Jeremy laughed cheerfully.
“Ah, now that I think about it, you two really match well. Like a handsome and beautiful couple. Congratulations.”
Ethan, had he been closer, would have wanted to cover that guy’s mouth. Even though everyone knew, it was something not openly discussed, yet there he was, butting in without a clue.
Ethan thought Felix would glare at Jeremy like before and was about to discreetly approach Jeremy when he heard Felix’s voice filled with apparent joy.
“Is that how we seem?”
His single comment stopped Ethan in his tracks, and both the Croban Mercenary Group and the knights widened their eyes as if they might tear apart.
“If you have eyes, that’s how you’d see it! Geez, how did you woo Miss Sylvia? Even when she was selling lunch boxes at the city gate, so many mercenaries hit on her. But Miss Sylvia never noticed.”
When she was selling lunch boxes at the city gate, people came not just for the delicious food but also because they were interested in Sylvia.
Sylvia blinked rapidly, looking surprised by this new information. Felix, noticing her reaction, asked in a low, subdued voice.
“Is that so?”
The happiness he had shown earlier disappeared, replaced by a chilling demeanor as he looked at Jeremy with a gaze sharp as a blade.
“Yes! And, not to mention, the Visconti family was also looking for Miss Sylvia…”
Ethan, who had stopped for a moment, quickly leapt towards Jeremy and covered half of his face with a large hand, blocking not just his mouth but his nose as well, causing Jeremy to struggle and pound on Ethan’s muscular forearm.
“Hahaha! Well! It’s something everyone in the mercenary group knows by now, but I didn’t expect you to still be unaware.”
Sylvia, hearing news for the first time, began to open her mouth, slightly moving her lips. Then, Henry approached Felix and whispered quietly.
“They didn’t just issue a bounty, but they circulated a description of her. It seems the Visconti duke is looking for Miss Sylvia.”
Felix, who was also unaware of this, quickly regained his composure and stated firmly.
But he was looking at Sylvia while he said it.
“Don’t worry about it. You’re going with me to the Capitis Kingdom.”
Turning away from Jeremy, whose interest he had lost, Felix then whispered closely in Sylvia’s ear.
“If you want, I’ll kill him for you.”
He disliked the idea of Sylvia being continuously bothered by something. If she wished, he was ready to confront that man and cut his throat right away.
At his menacing offer, Sylvia shook her shoulders and hurriedly replied.
“No! No! It’s nothing serious! I just ran away because I felt overwhelmed.”
“What was?”
Felix asked calmly, hoping to finally understand the reason, as Sylvia resumed her bustling cooking.
“Well, they… they asked me to work for the ducal house… and it felt too burdensome, and I don’t like that kind of thing… I was going to refuse.”
Murmuring her words, Sylvia was intently watched by Felix, who asked tenderly.
“And then?”
“They even prepared a workspace to show me, how could I refuse? But I still didn’t like it, so I ran away without saying anything. It was my fault.”
Felix narrowed his eyes slightly at the revelation.
If Sylvia hadn’t followed him, she might have been in the Visconti ducal house by now.
The mere thought was displeasing, and Felix’s gaze grew colder. Unaware of his expression, Sylvia continued.
“I should’ve just refused openly. People in the village always said noble houses are scary, and like a fool, I didn’t say anything. That’s what hurts the most.”
If only she had, she wouldn’t have felt as if something was stuck in her chest. As Sylvia’s teal eyebrows drooped, Felix rubbed them gently with his firm fingertips and responded.
“What mistake did you make? It’s that bastard’s fault for approaching you in such an oppressive manner.”
“Eh?”
Surprised by his use of ‘bastard,’ Sylvia looked up at him with wide eyes, to which Felix responded with a disarmingly bright smile, his dark eyes not leaving her teal ones.
“It’s the fault of that man who dared to covet you.”
As Sylvia’s jaw was gently caressed by Felix’s long fingers, she found herself unable to look away from his narrowing gaze. Sensing the strange atmosphere, Sylvia’s shoulders tensed up, unable to breathe properly until Felix rested his hand on her shoulder, reverting to his usual playful demeanor.
“But, are we still waiting? I’m hungry, Siri.”
“Oh! No, it’s almost ready!”
While touching the tips of her reddened ears, Sylvia began slicing the pork ribs into bite-sized pieces. The others, witnessing their interaction, were left speechless and frozen in place.
Felix stealthily stepped back and wrapped his arms around Sylvia from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder while leisurely scanning the people around them. His gaze alone felt threateningly low and dangerous, causing everyone to avoid his eyes.
Hubert, Denis, Henry quickly turned away, sitting with their backs to the scene. Ethan, utterly dumbfounded by the absurdity, had forgotten he was still covering Jeremy’s mouth and nose.
Thibault couldn’t tear his gaze away from Felix, feeling an unmatchable power and an indescribable sense of pressure that made his body tingle.
All this was observed by three fairies perched on a branch.
[Felix is becoming more and more like Lord Aethernum.]
[Uhm, Asta thinks so too.]
[What do you mean?]
In response to Eryngium’s question, Poppy explained.
[You wouldn’t know because you’re too lazy to leave the window. Lord Aethernum sometimes had that same look when searching for his partner.]
[Right, he said something about waiting for his partner… His eyes were exactly like that.]
[Yes, really just like that.]
Still puzzled, Eryngium asked again.
[What kind of look is that?]
[Oh dear, you’re so clueless. Right now, Felix is warding off any males showing interest in Sylvia.]
[Poppy, maybe calling them ‘males’ isn’t quite right…]
[Asta! How else should we refer to human males? Lord Aethernum said the same. Males, regardless of their species, are all the same.]
[Asta really dislikes such vulgar terms!]
[What’s vulgar about it? It’s an expression true to their instincts! I deeply agree with Lord Aethernum’s words!]
While Poppy and Asta bickered, Eryngium looked down and muttered.
[Then… shouldn’t we just gouge out the eyes of anyone who looks at Sylvia? Would that be enough of a deterrent?]
Poppy and Asta stopped arguing instantly, showing horrified expressions that Eryngium didn’t see. She spoke with a voice full of concern.
[Sylvia should be a bit pretty, right…]
Though they sympathized, Poppy and Asta just sighed at Eryngium’s slightly off-track comment. After all, it wasn’t their place to worry about human affairs.
Suddenly, strawberries, blueberries, and grapes began to grow around the fairies, who chattered excitedly.
[It’s all thanks to Sylvia.]
[Asta loves Sylvia so much!]
[Our Sylvia is the best.]
***
Sylvia, having prepared a large space with a dining table, instructed everyone.
“Please place the spoons. And make sure to wash your hands.”
She transferred the pork ribs onto plates and floated them to the table. Lettuce, perilla leaves, dandelion leaves, chicory, vitamins, green peppers, and other wrap vegetables were piled up next to the pork ribs.
She added side dishes like green onion salad, radish salad, and placed golden-brown potato and zucchini pancakes. The glossy purple rice was generously served to each person.
She chilled the radish water kimchi with ice magic and placed it on the table.
The sauce used for marinating the pork ribs was provided for dipping, along with a special sauce made of gochujang, chili powder, sesame oil, chopped green onions, garlic, onion, and sesame seeds in a small dish.
The Nakri Mercenary Group, having experienced dining together by the lake, promptly took their seats, but the kingdom’s knight order and Thibault stood puzzled, looking at the table.
“Knights of the kingdom, please take a seat. And these are chopsticks. You use them like this.”
Sylvia demonstrated how to use chopsticks.
“In the kingdom, we also use chopsticks, Magician.”
Thibault responded, slowly taking a seat. They had never imagined dining so leisurely atop a tree, visible to the beasts below.
Sylvia, reminded of the inns in the kingdom, nodded.
“Ah, right. The kingdom is famous for its noodles… They were really delicious. Personally, I loved the pork noodles soaked in black broth the most.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes! There were so many types of noodles. I got in trouble because I wanted to buy every kind.”
As Sylvia responded with a gentle voice, Thibault looked up to convey the prince’s message again, just when Felix called out to Sylvia from a distance.
“Siri, come here.”
Gesturing for her to approach, Sylvia hurried over to Felix.
“Why? Doesn’t it suit your taste?”
Felix raised his eyebrows at Sylvia, who unknowingly switched to informal language when flustered, despite intending to use formal language.
“I don’t know what to start with. It’s because you’re not here. Can’t you sit next to me?”
His slightly mumbling voice sounded almost like he was whining. Sylvia bit her lip hard, rubbing her eyes, as if she couldn’t help but grin otherwise.
‘So cute… Ah, it’s the peak of cuteness. How can he be so pretty and adorable?’
Worried that her expression might give everything away, Sylvia sat next to Felix, trying to appear more composed as she responded.
“Do you really need me that much?”
The question came out in embarrassment, but it shocked Felix. Hearing the words he feared most from her mouth had a tremendous impact.
Sylvia was startled to see Felix turn pale, unable to respond, just his lips quivering.
“Why are you like this all of a sudden? Are you okay?”
She took his face in her small hands, turning it from side to side to check on him. Felix breathed out softly, seeing her concerned expression.
“Will you always stay by my side?”
He wanted to hear it from her, to be assured she would always be there for him.
Sylvia stopped at his words. She wanted to stay with him just as he wished, but she couldn’t give a definite answer. Yet, she wanted to hint at her true feelings, using the excuse that the female lead had not yet appeared.
“If you want me to… I will.”
Though not a clear answer, it comforted Felix. The conditional “if you want” implied she would stay by his side forever, as he would surely desire her presence.
Felix’s face brightened as he tightly held Sylvia’s hand, cheerfully asking,
“What should I start with?”
“Huh? Oh, try eating the pork ribs on top of the rice first.”
She scooped a large spoonful of rice and placed a thick piece of pork rib on top.
“Here, open wide.”
Matching Sylvia’s cue, Felix opened his mouth. The sweet and savory aroma filled his mouth.