★★24. Tableware exclusively for Eryngium★★
The Croban Mercenary Group, having filled up on plenty of food, set off again to hunt beasts.
Sylvia laughed as she saw them off, reminded of their last meal together.
Felix had finally managed to pick up a blueberry with chopsticks. Seeing the chopsticks stained deep blue, as if marking them as his own, Sylvia couldn’t help but laugh.
Even though they hadn’t talked much this time, she couldn’t shake off the feeling that he had become a bit more approachable than before. Watching the back of his dark hair as he left, Sylvia murmured softly.
“When will he eat my cooking?”
Felix ate more than the other members, but the problem was that his diet consisted only of fruits and vegetables.
“He should eat some meat…”
She wished he would eat other side dishes or even just rice, if not meat.
“When is she coming back?”
Eryngium, who had disappeared in shock last time, hadn’t shown up yet, unlike before. Sylvia wasn’t sure how far she had flown, but it seemed she was still unaware that the Croban Mercenary Group had left.
“Phew, I should take a break today.”
Having prepared packed lunches for the mercenary group, Sylvia was drained. She had already announced her day off in advance when she went to sell the lunches at the city gate yesterday.
Dragging her tired body, she flopped down on her personal sofa.
“Ugh, I’ve worked too hard.”
Having worked non-stop since she arrived in this place, Sylvia stretched her legs, letting out a groan.
“What should I make for myself today?”
While it was easy to come up with various dishes when others were around, she found it hard to decide when alone. She murmured to herself, thinking of Eryngium, who still hadn’t returned.
“Ah, should I make a bowl for Eryngium?”
Eryngium, who always dined with her, ate her food off a leaf. It was incredibly cute when she held a small rice ball with her tiny hands, overflowing with adorableness.
“I’ll have to make some for Daisy, Clover, Poppy, Aster, Calamia, and Lupinus later too.”
Just the thought brought her immense joy, and Sylvia smiled broadly.
From her seated position, Sylvia pulled out some cypress wood. She envisioned a set of dishes for toddlers in her mind. Then, inspired by the image of a pea pod, she quickly crafted a pod-shaped base and two round bowls from the cypress wood.
“How cute!”
The bowls, barely the size of two fingers put together, were incredibly adorable. Finally, she made a plate of the same size as the bowls. She used wind magic to whisk away the sawdust out the window.
“I should make a cup, too.”
She devoted her efforts to creating a small cup that could be held with both hands.
“Aw, this is too cute.”
She patted the table in delight, then suddenly felt a bit silly.
“When will you come back?”
The silence in the house made her feel unexpectedly downcast.
“Maybe I should take a nap.”
Even though talking to herself felt awkward, it seemed necessary to break the silence of the empty house. She went into the room on the first floor, which had essentially become her bedroom, and lay down on her hammock bed.
She curled up on her side and pulled the blanket over her.
“Eryngium, come back soon.”
She whispered it like a spell and sighed quietly.
She thought she had napped for quite a while and shifted in bed.
“Yawn.”
Despite the rest, she still felt languid upon waking.
“When will Eryngium come?”
As she murmured softly, a weak voice responded.
[Sylvia… I’m hungry.]
Startled, Sylvia sat up abruptly, causing Eryngium, who had been lying beside her, to also jump. Buried under the blanket, Eryngium grumbled.
[It’s heavy!]
“Sorry, sorry. But when did you get here?”
As she hurriedly removed the blanket, the fairy exhaled loudly.
[Huh? I came a while ago. You were sleeping, so I lay down next to you and fell asleep too.]
“Is that so?”
[Yeah… I wandered around too much, and now I’m hungry, Sylvia.]
Sylvia groaned at the sight of the fairy gently touching her stomach with her tiny hands.
“Ah, you’re too cute.”
[Am I cute?]
The fairy understood compliments about her cuteness very well and perked up her ears adorably, but Sylvia deliberately kept her tone stern.
“No, not cute at all. How long are you going to avoid Felix and the other fairies? What kind of mistake did you make that you’re running away so desperately?”
Eryngium looked up at her with teary eyes, seemingly affected by her feigned sternness.
“You always used to say you missed Felix and your friends, like it was your mantra. But why do you run away at the slightest glimpse of them?”
[But…]
“What ‘but’? Just tell me the truth. Was bringing me here a mistake?”
Sylvia recalled similar conversations and felt a need to hear it properly this time.
[It seems like a mistake.]
“Bringing me here was?”
[Yeah… Sorry, Sylvia.]
The small periwinkle head drooped down. Then, suddenly lifting her head, Eryngium looked straight into her eyes with her teal gaze and spoke clearly.
[But I don’t regret it. It all seems like a coincidence… but I can’t shake the feeling that it wasn’t. I feel like Aethernum-nim, knowing everything, sent me to bring you here.]
Sylvia, watching the fairy speak with conviction, gently stroked her periwinkle head with her index finger.
“Then, there’s no need to hide, right?”
[That’s true, but… when the others went to Aethernum-nim, it was because Felix wanted to enjoy a meal without worry… They wanted to grant that wish, so I was sucked into somewhere. Maybe it was for some magical plate or a magical pouch that produces safe food for Felix to eat? What if they ask me about it?]
Eryngium, who usually found the other fairies bothersome and often received their complaints, was afraid of their nagging.
[Ugh, Clover definitely won’t leave me alone. And Poppy, too. They’ll make a fuss, saying it wasn’t supposed to be me who was sent.]
Sylvia’s lips twitched as she watched her clutch her periwinkle hair in her tiny hands and shake her head from side to side.
She was too cute for words.
Gently caressing her small hand with her index finger, she said,
“Then, I’ll become a magical pouch that produces safe food. That should solve it, right?”
Continuing to gently stroke the back of her hand in a reassuring manner, Sylvia looked at her warmly. Eryngium, gazing up at her, suddenly burst into tears and flew up.
[Waaah, Sylvia!]
“There, there. You little crybaby.”
[I’m not a crybaby!]
Teasing her about being a crybaby, even though she was tearful yet denying it, made Sylvia smile as she got up from the bed with Eryngium perched on her head.
“You said you were hungry, let’s eat something first.”
[I told you I’m not a crybaby!]
“Yes, yes, crybaby Eryngium. What do you want to eat?”
[Eek!]
Enjoying the playful banter with the fairy, Sylvia headed to the living room. Since it was her day off, she didn’t feel like putting much effort into cooking.
Deciding to keep it simple, she sat down at the dining table and summoned the inter-dimensional cypress wood container to the living room with wind magic. She then took out a conveniently sized egg.
“Times like these call for a simple fried egg mixed with soy sauce and rice.”
However, the egg floating in the air was quite large, making it impractical for frying.
“Alright, let’s make something that can be cooked in a pan today.”
She cracked the large egg and suspended it in the air. Separating a bit of the white, she added sugar and whipped it into meringue. Then, she separated the yolk, mixed it in gently with wind magic for a smooth blend.
She thinly coated a pan with a hint of olive oil and spread the mixture thinly over it. Carefully controlling the heat, she sprinkled some cheese over the meringue and rolled it up.
She then drizzled condensed milk over it. It was a simple dish that just needed to be cut into bite-sized pieces and served on a plate. She cut it into very small pieces with wind magic and served it in Eryngium’s special dish.
“Eryngium, come sit here.”
Eryngium, who had been watching her cook from atop her head, floated down as if enchanted. She then sat in front of the pea pod-shaped plate, opening her mouth slightly.
[What’s this?]
“It’s your special dining set.”
She handed her a fork and knife tailored for a fairy’s hands, crafted with effort.
“It’s hot, so don’t use your hands; cut and eat with the fork and knife, okay?”
Holding the fork and knife tightly, the fairy nodded vigorously. The already adorable creature seemed to have leveled up in cuteness. Sylvia burst into satisfied laughter and started preparing another batch.
While the batter was cooking, Sylvia hummed a tune as she took a bite of the finished dish. It was comfortable not having to worry about what others wanted to eat and just making whatever she fancied.
She took out a water bottle, poured some into a cup for Eryngium, and drank some herself. The cool barley tea was refreshing.
“Hmm, it melts gently in the mouth.”
This time, she added strawberry jam inside the batter and rolled it up, then drizzled it generously with condensed milk before taking a bite, blowing on the hot steam as she did.
“Delicious!”
[Me too, delicious!]
This time, she piled the meringue thickly on the batter. She cooked it slowly over low heat, folded it to make it thicker, and placed it on a plate. She enjoyed the soft and chewy texture with various jams, condensed milk, and caramel syrup drizzled on top.
“After enjoying the sweetness, it’s time for some saltiness, right?”
The sweet and salty rule is an absolute truth.
Sylvia mixed some flour with water, a bit of egg yolk and white, using wind magic. She added a pinch of salt for seasoning and a bit of starch. Then, she finely grated a potato and added it to the mixture.
As she stirred vigorously, pondering what to add next, the pan floated around her, and the batter whirled about.
From the inter-dimensional cypress wood container, a piece of pork loin appeared. She finely chopped it with wind magic and added it to the batter. Suddenly, a head of cabbage grew instantly on the table.
Green onions and onions grew just enough to be eaten. She quickly chopped and sliced them with wind magic and added them to the batter. Preferring garlic over ginger, she minced some garlic and added it in.
Ssshh.
She maintained the perfect temperature in the pan and added a reasonable amount of batter, then took out the Galbus oil. She mixed some sugar and previously made tomato sauce with the Galbus oil and started cooking.
She then separated the remaining egg yolk still floating in the air, added olive oil and lemon juice, and whisked it.
The once transparent liquid turned into a white color with a yellowish hue.
Eryngium, sitting on the dining chair, watched Sylvia manage all the cooking and was amazed. Even knowing her magical source was from Aethernum-nim, she couldn’t help but be impressed.
Sylvia, now adept at magic, simultaneously used water, fire, wind, and plant magic.
The glimpse of her skin through her casual home clothes and the black magical circles engraved on her white body glowed gold whenever she infused them with magic.
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