10 Pepper

"Where's your father?" I asked the 'kid'.

"There's a new shipment of plants today, so I'm guessing he's busy with that."

"What is this place?"

"You haven't been here before? Have your parents never brought you to the Mess Hall?"

"It's my first time here."

"I see. So what do your parents do?"

"My father's a single parent. He's working as a steward at the Main House."

"I see. Sorry about that."

"Nah, it's okay. I hardly knew my mother."

"So it's just been you and your dad, then?"

"You could say that. Why are we at the Mess Hall? I thought there'd be some food."

"Well, breakfast is already over, but there are plenty of leftovers back in the kitchen."

"Really?!" 🤩

"Yup, you can have some if you like."

"Will there be bread?"

"There'll be all sorts of bread."

"Lead the way then."

"It's just behind this door."

The 'kid' was about to enter the kitchen when I grabbed him from behind and dragged him into the room next to it. It was time to settle some business before I continued with breakfast part two.

Since the 'kid' had led me into a deserted place, I grabbed the opportunity to interrogate him. What I didn't expect was for the room to be pitch black inside. While pushing and shoving into the tight area, I think a couple of glass bottles broke, scattering powders into the air.

Damn it. It was the pantry.

It was bad enough that it was a room with no windows, but add pepper into the mix, and let's just say I didn't think this through. I could feel my nose twitching with an invisible itch.

It's okay. I can handle this.

I backed myself against the wall, managed to grab hold of a switch, and flipped it. With my other hand on my back, I reached for my butter knife just as the light went on.

"Now—"

Before I could even say another word, the itch overwhelmed me, and I uncontrollably unleashed a sneezing rampage. Not wanting to torment myself further in this cramped room, I exited fast, desperate for fresh air.

The 'kid' was lucky. If it weren't for my bloody allergies to pepper, he would have been sliced in half like a piece of bread with my butter knife.

Felix followed me out, coughing and waving his hand in front of his face. "What was that about?"

"Interrogation gone wrong," I muttered, still rubbing my nose. "Why did you bring me to the pantry?"

"I didn't! You dragged me in here, remember?"

"Oh, right." I glared at him, still holding my butter knife. "Why didn't you tell me there was pepper in there?"

He laughed, shaking his head. "How was I supposed to know you were going to storm in and break everything?"

"Fair point," I grumbled, lowering the knife. "So, about that bread..."

Felix grinned. "Come on, it's right this way. No more detours, I promise."

He led me into the actual kitchen this time. The smell of freshly baked bread and other pastries filled the air. My stomach growled in anticipation.

Felix pointed to a table laden with various types of bread, from crusty baguettes to soft rolls. "Help yourself."

I grabbed a piece of milk toast and took a bite, savoring the creamy, sweet flavor. "This is perfect."

Felix watched me with amusement. "You really do love bread, don't you?"

"More than you know," I replied between bites. "Thanks for this, Felix."

"No problem," he said, smiling. "Anytime you need bread—or a chat—just let me know."

For the first time in a long while, I felt a genuine smile spread across my face. Maybe this place wasn't entirely hopeless after all. And maybe, just maybe, I had found a small ally in the unlikeliest of places.