Leaving the cabin, the three carried as much firewood as they could. Lucretia carried a little less, due to her physical build.
"Heard there's going to be a solo mission tonight, king."
"Ah, yes. Well, it's a very simple mission, but it will last a week."
They continued walking for a few seconds, then the playful friend asked another question.
"Did you hear about the new dungeon? The unexplored cave?"
"Yes, I heard. And why use that term 'dungeon'? It's just a cave."
"We adventurers need to use the appropriate names, my King."
"Then how about calling me by my appropriate name?"
While the two spoke casually, Lucretia listened and asked:
"But what is this cave about? Are you guys going to go too?"
"So you have an interest in exploration? Want to be an adventurer? How wonderful. We can be colleagues, the three of us. Come on, we're going to explore it in about two weeks. There are no monsters, but there might be a bunch of treasures. I'll teach you everything about how to explore."
"Yes. And, like, I can show how brave I am, right, Sieg?"
Siegfried stayed silent for a while. Then he said:
"Ahhh, you two should stop getting excited about this. Don't play with what you don't understand. Just because it doesn't indicate there are monsters, we know nothing, much less if it isn't dangerous. Let's head back home soon."
They walked the rest of the way in silence.
Arriving at the house, they placed the firewood in a place protected from humidity so it could be cut and used later.
Sitting on a swing, a little far from the entrance, Lucretia could observe the surroundings. The small vegetable garden was starting to bloom. The sound of birds and forest animals brought tranquility.
Continuing to observe, she saw Sylmeria thanking and hugging Siegfried. They talked happily, smiling at each other.
"Wow, Sylmeria is so beautiful. She has a perfect body. The breasts, hips, they're all so eye-catching. Men always look at her. Men really are gross, but she is wonderful, beautiful, and kind. If I were beautiful and feminine like that, would they smile at me the same way? Should I wear other clothes? Am I not too masculine?"
Lucretia looked at the two and at herself, thinking deeply about various things. Then she remembered a peculiar subject. One day, when talking to Almaria, she let slip some information about Sylmeria.
'She was a very skilled adventurer. I never did any missions with her, only the older ones, like Lúcio and Sieg. By the way, your crush has been an adventurer since he was very young. But anyway, suddenly, Sylmeria retired and became a nun. Then she kind of decided to stay here, which already belonged to Lucius, permanently.'
This memory of the conversation between the two made Lucretia wonder about the reason for this giving up. She would also be bringing money to the orphanage if she were active.
'They say she was cursed. She never said the real reason or if that is true, so I don't even ask.' That was Almaria's answer to Lucretia's questioning. Since then, they never touched the subject again.
Even if she was curious to know, the fact that Sylmeria never revealed the reason must be something personal, and if she doesn't feel comfortable saying it, then it wouldn't make sense to ask.
Looking at the two interacting, for some reason, caused Lucretia to be flooded by an unusual feeling.
Carried by the emotional impulse, the girl got up and went to them. Putting herself in front of Siegfried and behind Sylmeria, she tried to imitate the same pose and smile as the nun, trying to look like her.
Her attempt to imitate an adult was somewhat clumsy and childish. Siegfried, seeing that she was making an effort to interact, smiled back.
Lucretia felt ashamed of her own actions and wanted to bury her head in a hole. In her mind, he would joke with her for acting like a fool.
"Thank you, Lucretia. You are always very kind and try hard to help. You are a good girl", said Siegfried, with a calm voice full of kindness and affection.
He approached her and stroked her hair. Siegfried's large, strong hand caressed her slowly. Even though it was rough, it was full of tenderness and made her feel safe.
Faced with this unexpected response, Lucretia's emotions became confused. She lost her composure and ran away from there.