“Is it a good thing for Lucas that I’m wearing trousers?”
Rosedale didn’t hold back her curiosity. Lucas blinked at the unexpected question.
“Do I look in a good mood right now?”
“Yes. Look in the mirror.”
Lucas turned his gaze to the mirror in front of Rosedale.
True to her word, his eyes were softly crinkled.
Realizing that he was smiling under the mask, he quickly stiffened his expression. Unbeknownst to him, his pupils fluttered slightly.
Rosedale smirked and pointed to strands of hair tucked behind her ear.
“You tucked in my hair too, like family.”
Isn’t that a sign of friendliness that only human family members have?
She hadn’t spent enough time with Lucas to build affection or develop into a friendship. Yet, Lucas showing such closeness meant that his mood had greatly improved. Enough to briefly hint at the missing intimacy.
“Definitely. Your current appearance might be the future I hope for in Everia.”
“What future are you dreaming of?”
To Rosedale’s question, Lucas only smiled subtly and did not answer. He probably didn’t say it because he was hiding his identity.
Still, Rosedale knew what kind of future he was talking about. It was because of what she had heard from Madame.
Rosedale, who had learned about the human world through books, found that custom strange. Shouldn’t humans be more aware?
Especially a human with eyes as pretty as Lucas’s.
‘The eyes are the vessels of the soul, so Lucas must have a very clear soul.’
Although Rosedale hasn’t met many humans, to her Lucas’s eyes were the prettiest.
They were like summer leaves bathed in morning dew that were caught in sunlight or like a mysterious lake where no one ever ventured into.
As a fairy who loves beautiful things, Rosedale loved to look at his eyes. She could imagine what his eyes were envisioning.
“Thank you for the clothes.”
Rosedale didn’t press for an answer, just expressed her gratitude.
“Do you like it?”
“Yes. Human made clothes are pretty.”
Though not as comfortable as the dresses fairies wear, they couldn’t match them in terms of aesthetics.
Their clothes were nothing like the fairies’ attire, which were a sombre color like brown. The fabrics here were of many colors and even the buttons shone.
Lucas smiled at Rosedale as she pecked at the buttons with her tiny hands, then turned to Madame to pay.
“She’ll wear this as is. Put the old clothes and shoes away.”
“Yes.”
Madame packed up Rosedale’s original clothes.
“Can you send the box with the clothes home? It would be inconvenient to carry them around town.”
“Of course. What’s your address?”
At that moment, Madame and Lucas’s eyes fell on Rosedale.
Rosedale, who had been fiddling with a shiny button for some time, felt the stares and looked up.
“….Ah, my house?”
She hesitated to answer.
She was momentarily flustered. As a fairy, she could just sleep in a tree, whereas humans usually nested in buildings.
“Home? I don’t have one…”
“You don’t have a home?”
Lucas was staring at her like a hawk, questioning her identity.
Rosedale laughed and said, “I told you before, I’ve only been here a day, so I did`n’t get a home yet.”
It was a pretty good excuse, despite being hasty. Still, before Lucas could become more suspicious, Rosedale hurriedly added, changing the subject, “You can throw that away. I don’t need it.”
“…Yes, I’ll do that.”
Lucas didn’t press further. Rosedale sighed and glanced at Lucas’s back, still not entirely reassured. But it was for a moment only, as something else caught her attention.
“It’s 123 Luces.”
Rosedale watched with interest as Lucas calculated.
Apparently, those ‘Luces’ were the ‘money’ she only read about in books.
The book said that money was needed to buy and sell things, and it was a very precious and important item to humans. So humans fought each other to have more of it.
While reading about money in books, Rosedale thought that it could be useful if used well, but it could be a scary thing if driven by greed.
But then she saw it in person.
“How can it be so pretty?”
‘Luces’ were made of small, flat metal circles with beautiful patterns engraved on them.
Fairies liked pretty things, too, but she thought humans were more peculiar. They were like crows, collecting shiny things. She loved that about humans.
“Thank you, and please come back again.”
Rosedale left the costume shop with Lucas, who had finished paying.
“How much is 123 Luces worth?”
“Hmm.. 100 Luces is usually enough to feed a family of four commoners for two weeks.”
“So what I’m wearing is more expensive than food?”
“Because that was a boutique for nobles.”
“…….”
Rosedale’s jaw dropped in amazement.
How could there be clothes that cost more than the money needed to live?
Surely humans’ appetite for beauty must be dozens of times greater than fairies’.
“Why would clothes be more expensive than what’s needed for food and living?”
As Rosedale asked in utter amazement and disbelief, Lucas looked at her with an amused expression, raising the corners of his mouth.
“So, how about we go try some Everian food next?”
“Everian food? Does every country have a different cuisine?”
“Usually, it depends on the culture of the country and the crops that grow there.”
Why are they so diverse? Once again, Rosedale couldn’t help but be astonished.
Fairies mainly absorbed the essence of nature to replenish their mana in their bodies.
Of course, they also eat tree berries and animal milk, but those are more of a delicacy and not consumed often.
She was surprised to learn that humans eat different things in different countries.
After a moment of silence, Lucas pointed to a shop, “Let’s go there. I heard that it’s very popular.”
“Okay.”
Rosedale followed Lucas into the restaurant, her heart pounding with anticipation.
She sat down at the table the waitress showed her and watched Lucas place his order, then observed the humans.
The humans sat in small groups throughout the large dining room, all of them looking happy. Their eyes were closed and the corners of their mouths turned up, which was enough to pique Rosedale’s curiosity.
“What have they been eating that makes them all look so happy?
Rosedale’s anticipation was increasing more and more.
“Your order is here.”
The waitress set down a colorful array of food on the table.
A large brown thing and another yellow thing that smelled sweet. As her eyes darted around, something caught her attention.
“……!”
“Enjoy your meal, then.”
The waiter bowed and turned away, and Lucas thrust a fork into Rosedale’s hand, urging her to eat.
Still, she didn’t budge. The excitement that had filled her when she first entered the restaurant was gone.
Her gaze was frozen on the green salad, she mumbled, “This is….”
“It’s a salad. Do you hate vegetables?”
“…cruel.”
Tears piled up in Rosedale’s eyes.
Even Lucas, who had been cool-headed in all situations, stiffened visibly.
“How can humans eat such delicate beings?”
Even when eating fruits, fairies only chose those that fell naturally from the trees. They only drank animal milk as a last resort when it was too full of milk, as a gesture of help.
But, the vegetables served in the salad here looked like freshly picked, vividly alive children.
It was truly shocking to see such cute plants being picked and made into food.
“Could this be…”
Rosedale’s finger trembled as she pointed at something brown emitting a savory smell.
“It’s a steak made of beef. Livestock farming is very developed in Everia…”
“Hngh!”
Lucas was speechless as Rosedale’s tears dropped one by one.
He had never seen a woman shed such pearly tears over food before. He didn’t know why she was crying, and he didn’t know what to do about it.
Perplexed, Lucas extended the fork towards her.
“Rosedale. Just try one bite, okay?”
“How could I eat them!”
I remembered the grasses of the fairy realm called my name. And the cows that ate them..
Wait a minute. Didn’t they also eat?
Rosedale wiped away a tear.
‘Humans were mammals too!’
The fairies said all they needed was mana, but mother nature was different. Maintaining order by eating and being eaten was the natural way of things.
Humans are omnivorous mammals, so it wasn’t cruel to cook and eat plants and animals. It was a natural selection.
“…Are you bipolar?”
Lucas stared at Rosedale, who had suddenly and inexplicably stopped crying.
Then, as if on cue, he shoved a yellow dish into her mouth.
I don’t know why she suddenly stopped crying, but no one feels better after eating something delicious. It was the only thing Lucas could think of to soothe a crying woman.
“What…?”
Rosedale asked in a slurred voice, trying not to chew on something that had been shoved into her mouth. Lucas used his handsome face as a weapon and coaxed her.
“Just let it melt slowly in your mouth and then swallow. Trust me.”
“…….”
At his words of encouragement, she closed her mouth with a hesitant expression.
Friendship begins with trust. Summoning her courage, she chewed on the food in her mouth.
“……!”
Rosedale’s eyes widened as she slowly chewed.
“What is this called?”
“Pudding. Delicious, isn’t it?”
“Yum!”
Every cell in her body exploded at the first sweet sensation.
It was sweet enough to make my blood rush to my head, but the texture was so smooth and silky that it melted into my mouth.
Watching Rosedale start eating the pudding with her own hands, Lucas burst into laughter.
His choice was indeed correct.
“Would you like to try this too?”
“…Steak?”
Somehow, this reminded me too much of the children of the fairy realm.
At Rosedale’s reluctant look, Lucas decided to take advantage of her interpreting eyes once again. Dipping a fork into his food, he glared at her.
“If trusting me was a good choice, trust me one more time.”
“It’s a foul when you phrase it like that.”
Rosedale mustered up the courage to take the food he offered and swallowed it with a gulp.
Lucas was enjoying the variety of expressions on her face. Rosedale’s pupils opened like something exploded inside her.
“…..”
“Is it bad?”
“No…”
Rosedale’s eyes were filled with tears as she dived into the salad, “It’s the best thing ever.”
