CW45:

Sylvia placed the eggplant and bell pepper inside. She started coaching him.

“Eating just the meat can be dry. Chew it together with the eggplant and bell pepper. See, this is how you eat it.”

As if teaching a child how to eat, Sylvia detailed the eating method, biting into a piece of meat and vegetables from the skewer and placing it in her mouth. She opened her mouth wide, showing Felix how she did it, seemingly unbothered by the thought of him finding it unpleasant.

“Like this, when you chew them together, the juices from the vegetables and meat combine to create a new flavor. It’s harmonious, you see?”

Felix was grateful for Sylvia’s fuss. She seemed desperately hopeful for him to enjoy the meat. Touched by her sincerity, he moved his mouth as she instructed, and his sense of taste gradually returned, different from the sweetness of the ice cream he had the day before, filling his mouth with the subtle sweetness of the food. Unconsciously, he kept his eyes on Sylvia’s small, red tongue moving inside her wide-open mouth.

“Here, try some more.”

Seizing the moment, Sylvia extended the skewer to him again. This time, Felix didn’t hesitate to take a bite of the meat and vegetables together.

“Hmm.”

The larger piece of pork tasted better than before, simply seasoned with salt and pepper, making it savory. However, Felix, who was not fond of the texture, chewed only lightly before attempting to swallow.

Sylvia, quick to notice, advised him.

“You need to chew thoroughly; it’s better for digestion. Eating meat suddenly can cause issues. Here, chew like this.”

Mimicking the act of chewing thoroughly with her lips puckered and moving her mouth exaggeratedly, Sylvia caused Felix to burst into laughter.

“Ah, hahaha!”

Even as he laughed, he followed her instruction and chewed the food thoroughly. But the laughter didn’t stop and became contagious. Sylvia, puzzled at first, found her gaze captured by his freely smiling mouth.

‘Come to think of it… is this the first time I’m seeing him laugh?’

It was the first time she had seen him laugh out loud, and the joy of it made Sylvia’s lips curl into a smile too. With the members, Hubert, and Dennis watching in surprise, Sylvia and Felix continued to enjoy the skewers.

They finally sat down at the table to start the meal properly. Sylvia pushed the last of the grilled spicy and teriyaki marinated skewers towards the other members and Felix.

“This one is spicy, but less so than what you had yesterday. And this one is seasoned with Galbus oil, offering a sweet and savory taste that’s really something. Please, everyone, have a try.”

Hearing her explanation, the members nodded and glanced around quietly. Unlike before, when they ate comfortably without their leader, the presence of their lord now changed the dynamics of the meal.

With hopeful gazes, the members, Hubert, and Dennis all looked at Felix, wishing for him to start eating first. Felix, with a contemplative expression, noticed the tomato soup in front of him.

“What’s this?”

Having gained some courage after tackling the formidable mountain of meat, his bravery was confined to just that.

The untouched, fresh tomato soup somehow didn’t appeal to his appetite. Felix, who still needed to eat a lot more to feel full, looked at Sylvia sitting beside him.

Sylvia was already dipping her bread into the tomato soup, filling her mouth with it. Felix, watching her absentmindedly, scooped a large spoonful of Sylvia’s tomato soup and tasted it.

The sour, sweet, and savory tomato soup stimulated his taste buds. Ignoring his subordinates’ silent wishes for him to eat first, Felix subtly moved closer to Sylvia.

“What’s this made of?”

Pleased by his interest in the ingredients, Sylvia explained in detail and showed him how to eat it.

“You dip the bread like this, let the soup soak in, then scoop it up with a spoon to eat. Now, you try.”

Her explanation was so thorough, as if teaching a very young child how to eat, that Felix almost burst into laughter again, but he quietly busied himself with his spoon.

He scooped up the pieces she had cut into bite-sizes and dipped into the soup, then put them into his mouth. The vast amount of soup in front of him was neglected; he only followed what Sylvia had tasted.

After waiting for a while with no attention from the two, Hubert gave a soft cough and signaled to the members.

“Let’s eat.”

It was a significant step for their lord just to eat, and they didn’t want to distract their lord unnecessarily. Hubert trusted Sylvia enough to leave it to her, knowing his heart already harbored trust for her.

“Vice-captain, this spicy skewer is really delicious. It’s not painfully spicy like yesterday’s, just the right amount of heat.”

After encouraging the members to eat, Hubert couldn’t take his eyes off Sylvia and his lord. But the mention of deliciousness made him quickly grab a skewer and bring it to his plate.

He took out the chicken and vegetables, skewered them with a fork, and put them in his mouth. It was indeed a bit spicy and sweet, a new flavor that made his eyes widen, quickening his fork movements.

“What exactly is Galbus oil, to create such a flavor? Do we have it in the kingdom? Such a sauce?”

He whispered the last part very softly. Hubert communicated with his eyes, putting force into his gaze. Alan, the blabbermouth with blue hair, looked down and quietly devoured the meat.

They had decided to keep their identities hidden from Sylvia, deeming it prudent since she might be from the empire.

The table fell silent due to Alan’s restraint, filled only with the sound of quickly disappearing skewers and occasional sips of tomato soup. Sylvia, while presenting various flavors for Felix to experience, was in fact listening to all the conversations.

‘I feel a bit sorry for them… trying so hard to hide it when I already know everything.’

Then, from the trees, the voices of the fairies who were enjoying the grapes and peeled mangosteens Sylvia had given them could be heard. They were very surprised, their voices loud with astonishment.

[Felix is eating food!]

[Felix is eating something other than fruits and vegetables…]

[When was the last time we saw him eat food?]

[Asta is… moved to tears.]

Seeing him eat so well brought joy to their hearts.

[Felix eating meat!]

[Felix…]

The fairies teared up with excitement, sorrow, and emotion. It had been a long while since they’d seen him eat meat, but this was the first time they witnessed him enjoying his meal so heartily.

Perched on the trees, the fairies watched Felix accept and eat what Sylvia offered. They existed solely for Felix’s happiness.

Sharing in his happiness, the fairies smiled brightly.

If Felix was happy, they were ready to return. They looked forward to the day of their return with a pleasant feeling.

The crackling of the firewood and the sounds of busy eating filled the air. It was a blissful dinner, too precious to spend talking.

★★36. It’s hot!★★

Sylvia cooled the room with wind and ice magic due to the warmth that disturbed her sleep. She wondered why it felt even hotter at night.

Lying comfortably on the vine bed, enjoying the cool breeze, Sylvia closed her eyes. Magic was incredibly convenient. It made cooking easy and brought direct comfort to daily life, which made her happy.

Remembering how she had been angry at Erin for bringing her here, she felt almost guilty. If asked to return to her previous life, she would likely refuse, such was the charm of magic.

Lying down, she conjured water magic to fill her mouth and drank. The cold water refreshed her, and she heard birds chirping outside the vine house.

Sylvia got up from the bed, stretching widely. Erin, who had been sleeping next to her pillow, woke up to the rustling sound. Her tiny limbs moved sluggishly as her violet eyes slowly opened.

[Ha-ahm!]

Under the light shirt she used as pajamas, her white legs were visible, marked with various magic runes. Sylvia got out of bed, stretching and twirling around. She loosened her neck and wrists, warming up her body.

“What should I have for breakfast?”

The weather was so hot that she had little appetite. Wondering what to make in such heat, an idea came to her, and she channeled magic into her peridot ring.

She cleaned large ripe tomatoes, red bell peppers, and cucumbers. Adding olive oil, garlic, and onions, she seasoned it with lemon juice, salt, pepper, and a tiny bit of habanero powder.

Using wind magic as a blender, she pureed the mixture and used ice magic to keep it cool. Sylvia prepared lemonade with the lemon syrup she had made earlier and thinly sliced some potatoes.

She scattered butter on a large round pan and arranged the potatoes overlapping around it. She added various cheeses on top, poured beaten eggs over it, and seasoned with salt and pepper.

She cooked it in an oven-like manner using fire, wind, and water magic.

For the salad, she mixed lettuce and arugula, adding orange dressing and tossing it well. She prepared enough for everyone to have a generous portion before finally starting to wash herself.

The convenience of magic shone again here. There was no need to go out and look for a bathroom.

She washed on the spot with water magic and dried herself with wind magic. She also washed her clothes, drying them with fire and wind magic until they were soft and fluffy. Dressed in fresh clothes, she strapped on a waist bag and slung a small bag over her shoulder. She was just about to put on a large robe and head out when…

“It’s too hot!”

As soon as she put on the robe, she felt like she was going to suffocate from the heat. Inside the fortress, it was only the sunlight that was intense; she hadn’t considered the air itself being hot. Usually, covering up with a robe felt cooler against the sun, but here, the air was humid and hot.

Pacing back and forth, she debated several times whether to take off the robe. Eventually, she took it off and checked in a mirror to make sure her tattoos weren’t showing outside the shirt. Fortunately, the long sleeves covered everything, so it seemed fine to go out as is.

A long-sleeved shirt seemed a better choice than the robe, which was just too hot to wear. The mercenaries roaming around in armor seemed all the more remarkable. Sylvia had no idea that the armor they wore had cooling magic applied, just as there are products for warmth in winter, there are cooling items for summer, a fact Sylvia was unaware of.

Having finished preparing, she stepped out of the vine house. The members were already up, folding their tents. Felix had also risen and was fully dressed in his armor. As Sylvia emerged, he, who had been leaning against a tree watching, approached her.

“Did you sleep well?”

Worried she might have had a restless night, he asked. Sylvia, shielding her eyes from the bright sun and looking around, turned to him with a smile.

“I slept well. How about you?”

Her smile was refreshing. Felix unconsciously licked his lips, as if tasting a faint hint of grapes.

“What about the robe?”

He was curious why she only wore a shirt today. Sylvia, as if waiting for this question, complained.

“I’d die of heat if I wore the robe too.”

Her cute pout and slightly scrunched face made her look adorable. But puzzled, he asked.

“Why would the robe make you hot?”

At his question, Sylvia tilted her head.

“Aren’t you hot in your armor?”

His question seemed to miss the mark, prompting Felix to clarify.

“Wasn’t your robe enchanted with cooling magic?”

The robe Sylvia had been wearing was from her previous life, as were all her clothes. She had spent any money she made on food or magical ingredients, never really thinking about clothes.

Sylvia, looking puzzled, tilted her head, and Felix, observing her, took out a new robe from his spatial storage. The black robe shimmered, clearly of high quality.

It was one of the items he had taken from the royal treasury.

“Try this on.”

He was displeased seeing the shirt cling to her figure, revealing her body contours. Not understanding why he felt annoyed, Felix’s primary thought was to cover her up.

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