RYENNE

[ 2.08 ] - Primary: A surprise

Primary: A surprise

[ 2.08 ]

R Y E N N E A T S T E L L I

『 Year 7 』

A week has passed since Ryun and Ryon's decision to abandon me, yet what they did does not stir any urge of mine to coax them by making a friend. As it was a great waste of my energy, I decided I would just ignore the current situation and focus on my own things.

And so, I made my way to the salon during lunch, but upon opening the door, I was met with a surprise. Einah, a maid from my grandmother's estate, stood besides the door with a warm smile on her face upon my arrive.

"Einah? What are you doing here?" I asked her. I could not hide my excitement of her presence. And seeing that she was holding a gift basket, I had a good idea why she had come.

"Madam had requested that I deliver this to Young Miss with the excuse that you are probably eating horrible fruits here in City X." Einah then turned her head and covered her mouth politely as she snickered. "Truth is that she misses you very much and is worried over your health. Especially when she heard what happened on your first day."

I ignored her last sentence and beamed a smile at her as I stared at the basket, trying to guess what my grandmother decided to send me. I stared at it intently, trying to make out any familiar shapes to the fruits along with remembering which fruit would be in season at this time.

Lightly tapping my chin and narrowing my eyes, I notice that the shapes that peaked from underneath the cream colored blanket changed at a point. On the right side, the blanket formed short, rounded points; the middle was filled with larger, egg-like shapes; and the left was layered with short, slightly spherical orbs.

After a moment, I finally lift my eyes to meet Einah's and ask, "Could it be that Grandma sent me strawberries, mangoes and cherries?"

"Ah! Young Miss is as brilliant as always!" I inwardly rolled my eyes upon hearing her comment, but I do not say anything to refute it. Instead, I turned my attention back towards the basket and slowly peeled the blanket off of the fruits. Immediately, upon being exposed to the light, they seemed to shine beautifully.

The strawberries were a beautiful, deep red color all the while being large and uniform with one another. The scent they emitted were sweet, hinting at their delicious taste.

The mangoes were large and smooth, the skin was a beautiful red orange gradient with a mix of bright, grass green towards the end. Upon using a bit of force to test the point of ripeness, it did not halt us like a piece of wood when it is still too hard and sour, nor did it sink in like muddy dirt when it is over ripened and mushy. It was, instead, slightly bouncy, indicating the perfect sweetness and it's ability to maintain it's structure—the golden period of a mango.

Unexpectedly, there were two types of cherries: black cherries and Royal Ann cherries. Like its name, black cherries are darker in color, usually a dark mahogany-red color and heart shaped. When bitten into, the sweetness layers the entire mouth, and by the time you are finished with one, you find yourself already reaching out for another. In contrast, the Royal Ann cherries were lighter in color with a pinkish yellow hue. The cherry is also sweet, but its taste is lighter than the black cherry.

As expected of my grandmother's care, each fruit had not one spec of dirt or bruise. They were all in perfect condition! And not to mention, they were some of my favorite fruits.

"Grandma knows me very well!" I let out a giggle of excitement as I gestured for Einah to follow me. Since my isolation from my cousins, I have found refuge in the kitchen. Usually students would be prohibited from the kitchen, but the Atstelli family was an exception due to our long history in the food industry.