Beside the kitchen, several children sat around a low round table, waiting for the fried potato balls to arrive.
Ais stared at the golden crust frying in the oil, and under the pull of that tempting aroma, she unconsciously swallowed.
"You're Sword Princess, right?"
The mercenary's wife was thin, but her complexion looked healthy, as if she had only just recovered from a serious illness.
She carefully picked up a spoon and lowered the battered potato balls into the oil, afraid the hot oil might splash onto Ais.
"Mm, how do you know? And don't call me that..."
Ais had no memory of the woman beside her at all, and did not think they had ever met.
It was not that she minded the respectful attitude, but with the sizzling fried potato balls in front of her and the delighted children behind her, even Ais wanted to blend into this warm atmosphere.
"I see... I saw you on a flyer. Back then, you and Little Rookie had both leveled up, and your portraits were placed side by side. You looked just like a perfectly matched couple."
The woman spoke softly.
It was as though she had opened the floodgates and begun talking about the past.
At the time, she had been bedridden and had no way of knowing what was happening outside. The mercenary had waved the flyer the Guild handed out and shoved the door open excitedly.
"That boy beat a Minotaur and leveled up in just half a month!"
There had been more than shock on the mercenary's face. There had been pride and joy too.
The two of them had once clashed like tempered steel, testing each other's hardened souls.
The flames had never gone out. The roar had never ceased.
At the moment he heard the news, the mercenary truly recovered something.
Something hollow that had been crushed by the charging beast. Something beautiful that had been swallowed by nightmares.
"It's a little embarrassing to say, but when I saw my husband like that, I just couldn't stop crying. Ever since he retired as an adventurer, that was the first time he had shared something like that with me...."
The woman smiled, relieved.
In the past, all she could do was watch his back as responsibility drove him into the abyss. But that day, it felt as if the mercenary had found his own time again and started moving forward.
The conversations between them slowly began to increase.
"I ran into a drunk today making a scene everywhere. He actually dared badmouth that boy, so I put him down in two moves."
"Of course I'm fine. Who do you think I am?"
"Give these rabbit toys to the children. They'll definitely be happy."
"That kid... openly chasing a harem, huh. That really is just like him...."
"..."
As the woman recalled the changes in her husband, a happy smile curved her lips again.
"Maybe it was because his state of mind changed. My illness gradually got better too. All of this was that boy's blessing."
"I didn't know any of this...."
Ais blinked.
A white rabbit that brought good luck.
A white rabbit that spread happiness.
Ais had always thought she was the one being chased.
But Bell had something she did not.
It had nothing to do with level or strength. Even if he were only Level 1, the boy could still leave the first sprouts of happiness in people's hearts.
Ais suddenly understood why her heart always felt warm whenever she was with him.
So she had been chasing a white rabbit, just like in a fairy tale...
"No time to space out. The fried potato balls are ready."
The woman smiled gently, picked up the golden balls, and placed them into a bowl.
"Go on, try one. They've been sitting for a little while, but they're still hot, so be careful."
"Thank you..."
Ais sniffed at them like a hamster.
Drawn by the smell, she forgot all about manners, picked up a fried potato ball with her hand, and took a small bite.
"It's delicious....."
The heat made Ais keep blowing little breaths, but she still took big bites out of the fried potato balls.
"Hey. Big Sister's eating by herself!"
"That's not fair!"
"Uuu..."
Seeing Ais eat so enthusiastically, the children immediately started chirping out complaints.
"There's enough for everyone. But yours have to cool down a little before you can eat them."
The woman explained gently.
"Then why can Big Sister eat hers now?" the oldest child asked in confusion.
"Because she's a very amazing adventurer."
"Like Daddy? Is Big Sister really that amazing?"
The little girl blinked her big eyes and looked at Ais expectantly.
"Mm... but not as amazing as Bell..."
Ais seemed to remember something and lowered her head sadly.
"Be...ll?"
"Bell is Big Brother. Alright, these are your portions. Don't steal from your little sister's bowl."
As she answered the little girl's question, the woman set out fried potato balls that had cooled to just the right temperature.
The children stared at the food in front of them and immediately quieted down.
The woman smiled kindly, then turned to Ais.
"If something's bothering you, you can tell me. I've been through a lot myself, so maybe I can help."
"....."
Ais froze for a moment.
Her worries were not some secret of the Familia, so it would not matter if she said them out loud.
And anyone who could make fried potato balls this delicious had to be trustworthy...
After reaching that conclusion, Ais spoke.
"I want to apologize to Bell, but... I don't know how to say it...."
"Apologize? Did you do something unforgivable?"
The woman asked gently.
"No. My companion insulted Bell in the tavern... I didn't speak up to stop him, and Bell happened to hear it at the time..."
Ais slowly explained how it had happened.
She still had so much gratitude she wanted to express, but this incident stood between them and threw Ais's thoughts into turmoil.
It looked insignificant.
But this was the beginning of their story.
Ais truly did not know how to show the boy how guilty she felt.
"Have you talked to him about it?" the woman asked again.
"I beat up the one who spoke badly about him... but when I tried to apologize to Bell, he cut me off..."
Ais told her exactly what had happened.
"Is that so? Then it seems that boy treasures the relationship between the two of you very much."
The woman smiled softly.
She did not explain that remark and simply continued,
"This all happened because of chance. It was your companion's fault, wasn't it?"
"But I allowed it..."
Ais clenched her fists.
"And what of it? Adventurers are rough people. Today they laugh at one person, tomorrow they insult another. If you dwell on every coincidence, all you'll have is endless worries."
The woman glanced at the children and patiently added,
"The relationships between people are always changing. I even used to call my husband an idiot who only knew how to go into the Dungeon, right in front of him."
"After I got closer to my husband, I worried just like you do now. But later, I realized that this kind of worry is something precious. The more you care about the relationship between two people, the more troubled you'll feel."