“Just what does that even mean?”
Luke was horrified by Dayton’s assertion.
He was even more shocked, not realizing that being a ‘guardian’ meant something like that.
“I thought there would be some sort of procedure….”
Dayton bowed his head and spoke again.
“I know it’s embarrassing, but can’t we figure something out?”
“Speak sensibly. Ultimately, that’s a decision for Yerna to make, not something I can just talk about.”
Indeed, it was true.
From the start, Luke had nothing to ‘discuss’ in the first place.
“So don’t act rashly and tell me why you thought that way.”
Even if it was merely on paper, Luke couldn’t see how marrying like that could be seen as appropriate.
Having guessed that there must have been some reason for Dayton to make such an extreme choice, Luke asked him to share the circumstances directly.
“Ha, alright.”
Dayton sighed deeply and began to speak.
“So, I’ve liked her for about a year now….”
——-
“Indeed, I see how that happened.”
Upon hearing this, Luke nodded.
Dayton wasn’t very articulate, and his explanation was somewhat disorganized, but to summarize, he had been secretly in love with Yerna for a year and had actually been looking for opportunities to confess several times.
However, as a virgin, confessing his love to someone was awkward for him, and expressing his feelings wasn’t as easy as it seemed, which is why a year had slipped by without anything happening.
Of course, Dayton hadn’t done nothing during that time; he had met Yerna privately several times, but each time he had missed the chance to confess due to embarrassment and the situation.
That was what he had been repeating for a year.
Dayton had hoped that by now, she might have caught on, but rather, if she had given him even a gentle rejection, he would have been able to give up cleanly; instead, Yerna had shown no feelings for him at all.
She neither liked him nor disliked him.
If he had to put it in better terms, she considered him a ‘comfortable’ acquaintance.
In human terms, a year is quite a long time, but from an elf’s perspective, that’s a rather short period, especially since Yerna, still a ‘young elf,’ hadn’t even considered dating a ‘human male,’ making her even more oblivious to Dayton’s feelings.
Given that Yerna didn’t appear to be looking for a partner for now, Dayton had kept that much hope.
However, the news about her urgently seeking a ‘partner’ because of ‘Luke’ surprised Dayton and prompted him to rush over.
With that, as he sorted through his thoughts, Luke could somewhat understand Dayton’s feelings, yet……
Luke sighed and said.
“Even so, saying it’s ‘good enough on paper’ is a bit reckless. Reflect on that.”
At Luke’s somewhat reproachful tone, Dayton shrunk his shoulders and spoke in a repentant manner.
“Ah, you’re right. I apologize; I wasn’t in my right mind earlier.”
Still kneeling, Dayton bowed his head once more.
“Anyway, that just means you were in a hurry.”
“Well, I suppose so.”
It was a story about a woman he had been in love with for a year looking for a husband, so he couldn’t help but feel tempted.
“So don’t ask me for help, and express your feelings directly. If speaking is difficult, writing a letter is also a good method.”
Dayton spoke as if he had made a resolution.
“I understand. A letter… That’s something I’ve never done before. But I’m not good with words…”
“Then bring it to me. I can at least proofread it.”
“Thank you for that.”
Even as he said so, Dayton thought that he wasn’t at a level where he needed to have his writing proofread by a ten-year-old girl.
Though who knows how it would turn out.
Having already imagined a successful confession and a sweet family in his mind, Dayton suddenly considered Luke.
After all, wasn’t the reason Yerna was looking for a partner because of Luke?
If that were the case, then he would inevitably be her father.
Dayton was curious about how Luke would feel about that.
“Luke, what if I became your dad?”
Luke replied as if it was hardly worth considering.
“I’d hate that.”
“Hey.”
His tone suggested he felt betrayed.
Luke raised his hand as if to say not to worry.
“But I promise I won’t interfere. The decision will be made by Yerna, not me.”
“Is that so…?”
It was a rather mature response.
Dayton began to feel uneasy instead.
“But can I really handle Luke?”
To be honest, he wasn’t confident about that.
—
Soon, when Dayton excused himself to write a love letter, Luke felt a desolate emptiness as if a storm had just passed.
Dayton was a man who, in many ways, resembled a storm that had swept in.
“Huff….”
Luke exhaled softly.
The mixed feelings of relief and anxiety came out.
While he had spoken nonchalantly in front of Dayton, the conversation had genuinely astonished and unsettled him.
“Yerna’s marriage….”
Well, whether or not to accept Dayton was a decision for Yerna to make, but the problem was that it ultimately meant Yerna had to marry.
It was something he hadn’t expected.
By the way, was that what being a guardian meant?
To be fair, even if someone was an orphan, just handing a child over to anyone wouldn’t be much different from slavery.
If it was about protecting a young child, it would have naturally been adoption, but he had mistakenly thought there might be some other way in the society five thousand years later.
In this way, he had inadvertently begun to consider the possibility of marriage due to his own faults.
“I’m really feeling ashamed in front of Yerna.”
Marriage, indeed.
Of course, if the temporary guardianship period could be extended, it would be perfect, but…
“The chances of that seem low.”
Luke knew nothing about the temporary guardianship system, but since it was called ‘temporary,’ he thought it inevitable that its end was approaching.
“My head hurts…”
If he could achieve independence soon, he wouldn’t have to deal with such troublesome concerns.
——-
After a while, Luke began to feel hungry.
Just as he rose to eat the canned food he had brought with him, Dayton appeared at the perfect moment.
“Luke, have you eaten yet?”
That really was impeccable timing.
Luke thought to himself that it was quite a feat and replied.
“It’s Dayton. I have canned food, so don’t worry.”
“Canned food?”
Dayton tilted his head, scrunching his face at the can of tuna in Luke’s hand.
“You’re going to eat that raw?”
“Is there a problem? It tastes good enough to me.”
“You’re really something, not even a cat hyun would have such peculiar tastes. Come here.”
Dayton pulled Luke along as if admitting defeat.
Not wanting to be a bother, Luke followed him, only to be taken aback.
On the foldable table was a skewer.
Sure, skewers might be quite common, but the alluring aroma of spices that he couldn’t quite identify was impressive.
“What on earth is this?”
“Ahem, I decided to show off my skills a bit.”
Dayton stood proudly, puffing out his chest.
Had he cooked?
Honestly, since waking up to this body, Luke had not tasted anything ‘cooked.’
The main reason was that Yerna didn’t know how to cook with fire, and secondly, he was already satisfied with the mysterious taste of canned tuna.
So, when he saw the warm skewers, steaming before him, his salivary glands began to work on their own; it seemed if he lost focus for a moment, they would start overflowing.
Gulp.
“I had no idea you had such talent….”
“Surprised, huh? Haha! Hurry up and eat before it gets cold.”
“Alright, I’ll enjoy this.”
With trembling hands, nearly shaking with nervousness, Luke reached for the beautifully roasted skewer glistening brown.
It looked like a work of art. Yet the purpose of food is to consume it.
Finally seated, Luke cautiously picked up the skewer, and as expected, the sweet, spicy aroma filled his nostrils.
“What spices could this possibly be?”
Undoubtedly, this was a scent Luke had never experienced even in his time five thousand years ago, when he lived a life without lack.
Just the scent alone was so stimulating; he couldn’t help but wonder how it would taste now that it was in his mouth.
In that tense moment, Dayton opened his mouth, seemingly finding it funny.
“Why are you so anxious over just one skewer?”
“Ah, I’m sorry. I got a little tense.”
“Why would you be so tense even while eating? You really make life complicated.”
Dayton shrugged and smiled.
Luke thought to himself that it was just like him.
“Why am I feeling so anxious over just one skewer? I must have eaten this kind of food many times before….”
Luke closed his eyes and bit into the skewer.
With a loud crunch, the crispy outer surface crumbled against his teeth.
Then the warm juices from inside burst forth like biting into a fruit, moistening his tongue.
That alone was satisfying enough, but Luke felt touched by the perfectly balanced salty and sweet flavors.
It was the first time he had been moved by food.
To Luke, cooking had merely been a means of survival.
And it was understandable, for in Luke’s era, the spices were mostly salt and sugar.
Even those were so expensive that they were viewed as luxury items.
As such, common people’s food was overly bland, while noble people’s food was excessively spiced and overwhelmingly stimulating.
For someone who had lived through such a time, tasting the ‘deliciously designed’ spices crafted through human magical techniques was beyond splendid.
Even something as simple as a skewer could impress him so much.
“…Ah.”
Without even realizing how his mouth moved, he swallowed the piece of meat that had entered his mouth in an instant.
‘It brings back memories…’
The taste was so significant that it even brought to mind people he had left behind from the past.
He recalled the skewers that Renie and Kail had once insisted he try at a food stall.
While that flavor was nothing close to this one, the sheer excellence of this skewer made those two resurface in his thoughts.
‘If only I could share this taste with them…’
They would surely have enjoyed it a lot.
Then, tears began to flow from the corners of Luke’s eyes.
It was truly a tear of emotion.
“What, what’s this? Why are you suddenly crying?”
Dayton, flustered by the sudden tears from Luke, was at a loss.
Luke quickly wiped his tears and, offering a smile to Dayton, said.
“Really, this is truly an amazing taste!”
“Is it really that good?”
Dayton suddenly grew shy, scratching the back of his head while avoiding Luke’s gaze.
“It’s not. This is my first experience of something like this. Thank you so much for this dish.”
Dayton paused at those words.
‘What’s this? I just put some sauce from the store on skewers… He’s saying this is the first time he’s eating something like this? Where did he grow up?’
“Well, if you say so, eat plenty. If it’s not enough, I can make more.”
“Really? Thank you, thank you! Can I ask for a few more?!”
“Well, as you wish…”
Dayton turned and hurried away as if to escape.
Wondering if it was alright to be this happy over just a skewer, Dayton felt a pang in his heart at Luke’s innocent smile.
Dayton began to feel an unusual shame today.
“Okay, let’s roast some more skewers….”
How had he lived without even tasting such common things?
That little one had endured such hardships!
Dayton, as the Forest Keeper, had his own strong sense of justice.
‘Damn, in the end, it’s the rotten adults that are the problem…’
Having received a rough idea of what Luke’s situation was from Yerna, Dayton grit his teeth and thought.
He wanted to ensure that, at the very least, Luke was well-fed today.
That day, Luke was able to eat enough skewers to fill his belly.
