807 Bear, going to see Flora - Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear

The carriage came to a halt at a familiar spot, slightly removed from the gate I usually passed through. Ellelaura and I stepped down from the carriage and began to walk the corridor that led to Lady Flora's room. From here, I could find my way to Flora's place alone, but Ellelaura was walking beside me, so I couldn't help but ask. "Ellelaura, is it okay for you to be away from work?" She looked surprised by my question. "Aren't I doing my job by guiding you right now, Yuna?" Her reply was exactly what I expected. I realized there was no point in arguing further and gave up. "Just don't blame me if the king reprimands you." I didn't want to be accused of being the reason for her shirking her duties later. "Hehe, thank you for worrying about me." I was more worried about myself, actually. Well, if the king did complain, I'd simply tell him that I had confirmed about her work. We treaded down the familiar path. Those who passed by us bowed their heads to Ellelaura. Watching this, I was reminded once again how important Ellelaura really was. Upon reaching Flora's room, Ellelaura knocked on the door but entered without waiting for a response. Just as usual. Inside, I heard Anju, who was attending to Flora, exclaim in surprise. "E-Ellelaura?!" "Pardon my intrusion," Ellelaura said as she entered the room. I had no choice but to follow her in. "Ah, Miss Yuna," Anju seemed surprised to see me but quickly resumed her usual demeanor. "Lady Flora, Miss Yuna has come to visit," she announced. "The bear lady?" Lady Flora, who had been seated reading a book, looked up at me with a smile, put down her book, and came over. "Lady Flora, have you been well?" "Yes," she replied with a wide grin. I gently patted her head. It's a bit late to worry about treason for touching a member of royalty, but since Flora seemed happy, I decided not to fret over it. "Have you been reading a book, Lady Flora?" "Yes!" "Thanks to the picture books you made, Yuna, she's taken an interest in other books and is reading various ones," Ellelaura remarked, making me a bit pleased. "That's impressive, Lady Flora." When I praised her, Flora's face lit up with happiness. "Do you have any new picture books, bear lady?" "I'm sorry. I don't have any new picture books with me." At my words, she looked slightly disappointed. I should have brought one. But I hadn't planned on visiting the castle today, and I've been busy lately and haven't thought of any new ideas for picture books. "Lady Flora, you mustn't be demanding." "...Okay," Flora nodded at Ellelaura's gentle reprimand. In the manga and novels I've read, royalty often demand, "Draw it now," cry, or throw tantrums. But Flora, perhaps well-educated, didn't demand anything unreasonable. I pondered for a moment if there was anything I could do for Flora. "Ah, would you like me to draw a picture of you, Lady Flora?" "Me?" I recalled the quill pen made of cockatrice feathers I received from Mane. "Is the bear lady going to draw it?" "It might take a bit of time. Is that alright?" "Yes, it's fine." Flora's smile returned. We began preparing to draw. I couldn't have her standing the whole time, and it wouldn't do to have a princess sit on the floor, so we opted for a chair. Anju brought out paper and an easel from who knows where. "Please have a seat on the chair, Lady Flora." Flora perched herself on the chair. "Like this?" "Just like that. Hold still for a little while, okay?" Flora complied, remaining still and looking at me. Perhaps she had been painted before. Given the king's affection for his adorable daughter, it wouldn't be surprising if he had her portrait painted. I took out the cockatrice quill and began to sketch Flora. I started by outlining her in black. Although it had been a while since I drew a person, I was accustomed to it after drawing Sakura and the others in the Eastern Country. Filling in the colors completely wasn't an option, so I focused on outline sketches. Her hair was a light pink. I discovered that adjusting red could yield a light pink. Adjusting the magic flow finely, I worked on the shades. This was unexpectedly challenging, but once accustomed, I could produce subtly nuanced colors. Her hair accessory was green, and her clothing was themed around white and green. Her dangling shoes were green too. "Bear lady, are you done yet?" "Almost there." As time stretched on, she began fidgeting. But by then, the drawing was mostly complete, so it wasn't an issue if she moved. Finally, the portrait was done. "It's finished." I turned the easel so that Flora could view it. "That's me~!" The canvas depicted Flora, smiling and looking lively. "You'll need a frame to hang it," Ellelaura commented. While it was touching that they'd cherish the drawing, framing it for display was a bit embarrassing. But considering it would likely be displayed only in this room and seen by a select few, it wasn't too concerning. Though, I did have some reservations about a few of those people. Nevertheless, seeing Flora delighted by the drawing made it worth the effort. I glanced at the cockatrice quill. I'd gotten used to its subtle flow of magic, allowing me to create delicate color changes. As Ellelaura had mentioned, it might be fun to use this quill for drawing picture books. The only concern was whether it could be replicated. "Ellelaura, can you replicate anything I've drawn with this quill?" "Well, if you're asking whether it's possible, then yes, it can be done." Ellelaura answered simply. "Really? But I thought it prevented forgery in contracts." "True, but there wouldn't be any problem if a picture book were identified as a replica." Indeed, apart from one original, all picture books are copies. The hand-drawn picture book I created was the only one of its kind, and Flora possessed it. It's much like owning a print of a famous painting. Anyone could tell by looking that it was a reproduction, but viewing it posed no issue. So, drawing picture books with the cockatrice quill shouldn't be a problem. "Flora, don't you have something to say to the bear lady?" Ellelaura gently reminded Flora. Flora glanced at the drawing, then at me. "Umm, thank you, bear lady." "You're welcome. I hope you treasure it." "I will, I'll cherish it!" she beamed with a radiant smile. "Ellelaura, are you also responsible for Lady Flora's education?" "Only when I notice something. There aren't many who can correct Lady Flora, so I point things out when I see them." "That's why she's turning out to be such a good child, like Noa and Shia." "Oh my, what a lovely thing to say," Ellelaura replied, clearly pleased at the compliment about her daughters. After this conversation, we decided to have a late lunch. Originally, food was supposed to be brought in, but Anju had communicated with the head chef to delay it, presumably on Ellelaura's orders to avoid disturbing my drawing. I hadn't noticed any of this as I was engrossed in drawing. "Yuna," "Bear lady," Ellelaura and Flora's eyes turned to me, suggesting they were used to this by now. I pondered for a moment what to share with them. "Would you like to try some soba noodles?" "Soba?" "They're similar to udon." "Udon? That's the thin noodle made from kneaded wheat flour, right? It's delicious." "Have you had it before?" "Of course." "Even though you're a noble?" "Nobles eat it too. Though, Flora might not have tried it before." Ellelaura glanced at Anju for confirmation. "As far as I know, she hasn't had it before." Indeed, it's hard to imagine Zelef or the royal chefs making udon. "Would you prefer udon, then?" "Zelef can prepare udon, but I'm curious about soba." "Soba is made from buckwheat flour, so it's similar to udon." In the end, we decided to try the soba noodles. I brought out the fresh soba noodles I'd bought during my time in the Eastern Country. They were packed in individual servings, with the soba dipping sauce in small jars—a purchase I had pleaded for at a particularly tasty soba restaurant. "So this is soba. Its color is different from udon," Ellelaura observed. Lady Flora stood on her chair to peer at the soba noodles laid out on the table. "Are we going to eat this?" "I just need to prepare it first." I took out two portable stoves, magical items equipped with fire magic stones, convenient for outdoor use and readily available. Perhaps they were designed by the Magic Ministry long ago. I filled a pot with water and set it to boil the soba, while warming the soba sauce on another stove. Once everything was perfectly heated, I placed the noodles and broth into a bowl, topped with sliced scallions. I almost forgot the finishing touch: make-ahead tempura, set aside on a separate plate. Preparing just one serving of tempura is difficult, so I make it in batches and store it in my bear box, where it stays fresh until needed. Some prefer crispy tempura, others like it soft, so I let them decide how they want to enjoy it. There, all done. The meal was ready.