With trembling, thin arms, Annie placed the casserole on the table, then threw herself against the back of a nearby chair, causing it to move backward with a clattering sound.
She then lowered her head again and added in a soft voice, "I don't know why, but whenever I want to seriously achieve a certain goal, it always feels particularly difficult. It's like someone is constantly reminding me to give up. It's so annoying."
Occasionally, there are those who mess up everything, big or small. Just like the guy who keeps failing at gacha pulls, the guy currently thinking about this line is probably also feeling heartbroken about his recent disastrous experience of failing at six important pulls in a row... Wait, something strange has gotten mixed in.
“…Although I may not be in a position to say this, anyway,” I coughed twice to draw her attention to me, “if you believe what you are doing is right, then try to stick to it instead of giving up. As long as you are not overwhelmed by the hardships that keep piling up, you will eventually reap the rewards you desire.”
Even if that's some time from now.
I swallowed the rest of my sentence and carefully observed the girl's somewhat gloomy complexion. But compared to her dejected expression just now, she at least had some vitality now. I could even see her looking down at the lines on her palm, constantly murmuring things like, "I can do it," "Keep trying," and "I will get the ideal reward."
Well, now that I've finally cheered myself up, let's not talk about those discouraging things.
"So, would you like to try some?"
Noticing the gaze, Annie suddenly looked up and pushed the steaming casserole forward a little more: "Although for some reason, the pot caught fire halfway through, and it took quite a bit of effort to put it out, I did make sure that all the ingredients I put in were safe to eat... It shouldn't taste bad, right?"
It's really a burden; why have I been being fed all day?
I ate quite a lot just now, and not long after, my stomach is very bloated with not much room left. The food in front of me doesn't look like it will taste delicious after I put it in my mouth.
But having just comforted the child, I turned around and rejected her again. I felt guilty for not putting my words into practice.
Moreover, being stared at by those expectant and sincere eyes, I always felt that the words of refusal were stuck in my throat and I couldn't say them.
"Is it not allowed...?"
The fact that expectations might be dashed looks pitiful. Considering what was said before and what was said before, it's possible that this child didn't receive much encouragement and love growing up.
Surely they wouldn't intentionally make poisonous or harmful food, would they? They're not bad kids.
They even claimed that they used ingredients that were confirmed to be safe to use in the kitchen, that they had been monitoring the surrounding area and that no alarms had been triggered, and that the unsightly state of the pot was due to a sudden fire inside...
Who knows, maybe the food inside is actually delicious compared to its unappealing appearance? Isn't that a common occurrence?
I tried to discreetly confirm with magic, but found no possible toxicity. I finally sighed and nodded with difficulty: "Because I'm full, I can only have one bite."
Anne Fines spread her arms and cheered like a child.
Then my memory went blank.
Yes, it really is delicious food. I can almost see the vast, rushing river in the distance, and the countless phantoms of beings on the opposite bank casting bewildered glances.
Next time, I must strongly forbid Annie from ever stepping into the kitchen again.
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