Kenley drew out his words, narrowing his eyes as he slowly approached her with a sly grin.
"But you sneaked out, didn't you? I bet you wouldn't want Uncle Brook to find out, would you?"
Then, crouching down beside Sylph, he leaned in close and whispered in a voice Tia couldn't hear:
"Your Highness."
Sylph's eyes widened in pure disbelief, as if she'd just seen a ghost.
"Y-you... Y-you...!"
Her words caught in her throat.
This despicable human must be a complete degenerate!
If he could stoop so low as to take in an undead like Tia, what wouldn't he do?
And now that he knew she was an elven princess, he was probably thrilled beyond belief.
But Kenley simply stood up, then casually tossed her equipment back at her feet.
"Tia, let's go. I'm starving."
"B-but, Master..."
Tia hesitated, glancing at Sylph with clear reluctance.
Of course.
After an entire era apart, finally reuniting with her childhood best friend—how could she possibly bear to part again so soon?
"Eh?"
Sylph let out a small gasp, staring at Kenley in sheer astonishment.
She never imagined he wouldn't take advantage of her.
He even returned her weapons.
Wasn't he supposed to be a pervert?
Wasn't he supposed to be lustful?
Then why was he letting her go?
Hearing Sylph's reaction, Tia glanced back at her, her concern evident.
Because Tia knew Sylph's identity.
She was no longer the na?ve young girl she once was.
Decades of darkness and hardship had taught her well.
It wasn't hard to guess—Sylph had probably run away from home, just like when they were kids.
"Master! Could we..."
Tia turned to Kenley, pleading with her eyes.
But Kenley didn't even look back as he walked toward the alley's exit.
"Like I said, we're going to eat."
Then, as if remembering something, he added casually:
"Oh, and if she wants to eat, bring her along."
Tia's eyes lit up.
Her previous worry shifted into delight.
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"Thank you, Master!"
Kenley muttered under his breath, exasperated:
"Women... such a hassle."
------
Greenleaf Restaurant
Kenley sliced into a piece of venison, then unceremoniously gulped down a mouthful of table wine.
Tia, watching him in stunned silence, looked like she had just witnessed a barbarian.
Where was his noble demeanor?
Kenley, catching sight of Sylph, gave her a glance.
"Hey, Elf over there."
"Why aren't you ordering anything?"
Sylph, frowning in disgust, gave Kenley a look that screamed:
Ugh. Just look at this uncultured peasant.
"I'm not used to human food..." she muttered, lowering her head.
Technically, that wasn't true.
Elves loved plant-based foods—fruits, leafy greens, and stalk vegetables.
But that didn't mean they didn't eat meat.
Ranger elves, like hunters, regularly tracked prey in the forest.
The only difference was, after every hunt, they would recite a long prayer before harvesting the meat.
Kenley smirked.
"Sylph, do you know why this place is called Greenleaf Restaurant?"
Sylph looked at him, puzzled.
"Why?"
Kenley didn't bother explaining. Instead, he turned toward the front desk and waved.
"Waiter!"
A moment later, he received a menu from the server. Flipping through it carelessly, he ordered:
"Give me another serving of Green Summer Leaves, another bottle of Moonlight Nectar, and... oh, add a serving of Berry Bread as well."
Since everything he ordered was vegetarian, the food arrived quickly. In no time, a server approached with a tray full of dishes and set them on the table.
Kenley grabbed the bread with his bare hands, took a large bite, then washed it down with a hearty gulp of Moonlight Nectar. After that, he took a bite of the Green Summer Leaves, eating them along with the bread.
"Crunch—crunch—"
Though his eating habits were far from refined, the way he chewed and swallowed with such relish made the food look irresistibly appetizing.
Even Sylph, a pure-blooded elven princess, found herself unable to resist the hunger rising within her.
She instinctively swallowed a mouthful of saliva, her eyes fixed on the food.
These were all dishes beloved by elves.
Without realizing it, she rubbed her stomach lightly. She was hungry.
And yet, she still forced herself to frown and mutter,
"How crude and barbaric."
Hearing her remark, Kenley took another long gulp of Moonlight Nectar, swallowing his food in one go.
"Gulp."
Letting out a satisfied sigh, he glanced at Sylph.
"Aren't you hungry? This is all your people's favorite food. Why don't you try some?"
"I... I..."
Sylph clearly wanted to say something, but the words wouldn't come out.
She knew the truth better than anyone.
She had rushed out of her home too hastily, completely unprepared—she didn't even bring human currency with her.
She did have valuable treasures, but those were far too precious to casually trade away—if she took them out, she would surely attract unwanted attention.
Right now, she was completely penniless.
Originally, she had planned to earn money through the Adventurers' Guild, but in her ambition, she had taken on an extremely difficult quest.
In the end, she was forced to use a hidden treasure just to defeat the monster.
Now, that treasure was in its recharging phase, meaning she couldn't use it again for a while.
To make matters worse, she had obliterated the monster so thoroughly that there wasn't even a trace of it left—not even enough to prove she had completed the quest.
Which meant no reward money.
Kenley's eyes suddenly lit up with realization.
"Oh~! I get it now."
"You don't have any money!"
"I-I do have money! I just... I just..."
Sylph was now completely famished.
Kenley's words only reminded her of how bad her situation was.
She still refused to admit that she had lost—both in battle and in this predicament.
Yes! That's right!
I must have lost because I was too hungry!
Otherwise, there's no way that man could have defeated me!
But the harsh reality was that if she didn't eat something soon, she'd pass out on the streets from starvation.
The dignified elven princess—reduced to starving on the roadside—would be the laughingstock of every three-year-old in town.
Just imagining it made Sylph burn with shame.
At this point, even Tia could sense Sylph's predicament.
Though she didn't know how things had come to this, her worried expression said everything.
"Master, could you... help Sylph?"
Tia's voice was hesitant, tinged with nervousness.
She had already pleaded with him too many times today.
Even she felt embarrassed at this point.
But Sylph remained stubborn.
"Tia, you don't need to beg him!" she huffed.
"I can still hold on! Once I find Uncle Brook, I'll make sure to teach this guy a lesson!"
She even waved her tiny pink fists for emphasis.
Kenley rolled his eyes.
"This girl is way too young."
Who just casually blurts out their plans in front of their enemy?
What if he had been the kind of person who would kill her on the spot?
...Oh well.
Guess I'm just too kind-hearted.
Besides, she just came of age—basically still a child.
Letting her starve to death on the streets would be a bit too cruel, even for him.
"Waiter!"
With that thought, Kenley waved a hand toward the server.