Little Moments of Happiness (Part 2)

In retrospect, having the boss and Frog collaborate was indeed a win-win situation for both parties.

This is actually an opportunity for both of them; it just depends on whether they can handle it well.

"Well, I can only act as an intermediary. How far I can go depends on their own fate."

What was Galan saying just now?

"Hmm? He's just talking to himself."

Galan turned his head and smiled. There was no need for Lia to get involved in this kind of thing, and there was no need to explain too much.

"Compared to this, do you have any plans on what to eat later?"

He had actually heard the unpleasant growling from Lia's stomach earlier, but he didn't call her out on it. Instead, he hummed a little tune and asked what she planned to eat that night.

"Hmm... If I had to pick something I really want to eat... I think I'd go to Lake's shop."

"Yeah, that guy's a bit of a chuunibyou (a person with delusions of grandeur), but his cooking skills are truly top-notch."

Galan, chin in hand, expressed his approval of Lia's choice.

Come to think of it, it seems like it's been a long time since I've eaten there. I still miss the taste of the grilled pork ribs.

"Haha! Let me introduce myself first. My name is Lake, and I am the most talented chef of this century. As the first guests to arrive this afternoon, I will do my best to serve you the most delicious meal tonight."

An enthusiastic blond man stood beside their table, repeating an opening line that both of them knew all too well.

"Hey, Lake, we haven't been coming as often lately, but we're still pretty regulars at your shop, right?"

Galan shook his head, expressing some concern about the memory of this "most talented chef of the century."

He led Lia into the store and found a comfortable spot to sit down.

Because they were hungry as soon as they woke up, they arrived quite early today, even before their usual mealtime, so there were no other customers in the shop at all.

They just didn't expect Lake to act like he didn't know them at all, and start with his classic quotes.

He wasn't just saying he was a "regular customer" offhand; he hadn't been around for a while simply because a lot had happened recently.

Before this, Galan often brought Lia here to eat.

After following Amber to explore most of the restaurants in Äußerst, Lia found that only Lake's restaurant could provide her with that amazing taste.

In addition, Lake's cooking was indeed to their liking, so the two of them became regulars here.

"Haha! It's you guys! I'm so sorry, I was just in the kitchen preparing ingredients for tonight's dinner, and I was in such a rush when I came out that I didn't recognize you at first. As an apology, I'll offer you a dessert!"

"Really? There's dessert!"

Hearing Lake's words, Lia smiled broadly, seemingly very excited about this unexpected joy.

Putting everything else aside, this person is quite generous.

Galan smiled and indicated that Lake would be eating the restaurant's signature dishes again today, and also ordered a few new desserts for Lia.

"Your teeth are really good! Even though it's been a while since you've eaten here, I'm still a little worried you might get cavities."

Seeing Lia cleanly and efficiently devour plate after plate of desserts, Galan chewed on a juicy and flavorful steak and asked jokingly.

"Hmm? Elves don't get cavities."

Seemingly feeling that Galan underestimated her, Lia ate three more plates of desserts in one go before she recovered and indicated that she could continue.

However, as more and more people entered the store, the girl seemed to feel a little ashamed of eating and drinking so recklessly in front of so many people, and she stopped eating so lavishly afterward.

Upon noticing this, Galan sighed inwardly.

Are you an idiot?

"Huh?"

Lia was a little taken aback when Galan suddenly said that to her.

The pudding that had just been brought to the spoon's mouth froze in mid-air, not moving for a long time.

"Isn't it unnecessary to care so much about what other people think?"

While taking big bites of the steak on his plate, Galan gestured to the other customers around him.

"They won't pay much attention to their surroundings while eating. To put it bluntly, you can eat with complete peace of mind; no one will pay attention to you or think you're not ladylike enough."

"Um... I just..."

"Don't try to hide your true feelings. Just do what you want to do, even enjoying delicious food. There's nothing to be ashamed of. On the contrary, only in this way can you truly enjoy the pleasure of food."

Watching Galan completely absorbed in his delicious meal, Lia felt a pang of emotion.

I'm not referring to the matter itself, but rather to what Galan just said.

In fact, from the moment she arrived in [Äußerst] until now, she has never considered this place as her home or her place of residence.

The completely unfamiliar new environment made her feel uncomfortable and even afraid, so much so that she never dared to show her inner thoughts in front of strangers, and only wanted to keep a low profile and be invisible, trying to protect herself in this way.

However, it seems that, just as Galan said, not many people are actually paying attention to her life. Perhaps some people are more interested in her because of her Elf identity, but not so many people are watching her all the time.

She has absolutely no need to close herself off just for self-protection over something like this.

"Um..

.. I see."

"Um?"

Lia, watching him swallow the spoonful of pudding into his mouth, wore a resolute expression.

Galan couldn't help but chuckle for a moment.

However, after seeing her return to her intense battle of devouring desserts, Galan was happy that she was able to let go of her mental burden in such a short time.

Dinner time passed quickly, and the two didn't want to occupy their seats any longer. After saying goodbye to Lake, they headed back to the Inn.

The moon hung high in the sky. Because she had eaten quite a lot, Lia stood with her hands on her hips on the way back, looking rather bitter. Seeing this, Galan had no choice but to carry her on his back and walk slowly along the road.

Feeling the faint warmth emanating from his back, Galan looked at his left hand, which was almost completely hidden in his sleeve, and felt an indescribable emotion stronger than ever before.

How wonderful it would be if times like this could last forever.