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Edgar couldn’t help but chuckle at the predictability of the situation.

Determined to try the tteokbokki, Ariel lit a fire of challenge within, and although it felt wrong to stop her, he let her have a taste as a test. Sure enough, it seemed too spicy for her delicate palate.

To further prove his point, she wiggled her feet and stuck out her tongue, fervently attempting to cool down.

Honestly, her legs were moving so fast he almost suspected she had motors attached!

“M-Mild! What on earth is this!? Is this even food for humans!?”

“See? I told you it was spicy. Why don’t you ever listen?”

From what Edgar had briefly tasted, it was indeed spicier than the usual street stall version.

Yet, it still held that charming bite that suited his taste perfectly. But for Ariel, who typically avoided hot foods, it must’ve been quite a blow.

“Phew, phew…”

She puffed out flames from her mouth as if she’d just cast fire magic.

Edgar, nearly in stitches, offered her a carton of milk he had just opened.

“I knew you’d need this; drink it. It should help a bit.”

“Ugh…”

Despite her trembling hands, she managed to accept the milk and took a big swig.

The smooth sounds of her gulping echoed as she polished off the entire carton in one go.

Even if it was only around 200ml, Edgar couldn’t help but give her a short round of applause for the impressive downing.

Fortunately, her expression seemed much improved compared to earlier.

“How is it? Feeling better?”

“Uh-huh, a bit. By the way, did you really eat stuff like this every day?”

Ariel had always admired Edgar, but if this were true, her admiration might verge on awe.

How on earth had he managed to eat such horrific, if we can even call it food, day in and day out?

Sure, cultures have different dietary customs, but she found it hard to digest something so far outside her understanding.

“I didn’t eat this every day, just occasionally. Besides, what I used to eat was even spicier than this!”

“Y-You’re crazy…”

Even spicier? The thought alone sent shivers down Ariel’s spine, and she plopped down nearby, clearly in dire need of a breather.

The shock was so overwhelming that she needed a quick break.

“Give me that. I’ll eat it.”

“Why would I give you half-eaten food?”

She grimaced at Edgar’s suggestion, determined not to let him play food distributor, but Edgar snatched the bowl and took a bite.

“Why not just order something new?”

“I’m not hungry, and besides, lining up again sounds like a hassle.”

Having already sampled a piece, he found it suited his palate perfectly and aimed to finish it.

“Wow, you really eat a lot.”

Watching him devour the tteokbokki without hesitation made Ariel involuntarily mutter a comment of admiration.

In response, Edgar paused mid-bite, chuckling as he swallowed the last morsel, eyeing her in disbelief.

“What? Didn’t believe me?”

“Of course not! It was way too spicy!”

What was no big deal for Edgar was practically hellfire to Ariel.

The shock of the blandest food around was something much different than this experience.

Hearing her honest thoughts, Edgar grinned and popped the last piece into his mouth.

He stood up and extended his hand to her.

“Shall we go eat something delicious next?”

“…Okay.”

Ariel shyly took his hand, mirroring the energy of young lovers just starting their relationship.

Whether it was the surroundings that felt different from usual or the fact that she wasn’t sporting her usual red hair and was instead sporting jet black, everything felt oddly refreshing.

If Edgar had heard her true thoughts, he would surely be overjoyed.

As they walked together, Ariel kept glancing back, clearly something was on her mind.

It was none other than the entrance of the subway station they had just passed!

Edgar, who had been carrying too many items, had dropped off their shopping bags at the luggage storage there, and it had been preoccupying her thoughts.

“Ed, are you sure it’s okay to leave it? What if someone takes it?”

In her world, items like that were all but encouraged to be stolen.

Even though she’d seen the locks, simply storing so many belongings in a place bustling with passersby felt risky to her.

Meanwhile, Edgar found her worries endearing rather than annoying.

Watching Ariel struggle with her different standards made him smile.

“It’ll be fine. Just follow me and stop worrying, Your Highness.”

“Y-You idiot! Don’t call me that here!”

“Pfft, no one cares, so just hold my hand.”

Ariel, looking like a frightened little critter, caught Edgar’s eye with her cute reactions.

In fact, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen such innocence, maybe when he was very young.

At that moment, he felt like Shuri’s spirit had taken over her as he playfully tugged on her hand.

Just around the corner would be a place he had fond memories of.

“Oh! There it is!”

Finally spotting the familiar establishment, he felt a wave of relief.

Fortunately, he had checked his map app on his smartphone, thankful for the trusty technology.

Since time had flown in that other world, he was curious about the condition of this one, but it hadn’t even been a week here since his last visit.

He was grateful everything was still functioning properly, including his smartphone.

Although returning to that other world, he might never see this one again.

Ding!

“Welcome!”

They stepped into a brunch cafe, and the cheerful sound of a bell welcomed them along with the shop owner’s bright greeting.

This place had been bustling long before Edgar last passed by, with a decent reputation for a good number of patrons.

He would find out later that its vintage decor was charming and the menu extensive, making it a hit on social media.

Since he had often strolled by, he had made a mental note to bring a date here one day, but now he never imagined that day would be with Ariel.

Living life unexpectedly had its quirks.

Once they found a suitable spot and sat down, Edgar took off his thin long coat and casually asked Ariel.

“So, do you think it feels a bit like your world?”

“Hmm, yeah, somewhat. The decorations… though the details are different.”

Ariel nodded slightly, surveying the space.

As Edgar said, the use of natural wood decor and vintage furniture made it seem like a snapshot from her world.

‘Do they even have a market for such decorations here?’

She felt a fundamental curiosity stir within, though it quickly sank to the background.

Whether they were in demand or not was irrelevant; after all, she wasn’t planning to do business here.

“Since it’s our first time, let’s go with the recommended menu, shall we?”

“Just order whatever. I don’t really know.”

Usually, a woman’s “anything” meant you’d better not believe it, but Edgar figured this rule didn’t apply to Ariel.

Consequently, he confidently stepped to the counter to place their order.

To quench their thirst before their meal, Edgar grabbed two cups of coffee and returned to their table.

“What’s that? It looks like coffee but the color…”

Ariel raised her brow at the light brown liquid visible through the transparent glass.

It was indeed lighter than the coffee she was familiar with, yet the fragrant aroma wafting throughout the cafe suggested it was likely coffee.

“It’s coffee. But it’s probably different from what you’re used to.”

“Coffee isn’t all the same?”

“Just try it.”

Handing her one of the cups, he took a seat across from her.

Curious, Ariel brought the cup to her lips and took a cautious sip.

The sweet, creamy taste enveloped her mouth, and the coffee’s flavor hit her surprisingly late.

“What is this?”

Her eyes widened in astonishment, and Edgar suppressed a laugh, asking, “How does it taste?”

“It’s good. And I don’t even like sweet things that much…”

To be precise, it was quite sweet.

However, blended harmoniously with the coffee, it mellowed its usual bitterness into perfect balance.

Even someone like her, who favored tea over coffee, thought she could drink this every day.

“I’m glad it suits your taste. They’ll bring out our food soon, so just take your time.”

“Uh, yeah.”

Even as he said that, Ariel couldn’t stop herself from reaching for her coffee.

Perhaps it was the gentle sweetness, but it kept pulling her in.

She hoped there were ways to recreate this coffee back in that other world. It was a thought that crossed her mind as they chatted leisurely and killed time until their orders arrived.

Finally, their meals were served at the table.

“Here’s your recommended menu. Starting with a simple noodle salad, we have cream gnocchi favored by the ladies, and for the pizza, the margherita and spicy Fisherman’s Pasta, which is popular with the guys.”

The server delivered the order promptly and efficiently, flashing a friendly smile and wishing them a pleasant meal before heading back.

“Let me know if you want something else. We can always order more.”

“Isn’t that too much? I think it might be you who ends up wanting more.”

“True.”

Edgar was quite the big eater, so honestly, this seemed a bit meager for his usual appetite.

Even with the accompanying bread, he figured they might need to place another order.

Just as they were about to dig in, Edgar pulled out his smartphone and held up a finger to pause her.

He didn’t usually take photos of his meals, but today, he wanted to document what would be their first shared meal.

“Hold on a sec. Let me take a picture.”

“A picture? What’s that?”

“It’s kind of like a drawing… It’ll be easier to explain if you see.”

Click.

Setting his phone aside for a moment, he captured the spread of food and then showed Ariel the screen.

“Wow…! So it’s made instantly without any effort?”

“Exactly. For instance…”

Edgar edged closer and took a step toward Ariel, pressing their faces a bit nearer for a selfie.

Click.

The camera shutter clicked again, and he grinned as he presented the photo, revealing their faces together.

Ariel’s eyes widened, scanning the image intensely, and then she pointed at her face.

“Ed, do it again.”

“Huh?”

“For some reason, I look a bit off. Can we take it again?”

“O-Okay…”

Caught off guard by her unexpected request, Edgar fumbled to reset the camera.

Perhaps it’s universal—a girl’s desire to look pretty, no matter the world.

Today, he learned yet another sizable lesson.

 

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