The Seed Thief

Vol. 2 Chapter 6.2

The instant that word crossed his mind, Ervandas froze, as if struck by lightning. Why hadn’t he thought of it sooner, after all his efforts?

He racked his brain, trying to figure out his next move. It was strange. The expected situation had arrived, yet he couldn’t think rationally.

Lost in thought, Ervandas paced in circles until the bone crow in the cage gestured, ‘What’s gotten into him?’

* * *

“Er, what’s all this?”

After lying in bed all day, Lulu finally got up and couldn’t close her mouth when she saw the table laden with breakfast. From pigeon meat to fruits, no ingredient was spared. But it wasn’t just an abundance of ingredients.

“How many loaves of bread are there?”

Ervandas, who always cautioned against preparing more than they could consume, had outdone himself. The table overflowed with not just bread, but a seemingly endless variety of dishes.

‘This is like a banquet!’

Lulu remembered reading about the human tradition of banquets. Whenever there was something joyous to celebrate, humans would prepare an abundance of food. Unable to contain her delight, she eagerly took a seat.

She didn’t know what the cause of the celebration was, but having a table full of delicious food was a joyous occasion in itself. If Er was happy enough to prepare a feast, Lulu was more than happy to share in his joy. Lulu held her fork, awaiting Ervandas to explain the reason for this banquet.

However, he hesitated, unable to open his mouth.

As her patience dwindled, Lulu discreetly reached for a fluffy, round loaf of bread. Her gaze then subtly shifted to the roasted pigeon.

Lulu gripped the knife tighter, ready to carve into the pigeon. Yesterday, she had thrown up everything she ate, but today, she felt confident she could devour everything on the table.

‘First things first, eat. If Er keeps doing nothing, I’ll have both legs to myself.’

Just as her knife was about to slice through the meat—

“Lulu.”

“Eek!”

Ervandas, who had been unusually quiet, suddenly spoke. Startled, Lulu’s hand slipped, the knife clattering against the plate. Screech!

The knife skidded across the table before falling to the floor and landing directly on Lulu’s foot.

“Ow!”

Lulu yelped, jumping up in surprise, only to topple backward over her chair and land in a heap on the floor. Thankfully, the blunt side of the knife hit, but it still left a bright red scrape.

‘Is this karma for food greed?’

Lulu wondered, rubbing her foot as she dared a glance at Ervandas, anticipating a reprimand.

But there was no scolding, only panic.

“Lulu!”

Ervandas’s face paled as he rushed towards her, sweeping her up into his arms and carrying her towards the living room chair. Even as he carried her away, Lulu’s gaze lingered on the abandoned feast. ‘My bread! My pigeon!’

“Are you alright? Oh my goodness! Such a bad cut!”

“A bad cut? It’s just a scratch.”

“This is no time to be dismissive, Lulu. I’ll get some medicine. No, wait, may I examine it first? You might have broken a bone…”