The next morning, we woke up and got ready. I gave Katie the letter that the Duke had given to me for her. She looked slightly embarrassed as she took the letter and put it away to read it later, not wanting to read it in front of everyone.
We all stopped at the bakery for breakfast, and Katie took Aza to the library. I followed Al to drop Adam off with Abby at the tiny Montessori-style school before we headed to the blacksmith shop. We stopped and said hello to the townspeople. Al introduced me as Katie's cousin, and the people seemed to warm up to me.
That was good, because I planned to make Ilmir my new home. The Kanta clan was a tight-knit community that did not accept outsiders easily, so Al's introductions helped me make new friends. As the beloved Kanta Clan Leader, his recommendation carried great weight in their hearts.
The heat from the forge as we entered the blacksmith shop was a welcome relief from the crisp autumn air outside. I saw a black-haired man who appeared to be in his forties wearing a leather apron, hammering a metal plate over the hot coals. He looked up at us as we entered.
Al introduced me, "Alisa, meet Riktor, the head blacksmith of Ilmir, and the best inventor of the Kanta Clan." Riktor looked proud to be called the best inventor by the Kanta Clan Leader. He had been part of the first group to return from Shibatsu and had witnessed Ilmir grow from around fifty to over two hundred people.
He was happy that the respected clan leader thought so highly of him and thankful for the new lady who brought the clan leader to his shop. "Thank you, Clan Leader, and it is my pleasure to meet you, Lady Alisa." He bowed respectfully to Alisa.
I was a little flustered when the blacksmith bowed to me. He was old enough to be my father, in this life. "No need to bow. You can call me Alisa. It is nice to meet you as well, Riktor." I waved for him to stand up.
Then, I saw the most beautiful man that I had ever seen. His smoky grey eyes seemed to smolder as he looked at me. His messy black hair fell around his eyes and framed his face. There was a beauty mark under his left eye that made him look slightly feminine, but his broad shoulders showed his masculine strength.
I hadn't felt my heart flutter at the sight of a man since I came to this world. I had to remind myself to keep calm. This young man was too young for me to be acting like a teenager with a crush. Mentally, I was old enough to be his mother, but this body was only seventeen years old. I guess those teenage hormones are back!
Focus! Al just introduced me to this young man, and I wasn't paying attention. Oh my! Look at that smoulder. Ahhhh! Pull yourself together. My thoughts would not listen to me. He introduced himself, "Nice to meet you, Lady Alisa. My name is Kirin."
His voice was smooth and deeper than I had imagined, with his fox-like eyes. I had always had a thing for voices and eyes. This young man checked both boxes, but I needed to focus. Winter would be here soon, and I wanted to have hot water in the indoor plumbing.
I forced myself to calm down as I responded, "It's nice to meet you, Kirin. Please, just call me Alisa." I blushed slightly at his name and how he looked at me, but I needed to focus. I showed them the blueprints that I had drawn and explained how it worked in Stanarussi.
"My father was an inventor in Stanarussi, and we had many things that are not available here, yet. Hopefully, we can figure out a way to incorporate some of those inventions here in Kanta." I explained as vaguely as possible.
Al agreed, "Yes, Alisa has some amazing ideas to improve our lives. If we can include hot water in the indoor plumbing before winter, we will all be a lot more comfortable. Let me know what you need for this invention. We should prioritize this since Winter is so close."
Riktor nodded and examined the blueprints again. He asked me questions about certain things to try and understand it better. Kirin came closer as we all looked at the blueprints together. I was very aware of his closeness.
He just stared at me when I smiled at him. Great!I guess this is a one-sided crush. Fun! Ok, back to the blueprint. Wait, what did Riktor just ask me? I thought to myself as I tried to figure out what Riktor was asking.
We spent all morning discussing the plans to include steam-powered hot water in the indoor plumbing systems. The big clock in the town square struck twelve times, letting us know it was noon.
Al suggested with a slightly hidden smirk, "Kirin, why don't you and Alisa go get us some sandwiches from the bakery. Riktor and I will stay here and start working on a prototype."
I could tell that he knew about my crush and was trying to create an opportunity for us, but I was not happy about it. The novel mentioned Al's high EQ and how he was able to tell when Blaise and Abby liked each other, but this was different. I spent most of the morning trying to get my brain to focus on our task, and I wanted to give myself a break. How was I supposed to do that if we went out alone together?
Al laughed at my forced smile and wide eyes as we left for the bakery. I knew the options here were limited, so I didn't bother to ask what they wanted. They only had cheese sandwiches with a little bit of lettuce and tomato. I could teach them how to make mayo since it is a fairly simple recipe. I thought to myself as we walked in silence.
Oh well, it looks like we will be spending more time together. I may as well try to get to know him a little better.