“Don’t worry. They’re here to ask for some water,” Kristoff, the elderly man, explained. “I’ll pour some for them right now. Right, Darling, where was the honey I collected in the mountains? Where did we keep it?”
“It’s in the cabinet,” came Beatrice’s, the elderly woman, weak reply. She pointed at a rickety cabinet in their rundown abode.
Several minutes later, Kristoff returned to Vivian and Kurt, serving them two bowls of water that had been heavily sweetened with wild honey.
“Please enjoy. You should leave once you’ve quenched your thirst.”
Kurt stared at the proffered bowl in silence.
Vivian hastily received the bowl on his behalf and thanked the old man, “All right. Thank you so much.”
She began gulping the honeyed water with gusto as Kurt stared at her in shock.
She grew up on the finest delicacies in the world, using utensils that cost some families their entire yearly salary, not to mention she’s a borderline neat freak, too. How did she bring herself to drink out of that old, broken bowl?
Kurt was still stunned as Kristoff asked, “Why aren’t you drinking, young chap? Are you worried about the honey? Well, not to worry. It’s clean; I harvested it from the mountains myself.”
“No, no. I wasn’t thinking that all,” Kurt protested hastily before lowering his head.
He gobbled the bowl of honeyed water in an instant.
Meanwhile, Vivian smacked her lips and exclaimed, “It’s so sweet!”
“Okay, you should head back now,” Kristoff urged. “Your mother will be worried if you’re gone for too long.”
Kurt was well aware that Kristoff’s insistence on their departure was rooted in concern. Like Beatrice had said earlier, an association with the elderly couple could land Kurt and Vivian in trouble with the surveillance party.
He pursed his lips in thought before asking, “Sire, may I borrow two sets of clothes from you?” Kurt’s ears reddened as he introduced Vivian with a stammer, “This girl is m-my younger sister, and I’m bringing her home for the first time. I’m trying to keep her visit under the radar for now.”
Vivian was understandably confused by his introduction.
Younger sister?
Her confusion worked in Kurt’s favor.
Kristoff understood the teen immediately. Smiling knowingly, he responded, “Of course! I’m afraid we do not have much to offer, though. I hope you wouldn’t mind some dated clothes.”
“That’s fine,” Kurt reassured him.
With that, Kristoff disappeared behind a makeshift screen made from floral fabrics. He rummaged in a wooden chest before returning to Kurt and Vivian with some clothes in hand.
He offered the clothes to them and elaborated, “Here. My daughter used to wear these. It’s a little old, but it’s still in good shape. Oh, and my son used to wear this. I’m sure you’ll fit in these, young chap. You can have all of these if you don’t mind their age.”
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