Her teal eyes widened as much as saucers upon locking eyes with Felix. She had used wind and water magic earlier, but revealing herself like this in the kitchen was different.
Felix watched her with a stiff expression, not out of displeasure but out of curiosity.
How could one use not just a single elemental magic circle but various ones?
Why…
‘Can you also wield the Black Dragon’s magic?’
He was most curious about her possession of the black magic, which only the descendants of the Black Dragon were known to wield.
Step by step.
He cautiously approached the frozen Sylvia.
Sylvia slowly lifted her face as he drew nearer due to their significant height difference. When he reached right in front of her, he lightly touched the surrounding vegetables with his finger. From his ten fingers, nine rings simultaneously emitted light.
His far greater magic power engraved various magic circles into the black diamonds on the rings. With a magic power far surpassing Sylvia’s and with delicate control, the magic of wind, water, fire, and ice intricately covered her spells.
The work proceeded much faster than the magic she had cast. He aimed to thinly slice the remaining vegetables to make vegetable fries.
The vegetable fries were quickly prepared, and Felix was looking at her. She wished he would just ask directly, but his silent, expectant gaze made it even more uncomfortable for her.
Sylvia licked her lips before speaking in a soft voice.
“Shall we go out to the garden to talk?”
She thought it would be better to breathe some fresh air and talk outside rather than staying in the kitchen. Felix nodded in response and headed out first through the door leading from the kitchen to the garden.
Sylvia hastily tidied up and followed him outside.
The outside had darkened, with stars densely filling the night sky. Felix was looking up at the sky from the center of the fragrant garden.
Eryngium, Daisy, Poppy, Asta, Calmia, Lupinus, and Clover were blooming brightly around him. Surrounded by flowers rather than fairies, he looked like a beautiful person with an innocent charm.
Rustle.
Sylvia approached him, gently touching the passing flowers with her hand. The sporadic moonlight illuminated her face. Felix looked at her thoughtfully and asked,
“Who are you?”
A pure question.
It was a natural inquiry. Sylvia met his gaze squarely and said,
“A person brought by Eryngium.”
Felix’s brow furrowed slightly at her cryptic answer. Before he could open his mouth to speak, she continued,
“A person from another place, brought here by mistake by Eryngium.”
While he couldn’t fully comprehend, the mention of Eryngium’s mistake and another place somewhat irked him.
Yet, her gaze was sincere and unguarded.
The clear teal eyes, lit by the soft moonlight, touched his heart. Pure goodwill, nothing else seemed evident in those clear eyes he wanted to keep gazing into.
Without asking further, Felix stared intently at her. Sylvia also met his gaze. Seeing her slightly lower her guard was reassuring, and somehow, he couldn’t look away.
The fairies circled in the air, quietly observing the two sharing a moment.
★★30. Frying is Love★★
The Croban Mercenary Band gaped at the table full of fries. The aromatic smell of the fries piled up as if to conquer the table made their stomachs growl.
Sylvia busily moved plates and chopsticks around. Bernard, who had been dazed, sprang up to help her. Dinner was quite simple. An enormous amount of vegetable fries, cheese fries, and plain potato fries.
Instead of rice, bread was piled high, and orange and carrot-apple juice were prepared as drinks.
Strawberry jam, apple jam with cinnamon, and apricot jam were placed beside the bread, and for dipping the fries, there was mayonnaise mixed with lemon juice and chopped beet pickles, and Galbus oil with yuja (Korean citrus) and vinegar.
Cucumbers and carrots, easy to pick up and eat, were stacked as high as the fries and placed on the side, with grapes set on one side.
Dennis burst into hearty laughter and said to Sylvia,
“This is why I can’t pass by the wizard’s house! Well, not like I have anywhere else to go anyway!”
It was meant as a joke, but somehow everyone became somber. A perplexed Dennis furrowed his brows and added,
“What is this, exactly? Do we just eat it?”
Sylvia answered with a beaming smile,
“It’s called fries. Once you taste it, you’ll never forget the flavor.”
Her cheerful voice lifted everyone’s spirits again.
“Just dip it in this white sauce and yellow sauce. Choose whatever suits your taste, spread the jam here on the bread, and make sure to eat the vegetables and fruits in between.”
After her brief explanation, everyone dived in with a loud affirmative.
“Yes!”
Hubert was the first to pick up a potato fry and eat it. Seeing this, Sylvia clapped her hands and said,
“Ah, I forgot this.”
From her spatial bag, Sylvia took out a glass bottle. It was homemade ketchup she had prepared earlier. The ketchup, simmered for a long time until thick, was distributed in small containers.
“Dip these potato fries in this red sauce!”
No sooner had she finished speaking than everyone dipped their potato fries in the ketchup. They all put them in their mouths simultaneously and exclaimed in amazement.
“Who knew potatoes could taste this good!”
John, who had spoken without thinking, hastily added,
“I mean, they were always good… but this is a completely new flavor! Amazing!”
“I agree with you!”
The mercenary band silently devoured the fries, ending the conversation there. They tasted, enjoyed, and discussed the various vegetable fries.
“No, you have to dip this crispy fry in the yellow sauce to enhance its flavor!”
“I just like this white sauce. Don’t tell me what to eat!”
Now that everyone had developed their own preferences, they argued about whose method was correct. Meanwhile, Felix was quietly demolishing what seemed like his fifth bunch of large grapes, resembling Kyoho grapes. The remnants of the grape stems lay scattered around him. He felt as if he was discovering new flavors for the first time.
With his sense of smell returning, his taste seemed to subtly come back as well. He almost teared up at the faint sweetness he could sense, but given the circumstances, he had no choice but to hold back.
Sylvia quickly noticed Felix’s condition and quietly grew a peach using plant magic. Felix, intrigued, plucked the freshly grown peach in front of him.
It resembled a plum he had eaten before but differed in shape and size. Hubert quickly washed it for him. Felix brought the peach to his mouth and took a big bite.
Crunch.
The fruit’s flesh filled his mouth with a burst of sweet and tangy flavor. The texture was chewy yet crisp. Sylvia watched his wide-eyed astonishment and smiled proudly yet cautiously.
She too continued to eat the fries unabated. She blew on a cheese fry before popping it into her mouth in one go. The hot steam rose, but it was bearable.
Next, she dipped an eggplant fry in the yellow sauce. The bamboo shoot fry, lightly blanched and then fried, had a fantastic texture. After enjoying the crunchy bamboo shoot fry, she dipped a soft avocado fry in the white sauce.
The combination of the creamy mayonnaise and avocado was very satisfying. The perilla leaves fried individually were crispy, and the fries made from a mix of vegetables had a harmonious blend of flavors.
She took a big bite of the soft milk bread after spreading both apple and apricot jam on it.
“Mmm.”
A nasal hum escaped her, and her throat slightly clogged, so she drank some orange juice. Then, she took another bite and picked up a cucumber.
Crunch, crunch.
She picked the grapes one by one, filling her mouth and savoring them. Sylvia busily assembled another fry sandwich with vegetables and added ketchup and mayonnaise sauce.
She grew lettuce on the spot with her magic and placed it between the bread. The combination of the fries, lettuce, and sauce was delicious. Seeing Sylvia eat, others began to make and eat fry sandwiches following her lead.
Sylvia picked up the next piece of bread and checked the remaining fries when she felt a gaze on her.
She had sensed it earlier but didn’t mind much; however, the continuous staring was becoming slightly annoying. She glanced over, and immediately, her eyes met the black pupils.
Felix, who would usually sit far across from her, was now right beside her. Whatever change of heart he had was unclear, but she didn’t pay much attention…
But was he staring too intently?
She didn’t understand what was so fascinating about her eating, but she decided to ignore it. There was no time to waste talking, as the prepared food was almost gone, and the mercenaries’ appetites had significantly improved.
Determined not to be outdone, Sylvia focused away from the gaze and picked her fries with a combative stance. Felix also continued to eat grapes and peaches without pause, his gaze still fixed on Sylvia.
He marveled at her eating, wondering why he hadn’t noticed it before.
She was a remarkable gourmet.
She ate the same food differently from others.
She was quite the big eater.
Even his subordinates thought they had hearty appetites, but it was always they who fell short first.
Today, too, she was continuously stuffing an incredible amount of food into her small frame. Watching her while eating grapes somehow made them taste sweeter, and his appetite surged. So, he kept looking at her as he ate.
Their eyes met briefly, but he hadn’t been concerned from the start. The person who had interfered with his intentions was no longer here, and he had no thoughts of being hindered anymore.
It was just curiosity.
Just because her eating was pleasant to watch.
That’s why he just looked.
Hubert and Dennis viewed the changed Felix with puzzled eyes. And above them, the fairies were clamoring.
[Sylvia, give us some food too!]
Sylvia paused as she was about to take a big bite of her fry sandwich.
‘I forgot about the fairies’ meal.’
She hastily stuffed the bread into her mouth and headed to the kitchen. Felix watched her with a curious gaze as the fairies followed her like baby birds following their mother.
Entering the kitchen, Sylvia grew grapes and cherries.
She distributed them as if to share nicely and, for the first time, gently touched the heads of fairies other than Eryngium with her finger.
‘Ah, unbearably cute.’
Sylvia shuddered as she watched each fairy holding and eating round cherries and grapes.
Too cute to handle.
She was amazed that such creatures existed.
After watching the fairies eat, Sylvia took all the remaining fries and went outside. Thirteen men had taken over the living room, chatting and laughing in a warm atmosphere.
★★31. I Thought It Was Too Easy★★
The next day, Sylvia had to prepare food again due to the unexpected visit of a coachman and went to the duke’s house. The duke’s expression was usual, but his slightly sullen demeanor was subtly troubling.
As soon as she returned home, Sylvia, who was preparing food for the Croban Mercenary Band, crossed her arms and muttered,
“What’s this feeling? Why do I feel so uneasy?”
She was beset by an uneasy feeling from various angles. What if rejecting the offer was the wrong choice? Could the future of a commoner who turned down a noble’s invitation be as uncertain as a pitch-black night sky?
Lost in thought, Sylvia was suddenly obscured by a real darkness.
“Ah!”
Felix, who had entered the kitchen through the garden, was bending over and had thrust his face right in front of hers.
“How deep in thought must you have been not to notice someone coming in?”
Felix, who had jumped from the second-floor window feeling hungry, had entered the kitchen. But Sylvia, with her arms crossed and head bowed, hadn’t noticed his arrival.
Worried she might be unwell, he had recklessly approached her face first.
Blinking, Sylvia stuttered her response,
“Just, was lost in thought for a moment.”
She had thought he was incredibly handsome since she first saw him, benefiting from the protagonist’s buff. Not just handsome, but his face bore a beautiful melancholy, as if harboring a deep story.
Below the neck, he was the burly swordsman, but his face was innocent and melancholic. Feeling the disparity, Sylvia hurriedly averted her eyes.
‘Too close!’
Unaware of her thoughts, Felix leaned in even closer and asked,
“Your face is red, are you feeling unwell?”
Her teal eyes widened as much as saucers upon locking eyes with Felix. She had used wind and water magic earlier, but revealing herself like this in the kitchen was different.
Felix watched her with a stiff expression, not out of displeasure but out of curiosity.
How could one use not just a single elemental magic circle but various ones?
Why…
‘Can you also wield the Black Dragon’s magic?’
He was most curious about her possession of the black magic, which only the descendants of the Black Dragon were known to wield.
Step by step.
He cautiously approached the frozen Sylvia.
Sylvia slowly lifted her face as he drew nearer due to their significant height difference. When he reached right in front of her, he lightly touched the surrounding vegetables with his finger. From his ten fingers, nine rings simultaneously emitted light.
His far greater magic power engraved various magic circles into the black diamonds on the rings. With a magic power far surpassing Sylvia’s and with delicate control, the magic of wind, water, fire, and ice intricately covered her spells.
The work proceeded much faster than the magic she had cast. He aimed to thinly slice the remaining vegetables to make vegetable fries.
The vegetable fries were quickly prepared, and Felix was looking at her. She wished he would just ask directly, but his silent, expectant gaze made it even more uncomfortable for her.
Sylvia licked her lips before speaking in a soft voice.
“Shall we go out to the garden to talk?”
She thought it would be better to breathe some fresh air and talk outside rather than staying in the kitchen. Felix nodded in response and headed out first through the door leading from the kitchen to the garden.
Sylvia hastily tidied up and followed him outside.
The outside had darkened, with stars densely filling the night sky. Felix was looking up at the sky from the center of the fragrant garden.
Eryngium, Daisy, Poppy, Asta, Calmia, Lupinus, and Clover were blooming brightly around him. Surrounded by flowers rather than fairies, he looked like a beautiful person with an innocent charm.
Rustle.
Sylvia approached him, gently touching the passing flowers with her hand. The sporadic moonlight illuminated her face. Felix looked at her thoughtfully and asked,
“Who are you?”
A pure question.
It was a natural inquiry. Sylvia met his gaze squarely and said,
“A person brought by Eryngium.”
Felix’s brow furrowed slightly at her cryptic answer. Before he could open his mouth to speak, she continued,
“A person from another place, brought here by mistake by Eryngium.”
While he couldn’t fully comprehend, the mention of Eryngium’s mistake and another place somewhat irked him.
Yet, her gaze was sincere and unguarded.
The clear teal eyes, lit by the soft moonlight, touched his heart. Pure goodwill, nothing else seemed evident in those clear eyes he wanted to keep gazing into.
Without asking further, Felix stared intently at her. Sylvia also met his gaze. Seeing her slightly lower her guard was reassuring, and somehow, he couldn’t look away.
The fairies circled in the air, quietly observing the two sharing a moment.
★★30. Frying is Love★★
The Croban Mercenary Band gaped at the table full of fries. The aromatic smell of the fries piled up as if to conquer the table made their stomachs growl.
Sylvia busily moved plates and chopsticks around. Bernard, who had been dazed, sprang up to help her. Dinner was quite simple. An enormous amount of vegetable fries, cheese fries, and plain potato fries.
Instead of rice, bread was piled high, and orange and carrot-apple juice were prepared as drinks.
Strawberry jam, apple jam with cinnamon, and apricot jam were placed beside the bread, and for dipping the fries, there was mayonnaise mixed with lemon juice and chopped beet pickles, and Galbus oil with yuja (Korean citrus) and vinegar.
Cucumbers and carrots, easy to pick up and eat, were stacked as high as the fries and placed on the side, with grapes set on one side.
Dennis burst into hearty laughter and said to Sylvia,
“This is why I can’t pass by the wizard’s house! Well, not like I have anywhere else to go anyway!”
It was meant as a joke, but somehow everyone became somber. A perplexed Dennis furrowed his brows and added,
“What is this, exactly? Do we just eat it?”
Sylvia answered with a beaming smile,
“It’s called fries. Once you taste it, you’ll never forget the flavor.”
Her cheerful voice lifted everyone’s spirits again.
“Just dip it in this white sauce and yellow sauce. Choose whatever suits your taste, spread the jam here on the bread, and make sure to eat the vegetables and fruits in between.”
After her brief explanation, everyone dived in with a loud affirmative.
“Yes!”
Hubert was the first to pick up a potato fry and eat it. Seeing this, Sylvia clapped her hands and said,
“Ah, I forgot this.”
From her spatial bag, Sylvia took out a glass bottle. It was homemade ketchup she had prepared earlier. The ketchup, simmered for a long time until thick, was distributed in small containers.
“Dip these potato fries in this red sauce!”
No sooner had she finished speaking than everyone dipped their potato fries in the ketchup. They all put them in their mouths simultaneously and exclaimed in amazement.
“Who knew potatoes could taste this good!”
John, who had spoken without thinking, hastily added,
“I mean, they were always good… but this is a completely new flavor! Amazing!”
“I agree with you!”
The mercenary band silently devoured the fries, ending the conversation there. They tasted, enjoyed, and discussed the various vegetable fries.
“No, you have to dip this crispy fry in the yellow sauce to enhance its flavor!”
“I just like this white sauce. Don’t tell me what to eat!”
Now that everyone had developed their own preferences, they argued about whose method was correct. Meanwhile, Felix was quietly demolishing what seemed like his fifth bunch of large grapes, resembling Kyoho grapes. The remnants of the grape stems lay scattered around him. He felt as if he was discovering new flavors for the first time.
With his sense of smell returning, his taste seemed to subtly come back as well. He almost teared up at the faint sweetness he could sense, but given the circumstances, he had no choice but to hold back.
Sylvia quickly noticed Felix’s condition and quietly grew a peach using plant magic. Felix, intrigued, plucked the freshly grown peach in front of him.
It resembled a plum he had eaten before but differed in shape and size. Hubert quickly washed it for him. Felix brought the peach to his mouth and took a big bite.
Crunch.
The fruit’s flesh filled his mouth with a burst of sweet and tangy flavor. The texture was chewy yet crisp. Sylvia watched his wide-eyed astonishment and smiled proudly yet cautiously.
She too continued to eat the fries unabated. She blew on a cheese fry before popping it into her mouth in one go. The hot steam rose, but it was bearable.
Next, she dipped an eggplant fry in the yellow sauce. The bamboo shoot fry, lightly blanched and then fried, had a fantastic texture. After enjoying the crunchy bamboo shoot fry, she dipped a soft avocado fry in the white sauce.
The combination of the creamy mayonnaise and avocado was very satisfying. The perilla leaves fried individually were crispy, and the fries made from a mix of vegetables had a harmonious blend of flavors.
She took a big bite of the soft milk bread after spreading both apple and apricot jam on it.
“Mmm.”
A nasal hum escaped her, and her throat slightly clogged, so she drank some orange juice. Then, she took another bite and picked up a cucumber.
Crunch, crunch.
She picked the grapes one by one, filling her mouth and savoring them. Sylvia busily assembled another fry sandwich with vegetables and added ketchup and mayonnaise sauce.
She grew lettuce on the spot with her magic and placed it between the bread. The combination of the fries, lettuce, and sauce was delicious. Seeing Sylvia eat, others began to make and eat fry sandwiches following her lead.
Sylvia picked up the next piece of bread and checked the remaining fries when she felt a gaze on her.
She had sensed it earlier but didn’t mind much; however, the continuous staring was becoming slightly annoying. She glanced over, and immediately, her eyes met the black pupils.
Felix, who would usually sit far across from her, was now right beside her. Whatever change of heart he had was unclear, but she didn’t pay much attention…
But was he staring too intently?
She didn’t understand what was so fascinating about her eating, but she decided to ignore it. There was no time to waste talking, as the prepared food was almost gone, and the mercenaries’ appetites had significantly improved.
Determined not to be outdone, Sylvia focused away from the gaze and picked her fries with a combative stance. Felix also continued to eat grapes and peaches without pause, his gaze still fixed on Sylvia.
He marveled at her eating, wondering why he hadn’t noticed it before.
She was a remarkable gourmet.
She ate the same food differently from others.
She was quite the big eater.
Even his subordinates thought they had hearty appetites, but it was always they who fell short first.
Today, too, she was continuously stuffing an incredible amount of food into her small frame. Watching her while eating grapes somehow made them taste sweeter, and his appetite surged. So, he kept looking at her as he ate.
Their eyes met briefly, but he hadn’t been concerned from the start. The person who had interfered with his intentions was no longer here, and he had no thoughts of being hindered anymore.
It was just curiosity.
Just because her eating was pleasant to watch.
That’s why he just looked.
Hubert and Dennis viewed the changed Felix with puzzled eyes. And above them, the fairies were clamoring.
[Sylvia, give us some food too!]
Sylvia paused as she was about to take a big bite of her fry sandwich.
‘I forgot about the fairies’ meal.’
She hastily stuffed the bread into her mouth and headed to the kitchen. Felix watched her with a curious gaze as the fairies followed her like baby birds following their mother.
Entering the kitchen, Sylvia grew grapes and cherries.
She distributed them as if to share nicely and, for the first time, gently touched the heads of fairies other than Eryngium with her finger.
‘Ah, unbearably cute.’
Sylvia shuddered as she watched each fairy holding and eating round cherries and grapes.
Too cute to handle.
She was amazed that such creatures existed.
After watching the fairies eat, Sylvia took all the remaining fries and went outside. Thirteen men had taken over the living room, chatting and laughing in a warm atmosphere.
★★31. I Thought It Was Too Easy★★
The next day, Sylvia had to prepare food again due to the unexpected visit of a coachman and went to the duke’s house. The duke’s expression was usual, but his slightly sullen demeanor was subtly troubling.
As soon as she returned home, Sylvia, who was preparing food for the Croban Mercenary Band, crossed her arms and muttered,
“What’s this feeling? Why do I feel so uneasy?”
She was beset by an uneasy feeling from various angles. What if rejecting the offer was the wrong choice? Could the future of a commoner who turned down a noble’s invitation be as uncertain as a pitch-black night sky?
Lost in thought, Sylvia was suddenly obscured by a real darkness.
“Ah!”
Felix, who had entered the kitchen through the garden, was bending over and had thrust his face right in front of hers.
“How deep in thought must you have been not to notice someone coming in?”
Felix, who had jumped from the second-floor window feeling hungry, had entered the kitchen. But Sylvia, with her arms crossed and head bowed, hadn’t noticed his arrival.
Worried she might be unwell, he had recklessly approached her face first.
Blinking, Sylvia stuttered her response,
“Just, was lost in thought for a moment.”
She had thought he was incredibly handsome since she first saw him, benefiting from the protagonist’s buff. Not just handsome, but his face bore a beautiful melancholy, as if harboring a deep story.
Below the neck, he was the burly swordsman, but his face was innocent and melancholic. Feeling the disparity, Sylvia hurriedly averted her eyes.
‘Too close!’
Unaware of her thoughts, Felix leaned in even closer and asked,
“Your face is red, are you feeling unwell?”
