Laying down her bed the scattered moonlight peering through the windows show a Lyrica that's scratching her head furiously. Itchy... She hadn't taken a bath in a long while, making her uncomfortable and sweaty, something that she wouldn't allow to go on any further.
Looking around everyone had already fallen asleep on their respective beds, sharing them. The orphanage can't afford that many beds, and it would just waste space to cramp a dozen beds in a single room. That's why the orphans would share their beds, with Jodie and Lyrica sleeping together.
Lyrica rubbed her eyes, she can't sleep. It was far too hot and her scalp was itchy, enough to drive her mad. She felt around, moving her arms up and down trying to hug Jodie but to no avail. Jodie's nowhere to be found.
"Eh?" The little cat sounded, she was surprised that Jodie had disappeared during her little nap.
Standing up, she rested her bare feet on the floor. She walked to the nearest window, the floor boards squeaking. Getting closer, she soon notices the height difference with the window being too high up for her to look through. Mm... Can't jump, too loud.
She picked up the mattress, with the insides rustling as she dragged it to the floor underneath the window. She piled the mattress into one big crater careful not to make a sound. Standing on top of the mountain-shaped pile of mattress, she jumps up and holds into the ledge of the window pulling herself up.
With her head finally in view with the window, she gazes through to find a figure near the well with a white dress. She waved to the figure, putting two and two together. I wanna take a bath too... She sighs in jealousy.
Going downstairs, she finds the front door unlocked. Walking near the well, she finds a young woman squeezing her red auburn hair dry showing her delicate nape. The white cloth stuck to her skin as she smiled at Lyrica.
"Care to join me?" Jodie said. "It feels good to take a soak at night."
"But... my clothes will get wet..." Lyrica pouted in jealousy. "What are you wearing?"
"Oh, this is a dampen dress, I wear it when I take baths." Jodie said as she twirled around. The dress was long, covering her bare legs only letting her feet show. The sleeves were also long, covering the length of her arms only showing her hands. "Women can't bare their skin to just anyone."
"But I don't have a dampen dress... and my clothes will get wet..." And it's embarrassing...
"Hm... if you go to the kitchen, there should be some clothes hanged on the wires. I'll wait for you."
Going back inside the orphanage, Lyrica notices the clothes and rags hanged on a string. Getting up on a chair and climbing up the table, she grabs a set of clothes. They were a bit big for her but since she only wants to take a bath it will suit her purposes nicely. She removes her clothes and slips into her new clothes.
Exiting the front doors, she nears into the well ready to soak in water.
"Ready?" Jodie asked, bucket in hand.
"Mm," Lyrica nodded.
With her back turned, Jodie started to rinse Lyrica's head with cold water from the well making Lyrica flinch in pain. "It hurts..."
"Next time, don't scratch your head. You'll hurt your scalp with your nails."
"Hm? Why's your finger scabbed?"
"Ah... I don't remember."
Getting soaked in water, Lyrica started to relax. It was soothing, she felt truly clean. She scrubbed her hair with water rinsing away any dirt or grime as Jodie poured water over her head. The cold water trickled down her small body, stealing away her body heat, making her feel the cold of the night. Washing away any stress and troubles in her head, like a refreshing deep breath after finally reaching the surface of the water.
♦ ♦ ♦
First bell rang, with Ruben already awake counting the silver and copper lyes in the leather pouch, Ruben clicks his tongue. Only 3714 lyes... at best I can make this last us six days... at worst only three. I need Jodie's help to pan this out. Wait... the remaining ingredients in the cellar... never mind... It should be enough to feed us for today.
Taking a deep breath, he continued with his normal routine double checking the remaining ingredients in the cellar. As expected... barely enough for today.
He started cooking breakfast, ready to start the day. Calling the children for breakfast, and washing clothes ushering the children to forage into the wild after second bell rang. "Focus on food for now, we don't need fire wood at the moment. Jodie, I need to discuss something with you for a moment."
Ruben showed her the leather pouch he's been carrying.
"We only have three large silvers. We need this to last us as long as we can until I can find a way to get money."
"So we only have around 3000 lyes..."
"Yes, three large silver, one medium silver, two small silvers, a medium copper, and four small coppers."
"Hm... maybe if we buy half of what we usually have we can buy more time."
"Yeah, that's what I was thinking. We should be able to buy at least four days if we go at it normally, but maybe we can extend to at least a week."
"I get it, we'll buy half of what we usually get. But how will you gain money?"
"I don't know... I'll have to talk to Mister Klaus later on so he can fire me."
"Fire you...?"
"I can't find another job, I'm in a tiva contract with him. I'm forced to work for the workshop whether I like it or not, but as the foreman he can annul that contract per the conditions."
Jodie sighed. "And why would you need to get fired?"
"So I can find a job obviously!"
Facepalming, Jodie replied. "Do you seriously think that anyone else would accept you? You barely have any time to even go to the workshop."
"Well..."
"It's easier to gain patrons while you're part of a workshop than if you're in a stall in the middle of nowhere. I doubt anyone would accept you, so you'll most likely end up selling whatever you have in a stall."
"Alright alright fine." Ruben mouthed with an exasperated expression. "I guess I'll have to get patrons somehow..."
Soon after, Jodie lead the orphans into the forest to forage. With the children murmuring among themselves with small talk, clueless to the imminent starvation closing into them. Ergo however was suspicious and overheard some of what they were talking about, he didn't gleam any information however he didn't understand how money worked.
He closed in to Lyrica, asking what the currency is. Lyrica started with the Levia Kingdom, explaining that their main currency are called lye. The Levia kingdom has 11 coins, the moon copper coin which amounts to exactly 1 lye, the small copper coin which amounts to 5 lyes, the medium copper coin which amounts to 10 lyes, the large copper coin which amounts to 50 lyes, the small silver coin which amounts to 100 lyes, the medium silver coin which amounts to 500 lyes, and the large silver coin which amounts to 1,000 lyes.
The remaining four coins aren't used for day-to-day living and are used for political negotiations and stored in the national coffers. With the sun gold coin strictly used as a display of economical power. A small gold coin amounts to 5,000 lyes, a medium gold coin amounts to 10,000 lyes, the large gold coin amounts to 50,000 lyes, and the sun gold coin amounts to 1,000,000 lyes.
1 moon coin = 1 lye
1 small copper coin = 5 lyes
1 medium copper coin = 10 lyes
1 large copper coin = 50 lyes
1 small silver coin = 100 lyes
1 medium silver coin = 500 lyes
1 large silver coin = 1,000 lyes
1 small gold coin = 5,000 lyes
1 medium gold coin = 10,000 lyes
1 large gold coin = 50,000 lyes
1 sun coin = 1,000,000 lyes
1 fruit = 18-23 lyes
1 bread = 45-60 lyes
1 liter of milk = 60-70 lyes
1 night in an inn = 500-1500 lyes
*Gold coins and up aren't used for day-to-day living and are mostly used in political negotiations and national coffers.
*Sun coins are strictly for national coffers and are used as a display of economical power.
Ah yes, the bathing chapter, and most importantly, money.