Saffron PoV
I helped Ma put away the stuff in her pantry while the king used our landline to call the castle. Rose had called the castle from the phone here before, so they probably would recognize it. At least, I hoped they would.
As I organized jars of preserves and bags of flour, I could hear Kohei's voice coming from the other room, low and steady, but laced with an underlying tension. I exchanged glances with Ma, who raised an eyebrow, clearly curious about the conversation unfolding.
"Do you think he'll get through?" she asked quietly, adjusting a jar of pickles on the shelf.
"I hope so." I leaned against the counter, trying to focus on the task but unable to shake the anxiety swirling in my chest. We needed safeguards against the demoness's magic.
"Maybe we should prepare a place for the relic when it arrives," Ma suggested, her practical nature shining through even in the midst of our worry. "If it's something powerful, we'll want to keep it someplace safe."
