This novel will be based on a world where there are two types of people: regular humans and the mystics. The mystics are people who rely on soulmates. At the age of eighteen, the mystics must start their quest ‘to find their soulmate’. Follow Sophia’s journey as she learns more about being a mystic and on learning how to love… A girl who once had to rely on ‘hope’ to survive while a boy who forgot everything so he could live. Whilst Adrian lives knowing he can’t remember something… Something that he feels he shouldn’t have forgotten. Life wasn’t so easy for Sophia as it seemed to those around her. She had to live remembering the events that occurred when she was seven. Now, eleven years later, she’s learning more about the world she’s being raised in and who she really is. // /Original Story\ The book cover is constructed by me. However, the images used to make it are taken from google :)

The Nol galaxy is home to a host of races, from the divine Ciesites and godlike Marakians, to a multitude of mundane colony plants. As the galaxy enters another era peace under the guidance of the galactic union, some conflicts persist. Ancient enemies from the dark realm still plague the galaxy, allies become enemies, planets are destroyed, the house of Lupaine struggles to maintain balance, and yet for many, life continues undisturbed.

These stories will be windows into the daily lives of the beings from Nol. Some characters will be powerful, while others will be weak; some will be poor and others rich, however, all the stories will allow you to live for a moment in the astonishing Nol galaxy.

Jacob Jake Willy Patty Malcom Janet - Main Characters

Christmas eve came and everyone gathered at Bella's home. They were all staying the night.

Everyone was having a great time playing games and talking about a visit from santa claus.

Bella gathered all the kids around so she could read.

◇◇◇♡♡♡◇◇◇ A Visit from St. Nicholas
BY CLEMENT CLARKE MOORE

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds;

While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;

And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,

Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap,

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow,

Gave a lustre of midday to objects below,

When what to my wondering eyes did appear,

But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny rein-deer,

With a little old driver so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment he must be St. Nick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:

"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now Prancer and Vixen!

On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donner and Blitzen!

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!

Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

As leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,

When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;

So up to the housetop the coursers they flew

With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too—

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof

The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I drew in my head, and was turning around,

Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,

And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;

A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,

And he looked like a pedler just opening his pack.

His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples, how merry!

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

And the beard on his chin was as white as the snow;

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,

And the smoke, it encircled his head like a wreath;

He had a broad face and a little round belly

That shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,

And laying his finger aside of his nose,

And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight—

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"

◇◇◇♡♡♡◇◇◇

Just as Bella closed the book " jingle jingle" bells could be heard then a "Ho Ho Ho."

The children all screamed as they turned a round and saw Santa Claus.

"Merry Christmas, I have on my list a few good boys and girls here." he said.

"Me" they all yelled.

"Ok, every one set down. First I have a Trevor, You have been very good taking care of your family. I have a ten speed bike and this small gift just for you." An Elf wheeled in a red bike. The gift contained a car model.

"Next is Bobby, You also have been a big help to your family. You get a ten speed too and this gift." The Elf brought in a blue bike and the gift had a model airplane in it.

"Next is George Junior, you are a good helper to your Dad and grandpa. You get a ten speed bike and this gift." The Elf brought a black bike in and his gift was a model train.

"Who is next on my list oh ya Samuel you like to help your mother. Do you want a bike too?" 

Sam shook his head

The Elf brought a blue dirt bike out, "Guess this is for you. and this small gift too." There was a set of connect blocks to build a car with.

"Now we have a girls name Kimberly, I have a small bike for you and this gift." The Elf brought a pink bike out and in her gift was a princess doll.

"What is this name, I think I may have made a mistake this is a flower... Rose" he laughed.

"Me me that's me" Rose said.

"Oh it says here you love to help with Babies  so I have a small bike for you too and this gift." The Elf brought her a purple bike and she also had a princess doll.

"Oliver is that you sitting there all good." Olly shook he head.

"I have a trike for you and this gift." The Elf wheeled over a red trike and his gift was an elephant.

"Maggie I give you this gift and a trike too." Maggie opened the  box and got a teddy bear and her trike was pink.

"I did not forget little Skyler sorry not a bike but he does get this."Babs opened to find a teddy bear and a book of stories.

He then handed all the woman snowflake necklaces and earrings sets and the men got tie clips.

"Thank you Santa." Everyone said as he and his Elf left.

Soon all the kids were put to bed. The rest of the gifts were for in the morning.

There once was a powerful Prince who ruled the business world with no heart.

Everything he wanted he took.

One day a cleaning girl getting his home ready for a party caught his eye.

Could someone so simple thaw his hear and turn the beast into a man?

He quickly turned. He picked up a vase and threw it.

He stormed down stairs. "Who is in charge?" he roared.

Bella stood up, "I am sir, my name is Bella Beauté, what can I help you with?" She held out her hand.

He stared at it but could not take in, "It is improper to sit out in front of my home and have a picnic. There is a park down the road eat there."

"I do apologize sir. We will do that from now on. Is there anything else?" Bella tried to keep calm.

With out a word he stormed back into his home. There was still 40 minutes for lunch so they packed up their lunch and headed to the park.

From the window he watched the little girl drive away. 'Bella Beauté... Beauté is french for beauty and she was a beauty.'

[The book is also full of fairytales Bella loves to read]

The Phoenix Ceramic Art Museum was more than happy to buy the ceramic sculptures from them.
They had sent Payne to negotiate with them, and Hans finally met his match. Payne offered 40,000 dollars and Hans countered with the price of 100,000 dollars. A fierce negotiation ensued.
When Payne didn't leave after Hans suggested the ridiculous price of 100,000 dollars, Li Du knew that that they were sure to buy the sculptures.
Sure enough, they settled on the price of 61,000 dollars. Payne nodded. "Even though the price is a little high, we should respect the value of these masterpieces. We'll take your price."
Hans dropped his shrewd business front. He reached out to bump fists with Payne, laughing heartily. "Thanks for understanding, bro. May God bless you. So glad that you could buy them from us."
Payne smiled too. "And thank you for finding these ceramic sculptures. We knew that Kern had been in Humphreys, but we had no idea that he had left these treasures there."
All of them helped to put the ceramic sculptures in cardboard boxes. Payne and his colleagues had driven a Toyota Highlander to Flagstaff. They needed to hire a truck to deliver the ceramic sculptures.
Hans's car had been sent back from the garage. He didn't even hesitate. "Why spend more on hiring a truck? Come on. I'll drive the sculptures back. But in Phoenix, you'll have to treat me to some nice, cold beer.
Payne patted him on the shoulder. "Good man. The beer's all ready and waiting. There'll be good food there too."
"Then what are we waiting for? This damned hot weather. I can't wait to have some cold beer."
They had spent 1,000 dollars on truck repairs. Of the remaining 60,000 dollars, Li Du's share was 36,000 dollars.
Li Du was quite free since Hans delivered the goods himself. It was very hot in Flagstaff, the middle of the afternoon, smack at the end of March; it looked as if it was going to rain. The air was hot and humid, with dark clouds rolling in the distance.
With nothing on his hands, he checked out the supermarket and found Mexican plums on sale. He bought some, intending to make some plum juice.
Plum juice was quite easy to make. He also bought some rock sugar, hawthorn and osmanthus flowers. Throwing them into a pot, he brought it to a boil, then lowered the flame to a simmer.
After about an hour, the plums and hawthorn had been boiled down into dregs. He strained the contents of the pot through some gauze, leaving dark purple plum juice behind.
He tasted the juice after it cooled down. It was sweet and sour, with just enough sugar in it. Sadly, he didn't have any licorice; otherwise, it would have been cooling and soothing to the throat.
It was getting hotter and more humid. The dark clouds had already blocked the sun from view. There would probably be another spring rain.
Plum juice needed to be iced to taste good. Rose didn't have an ice maker, so Li Du had to put the plum juice into the fridge. He also found a plastic bowl, filled it with water, and put it into the freezer to make some ice.
In the evening, with a clap of thunder, the sky started pouring like a waterfall.
Ah Meow was frightened by the thunder. Its tail between its legs, it scurried around the house.
Li Du tried to comfort it. "Come here, Ah Meow. Come to Daddy. Stop trying to burrow into the sofa, you won't be able to. You won't be scared in Daddy's arms."
Ah Meow crept into his lap, put its head between its legs, and wiggled around, trying to feel more secure.
Li Du didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He picked Ah Meow up and hugged him tightly. "It's fine. It's fine. It's much scarier inside Daddy's pants than it is out there. Isn't it just cozy in Daddy's arms?"
He heard a key turning in the lock. Rose stormed in angrily.
She looked terrible. Her hair and clothes were wet. For some reason, she was wearing the uniform of an office lady. Her white shirt and figure-hugging black skirt were plastered on her, putting her slender figure on display.
Li Du's eyes widened. He stared, then shook his head in disappointment. The shirt material was too thick. He couldn't see anything.
True to her profession, Rose's senses were very sharp. Even though he hadn't looked at her for more than two seconds, Rose caught him immediately. She raged, "What are you looking at? Shaking your head? Now I suspect that you've been on ecstasy pills. Behave yourself!"
Li Du's mouth twitched. He decided to ignore her. Now, he was sure that his landlady was a real tomboy, and one always on her period at that. Rude and negative every day, she never seemed to be in a good mood.
After entering the house, Rose kicked off her high heels. Her black stockings had become translucent after being drenched by the rain. Her small feet stepped on the floor, leaving puddles wherever she went.
Finally, Li Du had a comeback. "I'm shaking my head because you're giving me more work. Look, the floor is so wet. And you don't do any housework—won't I be the one cleaning it up?"
Rose sniffed. She bent over, intending to take off the stockings. Catching sight of Li Du, she stopped herself. Putting on a pair of slippers, she padded over to the fridge to look for a drink.
She was surprised to see the plum juice. "Where did you buy this? There's ice here too. You really know how to enjoy yourself."
"I didn't buy it. I made it." Li Du walked over and closed the fridge. He chopped some ginger and boiled it with brown sugar.
Seeing him close the fridge door, Rose said contemptuously, "How stingy of you—don't worry, I didn't plan on drinking your plum juice."
Li Du passed her a mug of ginger tea. "Please, my dear landlady, it's not that I don't want you to drink my plum juice. But do you really want to drink something cold after just getting out of the rain? Do you think that your stomach and your immune system are invincible? Here, have a hot drink."
Rose held the mug. She opened her mouth to retort, then closed it again and started sipping the tea.
It was a little awkward. Li Du said, "Do you want to go and change your clothes? Don't catch a cold."
Rose said stiffly, "I'm not a fragile little miss. I don't need to change my clothes. We have work later. Even if I put on fresh clothes, they'll get wet again."
Li Du was appalled. "You need to work in weather like this? You American cops are really devoted."
Sensing the ridicule in his voice, Rose glowered at him. "We've always been devoted. We're looking for two robbers right now. They robbed a jewelry store in LA. Someone saw them in a suburb nearby. We need to catch them fast."
"Then go and search their houses," Li Du suggested.
Rose seemed to deflate. "We can't. We don't have a warrant. Because the witness wasn't 100 percent sure that it was them."
"And why are you dressed like this?"
"Because I'm undercover as a salesperson selling financial services. I'm supposed to knock on their door, and try to look for them."
"That's such a stupid idea!" said Li Du. "Who came up with it? What salesperson works in such weather? It's ridiculous!"
Rose seemed quite calm. "There's no other way. They're a threat to society. We need to catch them as fast as we can."
Just then, her phone rang. A loud female voice said, "Hey, Rose. Have you changed your tampon yet? The rain will be much heavier tonight. We need to get those sons of b*tches this evening!"
Rose blushed. Putting down her cup, she hurried away.
Li Du blinked. He had wronged her. The landlady was having her period.


They love gold, and they love silver. Even more so, they love gems that dazzle, like stars across the skies. 
Firearms, jewelleries, and precious metals; A collector’s world will not be complete without antiques.  
Storage auctions, old goods trade, re-estate sales and gold-digging. But the truth is, if one wants to make money, then the supreme way is through searching for the legendary treasures. 
Holding the fort, there’s an ocelot, a wolf, and an Andes condor. At the side, there’s a loyal hound, an irascible ape, and an African honey badger. Who said that you can only rely on humans when treasure hunting?! 

Staring outside the closed window, Susu huffed a few hot breaths of air against the cold glass. A small smiley face was then drawn on the fogged area using her fingertips. 

"It's cold by the window. Wear this." A thick cardigan wrapped around her shoulders in the next second followed by strong arms from behind. With his chin resting on her shoulders, he stretched his right arm to feel her right hand. While holding onto her hand, a smile formed on his face.

"Drawing on the window again? You should give this head a body too you know?" Capturing her finger with his, he slowly added five strokes below the smiley face she traced out. His kindergarten level stick man never fails to impress her every time.

Giggling, she turned around and circled her arms carefreely on his shoulders. Her round, energetic eyes showed curves as her smile blossomed. "Your drawing needs some lessons. How about I teach you?" 

His arms slid around her waist, minimizing the gap between them. Bumping his forehead against hers, he wiggled their noses against each other. "I'll listen to teacher Susu's words. If this student does not have any talent, I'll need encouragements to do better."

"Oh? What kind of encouragement?" Hearing his hinting words made her smile widen. Twisting his neck to the left, he let out a "mm" sound while showing off his cheek to her.

"Huh? I don't get it." Her playful smile was obviously teasing this big child in her arms. Pursing both lips outwards, he made a goldfish looking face and pointed on his cheek.

"Oh~ I still don't get it. Hehe. Perhaps, you would like demonstrating?" Following his movements, she turned her head towards the same direction he did. 

"Sure. Then, teacher Susu must do it well." He whispered into her ears as he gave her a small peck on the cheek.

"Mm, I did it. Your turn." The moment Susu turned her head back to its original position and tip toed to return the kiss, he captured her lips with his. His fingers combed through her hair, settling on the back of her head. 

Her small complaints were soon busily conquered by his deepened kisses. Smoothly devouring the sweetness between the kisses, both of them let their tongues tangle in each other's territory. It wasn't until their lips turned numb did they separate. 

Out of breath, Susu finally found the strength to complain. "Y..You cheated!"

"Oh? What does teacher Susu mean? How come I don't understand? Hmmm?" Smiling, he rubbed her rosy cheeks and nuzzled his face in her neck. Pressing her cheeks against his chest, her eyes slowly closed to listen to his fast heartbeats. No matter how times they've kissed or will kiss, his heart will always race for her. Such a soothing sound...

"Ahem." Qian Ling placed the bowl of medicine on the table.

Peeking her head from the side, she caught Qian Ling's naughty smile. With flushed cheeks, she greeted her. "Auntie Qian Ling..."

As if he was already used to her interruptions, Chen Mu turned around. "Auntie Qian Ling, is that for Susu?"

"It's time for her to drink medicine. I thought the medicine was too bitter for her, so I purposely bought some sweet candied plums that she could start eating from now on. Seems like my worries could be tossed out the window. How could she taste bitter when someone here gives her all the sugar in the world? Let me just take this...."

Stretching out for the bag of candied plums, she teased the couple joyfully. It has become a habit for her already. It's been over a year and a half since Susu had gotten rid of the toxins from her body. Susu could run around with no problem and stay up like she always did in the past. The hospital became this couple's dating destination.

"Hahahaha, Auntie Qian Ling sure knows how to joke. The medicine is extremely bitter! Without those candied plums, I would puke. Spare my life please~" Susu pleaded as she walked over to hold Qian Ling's hand. Swinging her arm to and fro gently, she hugged Qian Ling's arm and looked at her with innocent eyes. 

"Okay. Okay. I surrender. Sheesh, use those puppy eyes on Chen Mu. Don't cast spells on this old lady. The candied plums were for you, so take it. Remember, only one candied plum after one bowl of medicine. No more. No less." She spoke strictly as usual and waited for Susu to nod obediently.

Knock Knock

Ariana stepped into the room with Chen Nan and Alexia. "Am I interrupting something?" She reached out and gave Susu a tight hug. 

"Nope. I was about to drink my medicine. What's up?" Susu hugged her back and wondered why she was visiting without telling her first.

"Oh, I'm here for Auntie Qian Ling. She told me to come with Alexia and my hubby. So, I'm here." Alexia was already three and a half years old. With her small arms patting against Chen Nan's chest, Alexia said, "I want Auntie Susu..hug."

Hearing the sweet princess' request, how could anyone reject? Susu quickly walked a few steps forward and carefully took Alexia in her arms. "Aiyaaa, how is our sweet little Alexia today? Hmm? Is daddy and mommy bringing you out? You are dressed so prettily!" After giving Alexia a few pecks on her cheeks, Susu noticed Chen Mu's envy gaze. 

She laughed, "Sweetheart, your Uncle Chen Mu looks like he wants your kisses. Do you want Uncle Chen Mu to hold you?"

"Un.. Un.. Hug! Hehehee" Alexia stretched her tiny arms out as Chen Mu smiled charmingly at her. Once Alexia got close enough to Chen Mu's face, she gave him a small peck on his cheeks. 

"Awww, why are you this cute? Uncle Chen Mu will buy you lots of presents. What do you want? I'll buy you every snack you want! Should we go shopping together? Hmm? Maybe a teddy bear?" Chen Mu's heart was quickly melted by her tiny pecks. His smile acted like a pair of flapping wings that lifted him to the sky. 

"Sorry, Chen Mu. Ariana and I have to bring Alexia somewhere today. We're here to pick up Auntie Qian Ling. Besides, you've bought her too many gifts that her whole room is almost stacked up!" Chen Nan crossed his arms and laughed when he shook his head. 

"Hahaha, Chen Mu does this every time he sees our little girl. I say, if you two like my family's little darling, then why don't you two give yourselves a few to keep you busy? Of course, that's going to be your plan after Susu totally recovers." Ariana teased the couple while stroking Alexia's head.

"Hah, I'll definitely want a daughter!" Chen Mu looked at the princess in his arms and imagined having his own child to play with.

"What if we have a son?" Susu held Alexia's tiny hands and played with her fingers. 

"Hahah, son is also good. As long as it's with you, any gender is fine with me." After a while of chatting, Qian Ling left Ariana and her family without telling them where she was driving them. Even though the weather is still chilly outside, Spring was already here. 

From the hospital to the destination, it took almost two hours. 

"We're here." 

After getting out of the car, Ariana looked at their surrounding and frowned slightly. "Why did you bring us to a meadow?"

"Follow me."

After walking a short distance, they reached a small restaurant. It looked like it was a family owned business. Still, Ariana didn't have any clues for why Qian Ling would bring them there. On the outside, the restaurant looked like it was decently renovated. When they walked in, many seats were filled except for one reserved table.

The owner of the restaurant recognized Qian Ling right away and approached them as soon as the four of them took their seats at the reserved spot.

"You're here." The owner said as he greeted them.

A game of "Let's Switch" changed the fate of three youths.

Tian Yuo (Age 6): "Nobody will notice, especially her! I don't want to play with her."

Chen Mu frowned from his behavior, "But she is your future fiance. You're meeting her for the first time anyways."

Tian Yuo: "Come on, let's switch for the day. Sometimes even our mothers can't figure us out because we swapped our clothes and accessories! Please...I'm going to tell my mom that I don't want to marry her anyways."

Chen Mu: "I still don't think it's a good idea.."

Tian Yuo: "Didn't you hate hanging out with Chu Yao? I'll help you avoid her for this whole school semester if you switch with me."

Chen Mu sighed, "Fine. Only this time." 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tian Yuo: "I don't want to marry Yin Susu. I don't love her, and she will never be my bride."

He shouted out loud in front of his parents, Yin Zin Leung (Susu's father), and Karen (Susu's step sister). Before leaving the room, he grabbed Karen's hand and looked back with a sharp glare towards Susu, "I will only have one wife and she's Karen."

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Karen handed Susu a glass of wine, "Sis, please forgive me. Bro Yuo and I really love each other. I'll drink this glass of wine as an apology. It's my engagement night, so I hope you could give us your blessing."

Susu felt tightness in her chest as she chugged the glass of wine in her hands down her throat. She didn't notice the smirk on Karen's face while she was swallowing the wine. 

Feeling ill, Susu went upstairs to escape the loudness that gave her a headache. She leaned against the wall and sloppily entered a guest room. Once entered, she stripped naked from feeling the heat in the room.

The next morning, she woke up to find Tian Yuo sleeping naked next to her. Her face turned pale as she felt cramps on her lower abdomen when she moved. A noticeable blood stain was on the bed...

'Did..w..what happened..?'

The guest room door swung open and Karen shockingly stood by the door. Her loud gasp and unsettled tone rung Susu and Tian Yuo's ears, "Sis! Bro Yuo!! How could you two do this to me?"

Tian Yuo immediately sat up and caught a glimpse of what had happened. Quickly he refuted any accusations that were thrown at him, "It's not like that! I didn't! Karen, it was her! She drugged me! I drank the wine that was from her and then I woke up just now!!"

He angrily looked to his left and growled, "Yin Susu! I never thought you'd go this far!!!"

Susu cried, "It's not me!!! It's Karen!!!"

Karen's tears were similar to a nonstop flood, "Sis, you're too much!!! How could you!!!"

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Tian Yuo coldly scowled at Susu on their wedding night, "We may be married, but I would never touch you. You'll live with an emptied title. You'll never get the love you wish to get from me. Understand?"

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Chen Mu spotted Tian Yuo at a bar after paying Susu a visit. He ran towards the handsome man who was flirting with a group of girls, "You bastard! If you never loved her, why marry her in the first place?!"

"To torture her."

"If you don't know how to care for your own wife, then I won't hold back! I won't let anyone hurt her. Not even if you are my closest friend."

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Author's note: Chen Mu is the Male Lead in this story.
 
The book cover image does not belong to me. Credits are given to whoever the author is for the image that I found on Google. I edited and added onto the image for the book cover.

It was a little less than two hours after sunrise when others began rising from their beds, the scent of bread and cinnamon rousing them from their dreams.  Yawns and shuffling feet filled the air with sound as the curious padded down the stairs to figure out where the heavenly scents were coming from.  In fact, as they crowded around the kitchen entrance, they noticed that the kitchen table had been covered in a cloth and several plates placed upon it.  And upon those plates were slices of toast, some that smelled of cinnamon, sliced apple pieces and halved plums that were glistening, with heat rising from the rich flesh.  There was also the pot of opened marmalade, a pot of coffee and another of tea.

Patrick was already sitting at the table gleefully looking over the spread, ready to eat, but refraining himself with difficulty.  He had been here a while, wanting to grab a cup of coffee before Tyler could restrict the amount of sugar he added to the beverage.  He'd found one of the two girl cousins, Autumn cooking and couldn't help but drool as the scent of roasting plums emanated from the oven.  She'd worried over the fact she was using the kitchen without permission, but Patrick had dismissed her concerns.  They were men bound by their stomachs and her food was about to fill them; there was no way they'd be upset and even if they were, judging from the heavenly aroma's, it would not be for long.

And so the pair had begun to chat about what Autumn was baking and the girl had expressed her wish to make cinnamon toast to go with the baked plums, but in the absence of butter was worried for the outcome.  Thus they had mixed a little oil with the spice and sweetener, but it didn't spread upon the thin cut crust as well as she would like.  Patrick had had an epiphany; what about the mutated apples?  Not only was the contents of the Apple-shaped shell soft and oozed oil, it was a tad sweet in it's fresh ingredients flavour.  They had struggled to open one, but one they did, Autumn was able to mash the oily fruit together with the sugar and cinnamon and produce something more familiar.  Patrick couldn't wait to taste it.

Autumn, who was standing holding a bowl of toasted nuts to add to the table, glanced up and noticed all of the large, hungry eyed men currently staring at her, as well as a wide eyed teenager and the two other women. "Ah, I hope you don't mind," she said, paling a little.  "I cooked breakfast..." the volume of her voice became smaller with every word as she wondered if she hadn't gotten carried away.  After all, this was the food that Dexter and his men had gathered... although Patrick had encouraged her, even helped her... she had still used a good amount of the ingredients without permission.

The oriental man that the others called Ren gave her a slight smile, his eyes like crescent moons as he said; "I am going to call for Nathan.  He and Lucy would like this breakfast, I believe."

"He's not in the house?" Autumn wondered aloud, but he had already disappeared from sight.  The other newcomers were also curious; the house was large and secure, why live elsewhere?

"Nathan doesn't do well with lots of noise or people," Dexter said as he came in first to snag a piece of cinnamon toast.  "He lives in a cottage in the gardens.  Little Lucy took a shine to him, so she and the dog moved in with him."

"Oi!" Patrick complained as Dexter took a large bite of the toast.  He'd been waiting the longest, he couldn't wait to taste the adapted toast recipe that he'd helped come up with, so why did Dexter get to eat first?

"Autumn, you... you can cook?" Jimmy stared wide eyed as other shuffled past him to grab a plate and pile it with food.

"Hey!  At least wait for everyone!" Patrick pouted, but quickly placed a piece of toast onto his plate before it all vanished.

"I can make more," Autumn reassured him, thinking of the other loaf she had left aside.  She had ended up baking two loaves of bread, thinking it could be saved for lunch and dinner.  There were a lot of mouths to feed after all.  However, she'd used more than half a bag of flour in producing them, which made her feel a bit guilty.

"You can cook..." Jimmy repeated, so why had they suffered so long on tin veg and soups?

"Be nice," Jonah told him, giving his girl's cousin a tap on the shoulder in encouragement.  "It's not like we had a working oven or decent ingredients for her to work with."

"But..." Jimmy sighed heavily.  That was not the point!  He'd had to heat up all the food for the last three months to feed everyone!

An adorable tiny face appeared, peering over the edge of the table and small chubby fingers reached for a piece of toast.  Autumn melted.  "Let me help," she said and broke up a piece of cinnamon toast upon a plate as well as checked the temperature of a plum and cut it into small chunks for the girl.  Lucy rewarded her with a grin.

As every last crumb was eaten and the beverages vanished, so did most of the kitchen occupants.  No one wanted to deal with the washing up.  Tyler sighed and complained about lazy-arsed men as he filled up the water bottles Autumn had used to make the drinks.  The girl just giggled and placed freshly boiled water into the sink in order to clear up.  "Ah, thank you for the breakfast," Tyler said, politely expressing his gratitude.

"It's okay," Autumn blushed.  "I like to cook."

"That's all well and good," Tyler replied, a little bluntly, startling the young woman, "but if you wouldn't mind speaking to me about it in the future."

"Oh, okay," Autumn's expression fell and the sense of guilt that had vanished as she'd watched everyone enjoying her food swelled to larger proportions.

"It's only that I need to keep an eye on our supplies," Tyler continued.  "You've seen that lot, if I hadn't kept a tight rein on our food, they probably would have consumed it all by now... well mostly.  There would still be flour and a few other things.  None of us can cook anything beyond simple meals.  We haven't had bread since a couple of days after the end."

Autumn smiled, realising that he was not angry, just concerned and continued to listen to the man's complaints.

"Somethings can be replaced, thanks to Nathan's garden and abilities," he glanced outside the window to see the young man pottering once more in amongst the vegetable beds.  He hadn't come in for breakfast, there had been too many people although the noise level had been low enough with all mouths stuffed full.  He'd eaten some toast and jam in the garden with Ren Zexian, before getting to work.  "But others can't be.  That's why there's a rule that we can only have one cup of tea of coffee a day.  It didn't go down well at first, but they will be the ones complaining when we no longer have access to caffeine!"

Autumn giggled beneath her breath.  It seemed Tyler was very much a man with a sharp tongue, wide eyes and soft heart.  "I used a fair bit of flour," she admitted.

"Yes, well," Tyler said, partially in agreement.  "It's not like it was doing anything else sitting there in the cupboard. And when it is gone, it is gone, can't do much about it."

"But we can replace it," Jonah had been passing the kitchen after discussing a few things with Dexter.  

Jonah did not want his squad to become lazy and lax; a burden on this new base, eating without doing much else.  Yeah, relaxing a little, after the vigilant days sweeping through property after property, struggling with evolving undead and the horrifying realisation that their own base was no longer secure, was necessary.  It would boost the moral and minds of his people and would be good for his girl and their unborn child.  But Jonah wasn't the sort of person to leave debts unpaid.  Dexter took them in.  His squad needed to work to pay them back, but what could they do?

Sure, Dex and the guys were still building the wall, so man power was needed.  But it was not as if any of his people particularly had any ability in construction work.  Listening to Tyler and Autumn talk about supplies made him think about heading back out, in a few days, to grab more for all of them, as well as... "The fields were seeded just before the apocalypse and although they haven't been tended to, some of the crops have survived; we noticed on the way here.  We can probably grab some wheat grain, maybe some more corn and potatoes."

"We'd probably want to plant the grain," Dexter rubbed the stubble upon his cheeks.  "That's if anyone knows how to make flour from wheat, anyway."

"I do," Autumn admitted.  They'd learned that in school and as it happened to be associated to food, she had remembered it well.  Grinding the grains might be difficult though...  "and if it helps, I also know some ways to make vinegar and yeast."

"Vinegar... can you make pickles?" Tyler asked, his mind always considering ways of preserving food for a comfortable winter.  She nodded in agreement.  Tyler began to mutter beneath his breath, wondering how many decent empty jars they had, before firing questions at her regarding equipment and ingredients.

As the pair discussed things, Dexter felt a bit of the weight lift from his shoulders that he hadn't realised he'd been carrying.  It seems he'd been as worried as Tyler about getting through this winter and the early spring.  Not to mention future ones when their supplies of tinned and packaged food would be even less.  If the young woman had some knowledge on how to preserve food, it was priceless thing.  "This girl," he murmured quietly to Jonah, his eyes curving as his smile grew wider, "you didn't realise that you'd found such a treasure, did you?"

"No clue," Jonah admitted, giving this girl who'd stood in her cousin's shadow quietly for so long a second look.  It was hard to imagine that the girls were cousins that had grown up together; his bright, little Brooke and the quiet, plain Autumn.  A smile appeared upon his own face; he was glad the girl had found some place to bloom.  Maybe, his Brooke would stop worrying about her so much now.

Ren Zexian had lived 10,000 years, had experienced many things, had lived through many things.  That included the death of his own realm.  But what he never expected to experience was a zombie apocalypse.

BL

Currently updating once a week on Mondays.

When they finished food they went into the garden. There are many eggplants. She chooses to cut them all and let them dry a bit. Few she will take with her to eat outside. She took a couple of young onions. It's good for soup. She put a few eggs in Isaa's basket and the young onions. Few grapes and some plums and apricots.
''These seem to be quite ripe. We need to make jam from them as well.'' she taught as she touched the ripe fruits. If she doesn't do it on time they might just rot.
''Isaa.'' after we are done with big hole and strawberries, we will come back here and stay here for few days. We need to dry, freeze and make jams from these as well.'' yes she can do that, Luckily it was just a tree of each or she would have big trouble. She still needs help.
They watered the plant's plenty. Luckily the plants were not on direct sunlight so they kept their moisture for couple days.
On way out, she went again to the office. It was already afternoon and officer Luar was already there.
''Oh hello. How can I help you.'' he asked while looking at the children.''By the way, Tóky told me to greet you. He finally got transferred to the Lord side as the guard. It is a better working place with better benefits for him. He just didn't have time to say bye.''
At first, Kendra didn't know who he was talking about but then remembered the friendly soldier that helped her a few times.She was happy for his promotion.
''It is great that he got promoted.'' she sincerely said.
''By the way, why did you look for me. Is there something I can help you with?''
''Yes. I saw that our water well didn't had enough sunlight so I taught if you and the Lord could find others with at least some light it would make more sense. I found a way to feed fishes quickly but its still in tryout phase.''she was thinking should she sell the idea...
''I will let the Lord know about tour proposal. Did you find enough fishes?''he asked curiously.
''I will make a hole in one of the streams and gather as many fishes as I find in that hole. After its full I will let you know so you could take them to the place of your choice.'' she nodded sincerely.
She doesn't need any more dry fishes as she had enough now. The rest of the fish she finds she will leave in the hole and wait for them to pick it up. As for them. Oh well, they can eat fresh sea fish it's quite delicious.
And in the sea, there are more things to eat.
''I will prepare big barrels to transport fish. It won't be too conspicuous.'' he taught out loud.
Kendra nodded. That is indeed a good way to transport fish.She then politely said goodbye and left.
The officer had shone in his eyes.''This child...How no one had the idea to search for fishes in brooks not far.Maybe because dirty water in the river? Who would have taught there is still live fish.'' he taught. He called guards and told them to watch the office while he sat on his horse and in hurry rode to the Lord's castle. The Lord needs to know this new possibility.
Kendra didn't know what things were going on behind her back. She passed by elder Goluk and got an idea.
''Elder.'' she greeted him sweetly.
He looked at her like he knew she wants something from him.
''Kendra just call me Goluk. It's weird when you call me elder.'' he said. He didn't feel right to be called an elder by this boy. It's not that he didn't like him. This child gave him feeling of nobility.
Kendra taught that he felt they are same hard working people so he asked her out kindness to call him his name.
''Goluk.I can see you mad quite a lot of pots.'' she looked at the humongous amount of pots behind him.
''Yes indeed. Last few days all I do is just wait for people to come by and buy those they choose. But most I sell doing market day.''he said while looking at the hundreds of pots.
''So you have some free time between market days?'' she asked with shiny eyes.
He looked at her and knew she needs him for something.
''I will need your and your wife's help for those couple days between market days.''
He called his wife and told her about that proposal. She looked at Kendra and nodded. There are neighbors who would watch over pots doing day so they could go and help out.
''Tell us what you need,'' he asked.He didn't ask about payment as he knew this kid already.
With two grown-ups many things might be finished in a few days.
''Do you have a shovel? I need you to help me make one big hole near home.''
He didn't ask why he just took a shovel and put it on his back. She bought again multiple smaller pots and took to the house.
''Did you eat lunch,'' she asked while thinking about gathering few fishes and baking it.
''We ate lunch.'' said Goluk's wife.''Don't worry. Now tell me what you want me to help you with.''
''Let me first show Goluk place where he should make a hole.Then we will have more to do.''
She went again to the stream that lost quite a lot of water. On one place bit on side, she let him dig as deep as possible. He started working fast. She told him if he is tiered just sit down and rest...no need to get too tired. He patted her head lightly and started digging.Luckily the earth and sad seem to be still soft so it was not hard to work.
She went back and took the basket, gave the biggest to woman and Isaa took her own.There are three now and they could gather much faster. Soon there wont be any more strawberries.She could see that there is no new flowers. And it is getting hotter. Soon those that are in mid of meadow will dry if there is no rain.
As it was after all afternoon sun, they choose to gather in middle of the meadow so they could save as many strawberries as possible. Goluk's woman was quite nimble with her hands as she gathered quite fast.They choose to do it as few days ago.Gather as much as they could and make jam.
She started fire and made jam while a woman and Isaa were gathering.This way the mid of meadow was finished till late evening.They made surprisingly over twenty small jam jars.
In the time between Goluk finished as well. She went down and saw at least 4-5 meters deep hole with the same diameter.Nice.She let Goluk make bit of the stream flow into the hole.
Goluk taught she needs the hole for water to drink so he told her he can make one more hole next day.She shook her head.It was enough.
They wash them self and then she took the bread she made and put strawberry jam on it. When they tasted it their eyes shone.
''Tasty. We usually make the plum jam but this taste amazing. Near our village are many berries. We will tell our family to make as much as they can as long its season.It would be a shame if it would get wasted.'' she said while thinking about hill behind their land that had even more strawberries than this meadow.
''I will give you a pot of jam if you help me transfer today some of the jams back in the city house.''
''City house?'' he looked at her surprised.''You bought one inside?''
''Yes.I got chance to buy one and will need your help tomorrow at the house anyway. Is it possible?''
While they spoke he made two big straw baskets quite fast.He put ten pots in his and ten in his wife's basket and children had few in their baskets. They set off into the city as they wanted to come out before the gates closed.
When they saw the house their eyes shone.It was so similar to their home in the village. When they opened the gate they saw the small garden and few trees. It seemed comfortable enough for living.
They put the pots into a small room and Kendra show them plum and apricot tree and told them that she needs help with gathering ,drying and making jam from it. They told her they will come back in the morning when gates open and left in a hurry as they were afraid that gates would close.
Even if Kendra liked them and trusted them she still didn't want them to walk around the garden so they wouldn't find the secret door in the wall. So she made up her mind to just let them gather the fruits. The rest she will do alone.
She saw those empty pots and put them on the side. She then put all the jam pots on the shelf.
She luckily still had space for more.There is only a bit of strawberry left. She will freeze some, eat some and make strawberry ice cream later. Next market day she needs to buy milk. She had sugar and ice.Easy.
She  took the few pots that were empty and gathered lots of water inside and put on side of the house. That way they won't have to run and get water when they come. She cooked some food and they ate. Then she taught about something. Strange, this world luckily has no mosquitoes.
She taught about it and took the blanket off. They just slept openly with their simple nightgowns.
Next morning she woke up early.She left over the night all the doors and windows open so she closed it now as to keep the coolness inside the house. She let Isaa sleep bit longer and she put the clothes on. She still didn't use new clothes. Maybe when she goes to sell things, but now she needs to work so she didn't want to make clothes dirty.
As soon the gates were open the Goluk pair came to them.
''Good morning. You are awake luckily.'' said the wife.
''I wake up every morning before first light,''said Kendra while taking the baskets.
Goluk took the baskets out of her hands.
''You make breakfast for all of us and we will start picking fruits,'' he said.
''Wait.'' she stopped him while thinking of something.''Fist pick the apricots. In one side put that are overripe and in the other one those that are still harder.''
He nodded and they started picking them. He was quite nimble for man of his age. He climbed the tree and picked those on branches while wife picked those lower.
She went to the kitchen. They seemed to be able to finish both trees before noon.
She already prepared the pots for the fruits so they just gathered and put fruits there.
The apricot three was not too big and they finished it quite quickly.
In the time between Kendra made vegetable porridge and eggs with young onion. Isaa woke up as well and they ate breakfast.As they were done Kendra wanted to help with plums but they didn't let her.They will get paid after all.
She started sorting out the fruits for jam,for drying and for eating.
As it was already almost late for apricots most of them will be made into jam. This will need sugar. They are not as sweet as strawberries so she will need to add sugar to make them last longer.
Money...never mind she will earn again. They need salt as well.
As long she sorted out they finished with the plum tree. After all its just one.
''We are done.Do you need help with sorting the fruits? We will be done faster if we work together.''said Goluk. Kendra nodded .She let them sort the plums same way.Soft on one side and harder on the other side. And they washed the fruits and left them dry on sun. There were really fast.The sorting passed and it was not even lunch time.
''Let's eat lunch here'' Said Kendra.
''No. If we are done here we will go back home and eat.''they felt that it's too much to ask them for food as well. Kendra saw that they really didn't want to eat so she gave them each one silver coin for the two days of work. They took it and were happy. They earned two silver coins for two half days of work.
''Wait I promised the jam.''Kendra went inside the room and took the  jar of jam to give to them,after all she had almost 30 jam jars all together. And new jam is coming.
They took as they knew the sheer amount of jams. But Goluk told her he will not take it for free. He will give her ten small jars as an exchange.She was happy about it. It's good that way as well.
She told him to bring her 100 small jars as she had lots of fruits now.
''I will bring it to you with donkey carriage after lunch. The carriage will cost you 20 coins is this too much for you?'' he asked.
'''No the price is fine,'' she said while thinking about the ice carriage that she has to pay 60 coins.
''Goluk, do you know anyone who could make me carts?''It would be easier to carry things with it right?
''Hand carriages are quite heavy for a child of your size to pull. Just ask one of the city carriers to take the stuff to the market for 10 coins. They will do it.'' he gave her a better idea.
 Kendra taught about it.She let Isaa stay at home and play in the garden and she followed them to the place where most carriers waited. Goluk recommended a man with carriage and his son with cart.As they seemed to be from same village they promised to Goluk to care about the child.
Mans name was Wollak and his sons Tohluk.It seems to be the man with the carriage that took them to the sea.
''Oh I am happy to see you again,'' he said. Goluk looked at them in curiosity.
Kendra looked at Goluk and smiled.
''He drove us few days ago when we went away,'' she said while smiling at Wollak.
''But how comes you are not on road? You don't drive anymore the route?
''I exchange with one man from the inner city every ten days.He rests then here waiting,'' he answered.
''Do you need to go somewhere again?'' he asked her.
''In the day after tomorrow, it will be market day. I have few things to sell so I will need someone to help me carry things.''she looked at his son with cart.''How much would it cost from outer city to the market.?''
''Ten coins with cart.50 coins with the carriage.''Goluk was right.Its ten coins.
''Then can you come to help me carry stuff in early morning. I will pay you more as we will probably go to inner city but not far from the inner gate.'' He nodded as he heard where her house is. It's easy to find.
''Then its deal. Mr.Wollak I will need to go out of the city in couple days. Can I go with your carriage?'' she asked while think she needs to go and gather salt and oysters. She will stay few days and make dried oysters then she can go once every ten days and get fresh ones.
''No problem. I will wait for you here before main gate opens.''It was his turn out city that day anyway.
She was now sure that everything was set. She left them chatting. As Wollak will go to their village in a few days Goluk and his wife told him about jam and strawberries. He promised to tell their families to gather as much they could before the season didn't end.
When Kendra came home she took again peace of braised meat and made this time soup.With Isaa's help she put lots vegetables in and they let it cook.She told Isaa to go play in the garden as Kendra made egg pancakes and bread. She let pancakes cool down a bit and waited for the bread to rise.Then she baked it and they had their lunch.Some of the soup she let cool of and she will leave it in ice storage when they come back to reheat it and eat when they need.
She took the money and went to the inner city. The guards already knew her so they just let her in without much asking. She left Isaa home to play as she wanted to just quickly go and buy sugar even tho its quite expensive.
When she arrived at the store she saw that it was busy. She entered and smiling woman came to greet her. This time she wore new clothes so she looked neat and tidy.
''How may I help you. What do you need to buy?'' she asked friendly.
''May I ask how much is sugar.As well I would like to see what other seasonings you have.''
''Sugar became lately bit cheaper. Three silvers for two pounds and from seasoning we have all that we could import.'''She showed it to her. Kendra knew that pepper was quite expensive but she looked if there is red pepper.''I heard from someone in town about new sorts of fruits and vegetables. But I couldn't hear what kind of are there. Do you know maybe?''
''Ah there is something ugly I saw a few days ago in neighbors vegetable market. I don't know the name.There is peppers as it seems as well.I tasted them and they taste delicious when fried.'' she said while smacking her lips.
It seems that they have potatoes and other things.She should go to the vegetable market after this.
She bought five pounds of sugar and went to the vegetable market.
There it is...She looked at boxes filled with potatoes standing right there.It seems no one want to buy it. She needs to be smart and find a way to buy them all off.
''Sir, what is this?'' she asked while looking curiously at potatoes.
''Its potato. It looks ugly but its edible. I think..''he gave up on this vegetables. He bought them cheaply and taught he could eat them but the taste...
''How much is this?'' she asked.She needs to buy all of it before someone comes .
''I guess you want to feed your animals with it. I will sell you all this..'' he showed a small mountain of boxes.''All this for 2 silver coins.'''he taught it was great deal.He bought them all for 30 coins from traveling trader.
''To expensive. For two silver coins I can buy much other vegetable feed.''she shook her head.
''I will be friendly today and give you for one coin,'' he replied while grinding his teeth. Better get rid of this.
''I accept it but you have to give me couple of those peppers I hear about,'' said Kendra with crafty smile.
''Peppers cost 30 coins a pound. I can't give it you free sorry,'' he responded while shaking his head.
''Then I will pay one silver for potatoes and for 50 coins you give me two pounds of peppers.'' she knew it wont be quite free.
''Deal. Do you need carriage for the potatoes?'' he asked,'' I can send someone to get the carriage from the main gate.''She nodded her head.
''Please ask for Wollak. I know him. Tell him to bring two carriages.I don't think this is possible to take care with one carriage.'' she said looking at the mountain of potatoes.
While they were waiting for carriage she went in to see what kind of vegetables and fruits they had. Vegetables like everywhere quite present but she found so much more. There are lemon,oranges and mandarins from fruits she didn't have.There are dates and figs.Peppers and it seems as green-yellow tomatoes. But a pound of these is five silver a pound.To expensive. She asked if they had some that are bad or ugly.So he gave her for free few tomatoes that started turning reddish. He taught they are bad so he throws them aside.
The carriages came and she went back home, they took out all the boxes and left it in the small garden and she paid them each 60 coins as they helped her loading and unloading boxes.
When she saw all the vegetable she started laughing. This is ridiculous.They think potato is animal fodder? She will earn so much money with this. It seems that these were bought only by chance.
This time she needs to talk to the officer again. This going to be important to the Lord.This could save the whole city in case of an emergency.She will earn so much money. She looked at potatoes as they were golden nuggets...

After Kendra Johnson lived her life under great difficulties she finally died and thought that was it.
But the fate made bet with her. 
She awakened in the body of a weak child that was close to dying. Should she take a chance and live this life with full breath?
Even tho the body was weak, but the mind of the person that already lived a full life.
''I will make my wishes come true.''
''I will travel the world and explore the continents.''
''I can understand all the languages? Great with me I don't need a damn translator.''
''I need money so let's dive to the depths of the ocean and look for 1000 years old pearls.''
There is this man who can't let go. 
There is the other who thinks he is important.
There are many birds and bees.
''But what I want is just travel around and one day find a quiet spot and enjoy my life.''
----------------------------------------------
This  IS original. 

NOT a translation. 

I planned to give you chapters that are long but ended up short. Why? Because it is paid by word count and the long chapters became too expensive.

.Should I change it? let me know :)

Took the picture from a free download from www.pixabay.com

For music, I often hear ---
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjzHeG1KWoonmf9d5KBvSiw

Nodding to the Queen, they went back down from the stairs as they slowly dissolved...

Before they reached down, they heard a few final words that mostly concerned Leon's condition...

Spider Queen : When the threads in your hands completely melt with your skin, they will start feeling itchy...

Spider Queen : That will be a sign that your hands got healed leaving no scar behind...

As they reached the others, Leyla motioned them that they finished what they had to do and it was time to return to the ship...

Close to an hour later, Leyla was sitting in the table along with Kuina, Nojiko, Bonney, Pascia, Ace, Deuce and Law...

She was explaining what entailed to them and more about their origins, what happened in the history and more shocking them especially Law who knew more about the Celestial Dragons...

When they heard that the hands of Leon were on course to be healed, Law got up and went to check his condition as he was cooking...

They had decided to have a feast yet again...

Although he had said to check in reality it was to observe his nerves and muscles to see how they react with the threads...

During the time he was observing him his face couldn't hide his amazement as he was watching the threads already acting as real muscles...

Which he knew it couldn't be faked...

Soon, Leon placed everything aside and started serving plates with different and yet similar sense to the ones they had before...

Leyla : Oh!!! This is Nikujaga meat potatoes stew...

Leyla : Its a flavoursome savoury dish of meat, potatoes and assorted vegetables simmered in soy sauce, sake, mirin and sugar.

Leyla : I haven't seen this in ages...

Leon : Glad you like it... This one is simpler and tasty enough for your pallets...

Leyla : Curry Rice!!!

Leon : Yes... It is generally sweeter in flavour, thicker in texture, and prepared more like a stew with meat and vegetables being cooked by boiling in the water together.

Law : I have eaten curry before but not boiled together...

Bonney : Yeah me too, is there a difference...??

Both : Its taste is richer...

Seeing the rest of the plates, they started digging in as they occasionally asked questions about their course of action...

As Leyla started explaining the rest of the plates, Leon was telling them where they will go...

They still had two more islands to go...

One of them was Ace's hometown and birthplace... While the other was the Sorbet Kingdom if it was possible...

After that a Journey towards the West...

Nodding to him, they paid more attention to Leyla as she finished explaining the next dish which was the Unagi... 

Unagi no kabayaki is made by brushing prepared eel fillets with a sweetened soy sauce-based kabayaki sauce and broiling them on a grill.

The next one was a hot pot dish similar to sukiyaki, made by boiling vegetables, tofu and other ingredients in a mellow broth seasoned with kombu kelp, and then dipping very thin slices of meat into the broth and swishing the meat around until it cooks.

Then the meat is then dipped in a ponzu citrus seasoned soy sauce or sesame sauce before being eaten with some of the other boiled ingredients.

For some reason, before they even had the time to take a bite and taste the dish, it had vanished along with two others which caused Leon to sigh as he recreated them since he had ingredients...

It was a classic Onigiri rice ball normally with a filling in the centre, that has been moulded into triangular or cylindrical shapes before being wrapped in nori seaweed. 

Few of them were filled with umeboshi pickled plums, seasoned seaweed, tuna mayonnaise, and teriyaki chicken.

The other one was the Gyoza Gyoza dumplings causing everyone to glare with half eyes at the perpetrator that reduced the first plate into nothingness...

2 Siblings...... Leyla and Leon, As they went a road trip with their private plane..... on the road of return never would they have imagine themselfs in a new adventure......

"On the first day the god made the continent, he told us to eat bread made with honey and milk to celebrate it. So, the god also thought the first day was something worth celebrating. That is why we have cakes on birthdays. As it is the first day we met the world, we do as the god told us and have a cake that is a kind of bread made with honey and milk."
"Oh… I see. I didn't know that. So, we have cakes on birthdays because it is the first day we met the world. My god, celebrating a birthday was to celebrate and remember what the god gave to us."
And like most other people in the Seritos Kingdom, the cook was a very pious man. Steven was deeply moved by Rubica teaching him the god's will which he had not known.
"The god most certainly said so. Yes, the first day is worth celebrating. Celebrating the first day you lived as Duchess Claymore is the same as the god said. Why couldn't I think of it earlier? I know so little. Following the god's will requires a lot of studying and efforts."
Rubica had been waiting for that and smiled.
"Then could you bring me ice cream made with honey and strawberry cake at the end of the dinner?"
"Of course, Your Grace!"
Of course, Rubica was going to make the next day and its next day into very special days as well. She left the kitchen and found Ann and told her to order extra sugar, almond powder, and chocolate.
"But Your Grace, why do you want me to order them so suddenly?"
"I think they will be needed very much from now on…"
Ann was confused. Then, she asked carefully, "Do you crave for sweet things?"
"Huh? Um, I suppose I do."
"Don't you want anything like sour fruits?"
Rubica couldn't see why Ann was asking that. Why was she asking if she wanted to eat sour fruits so suddenly?
'Is she just trying to know my taste?'
Rubica had always liked sweet and sour fruits. She thought it would be nice to have fresh fruit while eating a sweet cake.
"I like plums, but they are not in season yet."
"But I should be able to get preserved plums. I see, so you want to eat plums and sweet things."
Ann looked at Rubica's belly and smiled happily. Rubica wondered for a moment if the housekeeper was silently implying that she had to keep her body in shape, but she was smiling way too broadly for that.
"Please don't worry. I will order them immediately."
Rubica had been worried that Ann might tell her she was spending money on useless things again after what had happened with Sesar, but she was saying okay way too easily.
She thought it was a little odd, but she decided to think about it later.

***

Same day as always. The sunshine that came through his office's windows was the same and even the air felt the same. The desk, the papers, the ink, and the pen. They were all pretty much the same.
But for some reason, Edgar's heart wasn't the same. He kept looking out the window to see the garden as he worked. A strange impatience made his eyes move. He didn't even know what he was looking for as he skimmed through the moss under the trees.
"Your Grace."
When he was taking a break looking out the window after finishing signing the papers, Carl came with some fruits and water. Carl always knew what Edgar needed as if he had been born to work as a butler.
Moreover, Edgar realized what the unpleasant feeling had been floating around his mind was the moment he saw him. It was curiosity.
"How is Rubica doing?"
And that curiosity was about Rubica. Could that woman who knew nothing survive among the greedy Claymores? Edgar was worried.
But what was he worried about? He frowned.
'It would be a problem if she fails to get their respect as the duchess.'
How could it be a problem for him if Rubica failed to get their respect?
'When the wife is not respected, so is the husband.'
He stopped frowning only when he reached such a conclusion. Rubica failing to get used to her new position and its duties was about Edgar's honor, so he could worry about her as much as he wanted.
"According to Ann, she has refused requests of the visitors with appropriate words."
"Requests? What kind of requests?"
"Some asked her to buy the things they invented in great quantity. Some asked her to let them handle the purchase of fertilizers for the winter. Some wanted to tutor her to adjust her in the high society. Things like that."
Edgar frowned again. They hadn't made such requests when he was making decisions on the overall budget and Ann was managing the household. His relatives were practically bandits without knives.
They avoided Edgar because they knew they couldn't win him and went after Rubica as she had just become the duchess and didn't know much.
"How dare they…!"
"But Her Grace has refused them, so there won't be much of such requests from now. Oh!"
Carl tried to make Edgar calm down. Then, he was reminded of something but didn't say anything.
"Oh?"
"I'm sorry. It's nothing worth your attention."
Bam!
Edgar hit the desk.
Carl had started talking but shut his mouth. It made him angry as Edgar hated being fooled more than anything. He had a trauma about it, and Carl regretted his mistake.
"Tell me."
"But Her Grace will tell you herself. It would be better for your relationship to hear it directly from…"
"Carl!"
Carl wondered if he should run out of the door for a moment. But his priority was the duke, not the duchess. He knew Edgar wouldn't be able to focus on his work if he ran.
No, that was actually an excuse. Carl just didn't want to be a bad man to him anymore.
"His Grace has decided to invest in the rose development of Lord Sesar."
"Rose?" Edgar asked back. 
He well knew about his relative's passion for flowers. He had come to Edgar and tried to make him invest for hours.
Most other relatives tended to run away when Edgar spoke just one word of refusal, but Sesar was different. He didn't give up for so long that Edgar almost said yes because he panicked at seeing the light of dawn coming through the windows.
"Has she decided so because he bothered her too much?"
"No. She decided on it the moment Lord Sesar spoke of it."
"And the reason is?"
"… she said she wanted to decorate the garden with roses."
"The garden?"
Edgar twirled his pen. Did she really wanted to decorate the garden with roses? After twirling the pen for about a dozen times, he threw it on the desk and swept his hair up.
"I really don't know."
It was strange. She had refused all the requests of the other relatives and said yes on roses? Lord Sesar's insistence was famous but, according to Carl, she hadn't surrendered to that passion.
"… although Ann wasn't happy about Her Grace's decision, I think it isn't a bad choice."
Edgar frowned even harder at that.
"Ann?"
"Her Grace has agreed to export the new roses and share the revenue with Lord Sesar. To add my opinion, I think it will be profitable. It will not be a loss as long as Lord Sesar succeeds in making the flowers."
Carl started to sweat hard when Edgar frowned even harder at hearing him defend Rubica.
What had offended the duke? To be honest, Carl had been surprised when he heard what Rubica had said from Ann. She had found profitability in the ridiculous experiment of a passionate botanist.
"You…"
"Yes, Your Grace?"
"You are confessing way too much after hesitating."
Carl's face turned pale and immediately bowed.
"I am sorry, Your Grace."
"It's fine."
"Um…"
Carl gulped hard. He wondered if he had to say it, but he had already spoken too much. As it had already happened, he thought it would be better to say everything he knew. It was going to do good to the duke's relationship with his wife.
"Ann has asked Her Grace to mention it to you, so she will speak of it first if you wait."
Edgar's face darkened even more at this. He had not been happy with Ann's actions that had been popping up in Carl's report.
"Why?"
"Excuse me?"
Carl fell in panic for a moment because he didn't know why Edgar was angry. When it was about the new mistress, he couldn't guess his master's feelings.
"Why should she tell me that?"
"Because it will cost too much… and Ann thought it was a research that wasn't part of household management, so she asked Her Grace that it would be right to tell you at least."
Edgar sighed as he could see what Ann was worried about. Rubica had just become the duchess. Who on earth could excel at the given job right from the beginning?
Moreover, the Claymore Family's budget differed greatly in size and use from other noble families' budgets. Even Edgar had been confused when he started to work as Duke Claymore. It had been hard for him even though he had been educated as the heir, so it must have been worse for Rubica.
However, this was too much.
Rubica was the one who had the right to manage the household's budget. How could she comfortably live if she had to get his permission for everything?

How much money must I spent for you to divorce me!?

Rubika dies in a war without being able to confess her love for Arman but is instead sent back in time.

A new life, she will not live in vain

But what are these new obstacles?

------
© Jeonryeongga 2018 / D&C MEDIA 

The amazingly handsome, rich and powerful Duke Claymore wants to marry her!?

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