Exactly fourteen pairs of chopsticks were stuck in the wooden container. People were moved by the sheer number of them and their eyes widened in awe.
“Here’s how they move. Hold your thumb against the base, and use your index and middle fingers to move one end while keeping the other end steady with your ring finger. Now, move the other end to pick up side dishes. See, it’s easy, right?”
With a bright smile, Sylvia demonstrated using her chopsticks, which swayed gracefully in her hands. Those who had been watching her closely took hold of their chopsticks, eager to imitate her.
At first, there were some fumbles and side dishes fell onto the table, but they quickly became proficient.
Sylvia exclaimed in amazement, “Wow, you all caught on so quickly, maybe it’s because you’re all skilled. Impressive.”
The compliments were like music to their ears, and they became even more proficient with their chopsticks, not wanting to appear unskilled. They concentrated intensely, realizing the danger of going hungry.
With their chopsticks moving rapidly and their mouths never closing, they devoured their meals. The unfamiliar taste filled them with warmth and satisfaction.
“It’s delicious! So good!”
They shouted in unison, savoring the forgotten comfort of this place and its delicious food.
Felix plucked a tomato from beside him and ate it thoughtfully. As he watched everyone skillfully using chopsticks, curiosity stirred within him. He glanced at the neatly arranged chopsticks in front of him, then hesitated briefly before picking them up.
Observing Felix’s curious attitude as he experimented with the chopsticks, Sylvia smiled and conjured a small blueberry tree in front of him. People were briefly startled by the sudden growth of a small tree, but the surprise passed quickly.
Felix looked at the blueberries that had appeared in front of him, then glanced at Sylvia before picking up the chopsticks. He attempted to use them to pluck the blueberries from the tree.
Thud, roll.
The blueberry that fell to the floor after tumbling down caught Felix’s attention. Sylvia couldn’t help but chuckle silently at his expression.
‘He looks so cute when he’s like that. Oh, dear.’
With her mouth full of bulgogi wrapped in lettuce, Sylvia burst into laughter.
‘Blueberries must be difficult to pick up with chopsticks… Of course, once he gets used to it, it’ll be a breeze.’
Watching Felix’s childlike attempts with chopsticks, Sylvia found it oddly endearing. She looked at him with a gentle expression, much like when you observe a child learning to walk.
Whether he sensed her gaze or not, Felix glanced up from the blueberries and met her eyes. Feeling a slight discomfort from his penetrating stare, Sylvia gazed back at him with her round, unblinking eyes.
They maintained this peculiar standoff for a moment, gazing at each other. Then, Sylvia decided to break the ice and swiftly wrapped a large bite of her meal with a lettuce leaf and stuffed it into her mouth.
Felix, who had never seen her eat before, widened his eyes as he observed her. He watched in fascination as she effortlessly consumed the wrapped meal, the bulge of her cheeks, and the noises she made while chewing.
Caught off guard by what he witnessed, Felix involuntarily swallowed a mouthful of saliva. Startled by his own reaction, he blinked and redirected his attention to the blueberries in front of him.
The tips of the white chopsticks gradually turned blue as Felix concentrated, not giving up until he successfully picked up a blueberry.
The next morning, Sylvia was diligently busy from early in the morning. She was preparing food for the members of the Croban Mercenary Corps who were still asleep in the house, and making bento lunches for them. She contemplated taking a break for the day, but she couldn’t bear the thought of her guests leaving empty-handed if she didn’t serve them their usual meals.
Determined to work a bit harder, she magically prepared the dishes quickly.
Today’s bento featured Bulgogi Bibimbap, with the bulgogi placed on top of rice, drizzled with a light sauce, and garnished with finely chopped lettuce. The combination of yellow and green made the meal look appetizing. She generously filled the bento boxes and, on one side, placed a compartment containing sugar cane juice and lemon juice mixed with freshly squeezed peach juice, beautifully presented.
She also included some mangosteens as a bonus. Of course, she arranged them in a large wooden bowl for the Croban Mercenary Corps, placing it on the dining table for them to enjoy.
Though it seemed like nobody had woken up yet, Sylvia couldn’t leave the living room. The fairies had gathered near the mangosteens she had prepared.
[Purple fruit… It’s incredibly delicious…]
[Let’s ask Felix to open it when he wakes up.]
[When will he wake up? Shouldn’t we wake him?]
[They say you shouldn’t wake a sleeping child.]
[I know that, Lunenus. But I really want to eat it.]
[Should we try opening it ourselves?]
[How?]
[Well, you hold this part, and I’ll hold this part.]
Clover, gripping the stem, explained to Asta. Asta was having trouble properly grasping the round part of the mangosteen and kept dropping it.
[No, it won’t work. It keeps slipping.]
Seeing Asta struggling and on the verge of tears, Clover called for Poppy.
[Poppy, give it a try.]
[Alright.]
Since they all shared the same desire to eat the mangosteen, Poppy quickly approached. Unlike Asta, Poppy firmly grasped the mangosteen and, counting numbers, Clover pulled.
[One, two, three, you got it?]
[Leave it to me!]
[One, two, three!]
Simultaneously, they both pulled backward with all their might, but only the stem of the mangosteen came off.
Swoosh, thud.
Unable to control their pulling force, both Clover and Poppy were sent flying and collided with the wall, causing them to burst into tears.
[Waaah!]
[It hurts!]
Sylvia, standing by the open kitchen door, observed them all despite the noisy living room that connected to the kitchen.
‘What should I do? How can I help?’
Seeing the tiny fairies, no bigger than the palm of her hand, struggling like this filled her with pity and sorrow.
However, the fact that she could see them was still a secret. Just the sight of them flying over when they approached was enough to give it away.
[What’s that wonderful smell?]
[Daisies are blooming in the garden, so Daisy is very happy.]
In her garden, she grew a profusion of flowers: pure white daisies, bright red poppies, lavender asters, deep pink asters, yellow Lunenus, and four-leaf clovers of green. And there, in a corner, was the indigo-colored Eryngium.
[Asta is here too!]
[Clover had the most!]
With the fairies bustling around her, Sylvia felt her patience waning. She couldn’t help but mutter while sitting down at the dining table, wiping away a bead of sweat.
“Oh, I’m thirsty. Should I try some mangosteen?”
She showed them that it would be better than throwing it away in vain, and used her dagger to open the mangosteen peel.
[It must taste delicious…]
Kalmia sat in front of her, eyes brimming with tears. Following Kalmia, all the fairies gathered on the dining table. Sylvia tried her best not to look at the white, red, and multicolored fairies seated beside her, sneaking glances at them from the corner of her eye.
‘Oh, they’re so cute.’
They were truly adorable.
Even Eryngium, who was cute in her own right, couldn’t compare to these fairies. Moreover, there was only one Eryngium, so it felt like there was less of her. Six fairies sitting together with round, expectant eyes on her made their cuteness multiply sixfold.
Pretending not to notice, she discarded the white mangosteen pulp.
“Oh, I must have been too tired in the morning and made a mistake, right? What should I do? You’re not supposed to eat what falls on the table… Is it okay since it’s on the table? No, I should probably peel a new one.”
Continuing with her charade, Sylvia deftly peeled more mangosteen and repeatedly dropped them onto the table.
“Oh dear, I’m dropping them too much. I should just have some water.”
Dropping quite a substantial amount of mangosteen onto the table, Sylvia got up as though she hadn’t noticed.
[Wow! Looks like she’s not going to eat it!]
[Then can we eat it?]
[Well, maybe it’s okay? Sylvia said she’s going to have some water.]
[That’s right! Let’s eat!]
[Oops! Me too!]
Seeing the six fairies rush towards the mangosteen, Sylvia closed the kitchen door, making sure they didn’t see her.
“Phew.”
She relaxed, listening to the fairies’ voices.
[Ugh! It’s so sweet!]
[Delicious.]
[It tastes even better after not having it for a while.]
[Oops! Poppy, I was going to eat that.]
[The one who eats first is the owner!]
Instead of crying, she heard their voices, full of excitement. Sylvia nodded her head with a little smile.
“I feel quite pleased with myself this morning.”
With a smile on her face, Sylvia prepared breakfast for the mercenary group. Since she didn’t have much energy, she decided to prepare a simple breakfast.
French toast.
When served with fruit and vegetables, there was nothing better for breakfast. Sylvia started by taking out some milk and cracking a large egg into a bowl. She whisked them together and seasoned the mixture with salt and pepper. Then, she took the slices of bread she had prepared earlier from the wooden container.
She was making a large quantity since it was intended for the lunchboxes. Sylvia arranged the bread neatly on a wide wooden board and poured the egg mixture over them. After sealing them with a wind magic spell, she let them soak for a while. She then lifted the slices with a wind spell and placed them on a hot griddle.
She sprinkled brown sugar on them to taste while subtly caramelizing them. Meanwhile, Sylvia had started simmering sugar and sugarcane juice.
Using a plant magic circle, she had grown various vegetables for the salad. Lettuce, celery, chicory, endive, arugula, romaine, radicchio, and avocado, she grew them all and then trimmed and washed them with water magic.
She carefully dried the vegetables and cut them into bite-sized pieces. For the dressing, she chose Oriental style, intending to make one with flavors similar to soy sauce.
She mixed Galbus oil, vinegar, lemon juice, sesame oil, minced garlic, sugar, and sugarcane juice to create the flavor resembling soy sauce. After drizzling it over the salad and giving it a good toss with a wind magic spell, she tasted it. The dressing tasted remarkably similar to the Oriental dressing she had in Korea.
She then transferred the salad to a glass container, sprinkling finely grated cheese, similar to Parmesan cheese in this world, on top.
Taking out the peach compote, she grew oranges and apples. Using wind magic, she quickly harvested the fruits and stacked the remaining branches on one side of the kitchen.
“The kitchen feels so cramped now.”
Initially, the kitchen had felt empty and spacious, but now it seemed surprisingly narrow. After a brief look around, Sylvia took out a large, shallow pan.
With wind magic, she swiftly removed the two dishes that were simmering, and she tasted them.
“Hmm, I think this should be good.”
The simmered milk had turned into condensed milk, and the other one had become caramel sauce. She poured them into glass containers and began heating the pan with fire magic.
“It tastes really good.”
Savoring the sweetness, Sylvia murmured her appreciation.
She generously buttered the heated pan, then took slices of bread that had been soaked in the egg mixture and started cooking them.
Sizzle, the sound of the bread cooking, and the aroma filled the kitchen, making her stomach growl.
“If only we had coffee…”
She longed for the rich taste of coffee and briefly thought about coffee trees before shaking her head.
“Roasting coffee beans seemed quite difficult… Huh, I should practice when I have more time.”
As she contemplated her coffee-making aspirations, she continued to prepare breakfast.
The cooked toast was placed on a plate, and she grew strawberries to blend with milk. Sylvia poured the strawberry milk into a container, and next to it, she placed the French toast that was still cooking.
Sounds of people in the living room started to reach her ears.
Opening the kitchen door, Sylvia cheerfully greeted them, “Good morning. Please help tidy up the table. Today’s menu is toast.”
Felix, who had been absentmindedly fixing his disheveled hair alongside the others, met Sylvia’s cheerful smile. He slowly lowered his hand, captivated by her radiant smile.
It reminded him of a long-lost face he used to see every morning when he was very young.
Exactly fourteen pairs of chopsticks were stuck in the wooden container. People were moved by the sheer number of them and their eyes widened in awe.
“Here’s how they move. Hold your thumb against the base, and use your index and middle fingers to move one end while keeping the other end steady with your ring finger. Now, move the other end to pick up side dishes. See, it’s easy, right?”
With a bright smile, Sylvia demonstrated using her chopsticks, which swayed gracefully in her hands. Those who had been watching her closely took hold of their chopsticks, eager to imitate her.
At first, there were some fumbles and side dishes fell onto the table, but they quickly became proficient.
Sylvia exclaimed in amazement, “Wow, you all caught on so quickly, maybe it’s because you’re all skilled. Impressive.”
The compliments were like music to their ears, and they became even more proficient with their chopsticks, not wanting to appear unskilled. They concentrated intensely, realizing the danger of going hungry.
With their chopsticks moving rapidly and their mouths never closing, they devoured their meals. The unfamiliar taste filled them with warmth and satisfaction.
“It’s delicious! So good!”
They shouted in unison, savoring the forgotten comfort of this place and its delicious food.
Felix plucked a tomato from beside him and ate it thoughtfully. As he watched everyone skillfully using chopsticks, curiosity stirred within him. He glanced at the neatly arranged chopsticks in front of him, then hesitated briefly before picking them up.
Observing Felix’s curious attitude as he experimented with the chopsticks, Sylvia smiled and conjured a small blueberry tree in front of him. People were briefly startled by the sudden growth of a small tree, but the surprise passed quickly.
Felix looked at the blueberries that had appeared in front of him, then glanced at Sylvia before picking up the chopsticks. He attempted to use them to pluck the blueberries from the tree.
Thud, roll.
The blueberry that fell to the floor after tumbling down caught Felix’s attention. Sylvia couldn’t help but chuckle silently at his expression.
‘He looks so cute when he’s like that. Oh, dear.’
With her mouth full of bulgogi wrapped in lettuce, Sylvia burst into laughter.
‘Blueberries must be difficult to pick up with chopsticks… Of course, once he gets used to it, it’ll be a breeze.’
Watching Felix’s childlike attempts with chopsticks, Sylvia found it oddly endearing. She looked at him with a gentle expression, much like when you observe a child learning to walk.
Whether he sensed her gaze or not, Felix glanced up from the blueberries and met her eyes. Feeling a slight discomfort from his penetrating stare, Sylvia gazed back at him with her round, unblinking eyes.
They maintained this peculiar standoff for a moment, gazing at each other. Then, Sylvia decided to break the ice and swiftly wrapped a large bite of her meal with a lettuce leaf and stuffed it into her mouth.
Felix, who had never seen her eat before, widened his eyes as he observed her. He watched in fascination as she effortlessly consumed the wrapped meal, the bulge of her cheeks, and the noises she made while chewing.
Caught off guard by what he witnessed, Felix involuntarily swallowed a mouthful of saliva. Startled by his own reaction, he blinked and redirected his attention to the blueberries in front of him.
The tips of the white chopsticks gradually turned blue as Felix concentrated, not giving up until he successfully picked up a blueberry.
The next morning, Sylvia was diligently busy from early in the morning. She was preparing food for the members of the Croban Mercenary Corps who were still asleep in the house, and making bento lunches for them. She contemplated taking a break for the day, but she couldn’t bear the thought of her guests leaving empty-handed if she didn’t serve them their usual meals.
Determined to work a bit harder, she magically prepared the dishes quickly.
Today’s bento featured Bulgogi Bibimbap, with the bulgogi placed on top of rice, drizzled with a light sauce, and garnished with finely chopped lettuce. The combination of yellow and green made the meal look appetizing. She generously filled the bento boxes and, on one side, placed a compartment containing sugar cane juice and lemon juice mixed with freshly squeezed peach juice, beautifully presented.
She also included some mangosteens as a bonus. Of course, she arranged them in a large wooden bowl for the Croban Mercenary Corps, placing it on the dining table for them to enjoy.
Though it seemed like nobody had woken up yet, Sylvia couldn’t leave the living room. The fairies had gathered near the mangosteens she had prepared.
[Purple fruit… It’s incredibly delicious…]
[Let’s ask Felix to open it when he wakes up.]
[When will he wake up? Shouldn’t we wake him?]
[They say you shouldn’t wake a sleeping child.]
[I know that, Lunenus. But I really want to eat it.]
[Should we try opening it ourselves?]
[How?]
[Well, you hold this part, and I’ll hold this part.]
Clover, gripping the stem, explained to Asta. Asta was having trouble properly grasping the round part of the mangosteen and kept dropping it.
[No, it won’t work. It keeps slipping.]
Seeing Asta struggling and on the verge of tears, Clover called for Poppy.
[Poppy, give it a try.]
[Alright.]
Since they all shared the same desire to eat the mangosteen, Poppy quickly approached. Unlike Asta, Poppy firmly grasped the mangosteen and, counting numbers, Clover pulled.
[One, two, three, you got it?]
[Leave it to me!]
[One, two, three!]
Simultaneously, they both pulled backward with all their might, but only the stem of the mangosteen came off.
Swoosh, thud.
Unable to control their pulling force, both Clover and Poppy were sent flying and collided with the wall, causing them to burst into tears.
[Waaah!]
[It hurts!]
Sylvia, standing by the open kitchen door, observed them all despite the noisy living room that connected to the kitchen.
‘What should I do? How can I help?’
Seeing the tiny fairies, no bigger than the palm of her hand, struggling like this filled her with pity and sorrow.
However, the fact that she could see them was still a secret. Just the sight of them flying over when they approached was enough to give it away.
[What’s that wonderful smell?]
[Daisies are blooming in the garden, so Daisy is very happy.]
In her garden, she grew a profusion of flowers: pure white daisies, bright red poppies, lavender asters, deep pink asters, yellow Lunenus, and four-leaf clovers of green. And there, in a corner, was the indigo-colored Eryngium.
[Asta is here too!]
[Clover had the most!]
With the fairies bustling around her, Sylvia felt her patience waning. She couldn’t help but mutter while sitting down at the dining table, wiping away a bead of sweat.
“Oh, I’m thirsty. Should I try some mangosteen?”
She showed them that it would be better than throwing it away in vain, and used her dagger to open the mangosteen peel.
[It must taste delicious…]
Kalmia sat in front of her, eyes brimming with tears. Following Kalmia, all the fairies gathered on the dining table. Sylvia tried her best not to look at the white, red, and multicolored fairies seated beside her, sneaking glances at them from the corner of her eye.
‘Oh, they’re so cute.’
They were truly adorable.
Even Eryngium, who was cute in her own right, couldn’t compare to these fairies. Moreover, there was only one Eryngium, so it felt like there was less of her. Six fairies sitting together with round, expectant eyes on her made their cuteness multiply sixfold.
Pretending not to notice, she discarded the white mangosteen pulp.
“Oh, I must have been too tired in the morning and made a mistake, right? What should I do? You’re not supposed to eat what falls on the table… Is it okay since it’s on the table? No, I should probably peel a new one.”
Continuing with her charade, Sylvia deftly peeled more mangosteen and repeatedly dropped them onto the table.
“Oh dear, I’m dropping them too much. I should just have some water.”
Dropping quite a substantial amount of mangosteen onto the table, Sylvia got up as though she hadn’t noticed.
[Wow! Looks like she’s not going to eat it!]
[Then can we eat it?]
[Well, maybe it’s okay? Sylvia said she’s going to have some water.]
[That’s right! Let’s eat!]
[Oops! Me too!]
Seeing the six fairies rush towards the mangosteen, Sylvia closed the kitchen door, making sure they didn’t see her.
“Phew.”
She relaxed, listening to the fairies’ voices.
[Ugh! It’s so sweet!]
[Delicious.]
[It tastes even better after not having it for a while.]
[Oops! Poppy, I was going to eat that.]
[The one who eats first is the owner!]
Instead of crying, she heard their voices, full of excitement. Sylvia nodded her head with a little smile.
“I feel quite pleased with myself this morning.”
With a smile on her face, Sylvia prepared breakfast for the mercenary group. Since she didn’t have much energy, she decided to prepare a simple breakfast.
French toast.
When served with fruit and vegetables, there was nothing better for breakfast. Sylvia started by taking out some milk and cracking a large egg into a bowl. She whisked them together and seasoned the mixture with salt and pepper. Then, she took the slices of bread she had prepared earlier from the wooden container.
She was making a large quantity since it was intended for the lunchboxes. Sylvia arranged the bread neatly on a wide wooden board and poured the egg mixture over them. After sealing them with a wind magic spell, she let them soak for a while. She then lifted the slices with a wind spell and placed them on a hot griddle.
She sprinkled brown sugar on them to taste while subtly caramelizing them. Meanwhile, Sylvia had started simmering sugar and sugarcane juice.
Using a plant magic circle, she had grown various vegetables for the salad. Lettuce, celery, chicory, endive, arugula, romaine, radicchio, and avocado, she grew them all and then trimmed and washed them with water magic.
She carefully dried the vegetables and cut them into bite-sized pieces. For the dressing, she chose Oriental style, intending to make one with flavors similar to soy sauce.
She mixed Galbus oil, vinegar, lemon juice, sesame oil, minced garlic, sugar, and sugarcane juice to create the flavor resembling soy sauce. After drizzling it over the salad and giving it a good toss with a wind magic spell, she tasted it. The dressing tasted remarkably similar to the Oriental dressing she had in Korea.
She then transferred the salad to a glass container, sprinkling finely grated cheese, similar to Parmesan cheese in this world, on top.
Taking out the peach compote, she grew oranges and apples. Using wind magic, she quickly harvested the fruits and stacked the remaining branches on one side of the kitchen.
“The kitchen feels so cramped now.”
Initially, the kitchen had felt empty and spacious, but now it seemed surprisingly narrow. After a brief look around, Sylvia took out a large, shallow pan.
With wind magic, she swiftly removed the two dishes that were simmering, and she tasted them.
“Hmm, I think this should be good.”
The simmered milk had turned into condensed milk, and the other one had become caramel sauce. She poured them into glass containers and began heating the pan with fire magic.
“It tastes really good.”
Savoring the sweetness, Sylvia murmured her appreciation.
She generously buttered the heated pan, then took slices of bread that had been soaked in the egg mixture and started cooking them.
Sizzle, the sound of the bread cooking, and the aroma filled the kitchen, making her stomach growl.
“If only we had coffee…”
She longed for the rich taste of coffee and briefly thought about coffee trees before shaking her head.
“Roasting coffee beans seemed quite difficult… Huh, I should practice when I have more time.”
As she contemplated her coffee-making aspirations, she continued to prepare breakfast.
The cooked toast was placed on a plate, and she grew strawberries to blend with milk. Sylvia poured the strawberry milk into a container, and next to it, she placed the French toast that was still cooking.
Sounds of people in the living room started to reach her ears.
Opening the kitchen door, Sylvia cheerfully greeted them, “Good morning. Please help tidy up the table. Today’s menu is toast.”
Felix, who had been absentmindedly fixing his disheveled hair alongside the others, met Sylvia’s cheerful smile. He slowly lowered his hand, captivated by her radiant smile.
It reminded him of a long-lost face he used to see every morning when he was very young.
Exactly fourteen pairs of chopsticks were stuck in the wooden container. People were moved by the sheer number of them and their eyes widened in awe.
“Here’s how they move. Hold your thumb against the base, and use your index and middle fingers to move one end while keeping the other end steady with your ring finger. Now, move the other end to pick up side dishes. See, it’s easy, right?”
With a bright smile, Sylvia demonstrated using her chopsticks, which swayed gracefully in her hands. Those who had been watching her closely took hold of their chopsticks, eager to imitate her.
At first, there were some fumbles and side dishes fell onto the table, but they quickly became proficient.
Sylvia exclaimed in amazement, “Wow, you all caught on so quickly, maybe it’s because you’re all skilled. Impressive.”
The compliments were like music to their ears, and they became even more proficient with their chopsticks, not wanting to appear unskilled. They concentrated intensely, realizing the danger of going hungry.
With their chopsticks moving rapidly and their mouths never closing, they devoured their meals. The unfamiliar taste filled them with warmth and satisfaction.
“It’s delicious! So good!”
They shouted in unison, savoring the forgotten comfort of this place and its delicious food.
Felix plucked a tomato from beside him and ate it thoughtfully. As he watched everyone skillfully using chopsticks, curiosity stirred within him. He glanced at the neatly arranged chopsticks in front of him, then hesitated briefly before picking them up.
Observing Felix’s curious attitude as he experimented with the chopsticks, Sylvia smiled and conjured a small blueberry tree in front of him. People were briefly startled by the sudden growth of a small tree, but the surprise passed quickly.
Felix looked at the blueberries that had appeared in front of him, then glanced at Sylvia before picking up the chopsticks. He attempted to use them to pluck the blueberries from the tree.
Thud, roll.
The blueberry that fell to the floor after tumbling down caught Felix’s attention. Sylvia couldn’t help but chuckle silently at his expression.
‘He looks so cute when he’s like that. Oh, dear.’
With her mouth full of bulgogi wrapped in lettuce, Sylvia burst into laughter.
‘Blueberries must be difficult to pick up with chopsticks… Of course, once he gets used to it, it’ll be a breeze.’
Watching Felix’s childlike attempts with chopsticks, Sylvia found it oddly endearing. She looked at him with a gentle expression, much like when you observe a child learning to walk.
Whether he sensed her gaze or not, Felix glanced up from the blueberries and met her eyes. Feeling a slight discomfort from his penetrating stare, Sylvia gazed back at him with her round, unblinking eyes.
They maintained this peculiar standoff for a moment, gazing at each other. Then, Sylvia decided to break the ice and swiftly wrapped a large bite of her meal with a lettuce leaf and stuffed it into her mouth.
Felix, who had never seen her eat before, widened his eyes as he observed her. He watched in fascination as she effortlessly consumed the wrapped meal, the bulge of her cheeks, and the noises she made while chewing.
Caught off guard by what he witnessed, Felix involuntarily swallowed a mouthful of saliva. Startled by his own reaction, he blinked and redirected his attention to the blueberries in front of him.
The tips of the white chopsticks gradually turned blue as Felix concentrated, not giving up until he successfully picked up a blueberry.
The next morning, Sylvia was diligently busy from early in the morning. She was preparing food for the members of the Croban Mercenary Corps who were still asleep in the house, and making bento lunches for them. She contemplated taking a break for the day, but she couldn’t bear the thought of her guests leaving empty-handed if she didn’t serve them their usual meals.
Determined to work a bit harder, she magically prepared the dishes quickly.
Today’s bento featured Bulgogi Bibimbap, with the bulgogi placed on top of rice, drizzled with a light sauce, and garnished with finely chopped lettuce. The combination of yellow and green made the meal look appetizing. She generously filled the bento boxes and, on one side, placed a compartment containing sugar cane juice and lemon juice mixed with freshly squeezed peach juice, beautifully presented.
She also included some mangosteens as a bonus. Of course, she arranged them in a large wooden bowl for the Croban Mercenary Corps, placing it on the dining table for them to enjoy.
Though it seemed like nobody had woken up yet, Sylvia couldn’t leave the living room. The fairies had gathered near the mangosteens she had prepared.
[Purple fruit… It’s incredibly delicious…]
[Let’s ask Felix to open it when he wakes up.]
[When will he wake up? Shouldn’t we wake him?]
[They say you shouldn’t wake a sleeping child.]
[I know that, Lunenus. But I really want to eat it.]
[Should we try opening it ourselves?]
[How?]
[Well, you hold this part, and I’ll hold this part.]
Clover, gripping the stem, explained to Asta. Asta was having trouble properly grasping the round part of the mangosteen and kept dropping it.
[No, it won’t work. It keeps slipping.]
Seeing Asta struggling and on the verge of tears, Clover called for Poppy.
[Poppy, give it a try.]
[Alright.]
Since they all shared the same desire to eat the mangosteen, Poppy quickly approached. Unlike Asta, Poppy firmly grasped the mangosteen and, counting numbers, Clover pulled.
[One, two, three, you got it?]
[Leave it to me!]
[One, two, three!]
Simultaneously, they both pulled backward with all their might, but only the stem of the mangosteen came off.
Swoosh, thud.
Unable to control their pulling force, both Clover and Poppy were sent flying and collided with the wall, causing them to burst into tears.
[Waaah!]
[It hurts!]
Sylvia, standing by the open kitchen door, observed them all despite the noisy living room that connected to the kitchen.
‘What should I do? How can I help?’
Seeing the tiny fairies, no bigger than the palm of her hand, struggling like this filled her with pity and sorrow.
However, the fact that she could see them was still a secret. Just the sight of them flying over when they approached was enough to give it away.
[What’s that wonderful smell?]
[Daisies are blooming in the garden, so Daisy is very happy.]
In her garden, she grew a profusion of flowers: pure white daisies, bright red poppies, lavender asters, deep pink asters, yellow Lunenus, and four-leaf clovers of green. And there, in a corner, was the indigo-colored Eryngium.
[Asta is here too!]
[Clover had the most!]
With the fairies bustling around her, Sylvia felt her patience waning. She couldn’t help but mutter while sitting down at the dining table, wiping away a bead of sweat.
“Oh, I’m thirsty. Should I try some mangosteen?”
She showed them that it would be better than throwing it away in vain, and used her dagger to open the mangosteen peel.
[It must taste delicious…]
Kalmia sat in front of her, eyes brimming with tears. Following Kalmia, all the fairies gathered on the dining table. Sylvia tried her best not to look at the white, red, and multicolored fairies seated beside her, sneaking glances at them from the corner of her eye.
‘Oh, they’re so cute.’
They were truly adorable.
Even Eryngium, who was cute in her own right, couldn’t compare to these fairies. Moreover, there was only one Eryngium, so it felt like there was less of her. Six fairies sitting together with round, expectant eyes on her made their cuteness multiply sixfold.
Pretending not to notice, she discarded the white mangosteen pulp.
“Oh, I must have been too tired in the morning and made a mistake, right? What should I do? You’re not supposed to eat what falls on the table… Is it okay since it’s on the table? No, I should probably peel a new one.”
Continuing with her charade, Sylvia deftly peeled more mangosteen and repeatedly dropped them onto the table.
“Oh dear, I’m dropping them too much. I should just have some water.”
Dropping quite a substantial amount of mangosteen onto the table, Sylvia got up as though she hadn’t noticed.
[Wow! Looks like she’s not going to eat it!]
[Then can we eat it?]
[Well, maybe it’s okay? Sylvia said she’s going to have some water.]
[That’s right! Let’s eat!]
[Oops! Me too!]
Seeing the six fairies rush towards the mangosteen, Sylvia closed the kitchen door, making sure they didn’t see her.
“Phew.”
She relaxed, listening to the fairies’ voices.
[Ugh! It’s so sweet!]
[Delicious.]
[It tastes even better after not having it for a while.]
[Oops! Poppy, I was going to eat that.]
[The one who eats first is the owner!]
Instead of crying, she heard their voices, full of excitement. Sylvia nodded her head with a little smile.
“I feel quite pleased with myself this morning.”
With a smile on her face, Sylvia prepared breakfast for the mercenary group. Since she didn’t have much energy, she decided to prepare a simple breakfast.
French toast.
When served with fruit and vegetables, there was nothing better for breakfast. Sylvia started by taking out some milk and cracking a large egg into a bowl. She whisked them together and seasoned the mixture with salt and pepper. Then, she took the slices of bread she had prepared earlier from the wooden container.
She was making a large quantity since it was intended for the lunchboxes. Sylvia arranged the bread neatly on a wide wooden board and poured the egg mixture over them. After sealing them with a wind magic spell, she let them soak for a while. She then lifted the slices with a wind spell and placed them on a hot griddle.
She sprinkled brown sugar on them to taste while subtly caramelizing them. Meanwhile, Sylvia had started simmering sugar and sugarcane juice.
Using a plant magic circle, she had grown various vegetables for the salad. Lettuce, celery, chicory, endive, arugula, romaine, radicchio, and avocado, she grew them all and then trimmed and washed them with water magic.
She carefully dried the vegetables and cut them into bite-sized pieces. For the dressing, she chose Oriental style, intending to make one with flavors similar to soy sauce.
She mixed Galbus oil, vinegar, lemon juice, sesame oil, minced garlic, sugar, and sugarcane juice to create the flavor resembling soy sauce. After drizzling it over the salad and giving it a good toss with a wind magic spell, she tasted it. The dressing tasted remarkably similar to the Oriental dressing she had in Korea.
She then transferred the salad to a glass container, sprinkling finely grated cheese, similar to Parmesan cheese in this world, on top.
Taking out the peach compote, she grew oranges and apples. Using wind magic, she quickly harvested the fruits and stacked the remaining branches on one side of the kitchen.
“The kitchen feels so cramped now.”
Initially, the kitchen had felt empty and spacious, but now it seemed surprisingly narrow. After a brief look around, Sylvia took out a large, shallow pan.
With wind magic, she swiftly removed the two dishes that were simmering, and she tasted them.
“Hmm, I think this should be good.”
The simmered milk had turned into condensed milk, and the other one had become caramel sauce. She poured them into glass containers and began heating the pan with fire magic.
“It tastes really good.”
Savoring the sweetness, Sylvia murmured her appreciation.
She generously buttered the heated pan, then took slices of bread that had been soaked in the egg mixture and started cooking them.
Sizzle, the sound of the bread cooking, and the aroma filled the kitchen, making her stomach growl.
“If only we had coffee…”
She longed for the rich taste of coffee and briefly thought about coffee trees before shaking her head.
“Roasting coffee beans seemed quite difficult… Huh, I should practice when I have more time.”
As she contemplated her coffee-making aspirations, she continued to prepare breakfast.
The cooked toast was placed on a plate, and she grew strawberries to blend with milk. Sylvia poured the strawberry milk into a container, and next to it, she placed the French toast that was still cooking.
Sounds of people in the living room started to reach her ears.
Opening the kitchen door, Sylvia cheerfully greeted them, “Good morning. Please help tidy up the table. Today’s menu is toast.”
Felix, who had been absentmindedly fixing his disheveled hair alongside the others, met Sylvia’s cheerful smile. He slowly lowered his hand, captivated by her radiant smile.
It reminded him of a long-lost face he used to see every morning when he was very young.
Exactly fourteen pairs of chopsticks were stuck in the wooden container. People were moved by the sheer number of them and their eyes widened in awe.
“Here’s how they move. Hold your thumb against the base, and use your index and middle fingers to move one end while keeping the other end steady with your ring finger. Now, move the other end to pick up side dishes. See, it’s easy, right?”
With a bright smile, Sylvia demonstrated using her chopsticks, which swayed gracefully in her hands. Those who had been watching her closely took hold of their chopsticks, eager to imitate her.
At first, there were some fumbles and side dishes fell onto the table, but they quickly became proficient.
Sylvia exclaimed in amazement, “Wow, you all caught on so quickly, maybe it’s because you’re all skilled. Impressive.”
The compliments were like music to their ears, and they became even more proficient with their chopsticks, not wanting to appear unskilled. They concentrated intensely, realizing the danger of going hungry.
With their chopsticks moving rapidly and their mouths never closing, they devoured their meals. The unfamiliar taste filled them with warmth and satisfaction.
“It’s delicious! So good!”
They shouted in unison, savoring the forgotten comfort of this place and its delicious food.
Felix plucked a tomato from beside him and ate it thoughtfully. As he watched everyone skillfully using chopsticks, curiosity stirred within him. He glanced at the neatly arranged chopsticks in front of him, then hesitated briefly before picking them up.
Observing Felix’s curious attitude as he experimented with the chopsticks, Sylvia smiled and conjured a small blueberry tree in front of him. People were briefly startled by the sudden growth of a small tree, but the surprise passed quickly.
Felix looked at the blueberries that had appeared in front of him, then glanced at Sylvia before picking up the chopsticks. He attempted to use them to pluck the blueberries from the tree.
Thud, roll.
The blueberry that fell to the floor after tumbling down caught Felix’s attention. Sylvia couldn’t help but chuckle silently at his expression.
‘He looks so cute when he’s like that. Oh, dear.’
With her mouth full of bulgogi wrapped in lettuce, Sylvia burst into laughter.
‘Blueberries must be difficult to pick up with chopsticks… Of course, once he gets used to it, it’ll be a breeze.’
Watching Felix’s childlike attempts with chopsticks, Sylvia found it oddly endearing. She looked at him with a gentle expression, much like when you observe a child learning to walk.
Whether he sensed her gaze or not, Felix glanced up from the blueberries and met her eyes. Feeling a slight discomfort from his penetrating stare, Sylvia gazed back at him with her round, unblinking eyes.
They maintained this peculiar standoff for a moment, gazing at each other. Then, Sylvia decided to break the ice and swiftly wrapped a large bite of her meal with a lettuce leaf and stuffed it into her mouth.
Felix, who had never seen her eat before, widened his eyes as he observed her. He watched in fascination as she effortlessly consumed the wrapped meal, the bulge of her cheeks, and the noises she made while chewing.
Caught off guard by what he witnessed, Felix involuntarily swallowed a mouthful of saliva. Startled by his own reaction, he blinked and redirected his attention to the blueberries in front of him.
The tips of the white chopsticks gradually turned blue as Felix concentrated, not giving up until he successfully picked up a blueberry.
The next morning, Sylvia was diligently busy from early in the morning. She was preparing food for the members of the Croban Mercenary Corps who were still asleep in the house, and making bento lunches for them. She contemplated taking a break for the day, but she couldn’t bear the thought of her guests leaving empty-handed if she didn’t serve them their usual meals.
Determined to work a bit harder, she magically prepared the dishes quickly.
Today’s bento featured Bulgogi Bibimbap, with the bulgogi placed on top of rice, drizzled with a light sauce, and garnished with finely chopped lettuce. The combination of yellow and green made the meal look appetizing. She generously filled the bento boxes and, on one side, placed a compartment containing sugar cane juice and lemon juice mixed with freshly squeezed peach juice, beautifully presented.
She also included some mangosteens as a bonus. Of course, she arranged them in a large wooden bowl for the Croban Mercenary Corps, placing it on the dining table for them to enjoy.
Though it seemed like nobody had woken up yet, Sylvia couldn’t leave the living room. The fairies had gathered near the mangosteens she had prepared.
[Purple fruit… It’s incredibly delicious…]
[Let’s ask Felix to open it when he wakes up.]
[When will he wake up? Shouldn’t we wake him?]
[They say you shouldn’t wake a sleeping child.]
[I know that, Lunenus. But I really want to eat it.]
[Should we try opening it ourselves?]
[How?]
[Well, you hold this part, and I’ll hold this part.]
Clover, gripping the stem, explained to Asta. Asta was having trouble properly grasping the round part of the mangosteen and kept dropping it.
[No, it won’t work. It keeps slipping.]
Seeing Asta struggling and on the verge of tears, Clover called for Poppy.
[Poppy, give it a try.]
[Alright.]
Since they all shared the same desire to eat the mangosteen, Poppy quickly approached. Unlike Asta, Poppy firmly grasped the mangosteen and, counting numbers, Clover pulled.
[One, two, three, you got it?]
[Leave it to me!]
[One, two, three!]
Simultaneously, they both pulled backward with all their might, but only the stem of the mangosteen came off.
Swoosh, thud.
Unable to control their pulling force, both Clover and Poppy were sent flying and collided with the wall, causing them to burst into tears.
[Waaah!]
[It hurts!]
Sylvia, standing by the open kitchen door, observed them all despite the noisy living room that connected to the kitchen.
‘What should I do? How can I help?’
Seeing the tiny fairies, no bigger than the palm of her hand, struggling like this filled her with pity and sorrow.
However, the fact that she could see them was still a secret. Just the sight of them flying over when they approached was enough to give it away.
[What’s that wonderful smell?]
[Daisies are blooming in the garden, so Daisy is very happy.]
In her garden, she grew a profusion of flowers: pure white daisies, bright red poppies, lavender asters, deep pink asters, yellow Lunenus, and four-leaf clovers of green. And there, in a corner, was the indigo-colored Eryngium.
[Asta is here too!]
[Clover had the most!]
With the fairies bustling around her, Sylvia felt her patience waning. She couldn’t help but mutter while sitting down at the dining table, wiping away a bead of sweat.
“Oh, I’m thirsty. Should I try some mangosteen?”
She showed them that it would be better than throwing it away in vain, and used her dagger to open the mangosteen peel.
[It must taste delicious…]
Kalmia sat in front of her, eyes brimming with tears. Following Kalmia, all the fairies gathered on the dining table. Sylvia tried her best not to look at the white, red, and multicolored fairies seated beside her, sneaking glances at them from the corner of her eye.
‘Oh, they’re so cute.’
They were truly adorable.
Even Eryngium, who was cute in her own right, couldn’t compare to these fairies. Moreover, there was only one Eryngium, so it felt like there was less of her. Six fairies sitting together with round, expectant eyes on her made their cuteness multiply sixfold.
Pretending not to notice, she discarded the white mangosteen pulp.
“Oh, I must have been too tired in the morning and made a mistake, right? What should I do? You’re not supposed to eat what falls on the table… Is it okay since it’s on the table? No, I should probably peel a new one.”
Continuing with her charade, Sylvia deftly peeled more mangosteen and repeatedly dropped them onto the table.
“Oh dear, I’m dropping them too much. I should just have some water.”
Dropping quite a substantial amount of mangosteen onto the table, Sylvia got up as though she hadn’t noticed.
[Wow! Looks like she’s not going to eat it!]
[Then can we eat it?]
[Well, maybe it’s okay? Sylvia said she’s going to have some water.]
[That’s right! Let’s eat!]
[Oops! Me too!]
Seeing the six fairies rush towards the mangosteen, Sylvia closed the kitchen door, making sure they didn’t see her.
“Phew.”
She relaxed, listening to the fairies’ voices.
[Ugh! It’s so sweet!]
[Delicious.]
[It tastes even better after not having it for a while.]
[Oops! Poppy, I was going to eat that.]
[The one who eats first is the owner!]
Instead of crying, she heard their voices, full of excitement. Sylvia nodded her head with a little smile.
“I feel quite pleased with myself this morning.”
With a smile on her face, Sylvia prepared breakfast for the mercenary group. Since she didn’t have much energy, she decided to prepare a simple breakfast.
French toast.
When served with fruit and vegetables, there was nothing better for breakfast. Sylvia started by taking out some milk and cracking a large egg into a bowl. She whisked them together and seasoned the mixture with salt and pepper. Then, she took the slices of bread she had prepared earlier from the wooden container.
She was making a large quantity since it was intended for the lunchboxes. Sylvia arranged the bread neatly on a wide wooden board and poured the egg mixture over them. After sealing them with a wind magic spell, she let them soak for a while. She then lifted the slices with a wind spell and placed them on a hot griddle.
She sprinkled brown sugar on them to taste while subtly caramelizing them. Meanwhile, Sylvia had started simmering sugar and sugarcane juice.
Using a plant magic circle, she had grown various vegetables for the salad. Lettuce, celery, chicory, endive, arugula, romaine, radicchio, and avocado, she grew them all and then trimmed and washed them with water magic.
She carefully dried the vegetables and cut them into bite-sized pieces. For the dressing, she chose Oriental style, intending to make one with flavors similar to soy sauce.
She mixed Galbus oil, vinegar, lemon juice, sesame oil, minced garlic, sugar, and sugarcane juice to create the flavor resembling soy sauce. After drizzling it over the salad and giving it a good toss with a wind magic spell, she tasted it. The dressing tasted remarkably similar to the Oriental dressing she had in Korea.
She then transferred the salad to a glass container, sprinkling finely grated cheese, similar to Parmesan cheese in this world, on top.
Taking out the peach compote, she grew oranges and apples. Using wind magic, she quickly harvested the fruits and stacked the remaining branches on one side of the kitchen.
“The kitchen feels so cramped now.”
Initially, the kitchen had felt empty and spacious, but now it seemed surprisingly narrow. After a brief look around, Sylvia took out a large, shallow pan.
With wind magic, she swiftly removed the two dishes that were simmering, and she tasted them.
“Hmm, I think this should be good.”
The simmered milk had turned into condensed milk, and the other one had become caramel sauce. She poured them into glass containers and began heating the pan with fire magic.
“It tastes really good.”
Savoring the sweetness, Sylvia murmured her appreciation.
She generously buttered the heated pan, then took slices of bread that had been soaked in the egg mixture and started cooking them.
Sizzle, the sound of the bread cooking, and the aroma filled the kitchen, making her stomach growl.
“If only we had coffee…”
She longed for the rich taste of coffee and briefly thought about coffee trees before shaking her head.
“Roasting coffee beans seemed quite difficult… Huh, I should practice when I have more time.”
As she contemplated her coffee-making aspirations, she continued to prepare breakfast.
The cooked toast was placed on a plate, and she grew strawberries to blend with milk. Sylvia poured the strawberry milk into a container, and next to it, she placed the French toast that was still cooking.
Sounds of people in the living room started to reach her ears.
Opening the kitchen door, Sylvia cheerfully greeted them, “Good morning. Please help tidy up the table. Today’s menu is toast.”
Felix, who had been absentmindedly fixing his disheveled hair alongside the others, met Sylvia’s cheerful smile. He slowly lowered his hand, captivated by her radiant smile.
It reminded him of a long-lost face he used to see every morning when he was very young.
