The Tiny Witch from the Deep Woods: Volume 2, page 26
Misha seemed to be used to this reaction, as she smoothly transitioned into an explanation. “It means no shoes allowed.”
“No shoes allowed...?” Geord’s confusion only deepened.
Misha nodded deeply. “That’s right. You have to take your shoes off before you come inside.”
“I do?” Geord looked down at his feet. Considering the work involved in being a knight, he was wearing a pair of sturdy working boots.
“I also would recommend you come in with bare feet, but I realize that’s a bit of a cultural difference, so I won’t force that. I’ve got some slippers in here you can use.”
She handed him some footwear that was like cloth wrapped up in the shape of a pair of sandals. They had no back, and the toes were open, leaving one’s feet fairly cool in hot weather.
“I just have to switch into these?”
“Yes. You can use that chair if you like,” she said, indicating a small stool nearby. “I’ll bring something so you can wash your feet.”
Not really understanding what was happening, Geord did as he was told, sitting on the stool and unlacing his boots. Very much carried away by Misha’s strong insistence, his brain wasn’t doing a good job keeping up.
Watching Geord out of the corner of her eye, Misha stepped out of sight. She had probably gone to get a foot bath, like she had said she would. It had been a pretty muggy day, so after being in his boots the whole time so far, Geord was grateful for it. That didn’t mean he understood why she wanted him to take the boots off in the first place, though.
Wait, she said she recommended bare feet, right?
Taking a look around again, he saw that the entrance of the house was populated by a rough-woven mat and a large wooden screen blocking the view of the interior of the house. Beside the stool he had been instructed to use was a vertically standing pole, on which hung a thin shawl and a hat belonging to Misha. Below it sat a pair of small shoes that he recognized as hers as well.
“So, she changes shoes when coming in here?” he mumbled to himself.
“Sorry for the wait. Here, please use this,” Misha said, reappearing with a large bucket in her arms, which she set at Geord’s feet. It was half full of water.
“Thanks. Huh, so you are barefoot,” he noted, looking at her feet. Having spent his time observing his surroundings, he hadn’t yet removed his boots. Misha, however, didn’t even have socks on.
Redford had no custom of taking off one’s shoes when going indoors. Sometimes people might change into more comfortable sandals or even go barefoot when they got back to their rooms or exited the bath, but in general, they used the same shoes inside as they did outside. Certainly, they’d never be barefoot in a place where they might meet someone else. An adult noblewoman would very much be chastised for impropriety for such behavior.
Misha grinned, like a child caught mid-prank. “Yeah, it looks kind of rude, doesn’t it? But back at my home, I never wore shoes inside.” She passed Geord a towel. “I’m going to go check on the soup. It’s still on the stove. Feel free to hang your coat there.”
For better or worse, they were friends that had traveled together for over a month. Misha’s treatment of him was less like he was a guest and more like a family member who’d just come home from work as she headed back into the house without him.
Left on his own, Geord finally finished taking off his boots and dunked his feet into the bucket. The cold water felt great.
Geord took a deep breath. After toweling his feet dry, he looked over at the slippers she had pulled out for him.
She recommended I go barefoot, and she’s barefoot herself. I don’t really get it, but maybe it’s just a part of her home’s culture? If I’m the guest, it makes sense I follow her rules.
Three seconds later, Geord was walking into the house, the slippers she had offered him abandoned in the hallway behind him. “Wood floors, even though this is the ground floor?” he commented.
Castles and noble estates aside, ordinary families lived in houses with hard-packed dirt floors. On top of that, the wooden flooring here was polished to the point you could walk on it comfortably with bare feet, without threat of catching splinters.
“Oh, you didn’t use the slippers?” Misha turned with a smile as she heard Geord enter the room.
“Yeah, this is more comfortable. Did this house always have wood floors?”
“Nope. When I moved in, I told them I wanted to walk around barefoot inside, so they put wood flooring down for me. I was originally expecting something like a heavy carpet.”
Putting a bit of soup in a dish, she handed it to Geord. Accepting the soup, Geord looked back to the flooring.
This is corg wood, isn’t it? It must be at least ten years old for this kind of color.
The glossy, dark brown wood was a signature feature in the flooring of royalty and high nobility. It was unique in that its color darkened over time. It felt smooth and soft to the touch, but was actually quite hard. Dropping dishes or cutlery on it wouldn’t even scratch it.
Did they order it in a hurry, or did they have some left over from something else? I can only imagine how much this cost...
As he tasted the soup, he gave Misha a quick glance. Evidently, she had no idea how luxurious this flooring was.
“The soup’s fantastic,” Geord commented. “Just like the rest of your cooking.”
“I’m glad you like it. It probably isn’t filling enough on its own, so I’ll add some ham. Could you ladle out the soup for me?” Smiling happily at the praise, Misha quickly put Geord to work. When they were traveling, it had been natural for them all to pitch in any way they could help, so she had unconsciously shifted back into that mindset.
“You got it.” Geord wasn’t bothered by it either, naturally moving to do as he was instructed.
Wow, this dishware and cutlery is top-notch too. And this table must be an antique Denicant. This whole place smacks of Tris’s taste.
Although all of the furniture here was relatively simple in its construction, it was clearly the work of an old, famous workshop.
For the record, the only reason Geord knew so much about fine furniture was because Tris would scold him whenever he was rough with the castle’s fixtures. He still had vivid memories of learning some of the chairs scattered around were worth half a year of his own pay.
And yet they’ve picked stuff that looks as plain as possible. Is that so that Misha won’t feel bad about using it? How much are they going to spoil this girl?
Geord’s shock had finally given way to exasperation. Snorting, he got to work helping get dinner ready.
Once the table was set, the two sat down facing each other.
“Is taking off your shoes indoors a rule from your home?” Geord asked as he dug into the meal before him.
“That’s right. But I guess no one in the villages we visited did the same thing, so maybe it was a rule from my mother’s home,” Misha replied as she broke off a piece of bread.
Misha had spent the vast majority of her life growing up in the forest. Her only points of comparison were when she accompanied her mother on very rare house calls and when she had spent a short time living in her father’s mansion.
“So, it’s a People of the Forest thing? I wonder why they do that.”
Misha hummed thoughtfully. “I haven’t really thought about it much. I guess it’s so that you don’t bring the dirt from outside into the house? Making things cleaner also makes it harder for you to get sick. We even had a water jug by the front door, so we’d wash our hands and gargle whenever we came in from outside. Besides that, being barefoot helps stimulate your feet more, and the better ventilation keeps them from getting sweaty, which makes it easier to keep them clean. Oh, and my father’s men said it helped with rashes on their feet, so they were really happy.”
Geord’s eyebrows rose. “Her father’s men” likely included his knights. He couldn’t imagine their gear was all that different to Redford’s own, so that meant they were most likely in boots, which needed to be thick and sturdy, both to prevent accidents like if someone were to drop a weapon and to offer protection if they found themselves unexpectedly in combat. However, that kind of footwear was the worst when it came to breathability. Any kind of running around or training would work up a sweat in no time. On top of that, knights had a tendency to room together, especially the younger ones. It wasn’t a huge problem, but these foot rashes were a common malady in their circles.
“So, you fixed that just by giving them more air and washing them?” Geord muttered, getting a confused look from Misha. “How does that help feet?” he asked, tone grave as he pointed to his own, which would otherwise always be protected by shoes.
Misha followed his finger and stared at his bare feet. “The fungal infection? If it’s not that bad, any irritation usually clears up once you regularly wash your feet and give them some air. If it is really bad, there’s some medicine you can put on it... Do you want some?” Geord’s seriousness was strangely intense and elicited concern.
“Would you mind? Enough for two or three people would be great.” He nodded, taking another mouthful of soup.
Misha pressed further. “If you’d like, I can take a look at your feet for you. This infection manifests in different ways, so if I know exactly what you’re dealing with, I can give you better medicine.”
It was a condition Misha saw a lot of, but for some reason, adults seemed really embarrassed about it. She expected he’d decline, but she also felt bad letting him suffer through it for no reason, so she offered anyway. Did he want to feel better sooner, or did he want to suck it up and tough it out? She figured she might as well give him the choice.
“Oh, no, it’s not for me.” But Geord shook his head right away. “Yeah, I guess that makes sense. It’s better if you know exactly what you’re dealing with. But I’d feel bad making you examine everyone’s feet. Do you have anything that’s more general use? If any of them still have trouble after using that, I’ll ask you about it again.”
Judging that Geord didn’t seem to be hiding anything, Misha gave a relieved smile. “Okay. If things get rough, feel free to bring them here. I can keep a secret.”
Geord thought of all his friends and subordinates who might need to consider that offer. He felt bad for them, but more than that, it was annoying having to work beside people who were really stressed. Geord had managed to avoid suffering a similar fate, but it was a big problem in the dorms.
Even if she is an apothecary, it might be tough getting them to show their gross feet to a young girl.
The knightly image was pretty popular with the ladies, so Geord knew many of them were hesitant to see a doctor for something that might tarnish that image. He doubted any of them would be willing to come see Misha, but that wasn’t something he found easy to explain to this girl.
“I’ll ask if anyone’s interested.” Geord bit into a thick slice of ham, wondering how the conversation had ended up here.
Whether any young knight ended up sneaking into the gardens late at night with Geord for a secret visit with the little apothecary would have to remain a secret for now...but everyone could see plainly both that hope had begun to swell within the dorms of the knighthood and that the entrances and flooring within the dorms were undergoing a remodel.
“What?! I can take off my shoes in here?!” Misha exclaimed, sitting in her room in the castle.
“Yes. You seemed so comfortable when you invited us to your house in the garden, and we figured it was best to do what made you comfortable.” Tia smiled, placing a pair of cloth sandals at Misha’s feet.
“Of course, it would be no good for others to see you like that, so I’d ask that you wear these while in the living room. Going barefoot is fine in the bedroom.”
“That’s more than enough! And these slippers are so cute!”
The soft-green fabric of the sandals was decorated here and there with bright flowers. On top of that, aside from the soles, the fabric used to make them was so thin that it barely felt like she was wearing anything at all. And they fit so snugly that there was no risk of them coming off accidentally as she walked.
“I hope they’re comfortable. I used the sandals you have in the garden house as a reference, but I had to put these together pretty quickly,” Tia said with a laugh as she watched Misha happily marching circles around the sofa.
“Wait, you made these yourself, Tia? You’re amazing! Thank you so much!” As Misha skipped back happily to her, Tia shyly lifted the skirt of her uniform to reveal her feet.
“I actually made some for myself in a different color. You, me, and Isabella all match.”
“Wait, really?” Misha turned a shocked look on Isabella, who was getting tea ready in the corner of the room. The older maid smiled and revealed her own feet.
Tia laughed. “Our uniform hides them well, so I managed to persuade her to join me. Oh, and we got permission from the head maid, so don’t worry for our sakes. I was using them in my own room, but when the other maids saw them, they really liked how cute and comfortable they are. They’re starting to get popular.”
Isabella shrugged. “I’m doing the same thing at home. Changing our footwear when we come inside saves us from bringing dirt and mud indoors, so we can let the children play without worry.”
Isabella noted that young children fell often. She knew this well, being a mother of a three- and five-year-old. Children got sick very easily, so she was keen on keeping things clean for them.
Misha was stunned to learn that her personal custom of banning shoes inside had started to take off. And without her knowing, it continued to slowly spread throughout Redford, particularly among the families of knights and those with young children.
Afterword
Welcome, newcomers! And welcome back, old faces. This is Yanagi. It’s been three months since volume 1. I’m really surprised we get to meet again so soon. You have my utmost gratitude.
“Come on, don’t be so formal.”
I’m sorry, who are you? This is the afterword. It’s supposed to be just for me, the author!
“Sure, I normally wouldn’t show up in a place like this, but this time is special. Don’t worry, I already got permission from your editor.”
Shouldn’t you be more worried about getting permission from me?
“If you spend all your time worrying about details like that, you’ll be old and gray before you know it. You’ve been going a bit crazy recently. So anyway, excuse my intrusion. It’s me, everyone’s fave, Carolus—or Caro for short. Nice to meet you.”
Oh, shut it. It’s perfectly natural to change as you get older! Act like an angel all you want, but I know you’re a blackhearted devil! You weren’t like this when you were first born. How did you end up this way?
“Is that really a question the author should be asking? Well, if you really want an answer, I guess I’d say your failure was in not setting out a strict character design from the start, letting things develop too organically. I mean, you even had to change my name halfway through because it was too similar to other characters’.”
Ugh. You really know how to hit where it hurts, don’t you? I’m not good at coming up with names, okay? Besides, even if I set strict character designs for you guys, it’s not like you’d play nice and follow them anyway. Why are you here, anyway?
“That’s because you didn’t talk about me nearly enough. My appearance in the light novel was so sudden, it felt like I might get sidelined and forgotten about in the future. That would be a problem, so I came to assert my position a bit more strongly.”
Oh, so it’s come to that, has it? Well, I wasn’t going to forget about you...but I guess your next appearance won’t be for a while.
“I knew it! That’s exactly what I’m talking about! Kids only stay cute for so long, you know!”
Wow, that’s a pretty grim way of looking at things. But the next part of the story is about the Red Eye plague, so I don’t really want to bring kids into it. And besides, your backstory says that you only show up in the capital during the festival season. Even if not, you’re supposed to be the next king, so wouldn’t you expect to be evacuated immediately if you stick around?
“Yeah, that’s exactly the issue! Redford is doing really well in its reconstruction, so why not have Ryan stay as king and have his own kids to take over? Having everyone’s expectations pushed on me is a huge pain! Don’t get us kids wrapped up in the obsessions of the adults around us.”
Taking out your frustrations on me, huh? I do feel a bit bad for you, but it would have been weird for the old king to never have been married. And it was kind of weird for the king to be fighting so hard to protect something without saying what that was. It was slowing down the web novel a bit, so I didn’t bring it up back then, but I did have plans for the king to have a child in my head from the start.
“Really? Sounds fishy to me. But fine, whatever. I don’t remember him, but I’m thankful he protected me. Wait, that’s not what this is about! I was here to make sure I got a chance to show up in the next volume! If I’m supposed to be heir to the throne, I should get a chance to say hello once the whole plague thing is worked out, right? I haven’t even explained my true identity to Misha yet!”
Oh yeah, I guess not. I guess it just ended with you being a mysterious boy.
“There’s no point in having a mysterious character if you never reveal the answer to the mystery, right? And you know it doesn’t count if you have me show up years later when I’ve grown up!”
But don’t you think the impact would be huge? He grew up and came back, only for Misha to learn his true identity was...!
“Huh. That actually doesn’t sound so bad... Wait, no! Don’t try to trick me! I want to play around with Misha more! Got it?! You gotta let me show up in the next volume!”
Aaaaaand there he goes. He wants to show up in the next volume, does he? I guess I can give it some thought. But who does he think he is, just coming in here, saying his piece, and then storming off? I guess it’s fine, but... Anyway, let’s get back on track here.
