Allen was puzzled by her reaction. “What’s wrong? You’re not a fan of sweets?”
“N-No, that’s not...that’s not it...”
“Then go on, dig in.”
“Y-Yes...” She gripped her fork again somewhat awkwardly, still in a daze. “Just...for me...” she mumbled, then gulped.
Carefully, she placed the fork at the tip of the triangular slice. She cut away a tiny piece and slowly carried it to her mouth. Her movements were as slow as a turtle’s, but Allen watched her closely. As if that one bite of cake was her last meal, she chewed it very deliberately. Eventually, he heard her swallow, and she froze as if she were in a trance.
“H-How is it? Do you like it?” Allen asked nervously. Was the cake not to her taste? Was it spoiled? He anxiously peered into her face.
After a few moments, she said, “It’s...delicious.”
He was about to reply, “Glad to hear it!” but the words died in his throat.
A single teardrop had rolled down her cheek. Her face crumpled, and she was desperately trying to wipe away her tears. More and more welled up in her eyes until she was sobbing. Allen didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t stop weeping.
As her tears fell on the table, on her lap, she murmured in a thin, quivering voice, “I can’t believe someone would do something just for me...to give something to me... Only my mother and my little sister have ever done that before... It’s so delicious, and I feel happy, and it’s like my heart’s getting squeezed...”
Her uncertain, broken words were like a cry escaping from the depths of her soul. Her painful voice kindled a fire in his heart.
Her face still streaked with tears, Charlotte gazed up at Allen. “Is it okay...for someone like me...to be so happy?”
“Don’t be stupid,” he muttered gruffly. Sure, it was a little expensive, but that cake had only cost about one silver coin. Such cheap happiness was nowhere near enough. “You think that slice of cake is happiness? Don’t make me laugh. We’re just getting started here. I’m going to teach you all the naughty pleasures of this world. You can cry all you want, but I’m not going to show you any mercy.”
He’ll feed her delectable dishes and take her to all kinds of magnificent places. He’ll make her experience what it’s like to have real fun and feel real joy until she gets tired of it. And eventually, he’ll make her say, with pride, that she’s the happiest person in the world.
When he told her what was in store for her, her face crumpled again. “Why...why are you so kind to a stranger like me?”
“Who knows? I don’t understand it myself,” he admitted honestly.
How could a slice of cake make her cry so much? When he thought about it, it made his stomach churn horribly. The feeling didn’t seem to be simple pity or sympathy. It was a complicated tangle of feelings, like anger, and grief, and other things mixed in. He’d never felt such emotions before in his life. He didn’t know what to call it. But such questions were of no consequence. Now that he’d made up his mind, he was going to follow through with it all the way to the end, without holding anything back. That was his motto.
“Nevertheless, I swear to you: as long as you’re with me, I’ll teach you all the pleasures of this world!”
“But...I can’t return your favor.”
“No need for anything like that. You’re just getting dragged along in my hobby—think of it that way.”
Charlotte giggled through her tears. “You’re such a kind but strange person.”
Allen felt relieved to see her smiling again. When she cried, pain gripped his chest, and when she laughed, his heart warmed. These were new sensations for him too. He handed her a handkerchief, then offered her slice after slice of cake. He had only one desire—he wanted to see her smile more and more.
“Go on, eat to your heart’s content. Which one do you want next? How about this chocolate cake?”
“I-I can’t eat so much all at once... Please help me, Allen.”
“Like I said, I don’t—ah, I mean...” Noticing her face cloud over a little, he stopped himself from saying he didn’t like sweets and grabbed a fruit-laden tart for himself. “It’s a special occasion. I might as well join you.”
“Yes, please!” Charlotte beamed, “If we have it together, I’m sure it’ll taste even better.”
He was glad to see her smile. He wasn’t good with people, but with her, he thought he could keep trying his best.
But Charlotte furrowed her brows in concern. “Even with the two of us, I don’t think we can finish everything. What shall we do?”
“No problem, we can eat little by little every day.”
“Do cakes last so many days?”
“They will...” Allen muttered a spell and snapped his fingers. A transparent cube appeared around the chocolate cake. “If we stop time.”
“You really can do anything.”
“Sure.” He shrugged and sliced into his tart with a fork. “I’m a wicked and accomplished wizard. Whether it’s stopping time or corrupting a poor girl with temptations, it’s easy as pie. Hm. Not bad.” Thanks to the subtle sourness of the fruits, he could enjoy the tart too. He made a mental note to return to this shop more often. “Here, try this one. Say ahh.”
“Ah.” She timidly opened her mouth, and he gave her a bite of his tart. For a little while, she munched on it with an earnest expression, then broke into a smile, her cheeks turning a little pink. If he were to give that color a name, he’d call it, simply, “the color of happiness.”
“It’s delightful.”
“Glad to hear it.” Allen grinned back at her and devoured the rest of the tart. Not bad at all, he thought.