The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'
Chapter 106 - Pastries & Praise: Which Fills One Up More?

Chapter 106: Chapter 106 - Pastries & Praise: Which Fills One Up More?

The newlyweds returned their attention to the morning meal. Their shared attempts and desire to understand each other’s thoughts and struggles settled between them as an ongoing process. Yet, it didn’t seem that daunting to either party!

Both girls felt like the pastries tasted sweeter for the company. The tea was more fragrant with the view of one another. The power of their loving bond made even the simple act of sharing breakfast together feel like one more day at the altar. Elua raised her black teacup in a small toast.

"Your beautiful young bride has been fed. May you now be happy."

Qatrand chuckled before her own cup clinked softly against the one raised by a soft hand. After drinking from it, she sat the piece of porcelain back onto the table and stared at the cute girl. A few more pastries disappeared during that time... and the set of mint orbs purposely would not meet hers.

’Staring is normal, staring is normal, there’s nothing sensual behind her thoughts, it’s normal!’

The swordswoman cleared her throat and adroitly pivoted away from acknowledging the brunette’s *struggle*. That was what she had been asked to do - and she was sure her own experience in these matters must be less than El’s. That thought did irk her at first, but there was no use being upset at things that couldn’t be changed.

"So you said that those two were coming? Should we go meet them?"

The brunette didn’t bother to respond, as a servant was already approaching the table. The old man bowed on arrival.

"Pardon the interruption, Young Miss Goltbred, Young Master Yecine. Your guests, Nohre and Fusand, have arrived. I was told to inform you promptly."

"Qat, do you mind if they join-"

A look and feeling of ’exasperation’ flashed across the swordswoman the moment she realized what and how her wife was about to ask, causing the heiress to bite her tongue. She also realized what she was doing, again, and quickly changed her target and tone!

"A-ahem. Excellent! Please, bring them to us here."

The staff moved back down the path he came from as a hand shot forward and gripped her forehead.

"El. Even after I just offered to go meet them, you were going to ask if I minded?"

"I-it was just a slip. Besides, walking over to see them someplace *other* than the breakfast table is perfectly reasonable to think you might wish for and-"

Fingers gripped a bit tighter and ’whimpers’ joined weak tapping on the Yecine’s dense forearm. It visually looked like a great struggle and the older teenager was starting to understand what her elders meant about how improper it seemed.

"It’s ridiculous how adept you are at pretending this is uncomfortable for you at all."

A cute ’giggle’ tore from the throat of the Goltbred as the taps became gentle pets on the blazer sleeve.

"Yes, well, I’d be careful if you ever do this to anyone else. Not that I remotely wish you will. But if you gripped that *hard* on another cultivator, they might think you were... tickling them."

A loud sigh escaped from Qat. Of course she wasn’t going to actually hurt her! Even if she logically knew she *could* safely use more force... it simply wasn’t worth the risk to her own heart. Only a handful of moments after she let go, a girl with dark braided hair and a boy with sandy locks appeared with the servant.

After checking with everyone that there was nothing more they required, the man left for the final time. The pair of less well dressed teens seemed extremely nervous in front of the tall, black haired spouse of their mentor. Nohre awkwardly started to speak - after too much time in silence passed.

"Master... uh, E-Elua. We... we brought you something."

In each of their hands, they clutched at paper wrapped packages. Fusand stepped forward and presented his gift first. Despite not feeling any kind of pressuring gaze from the ’swordsman’... he had a strong desire not to offend them - and to get it all over with.

’This is probably fear of our Master...’

"I hope you’ll like it. It’s not much, but... we tried our best."

The brunette accepted the gift with a polite smile. Her fingers deftly unwrapped it to reveal a set of handmade tile-cards. Each of the thirty wooden slats was a small work of art - clearly painstakingly painted with the usual designs of them in the market stalls.

"I can tell that the two of you made these yourself... yet these are exquisite. "

The pair blushed at the praise, the boy in particular letting his pride fight with modesty. He held out his hand and a wavering Projection of one of the tile-cards appeared for a few seconds.

"I... I wanted to create something that reflected what you’ve taught us. So, I studied each card. Then I used my Astralism like you showed me to ’overlay’ as we painted them."

"This must have taken weeks!"

The reincarnator was honestly touched as she blurted that out. She was paying them more than enough to just go and buy a decent set, if that was their goal. Instead, they took their thoughts and intentions so much further... and now it caused her spirit to quietly roil with intense feelings of ’appreciation’.

Nohre stepped forward and offered her gift, a little surprised that the tall Yecine moved to take it this time. In front of the mint eyes at half-luster, calloused hands pulled apart the paper of the package with more care than necessary. Inside, a luminescent crystal was wrapped intricately in electrum wire and converted into an amulet.

’And that is where the money actually went...’

Qatrand could feel the increasingly complex emotions flowing from her wife.

"This is also for both of you, but... I’m sorry that it’s only a single one. I couldn’t find a matching stone. Perhaps you can just hang it somewhere?"

The Yecine heard the other girl’s words but so much of her attention was stolen by the reaction of her wife. In some ways, it felt like when the brunette discovered the wind chime in the gifts yesterday. In others, it seemed like when the older sister was afraid to hold onto little Onya.

’She really is ridiculous. And complex. And cute.’

"It’s beautiful. Thank you."

The dark haired ’boy’ murmured while turning the glowing crystal to catch some of the morning sun. Elua’s eyes studied the expensive little handicraft in her husband-wife’s hands. The soft golden light it emitted was drowned out by the power of the distantly sourced rays. Eventually, she turned her face up to her ’fortress’ as her facade fixed back in place.

"Qat, you should keep this with you. Wear it if you are comfortable."

Pigeon blues looked down with surprise evident in them. Even though she could tell the smaller teenager’s emotions had been collected - and that the ’conviction’ she felt was real...

"Are you sure, El? I know she said it was meant for both of us, but this was definitely for you."

Her face bobbed in a nod while her mint gaze kept level with that of her beloved. Who better to wear the light bearing stone than her own precious gem?

"I’m certain. It... suits you more than me. Truly. Also if you’re the one that happens to have it on, I’ll be certain to appreciate my students even more."

A kind of understanding filtered across the swordswoman’s spirit. She knew that the ancient cultivator, by her own admissions, had a hard time genuinely caring about most people. Near the time she had been told about the tutoring of the orphans in cultivation matters, the illusionist had even admitted that she worried about treating them well in case she ended up not wanting to continue teaching.

’El wants to force herself to care more about them. That is easy enough to agree to.’

She nodded resolutely while slipping the amulet around her sword belt. Qat would make sure to get it secured better by a professional, later.

"Thank you, both of you. This is a very fine gift."

Their young mentor turned back to her disciples after her husband-wife expressed her appreciation.

"I’m glad you waited for this in private. Receiving these gifts... means more than you know. I might have made a number of people upset by favoring yours over theirs."

Nohre and Fusand beamed, their earlier nervousness melting away under their master’s ’high praise’. They were glad they took the advice of the Talcres! At least until a certain kind of ’smile’ spread on the girl’s face.

"Now then. I can’t just receive something without giving back. Are you ready for some *special* training, my disciples?"

Elua’s mischievous grin sent a shiver down the orphans’ spines. Despite that, both Nohre and Fusand nodded eagerly. They had been respectfully keeping to themselves, for the most part, as the Goltbred busied herself with her personal affairs. Now their excitement for training overpowered any apprehension.

"I’m not hearing any refusal, good. I hear there is a path down to the rocky beach below. The coastal environment will provide some... interesting challenges and new experiences for today’s lessons."

Her mint eyes swept back over the breakfast table, committing all the details of her first breakfast as a wedded couple to memory. As her thoughts lingered once more on the gifts from her disciples, a ’ponderous’ emotion flooded her spirit. Her earlier rascality gave way to a more serious demeanor as she caught her spouse’s attention.

’Before we leave the area, there’s one matter we need to address.’