Volume 2 Chapter 2 (1/2)

My cousin, Han Miyeong, was a hysterical girl.

Her eyes were sharp. She wore gla.s.ses. She was slightly taller than me, so with a height of 177cm, she had a stature that was tall despite being a girl. She had charcoal-colored short hair that almost appeared as if it were cut with a knife. Her veins were visible on the back of her hands and her feet as well. Her foot size was 270mm. She was on the larger side of girls with the same physique as her, so her hands were similar.

She wasn’t fat. Her figure was outstanding. To the point that you couldn’t vaguely say something like ‘okay’ or ‘on the good side’. She had proportions that were difficult to obtain even if one were to aim for it while on a nurturing simulation. Her receiving offers to become a model while walking through the streets of Hongdae was a matter of everyday occurrence. Although she would occasionally receive offers to become an idol, it wasn’t because of her appearance but because her height and physique were limited to the upper cla.s.s.

She had a lot of popularity. Mostly from other girls. Second to that was from boys who were shy. Last year, during Pepero Day, one of those boys had even shoved a box of pepero within our newspaper slot and ran away. It seems he was able to squeeze out the courage to come to our house but didn’t have enough to take the next step. Of course, even if he did, there’s a large possibility that he would have just witnessed the sight of the pepero going into my mouth. Miyeong didn’t eat snacks that well. She did buy them. Moreover, she’d even spend tens of dollars not at convenience stores but at imported sweet stores, at that. However, she was a fellow who, instead of tossing the snacks she bought into her mouth, would groan while staring at the calorie label for a long time before coming into my room and throwing it in my face. 69.3kg. Considering her height and figure, she absolutely wasn’t overweight.

It couldn’t be helped.

She was a girl, after all.

Someone who’s concerned about her height, concerned about her own shoe size, and concerned about her weight. Someone who can’t even meekly accept any positive evaluations, and would instead inflate the negative parts before harboring it. Compared to her peers, behaving quite her age, behaving no higher than her age,

an irritable girl.

My cousin, Han Miyeong, was that kind of girl.

I’ll organize the current situation.

I, who was dragged here by the white maid, was thrown aside on top of a bed in a small room.

The end.

If there’s something that can be added onto this situation that somehow feels similar to a light novel t.i.tle, then it’s the fact that, in the end, the wrist on my right arm was bruised. As a matter of fact, my body was sore because of the melee I had with Zia yesterday, so I’d like to refuse being injured any more than this.

Though that wasn’t in my hands.

“······Hota’ rii, akatu’ ziena?”

The white maid asked me something. However, since I couldn’t understand her, I responded by looking around the room instead. Approximately 6.5 square meters. There were no windows, but there was one wooden chair and desk. Instead of there being a closet, clothes were stacked on top of the rack that was attached to the wall. In the spot where I was situated, I was on top of a piece of furniture that was similar to a mattress and was stuffed with something that was unknown to me. However, whether it was because they weren’t washed for a long period of time or not, the covers that must have once been white were now a beige color and the areas where the body touched most, along with the pillow, were stained a light yellow.

“Kime’ ke’ kr-mera?”

The white maid spoke once more. As expected, since I couldn’t understand her, I stared at her, or rather, at the door that was right behind her. A door made of wood. As I had stated earlier, since there were no windows, the room was enshrouded in darkness due to the door being shut. If this maid weren’t so white, if her eyes didn’t give off such a boundlessly scarlet glow, then facing each other would have been difficult.

“Hrehesieve······ hreromehe-hieehe?”

The white maid spoke again.

Although I still couldn’t understand what she had said⎯⎯⎯this time, instead of observing the surroundings, I gazed at the white maid.

There were two reasons for this.

The first reason was because there were no more things in the room that were worth examining any further.

The other reason was because the vocalization method of the words that the white maid had just spoken⎯⎯⎯I realized that her words just now were different compared to what she had uttered earlier.

If you think about it, the vocalization method of what she said just before that was vaguely different as well.

The reason behind that was revealed in the next moment.

“······is it, this language? Korean? Is correct?”

“······, ······, ························Yeah, that’s right.”

I nodded⎯⎯⎯and responded.

The white maid let out a sigh. After raising one hand to brush her hair to the side, she crossed her arms and stared down at me.

“My name is Sii. Sii Garno Mikatni. As maid of Her Excellency the Silver Lion Earl, I work in this castle.”

The word ‘Sii’, which was repeated over and over again earlier, the word that I faintly expected to be a name, turned out to be this white maid’s name. Although her Korean grammar was so broken that both grammar n.a.z.is and grammar anarchists would most likely never forgive her, it was a self-introduction that could still be understood.

“I’m, Yujin. My full name is Han Yujin.”

“Han Yujin?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay. Yujin.”

Sii nodded her head, walked forward, and stood before me.

She inhaled deeply, making her small chest puff up, before raising her foot.

I was stepped on.

“Kuh······!”

My breath, was stifled. Sii, who had put enough strength into her feet to make it feel as if my ribs, and the lungs underneath them, were being crushed, lowered her back and stared into my eyes.

“Formal speech.”

“······uh, ······, ······!!”

“Formal speech, use it. ······Did you not forget? Because this place is not where you lived, Yujin. Going along with my mood is for your future. Understand?”

Her grammar was still broken. Even while she was talking, the strength in her boot continued to increase. If I didn’t show a response, then she truly was going to continue until I broke, that was her intention.

The feeling of anger and indignity from being violently forced to use formal speech to a maid who was younger than me⎯⎯⎯I can confidently say that I wouldn’t have that sort of reaction.

No, I was used to it.

There was a time when I was dragged to Chanmi’s house and was mistreated by 5 maids at the same time. Like I would always say, any experience will become helpful in the future······.

“Understood.”

Once I obliged immediately, light satisfaction appeared on Sii’s face.

She lessened the strength in her leg for a moment, before adding it back.

“Miss.”

The feeling of anger and indignity from being violently forced to attach a t.i.tle to a maid who was younger than me⎯⎯⎯I can confidently say that I wouldn’t have that sort of reaction.

No, like I said, I was used to it.

When I was dragged to Chanmi’s place, there was a time when I was tormented by a pair of twin maids. Looking back at it now, it’s just a distant memory······.

“Miss Sii.”

“Yup.”

Sii displayed a satisfied expression and lifted her foot. She then dragged a chair over to the bed before sitting down on it and crossing her legs. With half-opened eyes, her red pupils appearing like a pair of setting suns that had been cut in half by the horizon and flipped upside-down, she looked down at me as if she were evaluating me.

“Boy?”

“Yes, Miss Sii.” I immediately responded with formal speech and raised my upper body. “I am a boy.”

Sii furrowed her brow as she watched me raise my body but then smiled brightly after seeing me get down onto my knees and lower my eyes with my hands gathered together. It wasn’t the twisted smile that she made while in front of the other maids, but a truly happy smile which was apparent on her face. She stomped her heels against the floor multiple times, her shoulders hunched together, before pus.h.i.+ng the end of her foot towards me.

As expected, if I were to speak from experience, then the meaning behind a sitting girl sticking her foot out towards a kneeling boy can be narrowed down to six things.

Among them, if it’s the reaction that’s hoped for by the type of people like Sii, then······.

(TL note: Warning: Foot stuff)

“······.”

I courteously supported her foot and placed the end of her boot against my mouth.

“!”

Sii twitched. While looking up towards that Sii with upturned eyes, I moved my head and sucked audibly. Lick, suck. The dull taste of leather. The stale taste of dirt and dust. Not avoiding it but accepting it fully⎯⎯⎯I swallowed. Suck, lick. Each time the wet sound of lips and tongue resonated, her knees twitched. The face of the twitching Sii was dyed red.

(TL note: Foot stuff is over)

Her face was completely flushed.

Not only her eyes, but her entire face was giving off a ruby glow as well.

She wasn’t⎯⎯⎯only embarra.s.sed.

“Yup!”

Sii made me stop by pus.h.i.+ng me away with her other foot and stood up from her chair. She then started to skip around with trembling shoulders before pouncing on me and pulling my neck into an embrace. She then (stretched out her hand that was, as expected, bright red) patted my head.

“Yup~~!! Good!”

I think I was on the mark.

“Good Yujin. Yup~~ very good! Because you’re good, really! Like this from now on, with sincerity! Have understood? Because if you do, then I won’t step on you like earlier······since I won’t make you hurt, this Sii Garno Mikatni promises. It’s okay to trust me. Do you understand?”

“Thank you very much, Miss Sii.”

Sii barely listened to the response that I gave her. She rubbed her cheek, which was so flushed that it appeared as if you could feel the heat radiating from it, against my forehead and kept stroking my head. If her pale white skin could be described as fallen snow, then right now, she was like fire spreading on top of oil. Did her entire body turn red? In terms of posture, my lower body was naturally pressed against her heated chest, so the peculiar feeling from that soft sensation and the scent of milk mixed with sweat⎯⎯⎯I can confidently say that I wouldn’t feel anything from that.

In the first place, it wasn’t even soft. If you want to get technical, then it was indeed soft, but it was a softness that was no better than a chicken breast. As I saw with my eyes earlier, this girl had a body that was lamentably skinny.

As I’ve said multiple times before, I don’t like stimulating things.

Before that, this wasn’t even stimulating.

The former being me and the latter being this maid known as Sii, this was a situation that was pitiful in several different meanings······.

“Yujin, Yujin. Chest, hurts? The place I stepped on earlier······ Did I make it hurt a lot?”

Sii, who must have been satisfied with her long session of rubbing against me, lifted her head and started to hit my chest as if she were trying to pat it down. If someone were to ask me which moment hurt more, then it’d be now.

“A little······ Miss Sii. You’re strong.”

Those words, which would have made my cousin Miyeong rampage like a dragon and rain her royal wrath down upon me if I were to ever say that to her, made Sii become redder. She then cleared her throat with an ‘Ehem’, put her chest out, and,

“Yup! That’s obvious. I’m strong! Really strong!”

“Indeed, Miss Sii.”

“If I put more sincerity, then even a boy like Yujin is just a twig against my one finger!”

“Thank you for going easy on me.”

“Yup yup. Is obvious, Yujin. Be relieved. Since Yujin is a good kid, even I won’t go all out!”

Sii spoke while patting my head strongly with her palm. Although, if you consider the fact that there was some end of the century martial arts manga type line in the middle of her sentence, then you can approximately tell what sort of method this fellow had used to learn Korean. Regardless of that, her personality type was just as I had expected.

Starting from the obsequious smile which she had shown in front of the other maids.

To the pressure of the grip which went beyond common sense on my wrist.

To the fact that she had abruptly stepped on my chest and forced me to use honorifics.

The truth that could be realized just by looking at that figure which lacked in volume.

This white maid, Sii Garno Mikatni, was starving for recognition and respect.

Regardless of who the opposition was, she wanted her strength, her value, to be acknowledged.

It was similar to how a short, scrawny, or any man lacking in a particular physical attribute would be h.e.l.l-bent on trying to prove his masculinity. As expected, the fact that she got this excited by me licking the end of her boot⎯⎯⎯was most likely because she felt as if that strength of hers had been confirmed. Moreover, it was confirmed by a man who had a good head on his shoulders. She would be especially ecstatic because of that.

She was someone who was so easy to handle that she couldn’t be compared to the Earl. How great would it be if every woman in the world was like her?

······No, as I thought, that isn’t right either, is it?

“Uhm, Miss Sii······.”

Carefully, while lowering my back and looking up at her, I moved my lips while displaying an att.i.tude that seemed as if I were being considerate about her mood. Sii tilted her head.

“Hm? What, Yujin?”

“There is something that I am curious about······ would it be discourteous of me, to ask?”

“Mm? Ah, okay. Yujin was a body summoned by the Earl after all······ Things you want to ask, is there a lot?”

“Yes. ······I would be grateful if you were to teach me, if you were to show me mercy.”

(TL note: He’s correcting himself)

Since I’m doing it anyway, I should do it with certainty. I backed up slightly and made that request while lowering my head. Sii gazed down at me while grinning broadly and giggling inaudibly to herself before she composed herself in order to let out a proud snort.

“Okay! Talk. If you don’t, then I can’t answer your questions.”

“This room, what place is it?”

“It’s my room! Since I’m amazing, I was allowed to have a personal room. Since I came here through Miss Mercè Mikatni’s introduction, it’s not without reason!”

(TL note: Uncertain about the gender)

Contrary to her words, the room was still shabby, but if I said that out loud then I’d probably be stepped on again. There was no worth in breaking the mood that I was barely able to establish.

“Miss Mercè Mikatni······?”

“The best blacksmith of the City of Confinement. Although an otherworldly creature like you, Yujin, may be unaware, she’s a person with a lot of influence in the city. As that person’s adopted daughter, I came into this castle. And I’m working as a maid. ······Honestly, I want to do a more splendid job, but because I have a disease, it’s difficult for me to move around outside. Until I gather enough money to fix that, I plan to work without voicing my complaints.”

The adopted daughter of a city’s community leader, is it? A disease. Restricted outdoor activities. Different to the Earl of the Silver Lion, she had truly white skin and red eyes⎯⎯⎯skin that reddened when excited. A typical disease of melanin deficiency, the appearance of an albino. The reason why she was always narrowing her eyes was probably because her vision was weak.

The part about whether albinism was a curable disease or not⎯⎯⎯let’s put that on hold.

She was either plainly young and thus unaware of the truth or she was deceived into believing that a medicine that could cure her disease actually existed.

There’s a possibility that the so-called Alchemy Fortress, the pharmacist a.s.sociation of this world⎯⎯⎯truly did possess a magical medicine that could cure that disease.

“That’s amazing.”

“Mhm! It’s no big deal!”

Although I think there’s no meaning in you saying those kinds of words when you have such a boasting expression on your face, as I thought, let’s ignore it.

“Earlier those maids, those misses······.”

“Don’t call them misses!”

She shouted. I expected this response, but it was important for me to act as if I didn’t. With a frightened face, and while even uttering a shriek, I went down onto my knees and bowed my head. I put strength into my arms and shoulders, which were supporting my body, and made myself appear as if I were trembling.

Shortly after, once I carefully glanced up at her like a prisoner who was pleading for mercy, both sorriness and satisfaction lingered in the eyes of Sii who was still trying to catch her breath after having shouted.

······No, like I said, this was easy. At this point, I feel as if I may end up being the one to feel bad instead.

“Sorry for shouting, but calling them Miss is a no. Because the only person among the maids worth calling miss, is this Miss Sii Garno Mikatni. Understood?”

Carefully, while embarra.s.sed, but with an evidently pleased expression on her face, Sii Garno Mikatni rubbed the end of her boot against my lips. Once I pressed my lips against her boot as if I was much obliged by the fact that I could even respond to her like this, Sii crouched down and patted my head.

“Yup~~! Good! It’s okay if you know, Yujin!”

After stroking my head for a long period of time, she patted my forehead with the palm of her hand.

No matter how I looked at it, this must have been this fellow’s habit. It’s been hurting ever since she started to do this.

“In the first place, the majority of the other maids are idiots who don’t even know Korean. They don’t have aspirations, either. No pa.s.sion to learn. Lazybones who pushes tiresome tasks to others. Because I, will never live like that.”

“······I see, Miss Sii. However, uhm······.”

“Hm~?”

“How did Miss Sii grasp the Korean language······?”

“Learned!”

Sii puffed up her chest.

“This castle’s library, it’s open to even the maids. At first, I learned from picture books with a lot of drawings. Because I didn’t know how to read the letters, I asked either Miss Zia or Miss Sophna and······ after learning how to read, mm, since it’s a picture book, I could understand the situations.”

Picture books, is it? I wonder if she’s talking about manga. Seeing that Zia’s name was mentioned, then ten to one that must be the case. The person called Sophna······ if I recall the time I wrote that speech, then they were the head deity of the House. Contextually, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that this person knows how to speak Korean as well. Let’s keep this in mind.

“That’s impressive. It should have been difficult to learn Korean······.”

“Yup~~! That’s right, it was difficult······ but the picture books were fun. Wanted to read the next volumes faster and faster. Furthermore, it’s another world language, right? I believed something good would happen if I learned it······. No matter the experience, it will be helpful. If you didn’t know this, then use this opportunity to learn it well, Yujin.”

Although that common opinion, which you uttered so proudly, was something I’ve already been using on you to my heart’s content, as expected, there’s really no need for me to say that out loud. In regards to the fact that she was violent, easy to read, and boundlessly simple to handle, she reminded me of Eun Minseon.

No, would Miyeong be more similar?

In any case.

“It has certainly helped.”

“Hm~?”

“Since that has allowed me to have the honor of conversing with you, after all.”

Sii was dyed red once more. Although it seems that she wanted to make a pretentious expression on her face which displayed that something on that level was obvious, she was unable to control her facial muscles so her lips trembled like a worm that had found itself on a road of asphalt.

“Uhuhuhuhum! Well, that’s obvious. Because I’m amazing. But certainly, because Korean was really difficult, there were a lot of hards.h.i.+ps even after learning how to read······ I was able to manage that one way or another. Since I’m in charge of cleaning⎯⎯⎯.”

Sii abruptly stopped mid-sentence and shut her mouth.

“······Miss Sii?”

“Ah······ mm. It’s nothing. Nothing at all. Mm mm. In any case, I’m amazing. If you understand, then you have to show some more sincerity!”

Sii, as if to block my mouth with her boot⎯⎯⎯Mm, it would probably be better to take out the ‘as if’. She blocked my mouth physically.

Let’s think.

This sort of reaction came out after she mentioned that she was in charge of cleaning. There are three possible explanations. First, because their a.s.signed area was under secrecy, there was a need for her to pick her words carefully. Though this could possibly be the case, if she had that sort of sociability, then she wouldn’t have fooled around with me this easily. The second explanation was that in the midst of boasting to me, she stated that she was in charge of cleaning so she felt embarra.s.sed. Compared to the first explanation, this was 100 times more probable.

Finally, the third······.

······Mm.

For now, I removed my lips from her boot.

“Miss Sii.”

“Hm?”

“What type of person is the Silver Lion Earl to Miss Sii?”

Sii twitched and then fixed her posture. Among the three possible explanations mentioned earlier, I could guess what the answer was.

“Mm······.”

The hesitating Sii let out a sigh.

“She’s, a scary person.”

As I thought, she had this sort of evaluation.

“A really scary person. I heard that she wasn’t like this in the past, but······ I wasn’t here back then so I don’t know that well. Just a few days ago, the fact that Aria almost died······ Albeit, Aria is a lowly maid who resorts to thieving, well, I believed that it’d be a cheap price no matter what her punishment was, but······ seeing that she forgave Aria, then she might have a generous part about her. Yup. A difficult person. That’s what I think.”

Theft, maid, near death situation, and mercy······ ······It seems that the maid called Aria was the one who I had helped. I wonder if she was mixed in with the group of maids that I saw earlier. I don’t plan to take advantage of a favor, but if I get the opportunity, then I should confirm it. Winning people over to your side was important.

“Uhm······ Yujin.”

While in deep thought, Sii cautiously called out to me.

“Yes, Miss Sii?”

“······, ······that bas.e.m.e.nt room······ did you see it?”

That bas.e.m.e.nt room⎯⎯⎯she must be referring to the torture chamber.

In charge of cleaning.

It was something that I had already guessed at. It was a used facility. A room where a person of high status would go to enjoy herself. Although it appeared as if the room was never cleaned before because blood, flesh, guts, and bones were scattered all over the place⎯⎯⎯logically, there was no way that that would be the case. Furthermore, there’s no chance that the Earl herself would clean that torture chamber. If I were to judge Zia while relying on a harsh stereotype, then it’s a question whether she’d even clean her own room or not. Rather than that, the people below would have to do it. If that’s the case, then what room would be the most appropriate place to clean for a maid who’s treated as a sore?

Even the thing which she claimed to have a.s.sisted her in learning the language, if she truly did learn from only reading manga, then there’s no way that she would be able to converse with me as fluently as this. She needed a conversation partner.

She most likely had⎯⎯⎯that conversation partner.

Similar to how, in this very moment, there are two otherworldly creatures that exist in that torture chamber.

Those who were unable to get past the first day, the second day, or even the third day. Tortured⎯⎯⎯there must have been Koreans who were as broken as this child’s grammar.

“······Didn’t see? That······ room.”

Sii asked me while averting her gaze.

I shook my head before giving her a nod.

“I saw it. ······The torture chamber, you’re referring to that, right?”

“Ah. ······so you saw it, yeah.”

The recoiling Sii fiddled with her fingers before clearing her throat.

“Mm~ I understand, the fact that you saw. Mm······. In fact, you immediately used formal speech for me······ and used honorifics. Since you saw, things like that······ That’s right. Mm mm.”

Sii, who had her arms folded while letting out a long ‘Mm~’ sound, then nodded her head.

“Yup, I’ll try talking!”

“Say that Yujin is a good boy! After hearing that she doesn’t have to make you hurt anymore, there’ll be no need to hurt you! Although Miss Earl is a scary person······ she’s also a cool person. After hearing the speech she gave during Aria’s incident before, yup! An amount of······ possibility······ may, slightly······ not be non-existent······.”

“Yujin······.”

Sii trailed off. It seems she had judged that the reason behind my silence was because I was trembling in fear.

Even though that wasn’t the case.

I think I know why she tried to refrain from saying the precise term ‘torture chamber’. It was most likely because she had considered the possibility that I hadn’t seen it. If I were summoned aboveground, and thus never saw the torture chamber, then she probably believed that the very act of mentioning ‘torture chamber’ would instill fear into me. The fact that she flinched on her own when mentioning that she was in charge of cleaning was because of the same context. In order to consciously avoid the topic about that room.

Sympathy⎯⎯⎯was a bit different.

Consideration.

Especially the fact that she was similar to that fool knight who would pick her words carefully in order to not give me false hope.

This child was currently being considerate of me.

······That consideration,

May have come from the sense of disappointment that came from the fact that the flatterer, who treated her well, may possibly be tortured to death the next day,

It may have even come from her mid-teens-like emotions, the concern itself originating from something that was similar to how you’d have a slight attachment to a random dog which you had petted once while walking down the street.

Perhaps, no, that was most certainly the case.

A type of consideration that could be tossed, just like some pocket change, at the weak who absolutely couldn’t disobey, all for the sake of one’s own amus.e.m.e.nt.

The strong to the weak to an extent.

The weak to the strong to an extent.

Despite that.

“I see that you’re a gentle person, Miss Sii.”

“Eh.”

“Thank you.”

Because this pure white maid felt cute to me, I had no other choice but to say that while bowing my head (with sincerity this time).

“Ah······ Uuuu. Yup~~! Mm mm mm.”

Sii lit up once more like a red crab and squirmed around with her arms wrapped around her shoulders.

And then,

“Mm!”

She spread her hand and patted my head.

As expected, I think this is her habit.

Except, the intensity of the blows this time weren’t that different to a playful hit you’d receive from a friend.

In other words, it didn’t hurt.

She had adjusted it. Her strength.

“Yujin!”

Sii laughed with an ‘Ehehe’ and stood up from her seat. She stretched out her hand in order to grab my wrist, but after seeing that it was now bruised, she let out a light gasp. With her stretched out arm floating in place, she withdrew her smile and hesitation wrapped around her entire body.

That’s why I extended my arm instead.

“Ah.”

I went out of my way to let her grab my right arm that had a bruised wrist. Once I smiled for her, the hesitating Sii smiled once more as well. Ehehe. After s.h.i.+vering her shoulders and enjoying herself, she carefully gripped my wrist. Sii Garno Mikatni then spoke to me.

“Yujin. Yujin⎯⎯⎯are you not hungry?”

“I’ve just now started to become hungry.”

“Okay~~! Let’s go eat. Since it’s almost dinner time, we just have to go to the dining room and eat. Lately, the menu has become rather faithful, so it’s delicious.”

“Thank you very much. What is the menu like here?”

“In yesterday’s case, mm~~ Memeke meat that was s.h.i.+chi came out.”

“I see. If I knew what Memeke was, then it might be easier for me to understand.”

“Memeke is uh⎯⎯⎯that. In Korean, it’s that animal called tentaclonis.”

An apprehensive name popped up all of a sudden.

“Tentaclonis?”

“Yup~~. That pillar-looking animal with a bunch of long tubes attached to it, it came out in the picture book called Princess Knight Tentacle Obedience.”

My sudden uneasy prediction was right.

“But different to that picture book, Memeke don’t······ um, do that sort of thing.”

“Since it feels like it wouldn’t be a good idea to drag this topic on for too long, let’s put it aside. Please tell me about the cooking method called s.h.i.+chi.”

“Okay. In Korean terms, it’s a cooking method that comes out in the picture book called Archduke Mother and Daughter Predation Appreciation.”

Another apprehensive named popped up abruptly.

“Archduke Mother and Daughter Predation Appreciation?”

“You peel the outer layer while it’s still alive, fasten it in place, and while it’s on top of a heat-resistant plate, you put in a gla.s.s⎯⎯⎯to be exact, it’s a bit different, there’s a thing called Tios. It’s like a lens, but it’s slightly different to a lens as well. In any case, you put that inside and take it to a place where there’s a lot of sunlight. If sunlight pa.s.ses through the Tios, then it condenses and starts to heat the plate······.”

My sudden uneasy prediction was right once more.

d.a.m.n Ahyeon. No, someone else could have brought those books, but still, d.a.m.n Ahyeon. I dislike you even though I’ve never met you before.

“I understand now.”

“Okay.”

I, and even Sii, avoided the other’s gaze and cleared our throats. A short silence.

“Then that means a meal similar to dried squid was served yesterday.”

“Yup. ······Ah, yup, the dried part. It being······ a squid, yup. Although they’re bigger than squids and live on land······ Yup, squid.”

“I see.”

“Yup.”

Another silence.