Chapter 20: A Facade of Calm

As they waited for Chiya’s mother to serve the food, Ian sat across from Flora, squirming under her piercing gaze. It wasn’t affection in her eyes—oh no, it was the glee of someone eager to watch him squirm.

Under Flora’s blazing stare, Ian suddenly wondered if he should even be sitting across from her. Sure, she had asked him to sit, but did that mean Ethelrina would approve? Flora was one of Ethelrina’s main heroines, after all. Was it wise to be this close to her?

If Ethelrina caught wind of this, Ian’s life would be over.

The memory of that morning’s sword piercing the wardrobe sent a shiver down his spine. His left shoulder, where Ethelrina’s blade had grazed him, still throbbed faintly despite the healing potion. The sheer force she’d used—for just a pearl—made it clear she’d wanted him dead.

What if Ethelrina misunderstood, thinking he was getting too cozy with Flora? Ian didn’t even want to imagine how she’d react.

He decided he needed to switch seats. It would keep him out of Flora’s orbit, avoid Ethelrina’s wrath, and—most importantly—spare him from the culinary atrocities about to arrive.

Let Flora deal with those incomprehensible dishes alone.

But escaping wouldn’t be easy. After Flora’s crocodile-tear performance earlier, she wasn’t about to let him slip away. How could he get out of this?

Maybe he could excuse himself to the bathroom and hide there until closing time? But would Flora really not come looking for him? And even if she didn’t, camping out in a bathroom wasn’t exactly a plan. The smell alone was bad enough, but hogging a stall? That was just cruel. What if someone else needed it? They’d turn into a spray warrior out of desperation.

Or maybe he could leave the bathroom and sit at another table? No, that wouldn’t work either. The restaurant was tiny, with barely a handful of tables.

Ian’s mind raced through one escape plan after another, each shot down as quickly as it formed.

Chiya, oh Chiya, he groaned inwardly. Next time we meet, I’m giving you a piece of my mind. If it weren’t for her, he wouldn’t be stuck in this den of culinary horrors, playing mind games with Flora.

Flora, catching Ian lost in thought, let a sly smile curl her lips, as if she could see right through him. “Ian, are you plotting another way to ditch me?” she teased.

She’d already figured out Ian wasn’t serious about helping find Ethelrina’s pearl. He was just hungry.

His reaction when Chiya revealed how terrible her mother’s cooking was—his face had twisted like he’d been constipated for days. And then the string of excuses to switch restaurants? It was obvious.

Back when Ian spun his tale about the demon’s ravenous appetite and need for a quiet restaurant, Flora had bought it. But now? She saw through his lies. How could he, a non-demon, know so much about the thief’s hunger or habits?

It hit her: this was all a scheme to keep her from finding the pearl before Ethelrina and Lillian. No wonder Lillian had shown up with Ian earlier. She must’ve enlisted him to help her win Ethelrina’s heart. In Flora’s eyes, that was blatantly unfair. They were all competing for Ethelrina’s favor solo—why did Lillian get a sidekick?

And then there was the humiliating moment when Ian saw her rubbing Ethelrina’s scale against her face. Her carefully crafted ladylike image had shattered in his eyes.

Flora wasn’t unreasonable—she wouldn’t make Ian disappear. But a little punishment? That was fair game.

When she saw Chiya dodge her mother’s restaurant and Ian try to weasel out, Flora knew her chance had come. If Ian was so hungry, she’d make sure he ate his fill—of the most horrific dishes imaginable.

So, she’d marched into the restaurant and, when handed the menu, nearly burst with glee. The dishes were even worse than she’d imagined. The sheer creativity of their awfulness was almost admirable. Who knew words could be combined in such cursed ways?

Fueled by her desire to get back at Ian, she ordered a slew of dishes that sounded like they’d crawled out of a nightmare, ready to watch him suffer.

Sure, she’d have to eat them too, but that didn’t worry her. Elves had a naturally dull sense of taste. In the Elven Forest, even the leaves of the Sacred Tree were a delicacy, despite tasting no different from ordinary foliage. If she could stomach leaves, these dishes couldn’t possibly faze her. Her taste buds were unbreakable.

Hearing Flora’s pointed words, Ian wanted to nod and bolt, but it wasn’t time to burn bridges. They were rivals in secret, but on the surface, he had to keep things civil.

At least until Lillian won Ethelrina over. Maintaining a friendly facade with Flora would make it easier to sabotage her efforts to gain Ethelrina’s favor. If they openly clashed, he’d lose chances like this one—risking himself to pair up with Flora, giving Lillian and Ethelrina precious alone time.