Off to one side, Daniel was directing the laborers and distributing supplies, while Maria seemed to have quickly befriended the village children and was playing with them. I was glad she'd made friends her own age.
The most surprising sight was Bodo.
Would you look at this kid? He'd accomplished something even I'd never managed: a flower on each arm.
"For someone so young to be such an important retainer of the lord's family—that's so impressive."
"R-right? Without me, the lord would be in real trouble!"
"You really are close to the lord! My name is Nora."
"Hold on, Nora! Don't cut in line!"
Bodo's popularity was exploding.
He was being aggressively pursued by quite a few pretty girls. But why was a kid who'd grown up in the brothel district and had seen all kinds of unsavory things acting like such a country bumpkin? It was refreshing to see, since it wasn't the Bodo I knew.
