Dyo 14, 810306:32
(Steven"s POV)
Yuuna"s Elixirs, Everhand, Ostroven
----
I awaken to the motion of being grabbed and rolled around the bed. The shock alone is what snapped me out of any grogginess.
Once I noticed it was Joan though, I slumped back into my bed and sighed in relief. I"ve been up all night making a cake with Yuuna and I had hoped to get at least 4 hours of sleep. It probably hasn"t been an hour yet!
Now Joan is waking me up and scaring me! She could"ve been an attacker!
Not like it could be possible; I"m back in Everhand, in my own room. The same familiar room I"ve had for the past 7 or so months. It"s like a time-capsule here. Some of the stuff like my homework is still on my desk, waiting to be completed.
Though, I"m not sure if Ms. Layne would accept a homework a.s.signment that"s 7 months past its due date.
Either way, I"ve been wanting to fall back into my old routine but I"ve developed new habits and 2 more people live with us at Yuuna"s Elixirs; Madelyn and Joan.
I was expecting to negotiate with Yuuna but she took them in easily as she did with me.
As I slipped back into my covers, Joan"s attempts to get my attention had doubled and she yanks the blankets away from me, shocking me.
Steven: "Woah! Woah! What"s wrong?"
She drops to her knees and holds her stomach, telling me she was hungry.
Steven: "Oh, hungry..? I"m sorry, Joan."
Man, this parenting stuff is hard. I figured it would be like taking care of Kanna but Joan is more dependent because she"s young. I have to do a lot of things for her since she doesn"t know how to do them herself yet.
Either way, I"m committed to being her guardian.
Steven: "Did you sleep well?"
She nods.
I let her sleep on my bed while I slept on a futon right next to her.
Steven: "Yeah, I told you my bed was comfortable."
She pulls on my arm, dragging me out of bed and leading me into the kitchen. It"s almost unlike her because this has to be the most forceful she"s ever been. She must be getting comfortable with me.
In the kitchen, I opened the curtains, trying to get some light in but the sun hasn"t even come out yet! Why is Joan trying to get me to cook so early? She"d just fall back asleep after I did cook.
Steven: "What do you want, Joan? Pancakes?"
She sits at the counter and nods expectantly.
At least pancakes are easy to make.
After cooking her breakfast, I made 2 more servings for Joan and Madelyn. Yuuna was up all night with me, so I"m sure she"ll be sleeping in.
Steven: "Joan, I have to go do something. So, can you stay with Madelyn for a little bit?"
She walks with me to the living room to find Madelyn already awake. I set down the plate on the coffee table and light the fireplace, giving light to the room.
Madelyn: "Ahh~ good morning."
Steven: "Mornin", where"s Yuuna and the others? They"re usually awake by this hour."
Madelyn: "She went out with a friend to get something. Didn"t say what. Elder and Esmond left to run some errands, didn"t say anything either."
It sounds like they got their own surprise for Kanna lined up. I should pick mine up right now since the timing is perfect.
Steven: "Alright… I"m going out to the town square. I"ll be back in a couple of hours. Try to keep Kanna here "till then."
Madelyn: "Where are you going?"
Steven: "Buy something for Kanna, it"s Valentine"s Day."
She slyly smiles and playfully jabs me.
Madelyn: "Look at you, such a sweet and wonderful man! What are you getting her?"
Steven: "It"s a secret. Also, I prepped a cake in the kitchen, keep it hidden for now."
Madelyn: "When?"
Steven: "Last night while everyone was asleep."
Madelyn: "But I was sleeping on the couch!"
Steven: "Then you must be a heavy sleeper."
Joan walks up to her with her blanket wrapped around her and rests on sits on her lap.
Madelyn: "Joan! Hey, little one! You want to nap here with me? Aren"t you just the sweetest?"
They look more like really close sisters than the aunt role Madelyn wants to have.
Steven: "You got her?"
Madelyn: "Yeah, don"t worry about me."
I go back to my room and equip my sword and grab a lockbox full of Coin. I"d be needing it for the present and the sword to protect myself, just in case.
I stepped out to the streets and headed towards the town square. It was cold and the sunlight was scattered by a thin fog. All the people currently walking were either guards, early workers, or vagrants.
n.o.body batted an eye to me as I wandered between the buildings and entered a closed jewelry store. The jeweler that ran the place was a really nice, older High Elf that Yuuna loves to buy from. I only know him because of her.
He also knew what kind of jewelry Kanna was into, making him an even better choice. Although she really doesn"t show it off, Kanna enjoys fashion and jewelry.
When I walked in, the Jeweler was cleaning the displays he had and happily welcomed me into the shop.
Jeweler: "Welcome, Sir Omeo! I"m not open for another couple of hours but I"m sure you"re here for your surprise?"
Steven: "Yeah, I brought the rest of the Coin as I promised."
Find authorized novels in Webnovel,faster updates, better experience,Please click for visiting.
Jeweler: "Wonderful! Would you like to see your gift one more time?"
Steven: "Yes, please."
He goes into the back, disappearing for a minute then returning with a long sleek box and another bulky one.
Jeweler: "A beautiful earring and pendant set. You"re one of the first to order something so expensive this year."
He opens the long box and shows me a pendant, the same exact one I had ordered. A diamond in platinum, shaped like a teardrop, on a small 16-inch chain. It"s a very elegant, low profile design that perfectly fits Kanna"s personality in my opinion.
The earrings are the real eye-catchers. Diamond studs that are vibrant as they are beautiful. They"re not necessary for my surprise but I know she had her eyes on them for a while.
Jeweler: "Are they as amazing as you want?"
Steven: "Yeah, this is exactly what I wanted. I think you made another lifelong customer."
Jeweler: "You flatter me, Sir Omeo."
Steven: "So, just to be sure, 20,000?"
Jeweler: "Precisely. You already put half down, so, you just pay 10,000 right now."
I lay out the lockbox onto the table and start counting out the Coin with the Jeweler. We laid out 100 coins, each worth 100 Coin. The Jeweler made the final count and made 10 stacks that made it easier to count before he happily clasps his hands.
Jeweler: "Wonderful! Do you want me to gift wrap it? It"ll be on me."
Steven: "Yes, thank you."