Leon called it a date, but honestly, it was a bit ambiguous to call it that.
After all, who talks about expeditionary troops on a date?
The peculiar thing was that Leon ate no less than seventeen croissants—and promptly fell in love with them.
“I’ll be sure to live up to your support, my lady.”
It seemed Leon quite enjoyed his time with me.
Considering that at this time, nobody viewed his expedition favorably, my encouragement must have struck him even more deeply.
Looks like I managed to build some goodwill, right?
On top of that, I slyly slipped him some useful information about the upcoming expedition.
For instance, that among magical beasts, the spider type with human-like faces was rumored to be most vulnerable to the venom of the magpie viper. Or that seven-colored magic circles depended heavily on the order of the colors—mess up the sequence, and they could explode.
“You seem well-versed not only in swordsmanship but in various fields of knowledge.”
“I merely picked things up here and there.”
All in all, it was a mutually beneficial time.
Honestly, even just looking at his face was already a blessing.
After all, no matter what anyone said, wasn’t he the male lead of That Girl, That Heroine—the very series I fangirled over?
2D and 3D were on completely different levels.
I always thought the saying “just seeing their face fills you up” was nonsense, but it turned out to be true.
No sooner had I arrived back at my quarters than Hamun showed up, as though he’d been waiting for me.
“What did you have for lunch?”
“I went to a pasta place.”
“And then?”
“I had croissants.”
“Sounds delicious.”
But something about Hamun looked unusual.
Instead of his usual training clothes, he was dressed head to toe in a white chef’s uniform.
“Why are you dressed like that?”
“I had a feeling this would happen. But pasta and croissants don’t provide all the nutrients you need.”
In other words, I was lacking protein.
A thought perfectly fitting for the son of Sir Themanon, the muscle-bound knight.
“I got hold of a special recipe. I’ll make you the best steak in the world.”
Behind my lodging.
That’s where Hamun and I had dinner together.
Come to think of it, this is my first meal alone with Hamun, isn’t it?
We always crossed swords, but never forks.
Hamun, like a chef in a fine restaurant, explained each dish to me.
“This is corn soup. It’s made from a special kind of corn harvested only this season in the Cerdan region. I used milk and fresh cream to make it smoother and sweeter. I hope it suits your taste.”
Sure enough, the soup passed the test at first sniff.
The aroma alone told me it would be delicious.
“Here, use this little spoon.”
Hamun looked at me with sparkling eyes.
I couldn’t help thinking how pampered I felt today—lunch with Leon, dinner with Hamun.
And Hamun’s adorably earnest expression gave a completely different sense of warmth than Leon’s had.
The heroine sure has it good.
If I was going to transmigrate, why not into Aileen?
Then I could have grown up in a harmonious family, enjoyed sweet moments with the male leads, and not had to deal with constant threats of death.
“How is it? Tasty?”
“It’s the best corn soup I’ve ever had.”
Pleased by my words, Hamun grinned sheepishly.
Every time he smiled, it felt like stars were falling from the sky.
“Here, it also goes well with this baguette.”
Hamun speared a piece of baguette, dipped it deeply into his untouched soup, and placed it on my plate.
If I had no manners, I might have drooled right then.
Inside, the hungry street rat in me cheered, but outwardly, I kept my composure as a noble young lady.
“It’s delicious.”
The soup and the savory baguette were a heavenly combination.
“I wanted to bake the baguette myself, but that didn’t work out. So I asked the head chef.”
Why did he sound guilty for treating me so well?
Why the gloomy look?
“Thank you, for putting so much care into this.”
Hamun beamed again at my words.
Even the bread and soup were amazing, but they were just the appetizers.
The real highlight was the steak!
Hamun’s steak was truly exquisite.
High-quality beef, infused with the richness of butter, melted on my tongue.
How does one even make a steak taste like this?
He said he marinated it with spices and herbs, and I could tell it had taken great care.
“I’m glad it suits your taste.”
“It’s more than just good. It’s incredible.”
“Then I’ll make it for you again next time.”
After the meal, Hamun casually asked,
“So, what did you talk about with Prince Leon for so long?”
So long?
It was only about two hours, wasn’t it?
“Mostly about the expedition.”
I mentioned that I had encouraged Leon.
“Ah! Then you must have met him because of that investment matter.”
“I suppose so?”
“I knew it.”
For some reason, Hamun looked pleased.
It seemed he too had a strong intuition that Leon’s expedition would succeed.
And if it did, Hamun—whose name was backing it—would receive some reward as well.
Ugh, this is so exciting.
My heart had pounded even when investing just five million won in stocks. But this time, it wasn’t five million, it was five hundred million.
And not just any stock—one guaranteed to skyrocket.
Of course I was excited.
Sure, the heroine would reap the rewards in the end, but right now I had Hamun smiling radiantly before me, stars glittering in the night sky above, and a meal that was truly delicious. Everything was pure happiness.
I felt intoxicated by the joy and atmosphere.
“By the way, Prince Leon is quite handsome.”
“So are you.”
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
“Hm?”
There was no taking them back.
And acting flustered with, “Ah, no! Forget it!” wasn’t dignified either.
A noble young lady had to take responsibility for her own words.
“You’re beautiful too.”
“Hehe.”
Hamun rubbed his nose shyly, his earlobes tinged red, looking unbearably adorable.
“I feel really good hearing that from you, Seila.”
Oh no.
If he kept smiling at me with those loving eyes, I might melt without realizing it.
After spending so much time with him, I’d grown too fond already.
If I wasn’t careful, my heart’s lock might break wide open.
If that happens…
I snapped myself back to reality.
Falling for that face would be dangerous.
No matter what, Hamun belonged to the heroine.
If I dared covet him, disaster would surely strike me down.
Fangirling should stay fangirling.
I quickly changed the subject.
“Anyway, when did you learn to cook like this?”
In That Girl, That Heroine, he didn’t cook. Well, not until he met the heroine.
“I realized something while watching your brother.”
“Garen?”
“Yeah. Apparently, he’s considered the best cook among first-years at Somarpi Academy.”
Now that I thought about it, Garen’s cooking skills had skyrocketed too.
“It’s all hush-hush, but I heard that cooking ability is actually pretty important once you enter Somarpi. So I started learning.”
Ah, so I influenced Garen, and now Garen influenced Hamun.
And Hamun, being smart and capable, was already preparing for Somarpi Academy.
I should practice cooking too.
I prided myself on being decent in the kitchen, but in this body, I’d never cooked a thing.
I needed to practice before enrollment.
Somarpi wasn’t the kind of boarding academy that served first-years their meals.
“I see.”
“I’m really happy you enjoyed it. This was my first time cooking for someone, and I’m honored it was you, Seila.”
Hamun stood and bowed to me politely.
“The honor was mine. Thank you.”
My reply left him visibly proud.
He was naturally kind and generous, but today he seemed especially happy.
I must have reacted really well.
That thought made me proud too.
Meanwhile, Themanon scowled deeply.
“Why didn’t you attend our daughter’s coming-of-age ceremony?”
“Why should I waste time on such a trivial event? And you barge in after so long, only to pick a fight?”
He could not understand Defelto.
“What? You say Seila mustn’t be allowed to become arrogant? Are you serious?”
“Yes. Lately, the rumors about her have grown quite unsettling. And what are you doing, letting them spread unchecked?”
Among the rumors about Seila, which began with her being the ‘faceless beauty,’ many were unfavorable.
Most were fabricated.
Themanon’s frown deepened.
“Dvernon’s daughter came to the Eastern Continent for training. Of course rumors will spread, no matter how much I try to keep them contained. With the long-standing grudge between the North and East, it’s inevitable. You knew that when she was sent here! Why are you nitpicking now?”
“That’s not all.”
Defelto shook his head.
“I hear she wears trousers like men, and even performs indecent sword dances.”
“…”
“Isn’t that disgraceful for a noble lady?”
“What’s disgraceful about it?”
“At a time when she should be modest and proper, she engages in such barbaric behavior. She can forget about finding a good marriage match. She’s come of age, yet hasn’t even held a debutante ball. No wonder vile rumors are spreading!”
Themanon’s expression grew darker and more menacing.
