Della ran near Balder and asked him with anticipation in her eyes, "Is mister Roswald tired? What did he say about the food I made?"

"He said that it was delicious."

She smiled lovingly, holding the tray tightly with her injured arms she'd been hiding in her sleeve until he walks away. Then she said, "I see, mister Bal, can I ask what mister Roswald likes to eat?"

"Hm, I don't know about that. How about you asks him yourself?" Balder said, questioningly.

"I see," she said, dejected.

"Should I asks him in your stead?" Balder said, flustered.

Her face brightens and said with excitement, "Really? Thank mister Bal." she then walks away and continues serving the customers.

Balder scratch his head and sigh as he couldn't help but swayed by the young cute girl with a dejected face begging him.

The sun went down, and the night came peacefully. As it was time to close the restaurant inn, Della and Ramy cleaned up and arranged the tables for their respective places. Suddenly, raindrops fell heavily and the wind was strong. Some rashly came into the inn all wet and booked a room for two people. Ramy quickly grabbed Della and brought her inside the kitchen, as the two were suspicious looking. They were wearing a gray and blue robe that was almost black, so they couldn't see their faces. Balder peacefully and quietly let them book a room for two without a problem. The tension that was in the air was quickly banished as the two headed to the room they had booked.

Ramy and Della came out of the kitchen and then Ramy asked, "Dad, who were they? The two of them was kind of suspicious."

"Ramy, don't mind those two people, it looks like they came in her to take shelter from the rain…. You should not affiliated with them, continue cleaning everything and let's have dinner."

"Alright," Ramy quietly do the cleaning with Della without asking anything further as her father instructed.

The two suspicious men walked down the hallway across to their booked room. One of them with the blue cloak stopped in front of the room where Roswald was resting and spied inside with his see-through eyes. Roswald was alerted and woke up, then said, "There's nothing to see here. Go on your way."

The man outside retracted his see through eyes and asked, "Who are you? How did you know that I'm using my magic eyes?"

"That's my line, who are you people to be standing in front of my room and spy? Please go on your way if the two of you don't have any business here." He said, threateningly.

"Sorry, if we were rude, will right away go on our way." The two of them walk away and enters their room quietly.

After finishing everything up, Della and Ramy's family had dinner together. The four of them were conversing happily and joyously. "Mister Bal, aunty Solana, and Ramy, I'll be heading up now and can I have these buns? I-I want to give them to Mr. Roswald," Della said after washing the dishes.

"You can but I doubt he won't eat them." Balder said as a joke and Solana hit his head.

"Don't listen to that old man there, take the buns and give them to him. He will never reject them if you're the one who gives them to him." Solana said, calmly and gently.

Della nodded happily and ran up the stairs and stopped to knock, "Come in, why are you knocking when the two of us live in this room?" Roswald said as she walked into the room with the plate of buns in her hand.

"What's that?" he asked.

"Uhm, their buns, I helped make them. I want Mr. Roswald to eat it." She responded hesitantly. Roswald noticed the bandages on her arm and thought that she really did her best. He sat up and accepted the plate of buns, then he happily ate them, quietly hiding his emotion.

She was delighted that he accepted the buns and ate them all without leaving anything behind. Although he didn't say anything back or any compliment, she was happy as it was as she noticed one thing while being with him is that he doesn't show much emotion. She picked up the empty plate and headed down joyfully.

"Wow, did he eat them all?" Ramy asked, amazed.

"Yes," she respond, happily.

"Aren't you glad?" Solana said, happily seeing her with joy in her eyes.

"Yes, thank you aunty Solana and Ramy." She said as she hug the two of them warmly and happily.

Her gentle embrace made Solana and Ramy ecstatic. Like a sweeter-than-fruit confection, the air was filled with warmth and joy. They were lost in their own worlds, leaving Balder on the side, laughing foolishly with tears in his eyes. Della returned to her chamber after the drama, but instead of sleeping, she gazed out window at the moon and began humming a song.

                          The moon is shining again upon me today,

            The stars are making lines and telling me a path should I take,

          Where can I be if not here? The happiness and warmth that I felt

              Is just like an illusion that the wind may someday will take,

                          The people beside me brings me light and joy,

              How can I embrace when everything seems to crumble?

                              How can I trust when I hesitated in vain?

                                  The life I take is all like a waste,

                          But I'll try to be me, I'll smile and embrace

                      All my agony and suffering, the past is the past

                        I'll take on the present and take what it takes

                              And be happy of what I am to be.

Her voice was like that of a nightingale; it was sorrowful and warm at the same time, leading anybody who listened the hymn she sang to weep. Roswald was silently listening to her voice with his eyes closed. She prayed after the song ended and went to bed with a warm smiley face.

"Oh, kid, you're finally awake. Roswald had already headed out. He said that he would be back in two days." Balder said, while handling the customer.

"I see... I was late. He could have woken me up." She mumbles as she spoutes.

"Della, come here and eat together with me." Ramy said, sitting on the table inside the kitchen.

"You also woke up late, big sister Ramy." She asks,

"That's right. It's a first for you to call me big sister. Did you get fond of me, perhaps?" Ramy said, happily, and she smiled gently, and Ramy was speechless.

"Stop standing there and sit down," Solana said.

"Yes," she replied cheerfully.

After the morning meal, Della helped out as usual, but got bored as there were not many customers coming. She glanced at the sky at the window and drowsed away because of the warm sunlight. Solana and Balder, seeing her, also felt warm. Solana hurriedly got the basket from the kitchen table and handed it to Ramy, who was sweeping the floor. Then she said, "The two of you should go on a picnic at the flower field nearby. The weather is great and all, and Della would like it too. Come on now, leave. I and your father will do the cleaning ourself."

"Alright….. Earth to Della." Ramy said, waving her hand in front of her.

She comes to her senses and responds, "What is it, big sister Ramy?"

"Let's go on a picnic." Ramy said with a determined smile.

"Picnic?" she said, tilting her head.

"That's right, put those down and let's get going."

"Ah, wait, big sister Ramy." She said, panicky, putting down the rag and broom that she was holding and running to catch up with Ramy.

"Come on now, you slow poke." Ramy said, smiling brightly and pulling her hand.

The two of them walked the streets and the way people greeted Ramy. She was hesitant and scared that she would grab Ramy's clothes tightly, gritting her teeth to hold back. Ramy held her hand and said, "It's alright, you're fine." calmly assured her

She nodded, took a deep breath, and looked straight ahead. What's ahead of her is the streets, with people shining beautifully as the sun lights upon them from above. She stopped walking as she saw the beautiful scenery that she had never been able to see. Tears fell from her eyes and she began listening to the bustling voices around her. Instead of an uncomfortable feeling, it was warm and full of joy in the air. She wept her tears and said, "Big sister Ramy, I never knew that the streets could be this beautiful," smiling brightly.

"That's right. Let's hurry, Della."

They arrived at the flower field outside the village at the back gate. Ramy put the blanket on the ground and arranged everything, then the two of them sat down. She gazed at the wide field of flowers in a daze, resting her back on a big tree, and before she noticed, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

When she opened her eyes, it was already noon, and she saw Ramy wave at her from afar, surrounded by flowers. She stands up and walks to where Ramy was sitting and asks, "Big sister Ramy, what are you doing?"

"Making a flower crown? Sit down here and I'll teach you how to make one." Ramy said as she shaped the flowers in her hand.

Della looked at the movement of her hand seriously and tried to do the same, but the results were a mess. Ramy notices and slightly laughs.

"This is how it's done. First you are going to have to connect the flower stems together to make a shape. Make sure that there isn't any space between them so they will attach firmly and won't crumble. It's like when you are knitting something. Do it gently so the flowers won't be ruined and smashed. It takes time and patience. You can do it. Don't rush." Ramy said, gently and carefully guiding her every step, but still, the results were not what she imagined them to be. It was a mess, like a smashed cake.

She felt frustrated and sad at the same time. She tried it again and again. She was so focused that she didn't notice that she was making many different expressions. Ramy found it cute that she was trying so hard to make one. After many failures, she finally made a decent one. It was not perfect, but it was neater than the others. She let out a sigh and laid down on the ground, saying cheerfully, "Finally I did it!"

"Congrats, you did great." Ramy complimented her and patted her on the head. Her stomach grumbled.

"Big sister Ramy." She said, with pitiful eyes.

Ramy laughed and responded, "Shall we go and eat?"

"Yes," she said, with enthusiasm.

The two of them had their lunch happily. Della looked in the distance, then suddenly a strong wind passed by and blew the flower crown she made. She ran after it and entered the forest, Ramy calling her endlessly and catching her breath. "You run so fast. Wait a bit... What's wrong with you? Why did you run all of a sudden?"

"The flower crown I made got blown away by the strong wind." She said, feeling a sense of loss.

"Did you see where it landed?"

"I noticed it was close by. But I don't know where exactly."

"Let's search for it... But don't go too far. There are monsters and beasts here in the forest." Ramy said, patting her head. She nodded in response.

To be continue…..