The Landowner's Daughter

After a brief wait, Olivia approached with a basket in hand. Spotting Leo among the group of children, she was slightly surprised but didn't acknowledge him. Instead, she pulled out a key, unlocked the truck's cargo hold, and retrieved a bundle of long baguettes. These baguettes were dark and mysterious in composition, but at least they were sufficiently fermented and soft enough.

Olivia tore each baguette in half, distributing the halves among the children. After finishing with the bread, she opened the basket again and announced gently, "Today, everyone gets an extra egg."

Cheers erupted as Olivia handed out eggs, smaller than ping-pong balls, while carefully instructing, "The adults will be very busy for a while. You must behave, help out at home, stay within the camp, and avoid the river. If I catch anyone misbehaving, they'll go hungry!"

The chickens the caravan kept barely laid any eggs during winter. They had managed to save up just a dozen or so, which were originally meant to be traded for grains at a local market. Missing the last market, Olivia decided to reward the children for successfully reaching their destination.

The journey's cold and hunger had left many children gaunt. Without better nutrition, they wouldn't be able to stand. The last in line for food was a girl nicknamed "Little Mouse." She held her soft black bread, eyeing the egg in Olivia's hand but hesitated to take it. The girl sensed that the settlers didn't like her, not even the kind-hearted Olivia.

In the harsh northern wilderness, no one favored a stray child. When one could barely care for their own family, giving food to a wanderer meant risking their loved ones' survival.

"She gets one too? She's not one of us!"

"Yeah, she's a stray. She has no dad to work; she shouldn't eat!"

Several children shouted indignantly at Little Mouse. "Want to die?" Leo raised his arm, muscles coiling like steel cables, silencing the children. Leo grabbed the egg from Olivia and forced Little Mouse's mouth open, shoving the egg inside. "There, done!"

With the egg in her mouth, Little Mouse gently pushed Leo, directing him towards Olivia. For days, she had survived on half a piece of black bread, and this lifeline should be shared with Leo. Surely the kind Olivia would give him food too.

Olivia and Leo stared at each other. She guarded the cargo hold protectively, angry. "Are you stealing food from children now?"

Leo hadn't intended to eat but couldn't resist arguing. "Who's not a child? How old do you think I am?"

Olivia rolled her eyes in exasperation, turned around, and handed him a piece of beef jerky, barely the size of a pinky. "Here, something nice."

Leo took the jerky and chewed it, finding it tough like tree bark. As he chewed, he watched Olivia rummage through the supplies. Olivia's simple yellow bodice and patched dress, with a black fur shawl on her shoulders, set her apart from the other village women. Her well-developed figure made the modest outfit look particularly fetching, like a heroine from a video game or anime.

Compared to the other villagers who toiled in the fields, Olivia, with her Imperial soldier father, seemed like the daughter of a landowner. Her educated mother had raised her well before passing away, leaving Olivia's figure more slender and her manners kinder than her peers. Skilled in writing and arithmetic, Olivia naturally became her father Ulyan's right-hand, managing the settlers' property and supplies.

During Leo's injury, Olivia had been his caretaker. She washed him, changed his bandages, and fed him, ensuring he had enough nutrients to heal. Although he couldn't openly express his gratitude, Leo was aware of her kindness. Their relationship, however, was filled with bickering, thanks to their childhood memories of him bullying her until she cried and her mother offering him food while scolding him. What? Bullying came with free meals? Great deal!

After gathering the necessary supplies, Olivia noticed Leo still staring at her. Flustered and red-faced, she snapped, "Why are you still here?"

"Is that all?" Leo exclaimed, realizing that the promised treat was the tiny piece of jerky he had just swallowed.

"Hmph! That's beef jerky! Even I don't eat it often." Olivia huffed, feeling her kindness wasted.

It's not even as good as a spicy stick, Leo thought angrily. Disappointed from waiting so long for so little, he turned to leave, grabbing a big chunk of Little Mouse's bread as he went.

Little Mouse looked sorrowfully at her diminished bread, then spat out the egg she had been holding in her mouth, offering it to Leo. Disgusted by the saliva-coated egg, Leo barked, "Get lost!"

After experiencing an adult meal in the camp, Leo was more acutely aware of their dire situation. Lying in the truck for days, drinking bland porridge, he had thought recovery would mean better food. But after chewing through hard bread, he realized he had been enjoying top-tier treatment.

He monopolized a large pot, trying to find some semblance of soup but failed to find anything substantial. That night, Leo lay in his tent, staring at the top, memories from his past life and survival experiences flashing through his mind, trying to form a plan to improve their situation.

"If only I had a magical guide," he mused. "How to survive in the wilderness, episode one: How to feed a group of the weak and elderly?"

Little Mouse crept into the tent, lying down near his feet, gradually inching closer for warmth. After a few minutes, she edged closer, then closer again. Feeling the chill from her touch, Leo sighed and placed his foot over her for warmth. Grateful, Little Mouse hugged his leg and stayed still. Though his magical pajamas provided some warmth, they couldn't fend off the late winter and early spring chill. Her frail body and minimal nutrition offered little heat.

Leo's leg felt like it was outside the tent, taking ten minutes for his strong body to warm it up again. In the dark, Little Mouse whispered, "Leo, can I call you Daddy?"

"Why?"

"They say if you have a dad, you get food."

"Alright then."

"Daddy?"

"Mm."