The dining location was finally chosen to be on the first floor.
Claire’s clinic wasn’t much bigger than an ordinary residence, so the entire second floor only had guest rooms. Even the living room on the first floor was sparsely furnished, with just a small table, two or three chairs, and some small props casually discarded by Claire, like a medical kit and a scale for weighing herbs.
Although the sunset could shine through the window, the living room felt somewhat desolate due to its lack of a homely atmosphere.
At this moment, the small living room only had Fia and Claire sitting across from each other at the table.
Perhaps because she finally had a guest, Claire was in a good mood, and the table was set with an exceptionally rich array of dishes.
Claire even poured a drink that looked like juice for Fia.
However, compared to the steam rising from the table, the atmosphere at the dining table didn’t quite lift Fia’s spirits.
It was too awkward.
She had never been alone with a stranger woman before, and she had only met Claire once.
She really didn’t know what to talk about.
Should she start with small talk? But Claire had no family, so that topic was definitely a dead end.
Then maybe ask about her hobbies? But Claire had a curse that made people fear and forget her, so it was easy to accidentally touch a nerve.
Fia didn’t think her conversational skills were advanced enough to sense someone else’s sensitive topics in advance.
…It was like a hedgehog.
No matter which direction she approached from, it was difficult to start.
“Is it not to your taste? I thought you might have to stay here for a night, so I bought some food on the way back.
If you’re worried about human food, I can make something else—though, to be honest, I’m also considered human.”
Without touching her utensils, Claire said with a wry smile.
The awkwardness was finally broken, and the atmosphere at the dining table became more lively.
Fia picked up the conversation.
“I was just thinking if there might be too much food…” As Fia said, there were at least seven dishes on the table.
Slices of red animal meat, something resembling pizza sprinkled with carrot bits and vegetable stems, and skewers of meat roasted to a brown-red color with a spicy and cumin aroma.
Even considering Anastasia, these dishes were too much for three people.
“Because I didn’t know what little Fia and Anastasia liked, I bought a bit of everything.
Is it not to your taste?”
“It’s not that it’s not to my taste, it’s just that this is the first time I’ve had such a rich meal since I became aware.”
While at the slave trader’s mansion, she did eat, but those foods were just to fill her stomach and couldn’t really be called “cuisine.” Because Anastasia didn’t trust strangers, the only things served to her were bread, milk, and cold food.
The reason it was cold was that all the food had to be tested for poison by Anastasia and the other guards, and only after a period of time without issues could Fia eat it.
It’s also worth mentioning that in the Holy Kingdom of Milcandis, people mainly used knives and forks as utensils, with bread as the staple food.
Dishes weren’t distributed on individual plates in advance but were placed on communal plates for people to take as needed.
Holding a knife and fork, Claire blinked her pure green eyes, as if suddenly remembering something.
“Ah, that’s right, little Fia mentioned she’s not a real ‘young lady.'”
Hearing Claire mention the young lady, Fia immediately felt awkward and didn’t dare to look directly at Claire.
“Well… I’m sorry for lying to you yesterday, Claire.
At that time, Anna was actually referring to Anastasia, and the young lady was just an identity I made up.
I’m actually an elf princess.”
“Don’t worry about it, don’t worry about it.
Didn’t I also hide my curse? Besides, the identity of an elf princess is indeed very sensitive and shouldn’t be casually mentioned.” Saying this, Claire’s expression took on a hint of playfulness.
She leaned forward slightly and asked with a feigned mysteriousness, “So, has little Fia accepted her identity now?”
“Well, sort of.”
She couldn’t possibly tell Claire that she cried in Anastasia’s arms last night; that would be too embarrassing.
To divert attention, Fia picked up her utensils and forked a piece of what seemed to be roasted and sliced animal meat—it indeed tasted like beast meat.
The texture was firm yet not difficult to chew, and as the red fibers touched her taste buds, the aroma of the seasoning exploded on her tongue.
Unfortunately, the seasonings in this other world weren’t as rich as those in Fia’s time, making the aftertaste somewhat lacking.
It was the first time since coming to this other world that she had eaten something warm, and the deliciousness filling her mouth made Fia feel so moved that tears almost welled up in her eyes.
“How is it? Does it taste okay?”
“Yes.
It’s delicious.”
“That’s good.
Since little Fia is an elf princess, when do you plan to leave Aurora City? Aurora City is currently sealed by the Unsinkable Moon, and it’s hard to leave without breaking it.”
As Claire said this, her expression held some vague emotions that Fia couldn’t understand.
Claire had something else she wanted to say.
Fia’s intuition told her so.
It was best to answer honestly here.
“Well… I plan to investigate the Unsinkable Moon first and leave when the time is right.”
“What about accommodation? Does little Fia have a place to stay?” Claire’s tone became more urgent, though she hid it well, Fia could still sense it from the subtle changes in her expression.
Claire was probably hoping she could stay here.
For someone who couldn’t interact with others, it was only natural to want to keep someone who neither feared nor forgot her.
Claire probably chose to become a doctor to help others remember her, fighting against their fear of her.
It was somewhat like her former self.
Having been lonely for so long, when someone could respond to her, she couldn’t help but see them as the sun.
Her existence gave Claire hope.
If she were Claire, she would probably want to give everything she had to the other person to gain their trust and bond.
Was Claire thinking the same way?
Fia looked again into Claire’s green eyes, which were now filled with genuine emotion, unlike the deep, unreadable look from last night.
She didn’t dislike Claire, so it was better to go along with Claire’s wishes.
Swallowing the food in her mouth, Fia thought about her response.
“I think I’ll stay here with Claire until the Unsinkable Moon disappears.
I’ll pay, is that okay?”
“Of course!” Realizing her own excitement, Claire, who had stood up from her chair, sat back down with an awkward expression and said, “No, no need to pay.
I’m very happy to have Fia stay here.
To be honest, the rooms upstairs were originally prepared for homeless travelers to rest temporarily, but no one wanted to stay here, so they’ve been vacant.”
Under the sunset, Claire’s face, with her silver hair, blushed slightly as she shyly averted her gaze, her fingers unconsciously fiddling with the utensils.
She was just like an ordinary girl.
“As you know, meeting someone who doesn’t fear me makes me very happy.
Although I’ve met people who gradually stopped fearing me over time, once they left for a while, they would forget me and become strangers again.
So Fia’s presence makes me lose control a bit.
If there really is such a thing as fate, little Fia must be my destined person.”
“That way of putting it is…”
It was too subtle.
Even though she knew Claire didn’t mean it in a romantic sense, Fia couldn’t help but think in that direction—being with a beautiful girl like Claire, she must have saved the world in her past life.
Of course, Fia also had some concerns.
While enjoying the delicious food on the table, she pretended not to care and asked.
“Claire mentioned meeting people who didn’t fear you before, what was that about?”
“It was a slave I met by chance.
She had just escaped from her master and was hiding in the ruins, afraid to come out to avoid being caught.
When I found her, she was barely breathing, so out of kindness, I brought her home.
At first, she was afraid of me, but because she didn’t have the strength to run away, she had to accept my help.”
“As we spent more time together, the curse’s effect gradually weakened, and by the time she fully recovered, we had become good friends.
But later, she chose to leave temporarily for revenge.
I waited and waited, and a year after the agreed date, she still hadn’t returned, so I decided to check on her.
When I stood in front of her, she had completed her revenge but couldn’t remember who I was and mistook me for an enemy seeking revenge.”
Although Claire smiled as she recounted the past, there was a hint of bitterness in her tone.
Fia couldn’t help but put down her knife and fork, sitting up straight.
“And then what happened?”
“Then I left and never contacted her again.
Although she betrayed our agreement, she still gave me some good memories.
I’ve forgiven her.
It’s something that couldn’t be helped.
If it weren’t for the curse on me, she wouldn’t have wanted to forget me.”
“But—”
“That’s why you’re special, little Fia,” Claire said with interest, cutting Fia off before she could speak.
“Last night, I went to the slave market intending to see if I could buy that cat-eared girl, but instead, I met my destined benefactor, you, Fia.
It’s amazing that there’s someone as unique as you in the world.
If it weren’t for the fact that you’re the Elf Princess, I would have tried everything to keep you by my side.”
You were just a step too late.
Fia couldn’t help but stick her tongue out in her mind.
If the first person she had met wasn’t Anastasia but Claire, she would have already fallen for Claire and wouldn’t be thinking about the Elf Princess—Claire indeed had a charm that could make someone fall in love at first sight.
However, she had already decided to become the Elf Princess, so she couldn’t stay in Aurora City.
As if reading Fia’s mind, Claire smiled and said, “Looking back, I should have said last night, ‘If little Fia doesn’t want to become the ‘young lady,’ there’s a place for you with me.’ That way, I could have tricked Fia into staying with me.”
“Can I take that as a declaration of sovereignty?”
“You can see it that way if you like.
If it weren’t for my pride and morals, I would have wanted to tie little Fia up and take her away.
In the past ten years, I’ve been to countless places and met many people, and you’re the first one not affected by the curse.”
Even though Claire’s tone was casual, her eyes only focused on the cup being stirred with a wooden spoon, Fia could still feel her sincerity.
She almost got kidnapped by her big sister.
Fia playfully spread her hands.
“Claire probably couldn’t kidnap me.”
“Oh, don’t underestimate me.
I’m quite a powerful magic chanter, and of course, my close combat skills are nothing to scoff at.
I could beat a woman like Anastasia with one hand.
So, are you scared?”
“Not at all.”
