Chapter 5
Another Malnutrition?
Behind the bushes was Cassian, holding a large bowl packed with ingredients in both hands. Approaching me as I curled up expecting a monster, Cassian sat down on the ground naturally, as if accustomed to it. Trying to calm my pounding heart, I grumbled sullenly.
“The ground there is dirty.” “That is why I haven’t set the bowl down. Your complexion looks paleāare you feeling unwell?”
Wiping away the urge to snap It’s because of you, I offered an awkward smile. Thinking it was nothing serious, Cassian held out one of the bowls toward me, along with a set of utensils neatly wiped with a plain cotton cloth.
“The Saintess is human as well, so why not have something to eat?”
A faint smirk escaped my lips at his sly attempt to lighten the mood. Turning back toward the campfire, I replied slowly.
“Thank you.”
Cassian shifted to sit closer to me. The movement kicked up a small cloud of dust, causing both of us to freeze in place for a moment while holding our bowls high above our heads. Without any prompt, we both burst into a brief fit of laughter at the shared reaction. Once the quiet settled back after our laugh, Cassian dipped his spoon deep into the soup.
“The reason the sanctuary went dormant might be because its magical energy was depleted. The mages at the royal palace in the capital might know of a way.” “I’m not a Saintess, I’m a nutritionist.” “Yes, Saintess.”
He really insists on calling me Saintess till the end. Cassian was surprisingly persistent. But that wasn’t the main point right now. He definitely said “magical energy was depleted” just now, right?
“Oh? Wait a moment. Magic?” “Yes, magic power.”
Well, I had vaguely anticipated since my summoning that this world would differ from Earth. Finding out that magic actually exists felt a bit surreal. On top of that, Cassian going out of his way to look after me…
“Cassian, thank you as always.” “Ahem. If you are grateful, next time… join me in gathering ingredients.”
I scooped up a big spoonful of soup and brought it to my mouth. The deep, rich flavor was top-notch.
“Oh, this is delicious!” “Is it?” “Yes. But didn’t you just say something?”
Cassian stared blankly at my face before suddenly digging back into his own soup. What was that? Guess it wasn’t anything important. As I swallowed spoon after spoon, a pleasant warmth spread through my body. Well, Datian might know nothing about nutrition, but his cooking skills were extraordinary. It felt superior even to the head chef back at the cafeteria. Cassian finished his bowl in no time and sat beside me staring at the campfire until I licked off the last drop of soup stuck to the rim of my bowl. Looking at his profile illuminated by the flickering heat of the fire, I spoke without thinking.
“Could you call me by my name instead of Saintess?” “Ah, come to think of it, I have not yet heard your name, Saintess.” “My name is Ian. Lee Ian.” “I…an?”
Cassian’s eyes fluttered with a strange light. He looked like someone who had discovered a missing verse from a holy scripture.
“In the ancient tongue, it signifies ‘Eye of Grace.’ Indeed, the Saintess possesses eyes that see through the world.”
Here he goes again. That delusion about me being a Saintess. A status window popped up right over Cassian’s head. Before I knew it, Cassian’s favorability had jumped to 20. Tsking inwardly, I set down the empty bowl. Cassian was still looking at me with eyes filled with emotion when he pulled a letter sealed with a gold stamp from inside his coat.
“A messenger happened to arrive from the royal palace in the capital. Upon reporting the anomaly at the sanctuary, His Majesty requested that the Saintessārather, Lady Ianābe brought to the capital.” “If I go to the capital, is there really a way for me to return?” “There might be. His Majesty the King holds the authority to open the royal vault, where items related to the sanctuary are stored. However…”
Cassian trailed off.
“However?” “The atmosphere in the capital is currently grim. Princess Elise has stopped eating and drinking due to an unknown illness. Her skin is drying up like tree bark and her complexion is pale, yet even when the royal mages pour holy water over her, there is no improvement.”
Skin like tree bark, refusal to eat or drink, and useless holy water. Why does this situation sound so familiar? Could she be suffering from a nutritional imbalance as well? Setting down my bowl, I grabbed Cassian by the arm.
“How long does it take to reach the capital from here?” “If we travel on horseback, we can arrive in less than a day.” “Great. I’ll head to the capital first thing tomorrow. I need to see the princess.”
For some reason, a faint blush touched Cassian’s cheeks. Clearing his throat repeatedly, Cassian stepped back.
“Since you haven’t recovered from the fatigue of travel, staying a bit longer might…” “What’s this, Commander? Are you sad because I’m leaving?”
Cassian stared blankly at my face again before jumping up abruptly. Rubbing his face vigorously with both hands, he turned his head away and answered hurriedly.
“Head to the capital tomorrow alongside Asel. Since the subjugation of the magical beasts here is nearly complete, the rest of us will return as soon as everything is wrapped up.”
I cheered inwardly. Going to the royal mages might actually lead to a solution. Cassian left the spot in a hurry. He literally just left by himself. Where he had been sitting, the empty food bowl and spoon were rolling around in the dirt.
“Talk about table manners…”
To think a knight commander couldn’t even clean up after himself! Setting a bad example… Is it enough to just rub your face and run off? Still, he was someone who looked out for my comfort in many ways. He shielded me from the knights who tried to defy me, and he was trying to help me find a way back… Perhaps the person who is most sincere toward me right now is Cassian. Thinking about it that way made me feel a bit better. Fine, I’ll let it slide just this once! Picking up the bowl and spoon Cassian had tossed on the ground, I walked merrily into the kitchen tent. Inside, I saw Datian buried under a mountain of dishes to wash as usual.
“Datian! I’ll do that!”
Datian offered a bright smile and subtly stepped aside for me. I began happily scrubbing the dishes with rice water. I polished the silver dishware until it made a squeaky clean sound. Instead of his usual chatter, Datian arranged the plates I wiped with an exceptionally serious expression.
“Saintess, um… I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I heard. You are heading to the capital.” “I told you I’m not a Saintess. It’s Ian. I-a-n.”
If he heard, shouldn’t he know by now? At least my name. Datian continued while wiping the moisture off the silver dishware I had cleaned.
“Yes, Lady Ian. Once you go to the capital, will you never return?”
Huh? Is he feeling sad about my departure too? Turning my head sharply, I saw that Datian’s eyes were already rimmed with red. Honestly, why is this man acting as if going to the capital is departing from the living world? Wiping my hands on a dish towel, I spoke with feigned sternness.
“Yep. I am leaving.” “Saintess…” “Datian. Even when I’m not here, you must regularly mix coarse grains into the knights’ food. Got it? If even one knight has swollen ankles when the order returns to the palace, I’m going to starve you first.” “I will keep it in mind! This Datian will guard the teachings of the Saintessārather, Lady Ianāwith my life!”
Raising my wet hands, I patted Datian’s shoulders firmly.
“I trust you, Datian.”
At that moment, a status window flashed brightly before my eyes. Squinting at the slightly distant window, I read through the text line by line. My narrowed eyes gradually widened. A single line containing the very thing I had hoped and yearned for was smiling right back at me.
