◆ A Blessing to a New Meeting
SINCE I became an alchemist, I stopped wearing accessories. This black rose necklace looked cute, and I was ecstatic to have proof of my friendship with Layla. I happily looked up at Mr. Julius.
“We’re matching, aren’t we?” I asked with a smile.
He replied with a click of his tongue, looking extremely annoyed. It’s been a while since I’ve been treated this way, I thought. I wasn’t sure if he was hiding his embarrassment or if he was genuinely annoyed, but knowing him, the latter was more likely.
“You’re not honest, are you?” Layla asked. “King Faisal would’ve said, ‘Layla, I’m so happy that I get to wear the same thing as you. It’s as though you’re always by my side, and I couldn’t be more elated.’”
“Of course,” the king replied. “I’d like to wear something matching with you, Layla, and quite honestly, I’m envious of the two of you.”
“See?”
A woman who’s loved glimmers differently. I could only give a forced laugh at the confident Layla. If Mr. Julius was ever so honest about his thoughts, it wouldn’t be him. It’d be some sort of…odd creature. But the fact that he didn’t remove his earring and toss it aside was proof that he was being considerate in his own twisted way. At the very least, I was allowed to be happy about the fact that he and I were wearing a matching set of accessories.
A short while later, a dark-brown bottle was brought into the grand hall per Faisal’s orders.
“The bottle’s small,” Ms. Natalia complained upon looking at it. “Have you only got one, Faisal?”
He nodded. “Of course. It’s one of the treasures of the royal family, so we don’t have a lot of it. If we did, it’d no longer be a prized possession.”
Meanwhile, Lambda and Jahala brought out dish after dish, filling the table before me as they recommended their favorites.
At first, I tried to be more ladylike and composed, acting reserved because I was in a dress. But when I saw Mr. Julius not hold back and eat even my share, my appetite won over my elegance. When I grabbed a bite of tender lamb that had been stewed with spices, placed it on hard bread, and stuffed my cheeks, Jahala smiled.
“You must’ve been famished,” he remarked.
“A woman who eats a lot is far preferred than one who doesn’t eat at all,” Lambda said, gazing at me like a father would his daughter. “Noblewomen rarely eat anything at occasions like these, and it’s a breath of fresh air to see ladies like you and Natalia eat and drink to their heart’s content.”
I quickly swallowed and hid my mouth under a napkin. “I feel like I’m being treated like an unusual animal here…”
The lamb was so juicy and tender that it melted in my mouth. The spices masked any gamey odor, and the meat tasted oddly refreshing to me. The aroma of the thin, crispy bread paired well with the meat, making it a perfect combination.
“Chloe, this grilled sand round beetle tail is very good. Would you like a bite?” Jahala asked.
“Um, can you please stop recommending all these mysterious ingredients?” I requested. “And please stop trying to feed me dishes that clearly remind me of bugs.”
“Sand round beetles are very good for you. And they might sound like bugs, but they’re as large as you, and their tail tastes like beef. It’s very nutritious. It nourishes your body of lost nutrients.”
“You seem to really like nourishing your body. You’re still so young, too…”
“Being healthy is very important. Researchers tend to become obsessed with their work, which ends up taking a toll on their body. It’s better to have a nutritious meal to replenish oneself.”
“Do you like to practice entomophagy, Jahala?”
“I’m fond of insects. The ones that are edible make it better.”
I guess all boys like insects. He proceeded to happily tell me about dishes with insects. It was wholesome and adorable, like a neighborhood kid showing off a cool insect that he caught. As long as he didn’t try to force me to eat any, all was well. Astria didn’t have the custom of eating bugs. We ate meat and fish, and I’d never seen any insects served on a platter at a palace banquet.
“If it’s good for you, you should eat it, Chloe,” Mr. Julius said, stabbing the sand round beetle tail with his fork and pushing it towards my mouth.
I feel like an animal being fed. I kept my lips sealed and gave muffled groans, encouraging him to eat it in my stead. For a brief moment, I was worried that he’d grab my face and forcibly shove this insect down my throat, but he did nothing of the sort and pulled the fork away from me.
“This isn’t all that bad,” he said, popping the white chunk of meat on his fork, resembling shrimp, into his mouth.
“You can’t eat sand lizards, but you can eat sand round beetles?” I asked. “What’s wrong with you? Are you okay?”
“Lizards look like dragons, but bugs don’t.”
“What does it taste like?”
“Meat.”
Jahala gave a satisfied nod, happy to hear those words. I was told that it tasted like beef, but the only word I received from Mr. Julius was, “meat.” A carnivore like him approved of this bug’s taste; this world was filled with strange dishes that I’d never heard of before.
“Apparently, it’s nourishing,” I said. “I guess you’ll be brimming with energy.”
I breathed a sigh of relief as I watched Mr. Julius—he ate quite a few things served to him without feeling grossed out. I was force-fed the powdered sand light insects last time, and that was more than enough for me.
“I mean, you’re always energetic…” I said.
“Chloe, Jahala’s still in his teens. Perhaps we shouldn’t talk about stuff like that in front of him,” Ruto hastily said.
“Chloe, it’s great that you’re in love with him, but it’s not right to talk about your nighttime fun in front of all these people,” Natalia scolded. “I’m saying this as your mother.”
That’s not what I mean. Wait, what? What are we talking about here?! I covered my face with my hands, feeling like I said something absolutely embarrassing, though I wasn’t sure what.
Lambda laughed loudly as he said, “I’d recommend maybe having ten kids or so, Julius!”
He was silenced with a loud smack by Layla’s fan. Isn’t that the iron fan?? Looks painful.
Mr. Julius didn’t deny any of these claims as he said, “We’d need more dragons for everyone.”
Is he drunk? He already drank quite a bit. While he claimed that he wasn’t one to get plastered, perhaps he felt himself loosening up a bit thanks to the alcohol. Not that I’d know.
While we were all chattering away, the 2000-year-old wine was being poured into everyone’s glasses. I tried to reach for one, but Mr. Julius stole it away from me.
“My glass!” I wailed. “Mr. Julius, let me drink a sip too! It’s a treasure of the royal family! It must be super expensive!”
“You shouldn’t,” he said.
“I’m of legal age! I might look like a beautiful young maiden, but I’m old enough to drink alcohol, you know!”
“I know. But I’ll still drink this for you.”
“Just because there isn’t enough alcohol for you, that’s no reason for you to take my share!”
“Oh? Chloe, if you don’t want to hand it over to Julius, you can give it to me, you know,” Ms. Natalia said. In front of her were the glasses that she’d received from Ruto and Layla.