Kompani's cottage was still the same small, somewhat cramped place it had always been, but its interior had undergone a complete transformation.
Not only had the walls been repainted, but a new wooden ceiling had also been installed overhead. At least it looked respectable now, rather than obviously shabby at first glance.
Once inside, Kompani saw Saye at the table, clutching a pastry and chomping away. He gave him a swat and shooed him aside, then invited Winnie and Joshua to sit down.
"Where's your sister?" Kompani asked Winnie casually as he took his seat.
"She said she wanted to make us a nice dinner, so she went out to buy groceries," Winnie replied.
"Ridiculous!" Kompani frowned. "She left her guests at home and ran off to buy groceries? Couldn't she have waited until I got back?"
Winnie waved a hand with a grin. "Come on, you know what my sister's like. Once she gets an idea, she can't sit still. I told her Joshua and I weren't guests and she didn't need to fuss over us, but she insisted on buying groceries anyway. There's really no need."
"No, you only come back once every few years, and this is my brother-in-law's... Joshua's first visit. Of course we should treat you properly." At this point, Kompani glanced at Joshua's neat, expensive clothes and looked a little embarrassed. "It's just... we don't have much worth offering here. I hope you don't mind, Joshua."
"You're being too polite." Perhaps because they had now met and established their relationship, Joshua dropped his formal manner of address and sounded a little more familiar. "Neither Winnie nor I is particular about food. Besides, you and her sister are Winnie's closest family, which makes you my family too. There's no need for so much fuss between