Volume 1 Chapter 168
by Need_More_SleepVolume 1 + Chapter 168: You Seem Very Interested In My Mama
“Mama, what are we making for dinner tonight? Umi’s mama sent us lots of yummy ingredients again!”
Leah spoke excitedly while rummaging through the newly delivered groceries, her eyes sparkling as if she’d discovered some incredible treasure.
“Look at this cut of beef. The marbling is so beautiful, like snowflakes. It’s so fine.”
She carefully picked up a slice of beef, examined it closely, then couldn’t resist bringing it to her nose for a sniff, her face brimming with delight.
“And these vegetables!”
She pointed at the basket of produce on the side, her voice tinged with pleasant surprise. “They seem freshly picked. I can even smell that clean, fresh scent. They’re super fresh.”
Leah was like a lively little sparrow, chirping non-stop around Eve. Whether it was big news or trivial details, she had to share everything with Eve.
Eve, meanwhile, busied herself in the kitchen, patiently listening to her talk, chiming in with a word or two now and then, neither ignoring her nor letting it hinder her work.
“How is Umi’s mother’s business going?”
Eve suddenly asked casually.
Since Umi’s mother began supplying meat to the Reynolds family, Eve hadn’t paid much attention to the mother and daughter’s recent situation and didn’t know how they were faring.
“I heard it’s pretty tough,” Leah tilted her head in thought, her tone contemplative. “But whenever Umi and her mama talk to me, they’re all smiles. They seem genuinely happy, so it should be okay.”
“Mhm… Oh, and another thing. Umi is taking the church academy entrance exam in a month.”
Leah added offhandedly.
Eve’s hands paused briefly. She looked up at Leah, a flicker of surprise in her eyes.
“So soon? Wasn’t it supposed to be next year?”
She distinctly remembered Umi had only just started learning magic. How come she suddenly decided to take the exam in a month? Wasn’t such a rushed timeline a bit too intense?
“It seems Umi is progressing very quickly. But exactly how fast, I’m not too sure…”
Leah pursed her lips, her voice quieter now, carrying a hint of uncertainty. The information she knew was actually pieced together from bits and pieces of Umi’s mother’s chatter, she hadn’t verified it properly.
Umi’s mother was simply too enthusiastic. Every time she ran into Leah, she’d warmly chat for ages, her words overflowing with pride in Umi and gratitude towards Eve.
Leah sometimes found it a bit overwhelming and had even started mentally calculating—maybe she should take a different route home after work next time to avoid being cheerfully waylaid by Umi’s mother and listening to her talk non-stop.
It wasn’t that she disliked Umi and her mother. Quite the opposite, this mother-daughter pair had lovely personalities and were genuinely kind-hearted.
It was just that their enthusiasm often left Leah a bit flustered, especially since they always sent over so many ingredients and various nice things. Accepting them always made her feel somewhat embarrassed, as if she owed them a favor.
She understood perfectly well that this enthusiasm ultimately stemmed from their connection to Eve.
In the end, she didn’t have the right to decide on Eve’s behalf whether to accept or decline their kindness. So, every time she faced Umi’s mother’s beaming, eager face, Leah always felt a vague sense of unease, unsure how to respond appropriately.
Knock, knock, knock.
Just as Leah and Eve were chatting happily, a clear knocking sound suddenly came from the door, breaking the warm atmosphere in the kitchen.
Leah instinctively looked up. She hardly needed to think to guess who it was—it must be her newly acquainted next-door friend. Thinking this, she brightened and said cheerfully:
“Come on in, the door’s unlocked.”
Click—
The door opened gently, and a neatly dressed, cleanly washed girl walked in somewhat hesitantly.
Her steps were cautious, yet she couldn’t quite hide her inner nervousness, as if she wasn’t fully comfortable with the situation.
Leah, prepared, immediately produced a pair of very cute pink rabbit-head slippers and handed them to her enthusiastically.
She didn’t notice the flicker of unease in Vivian’s eyes, only sensing that her guest seemed a bit reserved, so she became even more hospitable.
By now, Vivian had already checked countless times in the mirror, ensuring her face was perfectly disguised without any flaws.
The disguise technique Eve had taught her in life was exceptionally advanced, enough to fool most people. Even across the entire empire, those capable of seeing through this disguise were probably few and far between, and even then, only upon close inspection might they detect something amiss.
Leah, of course, noticed nothing. She simply thought the girl before her was extremely pretty and didn’t hold back her praise: “So this is what you look like, big sister? You’re really beautiful!”
Hearing this utterly unsuspecting compliment, Vivian’s heart tightened slightly—she really wasn’t used to such direct praise.
What troubled her more was that she now had to strictly maintain her ‘little mute’ persona. But changing daily habits like that was proving extremely difficult for her now.
For instance, just moments ago, she nearly blurted out “Excuse me” instinctively while knocking.
Thankfully, she bit her tongue in time and forcefully swallowed the words. Otherwise, her plan might have been exposed before it even began.
But then again, since she was already disguised, why did she still have to act mute?
No helping it… She’d been led by the nose by Leah from the start. Whether it was acting mute or disguising her appearance, she had been guided step by step by Leah to this point.
Now, wanting to back out was no longer an option.
But at least the main objective was achieved. She came here originally to verify her own suspicions.
Earlier in her own room, the gentle sight of Leah’s mother had momentarily made Vivian lose her focus, even forgetting her real purpose.
Now, after splashing cold water on her face several times, she was acutely aware of why she was here…
Thinking this, Vivian instinctively sought out Eve’s figure.
Eve was currently busy in the kitchen, leaving Vivian with only a view of her graceful back.
“Dinner will take a little while longer. I’ll chat with you for a bit first, big sister.”
“You can write anything you want to tell me in this notebook! What’s your name, big sister?”
Leah enthusiastically held Vivian’s hand, but Vivian’s focus was solely on watching Eve.
“Big sister?”
Seeing the other girl unresponsive and instead continuously peering into the kitchen, Leah tilted her head.
“You seem very interested in my mama?”
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