“It won’t collapse. It’s sturdier than you think. Look over there. Even that huge man is sitting on one.”

Looking where he pointed, she saw a man nearly twice her size indeed sitting comfortably on a small wooden chair, eating.

“These things might look shabby, but they’re surprisingly durable. They have to be to last long.”

He made this peculiar comment before calling the owner naturally. This behavior would have been unimaginable from Prince ‘Aidan.’ He wouldn’t have dared enter such a humble establishment in the first place. He had been even more of a perfectionist than Karina.

“What’s the best dish here?”

The owner replied to Aidan’s question that they served steak made from veal and wine made from grapes grown on their own farm. Aidan chose the owner’s recommendations without hesitation. He emphasized wanting the best cut and plenty of it.

“Can we eat that much?”

“That’s just what you say when you come to places like this, whether you can finish it or not.”

Karina couldn’t understand even after hearing his explanation. She typically ate small portions and learned not to waste food, so she thought it natural to order only what one could eat.

“Besides, don’t underestimate knights’ appetites.”

Aidan’s gaze turned to the knight who came with Kai. They cleared their throats awkwardly and turned away.

The restaurant proved noisier than expected. Everyone talked loudly while eating, making it difficult to hear even Aidan who was just sitting right across from her. For Karina, who’s used to quiet dining rooms with minimal conversation, it gave her a headache.

This kind of date…. She couldn’t understand Aidan’s way of thinking. She had expected they would go somewhere quiet for a date, but this was so unexpected she lacked the energy to question it.

“Your meal is served.”

She felt surprised again at how quickly the food arrived. It would have been impossible if they had started preparing after receiving the order.

“These restaurants need quick table turnover, so they pre-cook to some extent. Nothing to be surprised about.”

Aidan explained, noticing her expression.

“Try it. It’ll exceed your expectations.”

He confidently cut a piece of steak and offered it to Karina. When she reached for the fork he extended, he pulled back slightly. She reached further, but he withdrew more.

“What are you doing?”

She glared at him for this silly game, but his eyes crinkled with amusement.

“Say ah.”

“……?”

“Say ah.”

When she just blinked in confusion, Aidan moved the fork with the steak closer to her mouth. He thrust it forward so suddenly that if she kept her mouth closed, the steak would press against her lips. She reflexively parted her lips slightly, and the piece of steak slipped between them. She had inadvertently let him feed her.

And they weren’t alone — Kai and the knight were there, and the restaurant was full of people…

Though she wanted to say something from embarrassment, the meat in her mouth prevented her from speaking. Meanwhile, Aidan smiled brightly, looking very pleased.

“How is it?”

He asked before she had finished chewing and swallowing. She had been so flustered by Aidan that she couldn’t even taste the meat at first. When she finally noticed the taste, her eyes widened.

“It’s delicious.”

She answered while covering her mouth, still not having swallowed completely. It really was delicious. How could it taste better than food prepared by the imperial palace’s chef? Had the palace chef not been the best after all?

“I knew it.”

Aidan, who had been watching her reaction, lifted the corners of his mouth.

“Word of mouth is accurate, you know.”

This was Aidan’s first time at this restaurant too. He must have been so confident about the food because of its reputation.

“You’re right.”

She readily agreed with him. Even though it was veal, it couldn’t have been as high-quality as what they used in the palace. The seasonings used must also have been inferior to the palace’s premium ingredients. Yet somehow, this restaurant’s steak was more tender and juicier.

“That’s because it has MSG.”

“MSG?”

She wondered what nonsense he spoke now.

“Yes. It makes things delicious.”

Aidan smiled mysteriously and cut another piece of meat to offer to Karina.

“I can eat by myself.”

She refused, embarrassed about others watching, but he remained persistent.

“Nobody’s paying attention to us. Don’t worry about it.”

Looking around at his words, she saw he was right — no one was watching them. Everyone busied themselves chatting with their own companions. Still, Kai and the knight sat at their table. When she glanced at them nervously, they quickly turned away to look elsewhere. Aidan grinned triumphantly and said “ah” again. That made it even more embarrassing.

“This is really the last time.”

Seeing that he would likely persist until she accepted like before, she set the condition first before opening her mouth to receive the food.

“I don’t think so.”

Aidan replied only after confirming she was chewing the meat.

“I plan to feed you until we finish all of this.”

He gestured casually toward the meat on his plate. Why did that meat suddenly look so large today? It definitely wasn’t her imagination that it seemed more than twice the size of portions served at the palace.

*

After finishing their meal at the restaurant, they walked through the marketplace. Karina, unfamiliar with walking through crowded streets, could only follow along.

“Auntie, how much is this?”

Unlike Karina, Aidan appeared completely at ease. Except for the fact that his clothes were made of the finest fabric, nothing about him suggested he was a prince. He even haggled with merchants while buying fruit.

At times like these, she realized how far his true self was from being a prince, and how rough his life had been, as he often mentioned.

“Come here.”

Aidan beckoned Karina, who stood blankly behind him, to a stall. The stall displayed various women’s hair accessories.

“Pick anything you like.”

Despite Aidan’s offer, she couldn’t easily choose one. She had never bought things this way. Usually, all her accessories came from selections shown by merchants who supplied the ducal family or the palace. While those items were all expensive pieces adorned with the finest jewels, they never offered such variety. Most accessories at this stall were made of fabric, but their designs were so diverse that she couldn’t decide.

“This will suit you well.”

It was a ribbon made of white and pink fabric twisted into a flower shape. Aidan held the ribbon against Karina’s hair and turned her around. He neatly combed her long hair with his fingers, gathered it into one bunch, and securely fastened the ribbon around it.

“Let’s get this one. It really suits you well.”

He smiled with satisfaction, pleased with how the ribbon he tied looked.

“How do you…”

Know how to tie women’s hair so well?

She barely swallowed the question that almost escaped. It seemed too childish to ask. ‘Aidan’ had never even combed his own hair, let alone a woman’s. She kept comparing him to that person. But this man wasn’t him.

She didn’t know exactly what kind of life he had lived or what he had done. Perhaps tying women’s hair skillfully was nothing special to him. It shouldn’t be strange for him to have various experiences, but why did it make her feel so odd?

Incomprehensible emotions stirred within her.

*

How long had they walked? Though she never considered herself weak, her feet and calves started to ache. She never knew the capital had so many interesting places to see in every corner. Although Karina, who had lived a sheltered life in the ducal residence, and Aidan, who had only inhabited that body for barely two months, seemed alike in some ways, he moved through even the small shops hidden in alley corners with remarkable ease.

Just when she thought she couldn’t walk anymore, Kai brought horses. He must have acquired them while Karina and Aidan browsed the general stores in the alley.

“This is something I just can’t get used to.”

Aidan frowned at the horse before him. He muttered something incomprehensible about not realizing how inconvenient it was without a car.

“Do you know how to ride?”

Aidan turned to ask Karina.

“Of course.”

Hunting and horseback riding were basic accomplishments. When she grabbed the reins and mounted the horse smoothly, Aidan let out a surprised “wow.” Karina looked down at him proudly. She doubted whether he could actually ride a horse. He did complain about not wanting to ride even before the knights’ tournament.

Noticing the implied doubt in her gaze, Aidan smirked, grabbed the reins, placed his foot in the stirrup, and mounted effortlessly.

“I learn everything quickly.”

Though true, his boastful attitude seemed somewhat annoying, so she turned away pretending not to hear.

“We should hurry a bit.”