The Empire of Reimia (3)

After some hesitation, Neya decided to accept Ifeon’s offer. The girl really wanted to attend Maya's classes, which coincided with the time he had suggested, but she thought that refusing such a kind gesture would be impolite. She was probably the first friend he had invited over. Besides, these were unsettling times – war could break out very soon, and in the future, she might not have the opportunity to visit her friend. Therefore, the Reimi just hoped that she wouldn't miss anything important by attending this particular class of Maya's.
Since it would be rude to come empty-handed, a couple of hours before the appointed time, Linnea decided to take a walk around the city to buy some sort of gift, even if it was something small. She considered various options, but eventually settled on a small box of pastries from Akeso. Since the tastes of Ifeon and his mother, Nee, were unknown, they decided to include several varieties in the set.

Ifeon’s mother came out to greet their guest; for one reason or another, Linnea never learned her name. However, this wasn't surprising, as her friend never mentioned her name and always affectionately called her "Mom" when referring to her. The woman, who introduced herself as “Masaoka Suzuka, Ifeon’s mom,” warmly greeted the guest, thanked her for the gift and attention, and then led her inside the house. It was clear that they didn't live lavishly, but despite this, everything inside was clean and cozy. Linnea noticed that the woman seemed to be in a good mood, perhaps even slightly playful. It was hard to say what the reason was: maybe it was just a nice day, or maybe she was simply happy that her son had invited a friend over for the first time, especially a girl?

While she finished preparing some dish, quietly humming to herself, Ifeon and Linnea sat on an old sofa nearby and talked about something (?). It didn't seem like the woman intended to bother the guest with questions, even if she might have wanted to.