Sylvie, the Slave Girl (Lily Futa) - Chapter 13 (pt. 1)

July 1, the weather was sunny.

It was the eleventh day of living with Sylvie.

Wei Qing woke up to a pleasant aroma that morning.

She rubbed her eyes, got out of bed, and tidied herself up.

When she walked into the living room, she saw two dishes already set on the table—one meat and one vegetable, very homely, looking colorful and appetizing.

Someone was standing in the kitchen, stir-frying something.

Wei Qing’s brain was not fully awake yet; the confusion in her eyes deepened.

She sat down at the table, feeling a bit dazed.

What? A fairy-like cook?

When Sylvie brought out the third dish, she glanced at the woman staring blankly at her.

Sylvie paused briefly, slowly untied her apron, sat down, and looked at Wei Qing.

“…”

Wei Qing slowly picked up her chopsticks and took a bite of the food.

“Not bad,” Wei Qing said, her hazy eyes noticeably brightening.

Sylvie smiled, looking shy and well-behaved.

“But people where I’m from usually don’t eat breakfast,” Wei Qing added.

It’s not even 8 a.m. yet. Is three dishes and a soup supposed to exist at this hour?

Sylvie paused her movements, puzzled.

“Don’t eat?”

“I mean, not rice or stir-fried dishes like this,” Wei Qing said faintly, swallowing the savory bite in her mouth.

She hadn’t expected Sylvie to be so diligent, even though she had asked her a couple of days ago if she could cook.

“Why?” Sylvie stopped her chopsticks.

She tilted her head curiously toward Wei Qing, some silver-gray hair falling over her smooth forehead.

To make cooking easier, Sylvie had tied her hair into a bun that day, with some loose strands at her forehead.

Her features were fully exposed.

It was a hairstyle that really tested one’s looks, but clearly, this little heroine pulled it off.

Her small face had beautiful features.

She wore the clothes Wei Qing had given her—a light blue shirt, slightly loose, and aside from the granny-style floral pajama pants Wei Qing had mischievously picked out, her upper half looked pure and like a high school girl.

Wei Qing found her pleasing to the eye.

She looked at Sylvie over once, feeling her sleepiness finally fading.

“Because most people don’t have much appetite right after waking up in the morning. They’re not used to eating heavy, greasy food. For example, I sometimes skip breakfast altogether… too lazy to eat,” Wei Qing said slowly.

Sylvie’s lashes lowered slightly, her slender fingers brushing the edge of her bowl.

“Is that so?”

“Yes,” Wei Qing nodded.

“Okay,” Sylvie said, glancing at her before looking away.

She tilted her head slightly, her brows furrowing.

Her expression seemed a bit dejected, as if she’d been struck by a blow.

“…”

Wei Qing inexplicably felt like a wicked mother-in-law bullying a frail, innocent widow.

The fragile girl in front of her lowered her head, her shoulders hunched.

Despite having just finished cooking, she was now being dimmed by the wicked mother-in-law’s criticism.

Wei Qing took a deep breath, her expression serious, feeling a bit disgusted with herself as the wicked mother-in-law.

“But that’s not good, right?”

Sylvie said softly after seeming to think for a moment, lifting her eyes to look at Wei Qing.

“It’s bad for your health.”

Wei Qing blinked, her expression softening, touched by Sylvie’s concern.

She felt a bit relieved because Sylvie was noticeably chattier today.

Even though it seemed like she was lecturing her (no, this was care, care!), their closeness seemed to have skyrocketed since yesterday.

Their relationship felt like it had taken a step forward.

Wei Qing carefully considered her words for a moment before dishing out some chicken soup wisdom.

“It’s just occasional, you know. Sometimes it’s fine, sometimes it’s not. If you live too regularly, too rigidly, it gets boring.”

Wait, no, she was actually pretty disciplined, going to bed and waking up early every day…

Sylvie glanced at her, her lashes trembling slightly, looking pitiful.

She pursed her lips.

“I acted on my own, sorry, Master,” Sylvie said.

Wei Qing tilted her head, about to say it was fine, but remembering her earlier guilt as the wicked mother-in-law, she softened her words.

“No, there’s nothing to be sorry for.”

Her voice softened a bit.

“Though it was a bit unexpected… the experience was still very nice,” Wei Qing said deliberately, picking up some food.

Realizing the key was to encourage the hard working kid, she added, “It’s delicious! I’m really touched.”

“You worked so hard, Sylvie.”

The girl tilted her head, seemingly trying not to laugh at Wei Qing’s exaggerated tone.

Her fine brows and long lashes curved slightly, serene and obedient.

She sat upright, with a couple of strands of hair at her temples swaying lightly.

“…As long as you like it,” Sylvie said.

Wei Qing thought she looked inexplicably virtuous like this.

She smiled, her eyes curving, put down her chopsticks, and reached out to ruffle Sylvie’s head.

As she lifted her hand, the girl lowered her head obediently.

“But next time, don’t bother in the morning. Cooking is already troublesome enough. Lunch and dinner are enough work for you,” Wei Qing said earnestly.

“…”

The girl lifted her eyes to look at her, her long lashes and gentle eyes warm.

She smiled softly, her features delicate and lovely.

“Okay, Master.”