Erus stepped out of the bathhouse, refreshed and recharged. Water coiled down his hair to his neck. He felt light now; no one would believe Cana if she told them a raging fever had gripped him last night.
His lips curved upward, just a little.
The Reaper still stalked him on the walk back to his room, but it did not dare look at him or match his stride. Just before he reached his door, a commotion down in the pub caught his attention. Patrons argued over a dish he didn't recognize. It seemed like another new menu item, but why did they compare it to the food of nobles? Did Cana create this, too?
A sudden draft of ice bleeding from the pub spiked his curiosity. The temperature dropped too low, meaning they ordered an excessive amount of ice—and that didn't come cheap.
What did Cana do this time?
He had only left to take a bath, yet she had already pulled another stunt. He couldn't call it kindness; she simply dominated everyone around her, just like always.
In his room, he quickly found his normal clothes and changed. Missing the commotions in the pub had become a habit, but when Cana caused them, he made sure not to miss a single scene.
Almost no one noticed him approach. They were too busy talking about a new menu item that had seemingly taken over the tavern today. Every table had it, confirming his suspicion—this was the source of the bleeding coldness.
The shaved ice looked ordinary, yet his enhanced senses picked up an undeniable difference. Only someone of a much higher level, someone who had broken through a rank far above his own, could produce ice like this.
How could the owner afford to buy such materials? It wouldn't promise them a profit at all, especially with regular customers who were just common hunters. High-quality resources never came cheap, and merchants did not sell at a loss.
Then, he spotted Cana emerging from the kitchen. She instantly met his gaze—and his heart beat erratically.
Was she so familiar with him that she could pinpoint his location even from this distance? A sudden rush of heat made him suspect he hadn't fully recovered yet.
Cana walked toward him. She didn't look happy to see him; instead, she looked frantic. Closing the gap between them, she reached out and took his pulse without saying a word, her brows furrowing deep.
"Oh, my gosh! She just touched Mr. Solari," someone from the crowd spotted them and panicked, instantly alarming the rest of the tavern.
Yet, the majority of the patrons didn't make a single sound. The shock on their faces was entirely different from the reaction of the pub's newest customer. They looked surprised to see Erus, but they weren't crushed by the heavy, suffocating aura he usually radiated when stepping downstairs.
Nearby, an older patron quickly covered the mouth of his nephew, who had overreacted and shouted. The young man was a first-timer in the pub, completely oblivious to the legendary top hunter, Solari, and the mysterious girl at his side named Cana.
"Still unsteady," Cana muttered after checking Erus's pulse.
Erus raised an eyebrow, though his golden dragon mask hid the gesture from sight. He waited for her to explain her sudden concern.
"We have a new dessert. Want to try it?" she asked instead, completely pivoting the topic.
He almost rolled his eyes. Ignoring the burning stares of the crowd, Cana grabbed his arm and dragged him straight toward the kitchen.
"But eat your breakfast first. You can't have dessert on an empty stomach."
Arguing with her was entirely pointless. Erus scratched the back of his neck and let her lead the way. Even though his stomach technically felt full, he needed to eat. Cana still had no idea that her blue flame was powerful enough to completely replenish a full week's worth of food supplies in a single swallow.
Sebastian and Letty were a bit surprised to see Cana guiding Erus to sit in their usual spot. Even the kitchen helpers, who knew Erus had suffered a high fever last night, quietly watched the two of them as if they were pieces of art. Yet, they saw nothing wrong with Erus. He appeared to be in perfectly good health, except for the striking fact that he wasn't even a little pissed at how Cana handled him.
As Cana prepared the food for Erus, no one dared to ask a single question. The staff tried to force the reality into their skulls: this was simply Solari's new normal now—but only around Cana. Should anyone else try it, nothing would change; he would instantly be the same merciless Solari they knew.
Erus immediately caught the aroma of the food Cana was carrying. Even with his stomach technically full, this kind of invigorating scent still found a place.
She gently set the bowl on the table and slid it toward him.
"Eat it while it's warm. It's really good when you're recovering," Cana said, offering a small smile.
She handed him a spoon.
"Thanks," he said, his voice low.
To test it first, he took a small spoonful and brought it to his mouth. The moment it hit his tongue, the creamy texture of the grains combined with an aromatic, slightly spicy herb that was incredibly palatable. He couldn't tell if it was the rich chicken broth or the unique spice that gave the flavor its full depth. That first scoop was quickly followed by another, and then another, until the entire bowl was empty in an instant. He ate clean, leaving not a single drop of the creamy soup behind.
Though she knew he was hungry from missing breakfast, Cana was still amazed by how quickly Erus polished off the congee without stopping for breath.
"Another bowl?" she asked.
Erus didn't hesitate, handing her the empty bowl at once. Cana took it and headed back to the kitchen, a wide grin spreading across her face.
Nearly half an hour passed, and Erus had polished off four bowls of porridge, making Cana question the actual capacity of his stomach. It was a good thing she had cooked a whole pot; Erus had single-handedly finished it.
Maybe the fever had really worn him out.
"More?"
This time, Erus shook his head. Then, his eyes drifted to the cold dessert resting on the adjacent table. Following his gaze, Cana instantly understood what he wanted.
"Do you still have room for dessert?" Cana asked, just to be sure.
Erus's eyes narrowed slightly. With lashes as long as his—a details only she and his mother had ever been close enough to notice—any natural look he gave always ended up looking incredibly alluring. But Cana knew him too well; behind that mask, he was just grinning, silently challenging her.
She had no choice but to give him everything he wanted today. A recovering patient always needed that kind of treatment, anyway. And she really wanted him to judge the dessert she had made.
When the dessert came, Erus immediately inspected the ice. True to his observation, it was no ordinary ice like the kind nobles made. This was a higher grade, something only someone of his level or higher could produce. Plus, just by observing those served in big glasses to other tables much earlier, he noticed it didn't melt easily.
"Is this your idea?" Erus asked when Cana brought him the Heaven's Palate dessert.
Cana proudly nodded with a smile.
"And the ice?"
"They bought it," she answered. But Erus stared at her like he didn't fully believe her—even though she wasn't lying.
He could feel the exact same aura of the blue flame in the shaved ice. It was faint, but it was definitely Cana's. But then, he saw two helpers pulling a sack of ice into the kitchen.
So, they really did buy it? Then why was Cana's aura in this ice?
And then, she leaned in close, leveling her mouth with his ear. "I tweaked it a bit." She pulled back to look at him, giving him a playful wink.
He scoffed a smile.
So that was it. She had totally overwritten the original maker's work.
When he tasted the Heaven's Palate, it was nothing like what the nobles served. The sweetness blended perfectly with the milk, never overpowering the fruit. Instead, he could easily distinguish the flavor of each slice, and the biting cold of the ice didn't ruin their fresh crispiness.
When it came to food, Cana's work was now his top choice. Everything she had cooked from the first day they met until now had never disappointed him.
"Why just watch me eat? Grab yours and join me," he said, noticing Cana standing right in front of him. Having her eyes locked onto him made him suddenly conscious of every single bite.
"No need. I already have my fill just by watching you enjoy the food I prepared," she replied casually.
The words stopped him mid-chew. His spoon hovered in mid-air.
Did she just hit on him?
He faked a cough, clearing his throat to regain his composure. It was unbelievable how easily Cana could pull such tricks on him like a seasoned pro.
Meanwhile, Cana smiled innocently, pretending her words were completely unintentional. Seeing him freeze was a small victory in her quest to crack his stoic personality.
"How is it?" she asked, prompting Erus to finally resume chewing.
Swallowing his food first, he replied, "I never eat foods I don't like."
Cana grinned, clasping her hands over her chest like a kid. "Thank you!"
There was no sarcasm between them. Their way of communicating was simply a bit out of the ordinary.
"Have you heard? The Castle of Lions caught a Teumessian fox!"
Cana's smile slowly faded as she heard the newcomer patron's words through her enhanced senses. The name of the fox they mentioned was all too familiar. Her brow furrowed, and Erus caught the sudden shift in her reaction.
"I heard that too, but those beasts were annihilated long ago, and the kingdom made sure none escaped. Isn't it just gossip?" the patron's companion answered.
The men headed toward the pub's counter, and Cana's attention followed them. Though Erus could clearly hear them too, he didn't bother looking up and simply continued savoring his Heaven's Palate. Still, his mind filled with questions, wondering if Cana was worried about that fox.
"I'm not sure. No one said they actually saw the beast."
"Man, you're too easy to believe things without proof. Who knows if they're just playing some joke? That guild is well-known for pulling pranks on their rivals."
Cana shifted her gaze back to Erus. She remembered now—that Teumessian fox was the very target Erus' group had hunted last night. So, they had succeeded in catching it. But it had almost cost Erus his life because of his unstable energy flow—not to mention his energy-thirsty Reaper.
What would have happened to him if his energy had collapsed earlier, or if he hadn't decided to head home last night?
Her gaze drifted slightly to the well-behaved Reaper sitting behind Erus. She knew the Reaper was designed to drain energy to fuel its immense power; it didn't mean to harm its master. It was a double-edged sword, built to protect and destroy its bearer at the exact same time. This artifact was no good for anyone weak.
It was the same story for the Judgment mark on her own back. The only odd thing was that her energy was overflowing. It was likely because she wasn't originally from this world.
"Cana, don't you think you've been watching me a little too much? Why not rest for a while? You've been awake the whole night, right?"
"Mm? I don't feel sleepy at all."
She whispered the next words so softly they didn't even make a sound, but Erus caught them by reading her lips.
But you'll need that later.
It confused him. He was perfectly fine now, so why was she telling him he'd need sleep later? What for?
After finishing the Heaven's Palate, he was about to order another, but Cana stopped him. She even told Letty that he'd had enough. She actually dared to decide for him, then dragged him upstairs without telling him why. And he didn't even ask why, either. He just went along with whatever she wanted to do, both of them totally nonchalant about the stares following them out of the pub.
She told him to sit on the bed and checked his pulse again.
"I'm fine already," he told her.
"Just on the outside. Besides, too much ice isn't good for you right now."
"And how would you know that?"
It was his body; he should know it better than anyone.
Cana stopped what she was doing, sighed, and leveled her eyes with his. "You have the chills right now."
That stunned him. The chills? Wasn't that just the normal effect of eating cold food? He wasn't usually into iced food, but he couldn't bring himself to refuse whatever Cana made for him.
But what she said next made him almost choke on his own saliva.
"Undress."
"W-what?" he asked, certain he had misheard her.
"Remove your clothes. I'm doing another session with you," she said, clear as crystal.
She walked to the other side of the bed, tossing the blanket to the bottom frame and clearing away the pillows.
Erus swallowed hard, tracking her movements behind him. Why did he need to remove his clothes, and what kind of session was Cana talking about?
"What session? Are you taking advantage of me?" He turned around just as she climbed onto the bed, her palms glowing with a blue flame as she used the heat to warm up the mattress.
Cana threw him an innocent look, but then laughed as she realized what he was suggesting.
"Are you implying I should do it like we did in the kitchen?"
Erus felt his cheeks heat up at the mere mention of the kitchen incident. He had thought Cana was trying to flirt with him then, even while being completely baffled by how light and strong his body had suddenly felt afterward.
"Are you always this bold, Cana? You're dealing with a man, don't forget."
"Will you just undress?" she said, slipping off the bed.
"Tell me what you're doing to me first."
"Tsk! I'm unblocking your energy paths. That's what I did back in the kitchen, and I need to do it again now to stop your fever from flaring up." She glanced toward the Reaper sitting beside the white monkey. "The spirits can't remain in that form for long, but you can't let it merge with your current body state, either."
Though flustered, the explanation piqued his curiosity. This was entirely new territory. He hadn't even begun teaching her how to use magic, yet here she was, executing high-level energy manipulation far out of his league.
"Unblocking my energy paths... Just what are you?"
"Erusiel!"
The sudden, sharp authority in her voice immediately tensed him up. Suddenly, she was standing right next to him.
Was that teleportation? She could use it now, too?
"Should I undress you myself, again?" Her tone shifted to a sweet, yet deeply threatening voice that completely blocked out his thoughts.
She was entering her lunatic mode again, and it gave him actual chills.
Without another word, he immediately stripped. But just as he was about to go completely naked, she stopped him from removing his undergarments. She then instructed him to lie face up on the bed, and he diligently complied.
Erus could not understand why she could command him like this. To the rest of the world, he was seen as a cruel tyrant, and he certainly wasn't afraid of Cana. Yet, why couldn't he bring himself to offend her? Was it the influence of his mark? The connection to the heirlooms?