79 A Hoard of Food

It sold Karelian pasties, treats that were only made of three ingredients, treats that no noble has ever heard of. They were pastries that had an aromatic, crispy crust that was arranged neatly around the filling. They taste like crepes yet also extremely different and unique—perhaps due to the pudding-like filling. I believe it is a dessert from the far east.

VA note: No. It's from Finland, and Finland is in the North. I-I'm sorry for stealing your desserts, Finland…

I bet Asu would love it since she had a sweet tooth.

With my eyes shining, I pulled gently on her cloak and called out, "Asu-Clare! That dessert stall looks interesting. Why don't we have a look?"

"Hm?" Asu looked back at me, puzzled. Then, her gaze landed on the food stall. I couldn't see her expression below her mask, but I was sure that it wasn't a good one.

For a moment, she didn't speak, simply looking at me with a despondent expression, as if deep in thought. Finally, she spoke,"I… I'm not hungry. You can go and get something; I'll just wait here."

I frowned. Is it not to her liking? But it definitely couldn't be the food… Did Asu decide to go on a diet? Worried for her health, I placed my hand on her forehead to check her temperature.

"Wh-Wh-Whaat…" Jumping from the unexpected touch, Asu scurried away from me, bumping into someone behind her. When they made contact, she yelped, before ricocheting off and landing into my arms.

I gladly received her embrace with open arms. "Be careful." After a second, I added, "Don't worry about what others think of you. As-Clare, you are beautiful, just the way you are. I mean it."

But Asu pushed me off and hurriedly shook her cloak, before rubbing her forehead. "Wh-What…" she repeated.

My frown grew deeper. This won't do. The biggest allure of this festival is the food, and food was also the most critical reason why I was sure that our date would succeed. But if Asu no longer cares for food, then I can't be so confident anymore…

"Never mind." I led her through the bustling crowd and to the roadside where there was a small wooden bench. Taking out the cloak that I had stored away previously, I spread it on the bench and invited her to take a seat.

Asu hesitated before carefully seating herself.

"I'll go get some food. Wait here and please don't go anywhere else, okay?"

She nodded.

With a sigh of relief, I cheekily saluted to her before stepping away to head for that Karelian pasty stall. Turning around one last time, I clenched my skirt as I saw Asu sitting on the bench, quietly admiring her shoes,

I need to turn this date into a success! I vowed. After all, Asu showed up so beautiful and excited tonight. I can't let it go to waste, even if it meant potentially attracting unwanted attention.

With this thought in mind, I hurried from shop to shop, using my witchcraft to skip the lines and evade attention from the common folk.

First, there were the Northeastern sweets, then the Central Nations' renowned seafood dishes, next the Northwestern iced desserts, followed by the Bestial kingdoms' spicy cuisine…

Within ten minutes, I held an armful of different snacks. If it weren't for my clever use of magic, I bet that heads would be turning and drooling lustfully at my acquisitions.