Chapter 168 Daanieel
Aleshia was surprised by Lucia's suggestion regarding how long she had been in the soul space; the time left her perplexed. Although she was surprised at first, she accepted the news. Changing the subject, she asked about Daniel, "So, how is Daniel? I know he has been dealing with us being here."
"Daanieel," Lucia said, stretching out his name, "I think he's just waiting for some new news. He has been coming in and out of the house, gathering money, and completing quests. He's also become a bit nicer over the week because I have been caring for the children while he's away." In a secretive tone, Lucia added, "I have also been teaching some of them math, writing, and reading. So, I'd say our relationship with him is improving, especially with the children, as I mentioned earlier."
Aleshia nodded along with Lucia's explanation, "That sounds good," Aleshia said. Just then, she heard a door open inside the house. Usually, the doors were closed, and anyone who needed to open them did so quietly. This time, however, it was clear that it was the door to the entrance.
"Looks like Daniel's back from his job. Let's go see him!" Lucia said. After that, she hopped onto Aleshia's head and urged her to head towards the door.
As Aleshia walked toward the door, with Lucia perched on her head, she could hear the hurried pitter-patter of three pairs of footsteps, likely belonging to the three children she had first encountered. As she reached the door, light poured in through the opening, revealing four children and a man standing nearby. Her initial guess turned out to be incorrect. She wondered where the fourth child had come from but suspected they had arrived earlier or slipped in quietly.
Daniel spotted Aleshia approaching and asked, "Have you cured them yet, or are you just going to keep living here rent-free?" His tone was gruff.
Through their mental connection, Aleshia asked Lucia a question. "I thought you said he was warming up to us."
"He's just joking. He knows I've been teaching the children things," Lucia replied, pausing briefly at the end.
Although Aleshia wasn't entirely convinced by Lucia's reassurance, she turned to Daniel and said, "They seem to be doing better, but I haven't completely cured them yet. I've been re-learning some spells while you were away, so you can expect them to start talking in a few days or weeks." Her response was with uncertainty.