Mag watched five times before he went back to working in the kitchen.
This new dancer made the old one look like a joke. Moreover, she taught in a methodical way and followed their progress. Although she couldn’t correct their dance moves, she was no less a professional dancing master.
Yabemiya moved two tables aside to make enough space for them to dance on, and pulled down the shades to block unwanted eyes.
She was a little embarrassed to dance in front of Mag at first, but the look he gave her was as gentle as the one he gave his daughter. She grew used to it quickly, and lost herself in the dance.
Their spirit infected the kitten. It was jumping and running, more willingly than when it had been forced to run.Life is more than just work, Mag thought as he watched Yabemiya, who was struggling to copy the elf’s movements. He smiled. Hope she can walk out of her past and find happiness here.
At lunch, Mag made some Yangzhou fried rice, and chopped a piece of stewed meat for Ugly Duckling.
Mag had been worried that the cat might not like the food, but it sniffed at it, meowed happily, and dug in. It shoved its head into the plate and ate hungrily.
Orange cats are indeed gluttonous, Mag thought, and started eating.
“Dancing is interesting, Father,” Amy said merrily, taking a large bite of roujiamo. “I want to learn more in the afternoon.”
Yabemiya was also looking expectantly at Mag with a roujiamo in her hand. Her face was still red from dancing for two hours. She might look a little tired, but she felt terrific.
Mag nodded with a smile. “Sure. But you have to wait till all the customers are gone. They don’t like to be disturbed while eating,” he said. Amy would begin her lessons with Krassu tomorrow.“Thank you, Father!” Amy said cheerfully.
Yabemiya smiled. Her golden tail wagged in excitement.
Mag took a bite of his roujiamo. She’ll study under Krassu three days, then under Urien also for three days, and rest one day.
Amy would eat her meals in the restaurant and have some rest at lunch hours. Mag liked this way of teaching.
He didn’t worry that her teachers would be too strict or about the risks involved in studying magic, since the two old men were looking for every opportunity to criticize each other.
“Meow, meow…”
Ugly Duckling finished its meal in a short while. It licked its greasy lips, and raised its head to meow at Mag, not quite satisfied.
Mag had started to grow on it since he made it food.
Amy turned to the kitten with a smile. “I can give you some from my plate if you want.”
Ugly Duckling looked up at Amy incredulously.
Amy continued, “The more you eat, the faster you grow. And then…”
The kitten backed away from her hurriedly, shaking its head.
Mag took a look at the two empty plates. It should be enough for such a small cat. Its appetite is incredible. It will get fat if nothing is done about it.
Fortunately, we have Amy.
After lunch, Yabemiya cleared the table. Mag took a look at the time, and went to open the shades. His eyes went wide.
The line had reached as far as the green belt in the square. Mag counted more than 100 people.
Everyone was waiting in the line: demons, humans, dwarves, orcs, and elves. It was unprecedented.
Some wanted to knock at the door, but when they saw the fearsome orcs and people from the Gray Temple waiting patiently in the line, they thought better of it.
Several restaurateurs came together, and looked at those people.
“I never saw anything like this in the Aden Square before! Impressive!” said a woman in a flowered apron.
“You can say that again. Also, that one is only several days old! We have opened here for dozens of years!” a balding man said, scratching his greasy head in confusion.
“Just a thought, but could it be that they are drugging their food?” a skinny old man said as his eyes lit up.
“You might be onto something here. Their customers look strange when they come out,” said an old woman. “A young girl walked past me in the morning with a bread in a bag, and she moaned when she took a bite of that bread! They drug their food, I think.”
“We should report this to the Gray Temple!”
“Absolutely!” They had lost a great number of customers already.
“You people are unbelievable, in a bad way. Stop backstabbing and go see for yourself what they have to offer,” a fat man said as his mouth twitched. He untied his apron and tossed it onto his signboard, walking towards them. “I saw the young girl too this morning. She was enjoying her food. Wasn’t that obvious?”
