Love Like Water

Chapter 3: Viva Subterranean Aqueduct

~In the dining room~

As I exit the bathroom, I start making my way towards the dining room just as Marlianne asked me. With my hair still damp and my new clothes freshly wrapping around my freshly damp torso, I slowly make my way through the hall.

Looking left and right, I try to find my way. Guided by the smell of unfamiliar, but good food, I manage to find the dining room. I approach the kitchen, and call out Marlianne's name. She comes out from the kitchen, with a plate of appetizing food on a large platter. My eyes gape in amazement, and my mouth almost started to drool. She then puts the plate onto the table in front of me and urges me to sit down and eat. I then sit down, with my mouth agape from the amazing amount of food before me. Marlianne chuckles from my reaction, and I still stare, deciding what I would eat first.

"(Y/n), it really isn't that amazing, it's just common food we eat everyday dear." She says, smiling. I look at her with wide eyes, shaking my head hastily in disagreement.

"N-no! This is amazing Miss Marlianne...this is the most food I've ever gotten in my whole life! And probably most delicious as well!" I exclaim, shaking my head hastily. Giving me a sort of playful concerned look, she urges me to eat once again.

"Dear, you must be exaggerating, now eat, eat!" I nod my head, then pick up the utensil on my right, and start with the mashed potatoes. I place the spoon into the fluffy looking food, scooping it up and into my mouth. The flavor coming from the creamy milk and butter explodes in my mouth, exploding in savory flavor. My eyes widen then close, processing the large wave of flavor overtaking my taste buds, and then again continue eating.

~After eating ~

After eating the biggest meal of my life, I lay back on the chair lazily, ready to knock out at any second. However, it did seem like Marlianne wanted to talk, so I tried my best to stay awake.

Setting herself across from me, Marlianne gives me a kind smile.

"I hope you enjoyed it dear." I nod my head, straightening myself up on the chair.

"Miss Marlianne, did you need to speak to me about something?" I asked. She nods her head slightly before carefully asking me her questions.

"I don't think you know this, but you were knocked out for three whole days." She starts. I widen my eyes and crease my brows slightly.

"I hadn't even noticed that I was that fatigued..." I trail off, eyes dragging away from hers. Marlianne looks at me with creased brows.

"Not only that, you were so malnourished and looked so sickly, I really thought you were at death's doorway." She concludes worriedly.

I never really realized that I looked, or even felt sickly. I didn't even know anything about appearances or feeling anything, at least physically.

"I may be crossing my boundaries here, but...where did you come from, how'd you even get here, and what has caused you to, you know, look like that?" She says all at once. I listen to all her questions, carefully constructing my answers.

"To be quite honest, I don't really know where I came from, but at a young age, I was given away as a slave for a traveling merchant in return for my parents' large debt. How I got here... I just so happened to cross by Lady Lake while wandering around, following wherever the road took me. In concern of my appearance, I'm not quite sure either, and really haven't taken note on it. I mean, my master gave me little food, and sometimes not even giving me any on certain occasions . My usual portions mostly consisted of leftovers. However, I'm quite used to it, so please don't worry so much." I answer, bowing my head in apology.