"Then you simply must visit our village and try Old Parker's rose cakes," the old man said warmly, twirling his whip.
"I will."
At her reply, the old man launched into an endless stream of chatter.
"Old Parker's rose cakes are famous all around Mixian County in West Wind County. Even the officials in town send people to our village every few weeks to buy some."
"Let me tell you, the roses Old Parker uses in his cakes are carefully cultivated in our village and picked when their blossoms are at their finest."
"And the nectar..."
Kalaya did not interrupt the old man, but she stopped listening to what he was saying and turned her attention to the orchards and fields beside the road.
The promise of a bountiful harvest filled the countryside.
Farmers worked in the fields while children played on the ridges between them. Every face shone with joy at the coming harvest and hope for the future.
The sun shone brightly, and the fragrance of flowers filled the air.
Leaning back slightly, she admired the peaceful, beautiful scene before her and found herself warming considerably to her student's husband.
Anyone who could govern his territory this well was, at the very least, a nobleman with some principles.
Her childhood experiences had left her with an instinctive prejudice against nobles.
Before accepting Xuemiyya as her student, she had hesitated for a long time. Only after observing how her parents treated their servants, along with other small gestures, had she agreed to take in the gifted girl.
Her eyes narrowed slightly as she watched the birds in the distance, and her thoughts began to wander.
She thought of her benefactor, that unsmiling half-elf adventurer. The six months she had spent wandering with him had been the hardest days of