The next morning, Erus woke up with the blanket tucked around his body, smelling Cana's scent on it. It was the blanket she had been using—why did she put it on him? When he sat up and checked the bed, she was already gone.
Did he oversleep?
He quickly fixed himself up, went downstairs, and found Cana busy helping Letty serve the breakfast menu. He could see how easily Cana had adapted to the situation, but he still didn't agree with her doing such chores. It made him look useless, and he would definitely get an earful from Uruja if she ever found out. For now, he would let Cana do as she pleased until the construction of his house was finished.
"Mr. Solari is here," Ardian, Letty's young son, intentionally called out to catch Cana's attention. He was the same boy who had once knocked on Erus' door.
Cana looked Erus' way and smiled enthusiastically. She walked toward him while removing her apron.
"Good morning!" Cana greeted.
What she did caught him by surprise and left him a bit taken aback. For a moment, she made the entire room feel empty, leaving only the two of them standing—his focus was entirely locked on her. She didn't look ordinary to him anymore; she had become an ethereal beauty.
What kind of magic was this?
"Hey!" Cana snapped, breaking his daze. "Are you still half awake? I've prepared our breakfast. After eating, you can go back to sleep."
The whole room, still unaccustomed to seeing Erus casually close to a woman, was filled with gasps and murmurs.
"Did he avoid getting close to other women because they didn't match his ideal type? Is he actually after a real beauty like her?"
"I envy him. Even though he has the build, I can tell I'm more handsome than that masked face of his. How could he pull such a perfect woman?"
"I heard the new food on the menu was all her idea, and it's delicious. What a perfect wife to have."
Cana placed her arm over Erus' shoulder. Since he was much taller than her, it looked like she was trying to hang onto his neck. It was another bold move on her part, but he found himself unable to reprimand her.
"They just got too high off the fried grain we served. Better not mind them," Cana whispered to him. "Let's eat," she said, before dragging him to a table for two near the kitchen.
Letty was the one who served their food.
"Cana cooked and prepared all of it," Letty told Erus, knowing his strict reputation when it came to food. Then, she left them to their meal.
Even without being told, he could tell from a single glance who had prepared it. He simply nodded as the lingering aroma of the food drifted directly into his nose, making his stomach growl. He looked at Cana.
How could she be this good at cooking and satisfying his stomach?
Before her arrival, he would usually go out to buy coffee and bread for breakfast, then head straight to the guild to report.
Cana surged him to taste it, and he complied. The flavor was entirely new to him, but it brightened his morning as if the sun itself were smiling down on him. He nodded and shoved another spoonful of fried grain into his mouth.
Then, Cana opened the other bowl, revealing fried fish and eggs. The ingredients were simple, but the smell was mouth-watering.
"Better combine this with the fried grain. These three complement each other well," Cana instructed, and he followed along without a single question or complaint.
It was so heavenly satisfying that it made him stop chewing for a moment just to savor the taste. He could tell that Cana was highly diverse when it came to food. He considered himself a decent cook since he had learned to survive on his own, but he had never encountered flavors like this. Plus, he only knew how to cook hunted beasts.
Cana, on the other hand, was even more delighted seeing that Erus was enjoying the food she had cooked. It was just a simple breakfast—the kind of meal people in her past world would complain about having over and over again. But here, it was treated like a gem that even the toughest guy could enjoy.
She smiled at Erus again before starting her own meal, eating the same food as his.
Cana missed the world she had left behind and the people there, but as time went by, staying in this world made her focus entirely on Erus rather than trying to understand this universe or find a way back to Earth. She knew it wasn't because of the master-servant contract; Erus had simply become her primary concern, as if she had known him even longer than her own siblings back home. She could slowly feel a connection she couldn't explain. It wasn't because she was falling in love, but something far more complicated. She couldn't understand herself anymore. Lately, she wasn't even acting like herself.
Instead of stopping Erus last night, she had pretended to be asleep while he sneaked out of the room through the window. She had even allowed her Judgement Mark to tag along with him to suppress the Reaper, ensuring it wouldn't do anything careless that might endanger Erus' life. But Erus had no idea about it because the marks had merged into one. He had no clue that Cana knew he had already executed the plan against the entire Pendagram group.
Upon Ryden's report that Pendagram consisted of men hired by one of the kingdom's princes and planted inside the Castle of Lions guild to monitor them, there was no other right time to execute the plan. It had to happen last night, before the enemies got even a hint that they were being targeted. Before they could report back to their higher boss, it was better that their ashes remained silent forever.
Cana had overheard Erus and Ryden last night from outside the window of their room, learning about the prince's involvement. She was puzzled as to why the kingdom would do such things against the very people who were helping them prosper. It seemed there was a deep flaw in this world's governance.
"Eat more. Don't worry about getting fat," Cana joked. "We have this special tea to help easily digest food and burn extra fat," she added.
"Are you sure?" Erus asked, even though there was no chance of him getting fat. He was constantly on the move, doing heavy labor as part of his daily routine.
Cana nodded. "Yeah."
After eating breakfast, Erus asked Cana to follow him to their room because they had something to discuss. Cana followed him without question, though she had no idea what it would be about.
"Thanks for the breakfast. I... mean it," Erus told her.
So they hid in the room just for him to say "thanks"? It felt like saying this word was a classified military secret.
"You're always welcome," she said, choosing not to tease him. She did not want to ruin his momentum. "And there are a lot of delicacies I can cook for you in the future. You won't have to eat the same meal twice, but you should provide the ingredients, of course." She giggled at the end.
Erus let out a chuckle. Cana was not cunning, but calculating. "Okay. Just tell me the ingredients you would be needing next time."
Cana nodded with joy while Erus cast a sound-proof barrier around the room.
"By the way, we dealt with the Pendagram last night before they could even escape. And you were right in your judgement not to punish only one. The whole group was involved."
The topic shifted, and Cana was not expecting Erus to tell her about it. It was supposed to be a secret among his inner circle.
Cana nodded. "No one escaped?"
"None."
"But you don't seem happy about it. Is there another problem—the one behind them?"
Erus looked straight at Cana. She was not surprised at all hearing the news. As he suspected, she was still awake when he sneaked out. Then, he suddenly wondered if she had overheard his conversation with Ryden last night. He had forgotten that she also possessed super-hearing just like him.
"Yes," he had no choice but to admit.
But why did it feel like he was now reporting to his supposed apprentice? Was this part of her training?
"Let them play their game the hard way they want, while you enjoy yours."
"And what could that mean?"
Cana scratched her head. Why did she even say that, acting as if she could back him up at any moment?
"I mean, let them throw away their resources while you enjoy my food. And remember, you promised to train me, too."
"I did not promise you. Plus, I don't think you even need that kind of training from me. Your instinct could be your greatest master, you know."
Cana furrowed her brows. "What???"
What instinct could Erus be referring to? She was only using a few little magic tricks, and she wasn't even sure if she was doing those right. Meanwhile, Erus fought to suppress a smile, amused by how this woman could sometimes show her possessiveness.
"That was just a joke," he laughed at how Cana's expressions were changing so abruptly. "After the Teumessian fox mission, you'll be going with me to hunt beasts. How does that sound?"
"That's great then." Cana paused for a moment. "What is a Teumessian fox?"
But instead of answering Cana, he handed her the book from Akiro.
"It has the information about beasts, especially the ancient ones and familiars. Read it if you have time. I'll give it back to Akiro after the mission."
Cana's eyes lit up seeing the thick book that Erus pulled out of his dimensional storage. This was what she had been aiming for all along—to have access to things that would introduce her to this world.
"I'll be reading this tonight. Mm..." Cana paused, trying to compose herself. "Can I... go with Letty to the market?"
"Do you want me to go with you instead?"
"No! Absolutely not. You have a mission to do, and I just want to tag along with them. You know? To familiarize myself with the place."
Erus tried to read Cana, but she didn't look like she had another hidden agenda. He handed her a pouch of money.
"In case you find something of your interest to buy. And stay close to them. The market is full of criminals, so don't wander off," he told her.
"Thank you, Erus! I'll pay you back once Letty gives me my salary."
"And?"
"I will take care of the crimina—myself, I mean!" Cana, who had almost let her tongue slip, smiled mischievously at Erus. "And of course, the money you gave me," she added.
Erus just scoffed. If she had someone to fear, of course it should only be him. No one else.
Cana casually shoved the thick beast guide into her pocket, knowing she had a long night of reading ahead of her. She gave him a small wave before turning on her heel and heading downstairs to find Letty. As she walked, she reminded herself to keep her head down and act natural. The last thing she needed was to do or say something so bizarre that these medieval-era people would figure out she was actually an alien from another planet entirely.
When everything was set, Cana and Letty set off to the market with three other helper ladies. They rode a commoner's carriage, which proved to be quite inconvenient. The vehicle was packed with massive, overloaded baskets belonging to other passengers who were heading to sell their goods. Bulky products that had no business being in a passenger transport were crammed into every corner. Those carrying such heavy loads should have hired a private carriage instead of overstuffing a shared one with other people.
Cana, however, was not bothered in the slightest by the experience. This ride was still far better than an overloaded jeepney or bus. She could breathe the fresh air just fine, and the surrounding produce was at least clean.
Besides, the people around them were like chattering birds in the morning, never stopping to take a breath as they gossiped about every detail of their lives. Cana actually enjoyed listening to their complaints, amused by how openly they revealed their true characters through their nonsense chatter. Sitting quietly in her corner, she became the most judgmental person in the carriage.
What actually bothered her was how they looked at her from time to time, scanning her from head to toe as if trying to peer into her soul. She chose to ignore them and focused on enjoying the view outside. Even Letty and the other helper ladies remained quiet.
When they arrived at the market's entrance, the surroundings were incredibly lively. Cana could hear merchants shouting to advertise their products, each employing their own strategy, using familiar flowery lines to catch the attention of potential buyers. The carriage eventually stopped beside a massive building. They hopped off and walked inside.
The interior layout almost mirrored a modern market setup, though the items for sale were entirely foreign to Earth. The air carried a mixed scent of fresh flowers and minty herbs. The building itself was massive, teeming with even more merchants and buyers than the entrance outside.
"Cana, please follow us closely," Letty reminded her.
Cana nodded, glancing quickly at Letty before continuing to scan the entire place. She spotted an abundance of unique spices, and her mind immediately raced with ideas for dishes she wanted to cook with them. Her only constraint was staying within the budget Erus had provided—though she had no actual idea how much money was currently in her possession.
The other reason she had tagged along was to understand the different currencies circulating in this world. Looking down, she noted that the pouch Erus gave her was filled with shiny, star-shaped black coins. She had no clue how much they were actually worth here.
As they went deeper into the market, Letty started picking out different kinds of meat. Some looked familiar to Cana, but many were completely foreign, though she could certainly tell they were all fresh based on their clean scent and rich color.
"How much for this?" Letty asked the meat vendor.
"Ten silver coins, and that's the final price," the vendor replied, clearly not in the mood for bargaining. "It's hard to get skilled hunters nowadays."
Letty sighed, trying to weigh her options. She debated whether it was worth buying this now or risking a trip deeper into the market, unsure if the meat further down would still be as fresh.
Meanwhile, Cana was standing off to the side, intensely trying to figure out if a silver coin held a higher value than the shiny black ones currently resting in her pouch. What she had usually seen back at the pub were bronze coins used as payment. Since she rarely dealt with higher currencies, she couldn't quite tell whether bronze or silver was supposed to be the more valuable one.
"THIEF!"
Cana tucked the pouch away, her hands moving instinctively to open a dimensional storage that swallowed the coin pouch whole. The high-level magic manifested as naturally as breathing, and she didn't even care to marvel at her newly discovered ability. Her mind had already snapped into full alert, scanning the crowd for any criminals who would dare try to snatch their belongings.
"Hey. Always be mindful of your surroundings. There are a lot of lurking criminals here," Letty reminded everyone with her.
As they moved through the chaos, Cana couldn't help but wonder if there were any active police or guards stationed in this place. A crowded, high-traffic market like this should have had at least some form of security.