HMC 09

~Chapter 9~

Once Rosedale started eating, her sadness disappeared completely.

This wasn’t just food—it was a revolution. A blessing.

“Ahaha!”

Lukas laughed loudly as he watched her.

She was crying but still eating nonstop with her fork. He found it hilarious and fascinating.

Rosedale didn’t care if he laughed. Her fork didn’t stop.

“One more plate of this!”

She had three plates of steak, two plates of salad, and endless pasta and bread.

Thanks to the manners taught in the fairy world, even though she ate a lot, she still looked graceful. Only her speed gave her away.

She no longer looked like a poor commoner—more like a noble.

“The reason I’m eating this much is because I’m in a human body now, okay?”

Her body needed human food now, so she had an excuse.

She had read books written by high-level fairies who had once visited the human world. But none of them talked about the food—or how delicious it was.

“They must’ve felt guilty,”
she thought.
“They didn’t write about it because they didn’t want to tempt the rest of us.”

But the taste… it was impossible to resist. Even while eating the main course, she kept trying desserts.

“Lukas, what’s this called?”

“That? Crème brûlée.”

“Cream bebe?”

“No. Crème brûlée.”

“Right, cream bebe! It’s amazing! The top’s crunchy, and the bottom is soft!”

Rosedale cupped her cheeks with her hands, trembling with joy.

Lukas chuckled.
Who cares what it’s called—as long as she liked it?

He felt pleased watching her enjoy the meal he bought.

But… wasn’t she eating a lot?

“Rosedale.”

“Rosie.”

“What?”

“My nickname. Call me Rosie.”

She was so happy she gave him her fairy nickname—one she made up herself, but no one ever used.

Now she gave it freely to the man who gave her good food.

There was no “beware of beef-buying men” chapter in the fairy books—so she let her guard down.

“…Alright, Rosie.”

The sudden closeness surprised Lukas, but he stayed calm.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay eating this much?”

“Why? You think I’ll get sick?”

“Yeah. Your stomach might hurt.”

“Oh, do humans get sick when they eat too much?”

Rosie kept eating.

Even though she was in human form, she was still a fairy filled with powerful mana. Human illnesses didn’t really apply.

“I’ll be fine.”

She left out “probably.”

She hadn’t been in human form long, so she couldn’t say for sure.

“Wait… am I eating too much?”

She paused, a little worried.

“Are you running out of money?”

“Of course not.”

Lukas frowned, arms crossed.

Even though he hadn’t told her he was the emperor, he was still royalty. He had pride.

Being mistaken for someone poor? That stung.

“Eat more. I could buy the whole restaurant if I wanted.”

“Really?! Then can we go outside and try more food?”

“Of course.”

“Okay! I’ll finish this, and then let’s go!”

Her eyes sparkled.

When she first came to the city, she had smelled so many new things—she now realized those smells were food.

“Long live the human world!”

“Let’s go,”
Lukas said, standing up.

“We’re going to eat again?”

“I don’t know. We’ll just walk around and eat whatever looks good.”

Lukas left money on the table, and Rosie followed him out.

Outside, the city was still lively and noisy—full of energy.

She was surrounded by humans, looking like one of them.
But deep down, she was still a fairy in a very different world.

It all felt strange and unreal—but also exciting.

“Lukas, can we check that out?”

“You can do anything you want.”

With Lukas following her without question, Rosedale pulled him everywhere.

They looked at big round hats, watched street performers, and wandered into crowds.

Sometimes she got distracted and vanished—only for Lukas to find her staring excitedly at street scams.

She bought sparkling bracelets and made Lukas wear one too—even though he didn’t want to.

She argued with a parrot that mimicked people.

“Stupid! Stupid!”

“Hey! Who do you think you’re calling—”

“Rosie. Let’s just go,”
Lukas said, embarrassed.

Rosie huffed angrily.

“Stupid? I’m the daughter of Elpis, ruler of nature! How dare a parrot insult me!”

But Lukas just laughed at her.

To calm her down, he bought her a candied apple.

That small act melted her anger even more—and she opened her heart even further to him.

“Want to go there next?”

“Sounds great!”

No one recognized Lukas. No humans found Rosie suspicious.

They were like birds flying for the first time. Like travelers exploring a new world.

They laughed, smiled, and shared a freedom neither had felt in a long time.

So by the time they sat at the fountain square—just as the sky turned orange—they felt closer.

“Lukas… why did you come with me today?”

He looked at her, surprised by the question.

“You didn’t have to listen to me. Like Cain said, you could’ve just paid me. So why?”

“Hmm…”

He looked out at the streets.

A child smiled, holding their mother’s hand. Merchants shouted joyfully. People lived peacefully as the day ended.

“Maybe… I just wanted to be part of this for once.”

Rosie blinked in surprise. That was her reason too.

When their eyes met again, Lukas’s smile—soft and lonely—made her heart ache.

“It’s been a long time since someone looked me in the eyes like you do.”

“People don’t look at you?”

“They can’t.”

“…”

Was it like how she couldn’t look directly at Elpis?

Had Elpis ever felt like this too?

She thought of her lonely time in the fairy world.

She leaned closer to Lukas’s words.

“Just for one day… I wanted to feel normal. Peaceful. I thought maybe you could help me do that.”

“Because I look at you directly?”

“Because you speak to me directly.”

When he first met her, she had spoken to him without fear—and he had removed his mask.

Maybe he wanted her not to recognize who he really was.
Maybe he just wanted someone to treat him like a person.

“Then… did today feel normal and peaceful?”

“Yeah. More than anything.”

He smiled. She smiled too.

Rosedale was happy. She had helped her first human.

It felt good—like she was standing tall even next to someone like Elpis.

Most of all, Lukas didn’t seem sad anymore. That made her chest feel warm.

“Lukas… do you think we became friends today?”

“What does friendship mean to you, Rosie?”

He avoided answering, but she didn’t mind.

“It’s when you eat together, spend time, and laugh.”

“When you help someone even if you don’t owe them. When you think of them when you’re bored. When they’re happy, you feel proud too.”

“That’s what a friend is. Isn’t it?”

That idea of friendship had stuck in her heart like a star.

Unlike the love of parents she’d never have—friendship was something she believed she could have.

He would never know how much today had meant to her.

“Then yeah, Rosie. We’re friends.”

Lukas smiled gently.

He tucked some of her messy hair behind her ear—so warmly.

“You’re the most honest and brave person I’ve met. I like that.”

“So…?”

“So I’m scared of how you’ll change once you know the real me. That you won’t call me your friend anymore.”

As if today’s peace was just an illusion…

His quiet words touched Rosie deeply.

“We must really be friends, Lukas.”

“If your sadness hurts me this much, then we must be.”

She gently placed her hand on his cheek.

Looking into his eyes—red like sunlight—she said:

“No matter who you are, I’ll still be your friend.”

“…”

“I’ll look at you, speak to you directly. Always. As your pure, honest friend.”

Lukas stared at her, searching her eyes for truth.
Then he leaned into her hand.

The sunset faded behind them, and the darkness of night—like Lukas’s hair—began to fall.

In that quiet moment, they shared themselves—fully, honestly.

They shared their soft, honest, and vulnerable hearts.