a slight fever, so I'm worried. ...Will you be alright?"
"I can do it."
White puffs of breath scattered from Eve's lips. She nodded, calm and matter-of-fact. I asked her gently.
"Is it okay if I ask what you usually did during the day?"
I hated to remind her of her time in the ducal house, but I still needed to understand.
"I studied."
"Studying? That's good. And?"
"............"
Eve tilted her head, seemingly lost in thought. To ease her burden, I added, "I'm curious what you did besides studying. What did you spend most of your time on?"
"...I drew pictures."
"Do you like drawing?"
She nodded.
"And besides that?"
"...I ate meals."
When I fell silent, Eve seemed to decide her answer was insufficient. She began listing things in a slightly desperate rush.
"I slept... washed... studied, drew pictures, ate meals...... and..."
"Um, ah. That's enough. I understand completely."
I had stepped on a landmine. It seemed she had spent all her time alone in that mansion. Well, that tracked. Given what kind of household would raise such a quiet child to become a villainess, I hadn't expected much anyway.
I changed the subject to brighten the mood. "So Eve likes drawing, I see."
"I do like it."
"If we get the chance, let's draw together next time."
Eve silently rolled an ice shard under her foot. I thought she might dislike the idea, but then I caught her small nod a moment later.
"I run a pharmacy. I make medicines and sell them. Occasionally I examine patients if needed."
The place we reached was a chocolate-colored brick building two blocks from the city center. The sign out front had no name, only the single word Pharmacy standing alone. It wasn't a perfect location, but the nearby academy students visited often enough that business was steady.
I opened the wooden door, its surface polished smooth by years of use. The bell jingled.
Inside, a girl was already hard at work.
"Ah! Teacher! Welcome! You're a little late today? ......Huh...?"
Her lively, sparkling voice suddenly twisted into a question mark. She was the only part-timer we had, a girl named Caramel who had been with us for half a year now. True to her age, she loved dressing up—her flashy makeup was quite striking. Despite appearances, she was a diligent academy student working to pay her tuition. Some customers found her hard to approach at first, but her bright personality soon had them seeking her out instead.
Caramel's eyes widened when she spotted Eve trailing after me.
"Wow, she's so cute~ What a tiny baby! What's going on?! She's adorable!"
She dashed over in a single stride and started chattering nonstop.
"How old is she? Five? Six? Who is she? Is she one of your relatives, Teacher? A relative? Wait, didn't you say you didn't have any...? Gasp! Then could it be..."
Being talkative was simply her nature. From the look in her eyes, a full morning drama was already playing out in her head.
"But she doesn't look much like you, Teacher."
Of course she didn't.
Meanwhile, Eve had hidden herself behind my leg, clearly nervous.
"Ah, sorry about that. Did I startle you because of me?"
Caramel smiled apologetically.
I gave Eve a simple introduction. "This big sister is named Caramel. She's the one who helps out at our store."
"......Yes~"
Eve gave a tiny nod. The sight made Caramel gasp again. "Kyaa!"
"Eve, would you like to play over there for a bit? Um... there's not much to play with, but you can touch the herbs or tools nearby if you want."
Eve nodded and trotted over to sit politely on a chair by the table. While she settled in, Caramel and I began the real work of opening the store.
"So Teacher, what exactly happened?"
"She was alone in the slums, so I'm looking after her now."
"Alone? In this weather? Oh no... Do you think she lost her parents?"
"I'm not sure... I couldn't find them in the end."
I kept my voice low so Eve wouldn't hear. Quick on the uptake, she immediately understood and didn't press further. In a world full of class systems and frequent wars, orphans weren't uncommon. Of course, I couldn't tell her that Eve was actually the daughter of one of the empire's most prominent ducal families.
"Her condition was terrible when I first found her. She's only just starting to regain some strength."
"Are you planning to take care of her yourself for the time being?"
"Well... yes. I can't just wait forever for a guardian to appear."
"That must have been a hard decision. You're amazing."
"...A hard decision, huh."
I couldn't accept the praise so easily. If Eve hadn't been a character from the story I knew... would I still have reached out to her? Every time that question crossed my mind, a bitter smile followed.
When I glanced at Eve sitting in the distance, she was looking back at me.
"I would have done the same even if it wasn't me."
"Come on, I doubt that. There aren't many truly kind people in the world."
Caramel laughed brightly.
"If there's anything I can help with, just say the word. Don't worry, I'm not asking for a raise."
"Thanks, even if it's just words."
As I chuckled, Caramel tilted her head.
"...I'm not just saying that. This is your first time raising a child, isn't it, Teacher?"
"It is."
"It won't be easy."
"You sound very certain."
"I have two younger siblings at home. I've been carrying them around and raising them myself."
"You...?"
It was hard to picture with her intense appearance.
"Plus she's a girl. There may be things you're not thinking of that could upset her."
"For example?"
"Well... how did you bathe her, for instance?"
"The first time, she was unconscious so I used magic. After that, she washed by herself."
"By herself? How old is she?"
"...Good question."
Even as I answered, I felt foolish. Why hadn't I thought to ask her age until now?
"Eve! Eve! Can you come here for a second?"
At Caramel's call, Eve, who had been examining the potted plants near the window, approached hesitantly. True to form, Caramel asked without hesitation.
"Eve, how old are you right now?"
"...?"
"I'm just curious. Could you tell me? Big sister here turned nineteen last month, by the way."
"......I am... seven years old...."
"Wow, you're older than I thought!"
Caramel beamed and played along. Her way with children was impressive. Her tone was completely different from how she spoke to me or the customers.
"Did you hear that, Teacher? She's just old enough to start school."
"School, huh..."
Even though I wasn't sending her yet, anxiety hit me first. I couldn't imagine the girl who had grown up alone in the ducal house suddenly adapting to a crowd of children her own age.
"...Eve's condition isn't good right now, so let's think about that later."
"You're right, that makes sense! Eve~ For now, let's play together with big sister at the store!"
"Don't scare her too much. She's getting nervous."
"I'm incredibly popular with kids, you know."
While Caramel giggled and teased, the bell rang again as the first customer arrived.
A man whose body was an ambiguous mix of muscle and fat. His face looked middle-aged, but he was actually a vigorous man in his twenties. As usual, his nose was bright red and his eyes were half-glazed. I'd heard the belly fat mixed with his muscles was the result of beer and rum. Drinking like that every day would ruin even the hardworking physique he'd built.
"Welcome, Zeke. Another hangover cure from the morning?"
"Yeah, same as always."
"You must be having a rough time."
"......... Hmph! My head's pounding from the moment I woke up. If I drink starting today, I'm no man..."
"That line again. I've heard it every single morning since I started working here~"
Caramel skillfully packaged the medicine and handed it over, continuing.
"If you'd saved just the cost of the medicine from all that drinking money, you'd be rich by now."
"Hah, the only thing the part-timer learned from the teacher is nagging."
He downed the hangover cure right there on the spot.
"By the way, Teacher. This new part-timer is awfully small."
Feeling better, he pointed at Eve, who had been following me around.
"Hm? You mean Eve? Haha... well, something like that. Due to circumstances, I'll be looking after her for a while."
"Oh...? You, Teacher? Suddenly?"
"Yes."
"Still, a young lady who doesn't cry even when she sees me... That's surprising."
He sounded genuinely impressed. Having lived his whole life at sea, his rugged face was intimidating enough to make even strong young men tear up sometimes.
"Oh right, Teacher. Didn't you say you were busy this morning? Something about buying herbs?"
"Ah, I'll look for another chance for that."
"Even the great Teacher puts herbs on the back burner once a child comes along."
"...It's fine for once. We still have enough stock."
When I answered with a smile, I felt my sleeve being tugged insistently. I turned to find Eve standing there, looking up at me with a dejected expression.
She gripped my clothes tightly.
"...I... I'm... fine......"
Eve held onto my hem with an anxious face.
".........I can... be alone..."
Flustered, I paused, trying to understand what she meant. Had she overheard our conversation and misunderstood, thinking I was staying behind because of her? Strictly speaking it wasn't wrong, but that didn't mean she should wear such a look.
"Ah, Eve. This isn't because of you..."
"......?"
But Eve simply hung her head, looking miserable. In my panic, yesterday's events suddenly came to mind—how she had remembered the price of the clothes and tried to repay me. She wanted to be helpful somehow.
Even the kindness she had received from a stranger on a cold street must feel like something that could vanish at any moment. The very idea that she might be a burden to me could be terrifying for her.
I gently placed my hand on her head.
"Yes, I'll go. But it wasn't that I wasn't going because of you. So please don't make that face."
When I stroked her forehead, still warm with a slight fever, Eve's expression finally softened.