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Working Fireplace
「……it’s unpleasantly cold」
This morning, I woke up with an unpleasant cold on my body. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
A month had passed since the autumn harvest festival. The air has gradually become dry and cold.
I thought I was wearing warm clothes but it seems like the temperature today is colder than expected.
When I crawled out of bed and tried to look outside the window, it didn’t seem to be snowing.
As expected it’s still not that cold.
While I was feeling relieved as I stared at the scenery outside the window, I saw Bartolo holding a bucket in the courtyard.
I wonder what he’s doing.
When I opened the window to try calling out to him, the cold wind entered my room from outside.
I wanted to close the window but, then it would be strange why would I open it in the first place so I decided to endure the cold. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
「Bartolo, what are you doingー?」
「I’m gathering branches」
Answering my question like that, Bartolo then gathered the branches that had fallen from the trees in the courtyard.
「What are you going to use the branches for?」
「To turn on the fireplace」
「Ohー! Fireplace!」
The heating tools to use in winter are finally starting to be used.
I was excited and felt as if the coming of winter was officially recognized.
「Are you also interested in that boy?」
「Un, I’m going down to the living room, so gather them and get inside quick!」
「Oi oi, isn’t this the part where you help me pick up the branches?」
I closed the window as if to end the conversation while faintly hearing Bratolo’s dejected line.
Picking up branches in this cold air, don’t joke around. I just wanted to watch the working of the fireplace.
I change my pajamas into proper warm clothes then I go downstairs to the living room..
It’s probably because it is still so early in the morning and is not yet time for breakfast. No one had arrived in the living room yet.
Although, everyone has the habit of waking up early so they are probably already awake and just still staying quietly in their room.
There is no sign of Bartolo coming to the living room, maybe he’s still gathering branches.
It’s boring just to wait around so I decided to prepare tea by myself.
I could just call one of the maids to make it for me, but I feel sorry if I were to call them to prepare tea for me in the busy morning time.
So rather than worrying about some strange things I feel at ease making them by myself, so in times like these, I decide to make tea by myself.
After putting tea leaves into the teapot, I use magic to make hot water and continue to pour it into the teapot.
The trick to making the tea taste good is to add the hot water at full tilt into the teapot. When you do it like this, the tea leaves inside the teapot are quickly moving around, intensifying the taste and flavor.
Fill it completely with hot water and then turn over the sand hourglass, after that just wait for some time.
The tea leaves are not a lot, but since it’s cold today it’s better to steep the tea a little more.
The tea leaves are being stirred inside the teapot and lightly floated up and down.
It looked like a small creature and looked cute.
「Oh, Bartolo. Welcome backー」
As I was staring at the teapot, Bartolo returned to the living room.
Not only branches but there were also firewood and tools like fire tongs inside his basket. Meaning the preparations are already complete. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
「Darn it, only you waiting snugly inside」
「Now now, I had warm tea prepared for you so excuse me for not helping」
I prepare exactly enough tea for the two of us while calming Bartolo.
This time also added honey to soften Bartolo’s hardened heart.
Bartolo wrapped the teacup with his hands when I handed it to him.
Then he blows the teacup several times to cool it down.
「Ooh, it has honey in it? This warmth and sweetness feel like it spread throughout my body」
「Warm food and drinks tastes even better when it becomes cold」
It looks like the honey successfully melted Bartolo’s heart.
The grim-faced Bartolo instantly softens.
Normally I don’t add other things to my tea, but for some reason winter makes me want to try various things with tea, like milk honey. I wonder why.
「Okay then, let’s heat up the living room」
After swirling the tea inside his mouth, Bartolo quickly approached the fireplace.
Even though I hadn’t finished half of my tea, he already drained his tea, how fast.
So I put down my teacup on the table and headed to the fireplace.
After Bartolo opened the air vent and continued to set up U-shaped bricks.
Even if you suddenly set up firewood it will still be difficult to light the fire. By placing the bricks and setting them up on top of each other, you will create a path for the fire and it will be easier to make a fire.
As I observed Bartolo setting up the somewhat large firewood, he took out a paper from his pocket.
「Could you twist the paper to a suitable shape?」
「This, is it okay to use this?」
It’d be one thing if it were scrap papers used for taking notes, but the paper he handed to me was of high quality like those used for letters www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
It will be a waste to use paper that costs that much for lighting a fire. But well, it won’t be a problem for us to use it all the time with our current financial situation.
「Those are papers that Nord threw out when he made a mistake when writing letters and couldn’t be used anymore」
「Then you can just use the backside to scribble――ahー, he wrote all the way to the back and then realized his mistake」
When I looked at the back of the paper, it was tightly packed with characters.
I don’t know specifically which part of the letter was wrong, but I guess he made a mistake in writing the important part like the name or title.
He must have felt a great sense of despair after writing this much and realized that they all turned to nothing.
「So even Nord-tousan made mistakes like this」
「Yeah, he did it sometimes. He’s skilled at handling things smoothly but he still makes mistakes」
Bartolo said while smiling happily.
I’ve heard that Bartolo went on adventures with Nord-tousan before so I guess he knows more than me.
「Well, he’s trying his best to show his dignity as a father. Just pretend you don’t see this」
「I’m not stupid enough to say something like that」
If you took my age from my previous life into account, there wasn’t much difference between Nord-tousan’s age and mine.
Even so, he got married, became independent as a noble, and now has three children, the difference between us is great.
I thought to myself while twisting the paper and cramming it under the firewood.
「All that’s left is to set up the branches」
Taking out the branches from his basket, Bartolo set them up on top of the papers and bricks.
Of course, he’s making sure not to block the passage for the fire.
「Lit up the fire, boy」
「Heeーi」
I cast Fire magic and sent a small ball flying at the twisted paper.
The paper swiftly flares up and Bartolo continues to set up the largish firewood and branches in front of it www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
He tidied up the firewood with fire tongs so air would be able to properly go through and threw in some scrap papers.
「Can I ask for a little wind, boy?」
「Hoーii」
So I cast Wind magic and let the wind blow upward from under the bricks.
The fire got bigger after being stirred by the wind, spreading to the firewood and branches in succession.
The firewood and branches start to turn red due to the flames then turn black.
I could hear the sound of the firewood and branches popping *pachipachi*.
Right right, this is it. This sound is what makes it a fireplace.
Different from the sound of a bonfire, this sounds calmer.
「Yosh, there’s no problem now that it has reached this point. It’s really easy to turn on the fireplace if you have your magic, boy」
「I’m not gonna light the fireplace every day even if you praise me like that」
「Che」
I came to help him this time since this is the first time I’m lighting up the fireplace like this but I’m sorry to say this, I’m not gonna wake up early every morning every day and help light the fire.
Bartolo looked disappointed and left the necessary firewood and wood chips near the fireplace.
I thought he was going to return and cook, but he returned to the living room.
「Hey boy, I have something good here, wanna have some?」
Instinctively looking back, I saw Bartolo smiling innocently with sausage skewers in his hands.
How to cook and where to eat them have already been decided.
「Of course I want them」
Receiving the skewers from Bartolo, we sit shoulder-to-shoulder in front of the fireplace and grill the sausages over the fire. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
Since it’s a fireplace, the fire strength is rough so the charcoal might also spread but that’s fine.
The sausages smoked by the wild flames and smoke will definitely be delicious.
The sausage gradually becomes reddish and its fat starts to drip on the floor.
「Ahー, this will absolutely be delish if we eat it together with liquor」
「I also thought about it ya’know. I have work to do but I can’t stand it」
「I don’t have a job so I don’t have to endure it」
「No, you’re still a kid so you have to endure it」
As we were making small talk like that, the sausages were thoroughly cooked.
「Yosh, let’s eat it shall we」
「Un」
After blowing on the piping hot sausage, we stuff ourselves with it.
It was a little overcooked and the skin had become crispy, but it made a satisfying crunchy sound and hot juice spurted out.
I savor the rough, course meat by rolling it around inside my mouth and chewing slowly.
「Oohー, delish」
「Un, tasty」
It didn’t take any particular trouble to make. You just grill it over the fireplace.
It was just that, but eating the sausages in front of the fireplace was exceptionally delicious.
「With a fireplace, you can enjoy this kind of food every day, right?」
「Ooh! That’d be the best――ah, no, the sausages are delicious even if you don’t eat them first thing in the morning, you know?」
「You should’ve just nodded and gone along with that」
When Bartolo realized I didn’t nod at what he said, he nibbled on the sausage with a sulky expression.
I may have said that, but two guys just eating quietly like this by the fireplace is quite nice actually.
So I thought to help him when I felt like it. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
Al didn't get baited into waking up early in the morning, his reflexes in avoiding commitment is getting to the level of Elna and Nord.
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