HMC 08

~Chapter 8~

“Is me wearing pants a good thing for you, Lukas?”

Rosedale asked the question directly. Lukas blinked slowly, caught off guard.

“Do I look like I’m in a good mood right now?”

“Yeah. Look in the mirror.”

Lukas glanced at the mirror in front of Rosedale.

Just like she said, his eyes looked softer.

He realized even under his mask, his lips were smiling. He quickly tried to hide it, a little shaken.

Rosedale gave a small laugh and pointed to the hair he had tucked behind her ear.

“You even fixed my hair like family would.”

That was something only close human families did.
She and Lukas weren’t close or friends yet. But he had shown that kind of affection. That must mean his mood was really good—enough to show feelings he didn’t mean to.

“Yeah, maybe.”
Lukas chuckled lightly.
“You look like the future I want for Iberia.”

“What kind of future?”

Lukas didn’t answer, just smiled softly.

Maybe he couldn’t say more because he was hiding his identity.
Still, Rosedale had a good idea of what he meant—thanks to what the shop owner had told her earlier.

Even Rosedale thought the way humans treated pants for women was weird. A fairy thought it was strange—so surely a human like Lukas must too.

Especially someone with such beautiful eyes.

“Eyes are the windows to the soul… so Lukas must have a really pure soul,”
she thought.

Of all the eyes Rosedale had ever seen, his were the most beautiful. Like sunlit summer leaves, or a secret, untouched lake.

A fairy like her—who loved beauty—enjoyed looking at his eyes.

So she could imagine what kind of future someone with eyes like that would want.

“Thanks for the clothes. I really like them.”

“You like it?”

“Yeah. Human clothes are pretty.”

Fairy clothes were simpler and more comfortable, but human clothes had color and shine. Even the buttons were sparkly.

As she played with a shiny button, Lukas turned to the shopkeeper.

“She’ll wear them out. Please pack her old clothes and shoes.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Also, can you deliver the box to her home? Carrying it around would be annoying.”

“Of course. What’s the address?”

Both the shopkeeper and Lukas looked at Rosedale.

She had been busy admiring a button, but now looked up.

“…My house?”

She hesitated.

She didn’t have one. Fairies could sleep in trees—but humans needed homes.

“I don’t have one…”

“You don’t have a house?”

Lukas’s eyes narrowed sharply, almost suspiciously.

Rosedale laughed awkwardly and quickly explained:

“I told you—I’ve only been here one day. I haven’t found a house yet.”

It was a quick excuse, but a pretty good one. Before he could ask more, she added:

“You can throw away my old clothes. I don’t need them.”

“…Alright.”

Lukas didn’t press further. Maybe he thought this was a one-time meeting.

Rosedale sighed in relief, though she still kept an eye on him just in case.

Then something caught her attention.

“That’ll be 123 Luche,”
the shopkeeper said.

Rosedale watched curiously as Lukas paid.

So Luche was the “money” she’d read about in books.

Books said money was important for humans—to buy things—and some people even fought over it. It was useful if used wisely, but dangerous if desired too much.

But seeing it in real life…

“It’s… pretty?”

Luche coins were shiny, round, and had beautiful patterns.
Fairies love pretty things too, but humans seemed extra obsessed—like crows who collect shiny objects.

It was cute.

“Thank you. Please visit again!”

Rosedale walked out of the boutique with Lukas.

“So… what’s 123 Luche worth?”

“About enough to feed a family of four for two weeks.”

“Then my clothes cost more than food for a family?”

“That was a noble boutique.”

“…”

Rosedale’s jaw dropped.

How could clothes cost more than food needed to survive?

“What do humans even eat to make clothes more expensive than meals?!”

She looked shocked. Lukas smiled, amused.

“Then let’s go eat Iberian food next.”

“Food is different in each country?”

“Yeah. Depends on the culture and crops.”

“How can there be so much variety?”

Fairies “ate” by absorbing nature’s energy. They sometimes ate fruit or animal milk, but rarely.

Humans had many different types of food by region. She found that amazing.

While she was marveling, Lukas pointed to a restaurant.

“Let’s try there. I’ve heard it’s popular.”

“Okay!”

Excited, Rosedale followed him inside.

They sat down, and she watched as Lukas ordered food and observed the humans around her.

Everyone in the big restaurant looked happy—smiling with their eyes closed and laughing.

“What are they eating that makes them so happy?”

She was full of curiosity when—

“Here’s your order.”

A server brought colorful plates of food.

Big brown things, sweet-smelling yellow dishes—everything looked wild.

Then Rosedale’s eyes locked on one particular dish.

“…”

“Enjoy your meal,”
the server said and left.

Lukas handed her a fork.

But Rosedale didn’t move. Her excitement was gone.
She stared at a green salad and murmured:

“This is…”

“Green salad. You don’t like vegetables?”

“…It’s cruel.”

A tear rolled down her cheek.

Even Lukas froze—he didn’t expect this.

“How can humans eat such weak little things?”

Fairies never picked fruit directly—they waited for it to fall.
Even animal milk was taken only when the animals were hurting.

But this salad looked like it was made from freshly picked, still-living plants.

“Wait… is that…”

Her finger shook as she pointed at a brown dish.

“That’s steak. Made from beef. Iberia is big on livestock—”

“Gasp!”

Rosedale covered her mouth, crying even more.

Lukas was stunned. He had never seen someone cry this hard over food.

Panicking, he offered a fork.

“Rosedale… just try one bite, okay?”

“How can I eat them?!”

She thought of the friendly little plants that used to sing her name—
and the cows that happily ate them.

Wait…

Cows eat plants too.

Rosedale suddenly stopped crying.

“Oh right, humans are mammals too.”

Unlike fairies, who lived off mana, mammals were part of nature. Eating and being eaten was a natural cycle.

Humans were omnivores. So it wasn’t cruelty—it was just how the world worked.

“Are you… bipolar?”

Lukas stared at her, confused by the mood swing.

Then, sensing a chance, he quickly gave her a spoonful of yellow dessert.

He didn’t know how to handle crying girls. But good food cheers anyone up.

“Huh? What’s this all of a sudden?”

She asked with her mouth full, not wanting to chew.

Lukas gave a charming smile.

“Just let it melt in your mouth. Trust me.”

“…”

She frowned, but did as he said.

Because friendship starts with trust.

She took a bite.

“What is this?!”

“Pudding. Good, right?”

“YES!”

The sweetness exploded like fireworks in her mouth.
It was soft and smooth—it melted perfectly.

She looked overwhelmed—in a good way.

Soon, she started eating pudding on her own. Lukas laughed.

His plan worked.

“Want to try this too?”

“…The steak?”

It still reminded her of fairyland friends… but Lukas locked eyes with her.

“If trusting me worked once, trust me again—just once more.”

“Ugh, that’s unfair… I can’t say no if you say it like that.”

She bravely bit the steak—eyes shut tight in fear.

Even if Lukas was laughing at her, Rosedale’s eyes popped wide open.

“…I’m sad.”

“It’s bad?”

“No…”

Still crying, she reached for the salad with her fork—her eyes serious.

“Humans are amazing.”