Chapter 22: The Conflict Within
The wooden house looked modest from the outside, but inside, the rooms were surprisingly spacious. A lot bigger than I expected.
Like all the other tutors in the school, Miss Fumiko lived in a small house provided by the academy, which was located on the far opposite end of the school grounds.
However, unlike the students’ dorms, the rooms in the Tutor’s dorms were lit with Lumi Crystals, which were extremely rare and quite expensive.
When I walked into Miss Fumiko’s room, I was first greeted by the scent of lavender, and the slightly familiar smell of burnt wood from a fireplace. The house was warm, which was a perfect contrast to the cold evening winds outside.
The sitting room was quite spacious as well, subtly adorned with framed artworks and tiny marble sculptures. Her shelves were packed with thick spellbooks, delicate reading lamps, and dark blue ink that shimmered in the Lumi light.
It reminded me of my manor. Clean and tidy. Almost too tidy, like the owner spent way too much time trying to make sure every item in the house was perfectly in order.
Miss Fumiko led me to a wooden seat beside the sole table in the house.
"You must be hungry," she said, already turning towards the kitchen.
"I’m fine," I replied, though my stomach quickly disagreed with me.
She ignored me and walked into her kitchen anyway. Minutes later, she came out with a tray containing two cups and a jug of what seemed to be tea.
On the tray, the jug was cold, but by the time she poured its contents into the cups, it was steaming. Soon, the air became filled with the sweet smell of cinnamon tea.
After serving, she picked up one of the cups and offered it to me.