[Don't touch her!]
Meryl immediately stepped back, tense. She lowered her gaze to the chat to see the Master typing a message, only to delete it. He began typing again, then deleted it once more before sending.
Meryl understood that he was struggling to find the right words. She reached out to type a message to him but remembered she was the only one awake, and there were no planetary surveillance cameras inside. So she spoke out clearly, "I think I should prepare some food."
She walked toward the spotless kitchen without waiting for a reply from the planet, who had stopped typing. "I hope there's some meat here!" she said as she opened a few drawers, but found nothing.
Her features twisted in frustration as she said, "Master Elior, there's no meat here!" She looked at the chat patiently, waiting for the planet to finish typing his message.
[There's plenty in the cupboard in the corner.]
That cupboard was the only one Meryl hadn't opened, assuming it was where the cups and plates were kept. As soon as she opened the door, a sudden chill swept over her body. It felt as if winter itself had been trapped inside the cupboard.
[There's a booklet in one of the drawers. It explains how to prepare these meats.]
"What animals are these from?" Meryl asked as she tried to read the words printed on the packaged meat.
[They're creatures you've never seen before.]
"I hope our stomachs can digest them!" she said jokingly as she picked up a piece of meat. She placed it on the cutting board and started searching for the booklet.
While cooking, Meryl realized that the meat was tough, and there were spices she couldn't recognize — the same went for the vegetables. After placing the pot on the stove, she made sure her friends were still sleeping peacefully, then headed toward the door to step into the garden and see how far they had gotten.
Meryl gazed at the lemon tree; it was beautifully laden with fruit. She picked up a lemon that had fallen to the ground, then looked up at the sky — it was completely clear, so much so that not even a single bird was flying across it.
She leaned her hands on the white wooden fence and looked down. They were still in the desert... This house was moving far too slowly!
But that was in their favor. They had come to the desert to complete Elena's mission, and because of those filthy hunters, they hadn't been able to achieve their goal.
In any case, it wasn't a major problem — they had already overcome the situation thanks to Alvin's madness, and they still had more than three days to complete the mission.
Meryl spun around in alarm at the sound of the door. It was Tulip, his clothes stained with blood, staring at her with wide eyes. Was he scared? Maybe! Not wanting to frighten him further, Meryl smiled gently and walked toward him.
"Oh, our little one is awake!"
Tulip didn't move. He clutched the edge of his white jacket with his tiny hands, watching as Meryl slowly approached him. She knelt down and pulled him into a gentle hug, patting his back softly as she said, "It's okay. You're safe now."
She pulled back a little and placed the lemon in his hand.
"Look, it's a beautiful yellow lemon."
The little one gazed at the fruit in his fingers with wonder. Meryl carefully lifted him into her arms and headed toward the tree, laden with blooming flowers and ripe fruits.
She reached out and brought a flowering branch closer to Tulip's face, speaking tenderly,
"Would you like to smell it?"
Tulip hesitated, then leaned in to inhale the scent of the blossoms. It was something he had never smelled before — how could he describe it?
He sniffed again. It was something like... a cool breeze drifting through the scorching sands of the desert.
Meryl beamed with happiness at seeing Tulip's astonished little face. He looked truly adorable, his wide eyes and tiny fingers nestled among the lemon blossoms.
After a long while, she set him down on the ground and gave him a gentle push on his back, encouraging him to walk around the garden a little. Tulip hesitated, glancing at her for a moment before turning his gaze forward.
He wandered aimlessly, taking slow, uncertain steps. Sometimes he stopped to admire the tiny flowers; other times, he sat down to watch the orange-colored mushrooms.
Meryl saw him lie down on the grass, staring up at the sky for several minutes before getting up and walking toward the fence.
Worried he might fall, she quickly stood up and rushed after him.
She stood quietly behind him without interfering — just ready to catch him if he lost his balance.
Tulip gazed down at the sands below in fascination. They gleamed a bright gold under the sunlight.
Contrary to expectations, the atmosphere inside the garden was cool and refreshing, carried by a gentle breeze.
The credit for that went to the transparent barrier surrounding the house, which
released fresh air to ease the heat.
__________
Time passed until the sun set, and the light faded, giving way to darkness. Dinner was ready inside the house, served on plates, waiting to be eaten.
Elena was sitting around the low table, a cushion tucked under her, running a towel through her damp hair.
In front of her, Meryl was cutting pieces of meat on Tulip's plate to make it easier for him later.
As for Alvin and Tulip, they were in the back room of the house, bathing there after Meryl had discovered it was actually a small bathroom.
"Your master is really generous, Meryl!" Elena said with admiration.
"I still can't believe he gave you this flying house as a gift!"
"You're right — he's generous, kind, and warm-hearted too!"
Meryl moved the knife away from Tulip's plate to keep him from grabbing it, then added,
"You know, Elena, I'm lucky he chose me as his embodiment!"
"My dear Meryl, he's the lucky one because you accepted him!" Elena said encouragingly, trying to boost Meryl's confidence.
"A beautiful, kind lady like you — he could search the whole world and still not find anyone like you!"
Then, in a softer voice, she added,
"Speaking of how lucky you are to have each other... You should ask your master to stock more meat in the pantry. It's really not enough!"
Meryl laughed heartily at the request, finding it endearing — especially with Elena's pouting expressions. She placed some vegetables onto her plate and nodded.
"I will!"
Meanwhile, with Alvin, Tulip was the first to step out of the bathroom, his body feeling refreshed after the bath.
He jumped a few times, then lifted his head toward the star-studded sky, marveling at its beauty and the peacefulness surrounding them.
"Tulip!" Alvin called out. "Come on, little one. It's time for dinner."
Tulip smiled at him, took one last lingering look at the sky, then ran toward Alvin and clutched his hand tightly.
Alvin smiled fondly at the gesture. He knelt down, lifted the small boy onto his shoulders, and secured Tulip's tiny hands in his own to keep him from falling before standing up gently.
Tulip pulled his hands away and wrapped them around Alvin's head, while Alvin made sure to hold onto the little legs dangling over his shoulders.
"We'd better hurry, or Aunt Meryl will kick us out of the house," Alvin joked.
Tulip smiled warmly, resting his head on Alvin's damp hair.
He wanted to say thank you, to tell them he was alright because of them... but no sound came out — the words stayed trapped inside his throat.
But it was okay — Tulip was sure they knew he was grateful even if he said nothing!
"Why didn't you say the water was cold?" Alvin asked while filling his plate with meat and vegetables.
"It ran out after Elena and I bathed!" Meril replied as she fed Tulip a piece of blue-colored vegetable.
"If I had long and thick hair like yours, all the water in the world wouldn't be enough to clean it."
"Knock on wood while you say that! You'll jinx me!"
"Don't worry, Miss Meril, at this very moment my eyes aren't blue."
Tulip was smiling happily as he ate, watching Meril and Alvin bicker while they ate. His state was similar to Elena's, who was also eating and listening to them.
Unlike Tulip, who couldn't speak and join the conversation, Elena didn't like talking while eating, but at the same time, she enjoyed listening to others.
Alvin was about to say something else to annoy Meril, but he stopped when he heard an explosion outside.
"What was that?" Meril said anxiously as she pulled the startled Tulip into her lap.