The woodcutter and the woman tacitly agreed not to bring it up again.
They acted completely normally around the Young Scholar, too.
That made the Young Scholar feel relieved.
He had been worried...
The Young Scholar smiled wryly.
He realized he really still wasn't steady enough and lacked experience...
But his elder brother and sister-in-law's strange looks...
Especially his elder brother's strange look...
Made him very self-conscious.
It had been a long time...
Since people had looked at him strangely, ever since he showed a talent for studying.
"Sister-in-law."
The Young Scholar opened the door and smiled at the woman bringing him a meal.
The woman straightened up from where she had been bending over.
She looked at the Young Scholar.
She seemed a little puzzled.
Since the Young Scholar had gone out of his way to open the door, he must have something to say to her.
"I'd like to eat steamed buns."
The Young Scholar's lips curled into a faint smile.
The woman froze.
Because of what had happened, she hadn't made steamed buns in many days.
She didn't want the Young Scholar to think of that memory because of the buns.
So she hadn't made any.
No one else had asked, either.
She had thought everyone tacitly agreed with what she was doing.
She hadn't expected...
The Young Scholar to tell her he wanted steamed buns so soon...
The woman looked at the Young Scholar's face.
She studied his expression.
"...You want steamed buns?"
"Mm."
The Young Scholar nodded.
His expression hadn't changed at all.
Before opening the door, he had already prepared himself.
The woman pressed her lips together slightly.
After a long pause...
"...All right."
The woman nodded.
"Your sister-in-law will make them for you."
"Sorry