Volume 1, Chapter 33 – The Night Fairy and the Moon Spirit

The dining area was ultimately chosen on the first floor. Claire’s clinic wasn’t much larger than an ordinary residence, so the entire second floor consisted only of guest rooms.

Even the living room on the first floor was sparsely furnished, with just a small table, two or three chairs, and a few small items Claire had casually discarded—like a medical kit and a scale for weighing herbs. Though the setting sun could still shine through the windows, the lack of life in the room made it feel somewhat desolate.

At the moment, the small living room hosted only two people: Fia and Claire, seated across from each other at the table.

Perhaps because she was in high spirits after finally having a guest, Claire had laid out an unusually lavish spread and even poured Fia a drink that looked like fruit juice. However, compared to the steam rising from the dishes, the atmosphere at the table wasn’t exactly uplifting for Fia.

It was just too awkward.

She had never been alone with a strange woman before, and Claire was someone she’d only met once. She had no idea what to talk about.

Should we start by talking about family matters? But Claire has no family, so this topic is definitely a landmine.

What about asking about her hobbies? But Claire was cursed to be feared and forgotten, making it easy to accidentally step on another landmine. Fia didn’t trust her conversational skills enough to navigate those pitfalls.

…It was like dealing with a hedgehog.

No matter which angle she approached from, it felt impossible to find an opening.

“Not to your taste? I thought you and Anastasia might stay the night, so I picked up some food on the way back. If you’re worried about human food, I can make something else—though, to be honest, I’m technically human too.”

Not touching her utensils, Claire smiled wryly.

Finally, the awkward silence was broken, and the atmosphere at the table lightened.

Fia seized the opportunity to respond.

“I was just thinking… isn’t this a bit too much food?”

As Fia pointed out, there were at least seven dishes on the table: slices of red meat, something resembling pizza topped with diced carrots and root vegetables, and skewers of roasted meat glazed brown-red and seasoned with something spicy and cumin-like. Even accounting for Anastasia, this was far too much food for three people.

Reαԁ οո КatReaⅾіngСαfе

“I wasn’t sure what you or Anastasia would like, so I bought a bit of everything. Does it not suit your tastes?”

“It’s not that. It’s just… this is the most elaborate meal I’ve had since gaining consciousness.”

At the slave trader’s mansion, she had eaten, but those meals were little more than sustenance—hardly worthy of being called “cuisine.” Since Anastasia distrusted strangers, the only things served to Fia were bread, milk, and cold leftovers. The food was cold because everything had to be tested for poison by Anastasia and the other royal guards first; only after a waiting period could Fia eat.

Another noteworthy detail: in the Holy Kingdom of Milcandis, people primarily used forks and knives, with bread as their staple food. Dishes weren’t pre-portioned onto individual plates but served on shared platters for everyone to take as they pleased.

Claire, holding her fork and knife, blinked her strikingly clear emerald eyes as if suddenly remembering something.

“Ah, that’s right. You mentioned you weren’t actually a ‘young lady.’”

Hearing Claire bring up the “young lady” persona, Fia immediately flushed with embarrassment and couldn’t meet her gaze.

“Ah… I’m sorry for lying to you yesterday. ‘Anna’ was actually Anastasia, and the ‘young lady’ identity was made up. I’m actually the princess of the elves.”

“Don’t worry about it. I hid my curse too, didn’t I? Besides, being an elf princess is a sensitive identity—it’s not something you should just announce.” At this, a playful glint appeared in Claire’s expression. She leaned forward slightly, feigning mystery as she asked, “So, does that mean you’ve accepted your identity now?”

“Mmm… sort of.”

There was no way she could tell Claire about how she’d sobbed in Anastasia’s arms last night. That was just too embarrassing.

To distract herself, Fia picked up her utensils and speared a slice of what appeared to be roasted meat. It was indeed meat—firm in texture but not tough to chew. The moment the red fibers touched her tongue, the aroma of the seasoning burst across her taste buds. Unfortunately, the spices of this world weren’t as rich as those from Fia’s time, leaving the aftertaste somewhat lacking.

This was the first hot meal she’d had since arriving in this world. The deliciousness filling her mouth nearly moved her to tears.

“How is it? Not bad, right?”

“Mhm. It’s really good.”

“I’m glad.” Claire’s expression shifted slightly, carrying a hint of something Fia couldn’t quite decipher. “Since you’re the elf princess, when do you plan to leave Aurora City? Right now, the city is sealed off by the Unsinkable Moon. It’ll be hard to leave without destroying it.”

Rеаԁ οո KαtRеαԁiոɡCafе

There was something else Claire wanted to say.

Fia’s intuition told her as much.

Best to answer honestly here.

“Well… I plan to investigate the Unsinkable Moon first and leave when the time is right.”

“What about lodging? Do you have a place to stay?”

There was a faint urgency in Claire’s tone. Though she hid it well, Fia could still sense it from the subtle shifts in her expression.

Claire was probably hoping Fia would stay here.

For someone who couldn’t interact with others normally, finally meeting a person who neither feared nor forgot her—of course she’d want to keep that person close. Claire had likely become a doctor in the hopes that helping others would make them remember her, counteracting the fear her curse inspired.

In a way, it reminded Fia of her own past.

After being alone for so long, when someone finally responded to her, she couldn’t help but see them as her sun. Her existence gave Claire hope. If she were in Claire’s shoes, she’d probably want to give everything she had to earn that person’s trust and bond.

Was that what Claire was thinking too?

Fia looked again into Claire’s emerald eyes. Unlike last night, when they’d been deep and unreadable, now they were filled with genuine emotion.

She didn’t dislike Claire. It would be better to go along with her wishes here.

Swallowing her food, Fia considered her response.

“I’d like to stay with you until the Unsinkable Moon disappears. I’ll pay for it—is that okay?”

Reаⅾ оո ΚаtRеadiոɡСаfе

“Of course!” Realizing she’d overreacted, Claire quickly sat back down, looking embarrassed. “N-no need to pay. I’d be happy to have you stay. To be honest, those upstairs rooms were originally meant for travelers with nowhere to go, but no one’s ever willing to stay here, so they’ve been empty.”

Under the sunset’s glow, Claire’s silver hair framed a face tinged slightly pink as she averted her gaze, her fingers idly toying with her utensils.

She looked just like any ordinary girl.

“Like you know, meeting someone who isn’t afraid of me makes me really happy. In the past, I’ve met people who gradually stopped fearing me after spending time together, but if we were apart for too long, they’d forget me and become strangers again. So… Fia, your existence makes me a little unable to control myself. If there’s such a thing as fate, then you must be the person destiny chose for me.”

“That’s a bit…”

Too suggestive.

Even though she knew Claire didn’t mean it in a romantic way, Fia couldn’t help but think along those lines—if she could end up with a beauty like Claire, she must have saved the world in her past life.

Of course, there were things Fia was curious about too. While enjoying the food, she casually asked,

“Earlier, you mentioned meeting someone who wasn’t afraid of you. What happened there?”

“It was a slave I met by chance. She’d just escaped her master and was hiding in some ruins, too scared to come out. By the time I found her, she was barely breathing. Out of kindness, I took her home. At first, she was terrified of me, but since she didn’t have the strength to run, she had no choice but to accept my help.”

“As time passed, the curse’s effect weakened, and by the time she recovered, we’d become good friends. But later, she left to seek revenge. I waited and waited, but even a year after the date she promised to return, there was no sign of her. So I went to check on her. When I stood before her, she’d already forgotten who I was—she even thought I was an enemy coming for revenge.”

Though Claire smiled as she recounted the story, there was a trace of bitterness in her voice.

Fia set down her fork and sat up straight.

“What happened after that?”

“I left and never contacted her again. Even though she broke her promise to me, she still gave me some good memories. I forgave her. It couldn’t be helped—if not for my curse, she wouldn’t have forgotten me.”

“But—”

Rеαⅾ oո KаtReαdіոɡСаfе

“That’s exactly why you’re so special, Fia.” Claire cut her off, her tone intrigued. “Last night, I went to the slave market thinking I might buy that cat-eared girl, but instead, I met you—my destined noble person. To think there’s someone like you in this world… If you weren’t the elf princess, I’d do everything in my power to keep you by my side.”

You’re just one step too late.

Fia couldn’t help but stick out her tongue inwardly.

If she’d met Claire first instead of Anastasia, she’d have undoubtedly fallen for her and never given the elf princess business a second thought—after all, Claire had the kind of charm that could make anyone fall at first sight. But she’d already decided to become the princess, so she couldn’t stay in Aurora City.

As if reading her mind, Claire smiled.

“Looking back, maybe I should’ve said last night, ‘If you don’t want to be a ‘young lady,’ there’s a place for you here with me.’ That way, I could’ve tricked you into staying.”

“Can I take that as a declaration of ownership?”

“You can take it however you like. If not for my pride and morals, I’d have tied you up and taken you away already. In the past ten years, I’ve traveled countless places and met countless people, but you’re the first the curse doesn’t affect.”

Though Claire’s tone was light and her gaze fixed on the cup she was stirring with a wooden spoon, Fia could sense her seriousness.

She’d almost been kidnapped by a beautiful older woman.

Fia playfully spread her hands.

“I don’t think you could actually kidnap me.”

“Oh? Don’t let my appearance fool you—I’m a pretty powerful magic caster. My close combat skills aren’t bad either. I could take someone like Anastasia with one hand. What do you think? Scared now?”

“Not even a little.”

Translator Note

aaaa claireee, bad bad slaves! smh