The Crimson Magister Chapter 51: V2-C32: A Shopping Trip

Read chapter 51 of The Crimson Magister by Okram on NovelPedia.

V2-C32: A Shopping Trip Lucia skipped happily as she hugged her bags tightly. She had given half of the groceries to Aqua and made her way toward the final stall. The girl who led Aqua around the market was behaving as if she had never known loss. Who could expect someone so young for an elven standard to know what loss felt like, for only unfortunate souls like Aqua had to suffer through it. She had a happy childhood. She cracked a smile. While envious, it made her feel a strange warmth in her heart. Not the intense heat of grief and hatred, but instead that of joy. With a quick shake of the head, she followed after Lucia. No matter how much she could try and deny the emotion she felt, it just was not possible. She enjoyed her time without having to worry about anything. Her mind was suppressed, and she would not allow anything to invade her space now. Neither Paranoia nor Anger, her mind was a fortress that she protected as a loyal guard. Her lips stretched into a smile as Lucia led her toward a stall. Very quickly, she had obtained another bag which she promptly gave to Aqua to carry while making a mischievous smile. Aqua sighed as the duo finished procurement of various goods, from berries to dairy. It was a rather productive outing, yet Aqua found joy in it. Lucia acted as if she were an excited girl in a toy store while Aqua herself remained a responsible adult who would watch over her. Her gaze wandered around the bags she held close to her chest before she lifted her head slightly and looked toward Lucia. It took her a couple of minutes, but soon she came to Aqua while carrying multiple bags of her own. "Thank you so much for your help, Lady Aqua. I would have been in big trouble if I had returned to the palace empty-handed." She grinned like a child before she went quiet. A small giggle escaped Aqua's lips as she adjusted the bags, "I don't think they would be overly harsh." The girl forced a smile, "You don't know the head chef, he screams a lot if we do anything less than perfect." "Oh?" Aqua tilted her head slightly as Lucia opened up. "Does he beat you?" Why did my mind immediately go there? Lucia shook her head, "No, No! He is quite nice; he has never hit us, but he does shout at us until everything is up to the palace standard." Her lips stretched into a thin line as Lucia spoke of the Chef, despite the so-called shouting Lucia had complained about, he seemed like merely a man who took their profession seriously. In a way, he sounded much like one of her teachers. "He merely sounds strict. Did he teach you?" "Yes, how did you know?" "It just reminds me of one of my own teachers." Aqua lifted her head toward the sky as the duo made their way toward the palace. Lucia's eyes widened, and her lips formed a circular shape, "Oooh! So you get my woe!" Aqua stopped for a moment, took a deep breath, and stared into nothing. "Lucia, when the teacher is strict and shouts, it merely means they care. You will learn to understand it eventually." She stepped forward and caught up to Lucia. "Sure doesn't seem like that when he makes me cry after I mess up!" The girl pouted. Of course, Aqua did not condone making one's student cry if possible; however, the heavy hand was necessary for some to absorb what the master attempted to convey. She had personally been shouted at many times before she could learn illusion or even the art of engineering. She pushed the bags up against her chest, "I can't say much without meeting him." The girl instantly stopped and turned toward Aqua, "Would you like to? I am sure he would be nicer to someone as distinguished as you!" "Hah…" Aqua raised her head toward the sky as she exhaled loudly, "I am not that important, Lucia, but you are right, I would like to meet him." "We can learn how to cook together! Despite you likely already being much better at it than me." "Might come as a surprise to you, but I am not the best cook. I am only capable of basic food. There was just never a reason to learn."