Melting The Cold Female Duke

CHAPTER 4

The little girl glance outside the window, observing the woman holding an ax. Her sweat tickled on her forehead through her neck. Akira watched the woman repeatedly chop the thick woods.

She wanted to help but she can't even lift one wooden log as thick as her arm, how can she hold that ax? But that woman, despite being thin, continues to strike the logs placed on top of another log.

Finding woods and chopping logs, it was dad's job and he will never let mom do something rough like what she was doing right now. Winter is coming, so we must accumulate a big deal of firewood as much as we can.

I should be gathering small, thin sticks by now, but mom said I should eat my breakfast first, because these days I tend to get sick a lot. I even had a stuffy nose due to crying at the news of my father's departure to a neighboring county, just so I could have a great life.

Hah…Aunt Wilma was just like them. I had a great relation with my father here, at this magical world. Who knows, I might find a way back to my previous world where I could meet my beloved aunt again, but I wanted to be with them for a little while.

When dad left, mom was doing all household works and we started to sell vegetables and flowers which I originally attended every morning with care along with my mom of course.

The cottage was located inside the heart of the forest. Getting to the market needs a lot of patience and effort in walking, especially that the road is very muddy, slippery and thorny. I however, manage to survive those brutal hindrances since I float on the air. It's not that I have powers. As I said before, I am normal, like dad. Mom can use wind magic but it also sucks mana easily, resulting in losing your strength.

Mom can absorb energy through her body and store it inside, so that it can be use when in times of need. That's why, she avoids using it as much as possible in case of an emergency. Well, she won't be hired as a palace maid if she is an ordinary commoner.

With that in thought, I scrunch my milk in one gulp, as I hurriedly went to my mother's side to help her, I noticed her pale face drenched in sweat.

Cautiously, I ask her, "Mom, are you all right?"

"Yes, dearie."

At night, I can't sleep, I keep on thinking about my mother. "That's right, I have to be strong. No, I must. To help my mother live like a queen, I must become strong." With that firm resolve, I Akira will work hard, for my mother, for father for the people I love.

Starting from that day, she trains every morning, study every night and helps her mother in doing chores every day.

Time flew. She was now 10 years old.

"Mom, are the flowers ready?" the girl turns around elegantly.

Adele was in a daze. Brown hair like herself flutters in the air, and orbs resembling bronze was twinkling innocently at her. Cute and pointy nose, heart-shaped lips and small face, she was the embodiment of an angel.

"Mom?" The little girl tilts her head to the side, confused.

Adele breakouts from her trance. Her child is so cute, just like her, not her father. ==

Handing the basket to the little girl, Adele's eyes are starting to water. "Sweetie. I'm sorry, mom is useless." She was disappointed at herself. When her daughter discovered her illness, she was forced to stay home and do simple chores. At first, she was against it but Akira nagged and always found a way to prove she can handle everything.

"No, mom. You're not. You and father (also Aunt Wilma) are my strength and inspiration, my motivation to keep going, to endure all hardship and to continue living. So don't lower yourself, have faith in me, mom. We can overcome everything if we stay strong." Her Lily's statement, made her burst to tears.

"Mom!"

After calming and soothing her mother, she hurriedly left and took the difficult route. Her mom sometimes can be a cry baby. One time she shouted in the middle of the night, just because she saw a lizard. When Akira asked the reason, she said it's because it was staring at her with creepy eyes.

(N/A: Wow~ Seriously?)

The route she was undertaking was a hard one. Even though the rainy season ended, mud is inevitable. Akira glanced at the vines hanging and swaying. She ties her hair and lifts her skirt with the help of the ribbons to her belly. Now the skirt was above her ankle. She grabs the basket full of different types of flowers and hangs it around her slim neck and place the concave on her back. The only problem are the flowers. It might fall if she is clumsy and reckless on her movements. Akira takes a few steps back, with the vine in her hand…woosh.

She swung like a Tarzan. Akira landed on the tree branch and grips another vine and starts dangling, causing some flowers to fall on the mud below. "Ah, my training paid off." It's not her first time doing such exhibitions. In fact, almost every day, she does that. She then revises everything in place, particularly the skirt.

After the muddy road which is the shortcut through the market, she had to cross the lonely and isolated town of Verdana.

(Verdana, kingdom's capital)

"Ughh… this town is going to be occupied by ghosts." She exaggeratedly commented the town's condition.

Arriving at the capital, Akira began to persuade nobles passing by to buy her flowers. "Flowers! Fresh picked flowers!" I keep on pestering the people to buy my flowers, yet not a soul stops and give a damn about me.

This is life. Keep your head high and think about mom and dad. She had to bring bread and some seasonings, to get those Akira need to empty the basket.

"One copper for five flowers! It's fresh and cheap, buy now!" Despite the signs that no one was interested in buying her flowers, she continued to shout.

Unbeknownst to her, someone is observing her at the distance.

(Hi guys! Hope you like this chapter. If you caught some misspelled words, grammar errors, something that confused you, etc. feel free to comment below. Have fun reading! And sorry, to all of you that endured the introduction chapters, but on chapter 6 or 7 there the real show will begin. I want to give the protagonist a reason for living here and why should she continue living. Wink. Two joins~)

1018 words

05/25/2022 9:23 pm