He hummed. “Yes, it does taste different indeed. It carries a somewhat floral scent.” Alk then opened his jaws again like a chick begging for food, so I gave him another tea-flavored doughnut.
Meanwhile, I picked up one of the treats that I had been anticipating. “They do look delicious, but these honey-lemon doughnuts have caught my eye, and I cannot resist them any longer!”
The honey-lemon doughnuts didn’t look all that dissimilar to the honey and milk ones, and the only difference was that there were small yellow pieces in the batter. I took a bite, and my teeth were met with the familiar crack of the sugar coating breaking and giving way to the fluffy dough beneath. The aroma, however, was an entirely new experience!
From my very first bite, my mouth was filled with sour-sweet lemon. Honey-soaked or not, it was more than tart enough to make my tongue shrivel after having gotten used to the sugary glaze outside. When said glaze had dissolved from the heat of my mouth, the treat’s sweetness seemed to stand out tenfold. It was, of course, the refreshing tang of citrus that prevented the whole thing from being overly saccharine. The most noteworthy thing of all, however, was how the sweet and sour flavors seemed to sweep through my tired body. The sharp acidity washed away every last hint of sludgy exhaustion within me.
“To think that the combination of honey and lemon could have such a profound effect on the body!” I cried.
“A tea-flavored doughnut?! Does all cuisine from this other world promise such novel flavors?”
I took a seat on the crumbling altar while Alk lay down beside it. We indulged in our treats for some time, as though possessed. Not only had I succeeded in charming the dragon’s taste buds, but it looked like I was to become a slave to these otherworldly desserts myself! They were diabolical!
“Alk! Why not try this one too?!”
“Calm yourself, Fran! I am still enjoying these tea—”
“Ah! You’re eating my share!” I whined. “I was looking forward to those!”
My honey-lemon doughnut had been so delicious that I had devoured it in the blink of an eye, and when I automatically reached out to pick up another, I instead gave the dragon’s head a few smacks—the creature had shoved his head into the paper carton to gorge himself. His scales were slightly cool and rock hard, but that wasn’t to say that I hurt myself on them. I knew I wasn’t behaving in an especially proper manner, but I wanted us to share in this joy.
At least...that was how I had felt until the moment I realized there wasn’t a single tea doughnut left.
I practically shrieked from the shock, making Alk withdraw his head from the box and cock it at me in confusion.
“My apologies...” he said.
As semi-bewildered as he seemed, he had the decency to hang his head, and his admission of guilt sapped me of my rage. I’d offered these delights to him so that he would spare my life. Trying to prevent him from eating them was entirely foolish. I was missing the point completely!
“There is no need to apologize, now that I think of it,” I admitted. “Those doughnuts were an offering to you, after all. My reaction was rather impudent. I hope you’ll accept my apology.”
Alk hesitated. “In truth, I find your meekness somewhat tedious. Raise your head, Fran. I have heard your apology. The so-called honey-and-lemon doughnut you hold in your hand will act as recompense.”
“Of course... I am very much obliged.”
Despite my panicked apology, perhaps I hadn’t made Alk especially angry in the first place. His head was still swaying about leisurely. If anything, he appeared to be holding back a smile, as though he had found my reaction amusing.
I tossed the doughnut into his mouth, and after he had swallowed it whole, he let out a dissatisfied snort. “These tiny morsels are somewhat cumbersome to eat at my size.”
“I can see why. They’re so small compared to your mouth and claws. Shall I procure something larger for you?” I asked.
The fresh doughnut in my hand was perhaps just big enough for the giant dragon to pinch between two talons. I scanned the tablet’s screen for something bigger, but despite the wide variety, they all seemed to be of a similar size. Expanding my search to items with similar form factors, I found a “chiffon cake” and a “Swiss roll.” Both looked delicious...
I turned the tablet around to show him, but he slowly shook his head. “While I am certainly interested in larger offerings, they remain unsuited for my present size.”
It did seem a little silly to offer him treats that, in his eyes, were only slightly bigger. I started to let out a quiet sigh, and the dragon, who was currently lying on the marble floor like a sphinx, began to quiver. Pale blue light bounced off his obsidian scales and temporarily blinded me. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself faced with an unfamiliar man who was happily stuffing his face with a honey-lemon doughnut. I stared at him wordlessly.
“Yes, this form is much more suitable to eat such treats.” He then looked up at me and hummed quizzically.
“Um... Alk? Is that you?” It sure sounded like him.
This man’s hair was glossy and as dark as obsidian, and his golden eyes were as round as the full moon, just like the dragon’s who he had seemingly replaced. He had a solid build and stood easily a head and a half taller than me. Though his sharp features made me think he was older than me, there was something boyish about his expression and the way he was cocking his head.
“Yes, it is I,” he said. “Is something the matter, Fran? You look like a duck caught in a storm.”
I could only guess what kind of expression was on my face for him to describe it that way. If I was to believe his words, this man was Alk in human form. His confirmation of that brought me back to my senses, and I dipped my head.
“I was, um, unaware that you were capable of taking on a human form. Please forgive my astonishment.”
“This form is simply more convenient for eating these desserts. I have attempted to mimic the appearance of the humans I saw before I became dormant.”
Like a duck caught in a storm—or, as Teiren would put it, you could have knocked me over with a feather. Either way, I stared at him with my mouth open in a completely insolent manner! This was not an expression a proper lady should be making!
Having said that, the man before me didn’t seem put off by my rudeness in the slightest. If anything, he was puffing his chest as if inviting me to pay compliment to his wondrous transformation. I could even see the expectant swishing of his tail, though it must have been an illusion.