26 Foie Gras

He placed the plate delicately in front of Aena, and Aena looked at the metaphorical plate of sunken dollars in front of her.

A few fries were precisely placed on the plate sitting in front of her, looking very aesthetically pleasing. That was where the compliments ended. There were only a few fries; Aena could count them on one hand. Aena looked at her pitiful meal. She definitely wasn't eating well tonight. Maybe she'd whip up a pack of instant noodles when she got back to the dorms.

She looked over to Cassidy. Tannish-colored gelatinous slabs were garnished with parsley and covered with some cream-colored sauce. It wasn't a generous portion by any means, but it was certainly more filling than the appetizer that Aena had chosen.

The waiter then came back with a pitcher of water and two glasses and similarly placed them in front of the two of them.

Cassidy elegantly lifted the cutlery and began cutting off a piece of the foie gras. She gingerly slid the knife back and forth, and Aena was mesmerized by the tenderness of the liver, which jiggled back and forth to the rhythm of the movements.

Cassidy raised the piece to her mouth, and opened her full, succulent lips, widening for the—

"You gonna eat?" Cassidy asked, jerking her chin towards Aena, her fork an inch away from her mouth.

Aena looked down at her own dish.

"Yeah." She picked up her own fork and stabbed a fry with gusto.

"Is that really enough for you?"

"Yeah," Aena lied, "I get indigestion if I eat too much."

She shoved it into her mouth, chewing once, then twice. She swallowed. It was surprisingly scrumptious, one deserving of the top foods Aena had eaten. There was the strong, savory taste of garlic, mixed with some other spices she didn't know. She forked another fry and wolfed that down too.

Just like that, half her meal was gone.

Cassidy gave her a skeptical look but didn't say anything, and quietly resumed eating. Aena didn't know why, but she was somehow expecting the girl to be the type to eat a lot, yet Cassidy was savoring each bite like it was also one of the best things she had ever eaten.

Did she just like foie gras a lot, or was she naturally refined in everything?

Aena looked down at her plate to realize that it was empty beyond a few remaining crumbs and enviously looked toward the remaining food on Cassidy's plate.

Honestly, Aena didn't expect to finish so fast, but she really was hungry. And that appetizer definitely did begin to satiate it.

Cassidy noticed her longing eyes and gestured with her fork toward her dish.

"You want some?"

"Ah… no, I'm good," Aena smiled and raised her palms. She didn't like people who infringed on other people's things or boundaries, so she wasn't someone like that either. When Aena wasn't sure if someone was asking out of courtesy or genuine kindness, she opted for the former just to be safe.

Cassidy was already hard to read, so she didn't take any chances.

"It's your money, after all." Cassidy casually forked the bite into her mouth

Aena opened her mouth and closed it again. Her face twisted into a warped smile. This bitch. She knew what she was doing, wasn't she? She didn't have to rub it in.

Aena was about to make a sharp retort when Cassidy suddenly leaned across the table and extended her arm toward Aena, a morsel skewered on the utensil.

Cassidy proceeded to jab the fork into Aena's open mouth, the piece of foie gras on it. Aena was perplexed, but she couldn't say anything with her mouth stuffed.

So she did the only thing she could. She chewed. It was buttery and smooth, and the velvety texture was heavenly. Aena closed her eyes and slowly tasted the fatty juices.

When she finally swallowed, a feeling of disappointment came, and she opened her eyes, maybe, just maybe, thinking of asking for more.

She found Cassidy looking at her with a sparkle in her eyes, her face cupped within her palms, elbows on the table. Aena felt like she had to say something.

"It's passable," she commented.

"Mhmm."

"By the way—why do you enjoy foie gras so much?"

What could she say? Aena was curious about it. Cassidy took another bite and swallowed. She stabbed her fork into another chunk. She wasn't going to deny it, was she?

"I guess you could say I haven't eaten it in a long time."

"But you can eat it anytime you want right?"

Cassidy was the rich young lady, so a simple meal wasn't something to care about. She could probably buy the whole restaurant easily and claim it was for some random holiday like national pancake day or something.

"No." The spark disappeared from Cassidy's eyes. "There are circumstances."

Aena nodded in fake understanding and gulped. Now she could sip on her water to escape the tension momentarily. She knew better than to ask any further.

After a few minutes, Cassidy seemed to soften once again, and Aena was able to relax.

There didn't appear to be any outward changes, but the coldness that she felt permeating her bones seemed to retreat. It was odd. Peculiar, really. Cassidy really had a presence that could intimidate other people. Thinking back to the classroom, Cassidy essentially silenced everyone just by being there.

Aena had never felt that from other people. Well, that wasn't necessarily true. She felt kinda warm and fuzzy around Emmy and Instructor Willowsage.

'Could it be mana?' Aena wondered for a second. But that wouldn't make sense. No one would cast spells continuously all the time, and someone would have noticed. Also, she had never heard of a spell that could do that.

Maybe she just really was adept at perceiving others' emotions.

To Aena's delight, Cassidy decided to once again gift her a taste of that delicious dish, and this time, she was less stunned—and more confused.

Cassidy did it so casually like it was a practiced motion, but Aena was unused to such intimacy. No one really treated her that way, even her mother, so Cassidy's action put a in an uncomfortable position.

Was it some etiquette exclusive to nobles? Either way, Aena thoroughly savored the bite.

Aena glanced back down, but she saw that there was nothing left on the plate. She had eaten the last bite. She slumped back in her seat.

"Would you like another one?" Cassidy asked.

Aena shook her head in disappointment.

"I think I'm full."

"I'll actually pay though," Cassidy tilted her head to one side. "So would you like more?"

Aena froze. She slowly lifted her head and locked eyes with Cassidy. For real? She felt giddy inside.

"Well… if you're offering, I guess it would be rude to decline."