Chapter 28: What he saw was nothing more than a false imitation

Taking a bite of the candied hawthorn, threads of sweetness gathered at the tip of the tongue, gradually swelling into a torrent that swept across her taste buds, before a hint of sourness emerged from within, setting the final note of the flavor.

The seeds had been removed as well.

‘Delicious!’

Feeling the stimulation on her taste buds, Lila narrowed her eyes in satisfaction.

Simon also tried biting into one and chewed.

It was his first time seeing the shopkeeper like this.

Although she was usually gentle and warm, Simon always felt that something was missing.

Like the joy Conflor displayed now because of the delicious food, he rarely saw such emotional expressions from her in daily life, whether it was surprise, helplessness, or anything similar.

Perhaps this was distance.

Even though they weren’t physically far apart during work, because each of them focused on what they valued and thought about, they couldn’t experience each other’s everyday states, and thus couldn’t truly understand one another’s personalities.

That was what Simon thought.

Meanwhile, Lila was completely immersed in savoring the food.

Still unsatisfied with the sweetness, she stuffed the candied hawthorns into her mouth one after another, chewing them all together.

Simon couldn’t help but laugh as he watched the “hamster” in front of him.

For example, he had never known that the shopkeeper was such a glutton.

In Lila’s view, the meaning of all festivals was to eat delicious food.

Some festivals even had exclusive dishes, so eating heartily during festivals was only natural, after all, good food must never be let down.

“Why are you looking at me? Aren’t you eating, Simon?”

Simon snapped back to his senses.

“It’s nothing, I was just thinking about something.”

“Really? Honestly, don’t overthink things at a time like this.”

Lila said, changing the topic.

“Shall we go eat at that steakhouse?”

Without hesitation, she leaned closer, and Simon followed helplessly.

****

The lighting in the steakhouse was dim and warm, and the air was filled with the enticing aroma of sizzling beef.

Lila took a bite.

The tenderness and juiciness of the beef burst instantly between her teeth, the rich, mellow meat flavor wrapped with the sharp spice of black pepper, blooming like fireworks across her taste buds.

She closed her eyes in satisfaction, letting out a soft sigh of praise, her cheeks puffing rhythmically as she chewed.

Unlike Lila’s enjoyment, Simon stared at the menu with a dark expression.

Even if he sold himself, he couldn’t afford it, in every sense of the word, he felt like crying.

And since he was the one who had invited the shopkeeper out, he definitely couldn’t let her pay.

Although Lila loved food, she wasn’t so absorbed that she ignored others entirely.

Seeing Simon’s tightly furrowed brows, she followed his gaze, it was the menu.

‘Was it because the prices were too high?’

This shop catered specifically to the academy’s nobles, so the prices were naturally outrageous.

In Lila’s opinion, it was indeed delicious, but in terms of cost performance, it was pitifully low.

At these prices, Simon probably couldn’t pay even if he sold himself.

“It’s okay, Simon. I’ll pay.”

So Lila said.

“But…”

Simon instinctively wanted to refuse, but was interrupted by Lila.

“If you really feel bad about it, just treat it as borrowing from me. When the day comes that you succeed and can easily earn this kind of money, you can repay me then.”

On the surface, Lila said this, but in her heart she thought that as long as she didn’t bring it up, Simon would eventually forget about it.

After all, no one treated repaying money that seriously, back in her previous life, when she wanted repayment, all she received was a glaring exclamation mark in the chat window, or simply silence.

“I will.”

Simon felt the goodwill of the girl before him.

‘Was she trying to motivate him this way?’

Suddenly, he felt his heart fill with determination.

Then the first step of his effort would be to surpass Lila.

“So the shopkeeper is really interested in food?”

“Of course.”

Lila replied as if it were only natural, spearing a piece of steak she had already cut.

“I also need to study why these foods are so delicious.”

She bit into it, the flavor once again sweeping across her tongue, her eyes curving into crescents.

“Maybe it’ll be useful someday.”

“Are you planning to develop these dishes in the future?”

“Mm, maybe in the future, but it’s still early. There’ll always be a chance.”

Lila said, chewing her steak, her words slightly unclear.

That’s definitely just an excuse.

In Simon’s eyes, the girl before him was simply being greedy.

As for Lila, she might indeed have some ideas, but they were only fleeting sparks, like the casual jokes she used to make with friends while eating in her previous life.

Whether she would act on them depended on whether she would even remember them later.

“In any case, hurry up and taste it. Remember this flavor well, and when I try making it, you can judge if it’s right. Maybe we can recreate it.”

There wasn’t the slightest hint of seriousness in her tone, and Simon couldn’t help but laugh.

‘Isn’t making steak simple?’

Just cook it to the desired doneness and add black pepper sauce, and it’s done.

As for why it was so expensive, it was probably due to some rare type of beef.

Moments like this were rare for Lila.

Ever since she had transmigrated into this world, her heart had always been filled with worries.

Worries about her strength, anxiety about being surrounded by magical beasts, sorrow over the passage of her lifespan…

Yet she seemed to have long forgotten what kind of world she had once yearned for.

Now she realized, it was probably just like this.

Beautiful flowers flowing like a stream filled every corner of the world, delicious food along the streets emitted inviting aromas, and she no longer had to worry about the money in her pocket.

If only it weren’t limited to just one day.

****

But Lila knew clearly that this was nothing more than an illusion, like flowers in a mirror and the moon reflected in water.

Just as Simon didn’t know that the girl sitting across from him, Conflor, was someone who had never truly existed.

She was false, a mere phantom played by someone with intent.

Everything the shopkeeper had done for Simon did not come from kindness.

Rather, it was like an iron chain placed at the edge of a cliff to prevent passersby from falling, while the one who had driven Simon to the edge of that cliff was herself.

The girl named Conflor might exist only in one place: a corner of Lila’s heart.

“Isn’t it delicious?”

The fleeting thoughts vanished in an instant, not a trace of emotion showing on her face, as Lila turned to ask Simon.

“Delicious!”

Simon noticed nothing unusual.

After eating their fill, the two once again appeared on the flower-adorned streets.

“Where should we go?”

Simon stroked his chin, thinking.

“Let’s go to the amusement park.”

Hearing Lila’s words, a faint, almost imperceptible blush appeared on Simon’s cheeks.

But Lila had no such thoughts, she simply wanted to have some fun.

Even though this world possessed the wonders of magic, not everyone could fly, so naturally there were amusement facilities to meet that demand.

Moreover, thanks to easily accessible energy and magic arrays, they had become even more extravagant than those of her previous life.

For example, freely flying array spaces, broom racing competitions, phantom labyrinths, and even jet arrays that treated players like shuttlecocks, there were too many to list.

And Lila was one of those with such desires.

Because time was short, she had to experience it properly.

📚 Also on NHV Novels

The Imperial Evening

AngstFantasy RomanceImperial Palace

Read Now →
Not interested