Meanwhile, Milkit was waiting for the chef to fillet a huge fish. As she watched the chef’s knife skills to see if she could learn something to use when she cooked at home, Cyrill peered over her shoulder at what she had in her hands.
“Is that for Flum, too?”
“Yes, it is.”
Y’lla suddenly popped her head out from the other side. “You’re quite the devoted type, aren’t you?”
“Oh, Y’lla…”
“Why are you surprised by me when you’re not surprised by the hero?”
“Oh, well, it’s just that I haven’t heard much about you… I heard that you’re Master’s friend.”
“Well, yes, I suppose we have no connection other than Flum. Anyway, what’s your relationship with Flum?”
“Just jumping into private affairs without hesitation…” Cyrill was awed by Y’lla’s straightforward manner of speaking.
“Satuhkie praised me for my lack of restraint. He said it was my strength.”
“I don’t think that was praise.”
“Only a fool would take sarcasm at face value and get depressed over it.”
“You’re strong…” The hero admitted defeat. At the same time, Y’lla also respected Flum, whom she seemed to be on good terms with.
“So what’s going on with Flum? Answer.”
“Did Master not tell you? I heard that the two of you had tea together, though.”
“She was too embarrassed to say anything.”
“Oh, I see… Well, we’ve started dating.”
“I knew it. Wait, she’s beat me to it!”
“Were you competing?”
“No, not really, but it’s just that I personally feel frustrated. Hm. I wonder if Slowe would be more interested in a demon who was the devoted type. What do you think, as the most devoted of them all?”
“Me…? Well, I heard Slowe was suddenly made king, and that it’s left him kind of at a loss. Y’lla, you’re supporting him through it, aren’t you? I think you’re plenty devoted.”
“I had a vague feeling that might be the case.”
“I don’t think you’re supposed to say that yourself.”
Y’lla casually brushed Cyrill’s comeback off. “I think it’s kind of different from your style of devotion, Milkit. I think it’s like, mine isn’t cute or heartfelt. I’m trying to put my heart into it, though. How do you feel when you’re devoting yourself to someone else?”
Milkit put her hand on her chest and thought for a moment before she spoke, carefully weaving words together to express her feelings for Flum.
“Master has given me so much happiness. So much happiness that, no matter how much I give back, even if I devote my entire life to it, it will never be enough to repay her. Still, I do what I can, hoping that it’ll be enough to repay her just a little.”
“I don’t think Flum really wants anything in return, though.”
“I think just having you by her side is enough, Milkit.”
“Yes, you’re right. Master has said so herself, too. But…” Milkit’s eyes creased, and her flushed cheeks relaxed as she felt her love for her master well up within her. “I’m happiest when I’m devoting myself to Master. So even though I understand those things, I just can’t seem to stop.”
She sounded so happy when she spoke that Cyrill and Y’lla couldn’t help but pause in reaching for the food. They had thought this before, but they thought it again. I wonder if this girl is maybe a little too in love with Flum?
“I don’t think I could be like that.”
“I’m sure that Flum would say that as long as you’re happy, Milkit, that’s all that matters.” Cyrill wasn’t just guessing. She was certain of that.
“Really?” Milkit blushed bashfully. Her happiness was so evident that it even made Cyrill and Y’lla feel warmth inside, like she was sharing it with them.
“Flum really is amazing, isn’t she?”
“Yeah, I think so, too. I don’t think I could ever make someone that happy.”
No matter how powerful you might be, making another person happy was a complex thing to do. It was even harder to gift them the sheer level of bliss that Milkit felt.
“Flum…even forgave me, after all.” Cyrill couldn’t help but feel that Flum, who had accomplished so much, was a much more remarkable person than she was. Flum hadn’t condemned Cyrill for being cold to her. In fact, she would praise Cyrill whenever she had the chance, saying things like “Amazing!” or “I could never do that!”
But all that meant was that Cyrill had power. There was no comparison between that and Flum’s magnanimity.
“If I’m happy, that’s all that matters… Yes, I think that is definitely something Master would say. Master is a much more amazing person than she thinks she is, and she uses that strength for my sake. That’s why I always think that I’m not worthy of her.”
“I think so, too. I wonder if someone like me is good enough to be her friend.”
“If the hero is saying that, then someone like me has absolutely no place being her friend.”
“But master doesn’t think about things like loss and gain. She just offers people a helping hand because she’s kind.”
Flum hadn’t always been that strong to begin with. Since meeting Milkit, she had overcome many hardships before finally arriving at where she was today. Cyrill knew what Flum was like in the past, which was why she found her even more amazing.
“Can I bring Flum some food too? I want to give something to her, even if it’s just something small.”
“Of course.”
Cyrill knew that she couldn’t possibly repay Flum with something like that. But if she didn’t start small and work her way up, she’d never get anywhere. She’d just keep being on the receiving end.
“Well, if we can earn her favor that easily, then I’ll play along too.” Y’lla, jumping on the bandwagon, began piling more food onto the plate.
“That’s kind of a selfish line of thinking…”
“Hah hah, even Master can’t eat this much.”
Afterward, the three of them brought the large amount of food over the table, their hands fully occupied. Of course, Flum couldn’t eat it all by herself, so the four of them happily shared it with each other.