Chapter 6: Morning and bread
450 Words
After walking a short distance through the back gate of the royal palace, Elfriede suddenly stopped.
――It's quiet.
I thought mornings in the royal capital were more tense.
The command, the neighing of the horses, the rushing voices.
But they are further away than I thought and haven't reached this far.
The smell of freshly baked bread wafted through the street.
Sweet, fragrant, wheaty smell.
The stall owner removes the cloth and prepares a basket full of bread.
A still-sleepy child was walking around trailing behind its mother.
It feels like a completely different place from the royal morning.
Elfriede puts her hand on the leather bag that was draped over her shoulder.
It has a solid weight.
But still――
She was lighter than the invisible weight she carried as a princess.
No one sees her.
Even when he is seen, his eyes quickly turn away.
That was a little strange.
Next thing I knew, I was standing in front of a bakery.
"Welcome"
Unpretentious voice.
On the counter are rows of simple round loaves, some with nuts, and some sweet loaves sprinkled with sugar.
There are many types that I didn't see in the royal palace.
――Choose, you know.
For a moment, my hands stopped.
Until now, a set thing was served at a set time.
There was no need to choose.
"...Um."
As he hesitated, the shopkeeper called out.
"In the morning, it's light around here."
Shown were small rounds of bread and hot soup.
Elfriede nodded slightly.
"That, please."
The hand holding out the coin is a little awkward.
But the moment it was received, the deal was indeed done.
The bread I was given was still warm.
A slight fever remains on the fingertips.
Sit down on a nearby bench,
I took a slow bite and nibbled.
――...
It doesn't become a word.
Drink the soup in a wooden cup.
The saltiness falls silently deep into my body.
It's not a breakfast to be washed down while reading the materials.
Time not rushed by anyone.
"...You don't have a job."
The voice was soft and seemed to check.
There's no meeting time, no deadline for submissions, and no projects to clear by today.
I'm just sitting here munching on breakfast.
He takes another bite of bread and looks up at the sky.
I wonder if the sky in the royal city was this colored.
――How to do this.
The answer is still not out.
I have anxiety.
But more than that, what was inside me was a strange lightness.
It's too light and a little scary.
Elfriede said nothing,
I slowly bit into the last bite.
- Writer
