May I be your Grandpa?

They sat inside a bakery that was now emptied out with Duke Elsher's order. The knights were stationed outside just by the door. In front of them on the table were all sorts of pastries and bread and Elaine couldn't help but drool while looking at them. Her stomach growled making the Duke chuckle.

"Go on and eat." He smiled. "This was prepared for you after all."

She couldn't take her eyes off of the food in front of her. She was afraid that if she did, they would all disappear. Just as she was about to grab the nearest bread, she stopped her hand midway.

"Grandpa. Thank you for the food." She said shyly.

She then proceeded to put her hands together. She puts her wrists together as a symbol for life, then the palms part ways to show that there are different paths in life. Next, she placed her fingertips together to signify that life is not eternal. Lastly, she folded her thumbs into the palm, but she couldn't remember what that was supposed to mean. She closed her eyes.

"Lut-se va qida mu-a ki."

The Duke was surprised and impressed that she knew of this prayer that is said before each meal. The fact that she spoke the ancient tongue so well intrigued him. Most orphans never learn of these things and if their parents were servants, they would normally be against the Goddess because of the church. He watched as she ate gleefully, her eyes sparkling with every bite.

"Your welcome, child." He smiled as he leaned his chin on his knuckles. "So you believe in the Goddess?"

"Mmhmm," she nodded as she chewed on her food.

"Then do you also go to the church, Elaine?"

Although he already anticipated what the answer would be, he was curious how she would react. The church would normally give out proper clothes to orphans once every half year, but her clothes looked like salvaged rags from the trash. Elaine swallowed down her food to answer the Duke.

"I hate the church." Her eyes were hostile like a wild animal that was being cornered. The bread in her hands was squeezed flat between her fingers. "They are bad!"

The Duke was flustered and cautiously looked around the bakery to see if anyone had heard her. Luckily, there was no one there. He looked outside and the knights didn't seem like they heard her either. He sighed with relief. It would have been troublesome otherwise. Heretics were not tolerated here. Except, was she really a heretic if she believes in the Goddess?

"Promise me you won't say that to anyone else other than grandpa, understood?"

Her body shrunk and she looked down. She resembled a child being scolded. She hesitated but eventually said, "B-But why? I'm not lying."

"Because they might hurt you. And I don't want that to happen." He tried to explain in a simple way. She wouldn't be able to understand even if he explained properly. "You don't want that either, do you?"

Elaine shook her head with a worried face. Her body started to tremble and her face grew paler than it already was. "I'm sorry. I promise I won't say."

The Duke, now concerned, tried to divert her attention elsewhere. Asking her further would only worsen it. He grabbed a pastry with strawberries and handed it to her, hoping it would calm her down. "Here look, try this. I'm sure you will love it."

Elaine looked at the shiny fruits and immediately lightened up. She looked up at him as if asking if she really was allowed to have it. The Duke nodded and smiled. She slowly brought her hands to it and took it in her hands. She munched on the crusty dough, smooth cream and sweet fruit. She couldn't help but go, "Mmmhh!"

The Duke smiled as he watched her eat. He was a bit relieved that a child's attention span was short. But behind that smile was anger. He wondered what the church could have done to such a young child, causing her to be traumatised. He would have to look this up thoroughly. He has always been suspicious of the church with good reason anyway. His line of thoughts got cut off when Elaine suddenly spoke to him.

"G-Grandpa. You should eat too." She suggested timidly.

There were crumbs all over her mouth and fingers, and her cheeks were still full of food. It made her look like a hamster, thought the Duke. But at the same time, he saw how thin she was. It was as if her skin was sticking to her bones. It made him sad to see that.

"Mommy and Papa always said that good t-things should be shared."

"My, how kind of you." He was pleased with her good manners. Her parents really taught her well. He smiled and patted her on the head. Elaine blushed but didn't complain. Since it seemed like she didn't hate it, the Duke continued to pet her head. She was just like a cat. "However, this grandpa here feels full just watching you eat."

"Okay..." she said and continued to eat slowly. She stole glances at him and blushed every time she was caught. She slowly looked at him again and examined him. He had hazel brown hair that was beginning to grey as well as his moustache. He also had a big mole on his left cheek. She also noticed his amber coloured eyes looked like jewels. She realised she was staring for a long time and quickly looked away.

She looked at the bread in her hands. She hadn't eaten such good food in a long time, she teared up as she ate. She started thinking about her parents and remembered how she was told to survive and live. Her tears rolled down on her cheeks and snot started to drip out of her nose. She brought the bread to her mouth and took a bite. She couldn't be more grateful than this. She hoped that this would last for a long time, but the grandpa would probably leave her after she was done eating.

The Duke hurried over to her to comfort her. He sat down beside her and took her into his arms. She began to cry harder. She grabbed his clothes tightly. It felt so warm in his arms that it made her not want to let go.

"You're okay now," He stroked her back, hoping it'll calm her down. "I'm here now, so everything will be okay."

This broke the duke's heart and he hugged her tighter, but gently as not to hurt her. He couldn't dare to imagine what she must have gone through all this time. He had already decided this the moment he saw her and it seemed like the right time to bring it out. It seemed she had also calmed down and was starting to hiccup.

"What do you think of me as your grandfather?" asked the Duke. He was a bit nervous, wondering if she would find the question weird. A random stranger asking to be their grandfather was rather strange after all. It wouldn't surprise him if she started avoiding him. Imagining that made him sad. Elaine sniffed and pulled away from him to look up.

"But aren't you already grandpa?" she asked back as she tilted her head. He didn't expect that response and was so taken aback, he couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"You're right, I guess I already am." He placed his hand on her head and smiled. He was glad she had accepted his offer, albeit indirectly. He noticed how she blushed yet again and found her adorable.

"C-Can I hug you again, g-grandpa?" She fiddles with her finger as she asked. She hasn't been hugged for a long time and it felt so nice and comfortable.

"Elaine," He said firmly, which made her nervous, thinking she had done something wrong. The Duke continued, "There's one thing you should know about grandpas. They love to cuddle with their grandchildren."

The Duke spread his arms wide open and waited for her to hug him. Elaine's face lit up and she happily snuggled to her grandfather. She closed her eyes to enjoy it. She felt very safe in his arms and it was as if all her worries and bad memories were being washed away. She hasn't felt this relaxed for so long. For the longest time, she always had to worry about her safety and feeding herself, she almost had no rest. And even when she slept at night, she had to stay alert.

Before realising it, she was slowly dozing off. She saw the duke ordering the knights to do something as her eyes slowly shut close. The Duke carefully carried her in his arms and slowly stood up. She could hear the bells on the door ringing and quick shuffling of the feet. She heard the knights whispering.

"Your Grace, please allow us."

"No," He refused. "I'll carry her myself."

Elaine snuggled into his warmth. It was a feeling she had missed so much. She tried to stay awake but her body wouldn't listen to her and she fell into a deep peaceful sleep. Something she couldn't afford for a while now.