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Chapter 18
“What?”
I blinked up at him, wide-eyed, not understanding.
Ilaie reached out and playfully ruffled my hair.
“I want you to do whatever you want, but no matter how I think about it, I really don’t like that guy.”
“What?”
“That gloomy brat… You deserve someone more proper, graceful, modest, cute, and obedient.”
Ilaie muttered with a frown.
His voice was so low and quiet that I couldn’t really make out what he was saying.
“Ilaie? I didn’t hear you. What did you just say?”
When I looked up at him with round eyes, he withdrew his hand as if it was nothing.
“Didn’t you say you were hungry? You humans say eating on time is important, so let’s head to the kitchen.”
“Food. Ah, right. Food.”
I stood up, straightening my messy hair.
Now that the tension had eased, a wave of hunger suddenly crashed over me.
I went straight to the kitchen and ladled out a bowl of stew.
It had already cooled down to lukewarm, but the delicious smell still drifted up.
So this is what As made…?
I narrowed my eyes at the stew as I carried it to the table.
A child—no, a young noble—had made this himself?
With just a sprinkle of parsley on top, it would’ve been worthy of posting on Instagram. The aroma alone made me think, this is going to be good.
Especially since a noble kid likely never even touched water with his own hands.
What was I doing at his age? Had I even cooked instant noodles…?
Feeling a little self-conscious, I stopped reminiscing.
When I sat down and took a bite of the stew, the spicy yet savory flavor of the meat spread warmly through my mouth.
As a Korean who couldn’t handle greasy food, it was the perfect taste for me.
“A kid really made this?”
I stared at the stew in disbelief.
It was amazing enough that a noble child could cook this well, but to make something that matched my palate so perfectly, when by this world’s standards it should’ve been unusual…
“Is this… even possible?”
I suddenly felt defeated.
He had eaten my spicy stew only a couple of times, and yet overnight he had replicated it almost perfectly.
Was this what people called genius?
As could totally grow up to be a chef someday…
Half-dazed, I kept eating spoonful after spoonful, until I suddenly glanced at Ilaie sitting across from me.
He had his chin propped on his hand, watching me eat. When he noticed my gaze, he spoke.
“What is it?”
“Well, it’s just… It’s been a while since you suddenly showed up like this. I was wondering if that means I was in real danger.”
I grinned sheepishly. Ilaie sighed, looking at me like I was some reckless child.
“If I hadn’t come, you would’ve died there.”
The sharp remark hit home.
I winced, spoon halfway in my mouth, pretending to look elsewhere.
Honestly, I had panicked and overused healing magic, afraid the child might die if I didn’t do enough…
“I still don’t like that kid… But since you like him so much, I can’t exactly kill him off…”
Ilaie muttered while gazing at me.
I couldn’t hear him clearly, but I still looked up, feeling like a scolded child in front of a parent. Ilaie sighed once more.
“Forget it. Not that I like the other one any better. Him or that brat—it’s all the same.”
“Him or that brat? What are you even talking about?”
“If only you were a spirit.”
Like a child abandoned by the fire, Ilaie muttered wistfully.
The sudden remark made me tilt my head in confusion, but Ilaie sometimes said strange things like that. So I quietly went back to eating stew.
“But… since you came without planning, you’ll still be able to visit again later, right?”
I cautiously asked, sneaking a glance at him.
“If nothing big happens while I’m away.”
“Gasp! No, that’s bad! You should hurry back, then!”
Trouble always came without warning.
My embarrassing past had all happened out of nowhere, and the war with the Semel tribe had also broken out suddenly, when they had seemed irrelevant!
Even the plague during Yi Hee-su’s time spread suddenly…!
Panicked, I jumped up from my seat.
Ilaie chuckled.
“I can at least spare the time to watch you eat.”
“…So it won’t keep you from visiting again, right?”
“Right.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Only after hearing the same reassurance a few times did I finally relax and smile.
“Today’s morning was horrible, but I’m glad I get to see more of your face, Ilaie.”
“I don’t want to see you like this. Take care of your body yourself.”
He firmly denied it.
I drooped my head like a scolded child.
“…Okay…”
I stirred the stew gloomily. Then, after a silence, Ilaie slowly spoke.
“I didn’t mean I don’t want to see you. I just don’t want you getting hurt so badly that I have to come.”
At those words, I couldn’t help but smile.
Of course I knew—he was just worried about me.
But, when I act sulky, it’s so cute how Ilaie always explains himself like that…
To think I’d find the Spirit King, thousands of years my elder, cute someday… Truly, you never know what life will bring.
When I grinned happily, Ilaie sighed but soon let out a small laugh too.
“If that brat As ever dares to overstep, call me. I’ll deal with him immediately.”
His tone was suddenly serious again.
The warning was so firm it almost felt like he was truly preparing for danger. I tilted my head.
Overstep? Like… being rude?
But As was polite and kind regardless of status.
Smiling brightly, I answered,
“As would never do that. He’s such a good, obedient boy.”
“…I forgot how easy it is to overlook the darkness in someone’s heart.”
Ilaie pressed his brow with his fingers, as if nursing a headache.
The moment I heard that, I felt a strange déjà vu.
Come to think of it, Harnen also warned me about As…
I frowned in confusion.
He said, “It was definitely Einra who asked to go to the festival with you… Please don’t hate me.”
“Even if you let me sleep here… you still won’t hate me, right?”
He was just a pitiful boy who sharpened his words out of fear of being hated by me. How could anyone see him as bad?
Not to mention, he even made breakfast today!
I felt annoyed.
“Ilaie, do you know something about As?”
“What?”
“Why do you badmouth him when you don’t even know him? It’s not like As has done anything wrong.”
I raised my chin stubbornly. For a moment, Ilaie froze.
His calm, water-like eyes met mine. He stared at me for a long while before abruptly turning his head away without a word.
“…They say raising children is useless, and I see why.”
He muttered in a weary voice.
I didn’t know why he suddenly said that, but for some reason I felt like I should stay quiet.
So I just focused on finishing the stew, sneaking glances at him now and then.
…Some habits never change.
After watching me finish breakfast, Ilaie returned to the Spirit Realm, looking strangely drained.
I felt heavy-hearted, wondering if I’d been too harsh to someone who only worried for me. But still—I couldn’t just accept hearing that a kind, sweet child had a “dark heart.”
As, who woke up early to make me breakfast, stew and all!
Dark-hearted? Ridiculous!
“Come to think of it, Harnen badmouthed As too.”
I narrowed my eyes into slits and clenched my fists.
“When Harnen comes back, I’m going to lecture him for hours!”
Even thinking back on it now, it was such an outrageous thing to say.
“A ‘low-quality wolf pup’? That’s way too harsh to say about a kid!”
Grumbling, I headed toward As’s room.
When I opened the door, the first thing that greeted me was the sunlight streaming through the windows.
A gentle breeze flowed in through the half-opened window, letting in fresh air.
The white chiffon curtains swayed softly, like waves.
And there was As, still fast asleep in the warm sunlight filling the room.
