“The food seems ready.”

“Really? Anyway, take all these clothes. Wear them whenever you need to. It’s fine.”

At Iska’s low voice, Rudis nodded and headed toward the kitchen.

“Please eat.”

The food on the table looked simple but appetizing. Despite not seeming to contain any special ingredients, it looked much better than tavern food and smelled wonderful. Though she hadn’t felt hungry, her mouth watered.

“Aren’t you eating, Iska? Let’s eat together.”

“No. I’m fine. Please eat it all.”

‘All of this? It looked like he’d made a whole pot…’

Rudis hesitated briefly, but drawn by the aroma, she picked up her spoon. The moment she put the first bite in her mouth, her eyes widened.

“Delicious!”

Though it seemed like a simple dish, it was unbelievably tasty. More than anything, she felt a refreshing energy spreading through her body. This was even more surprising since she hadn’t felt hungry to begin with.

‘Wow. How did he make something like this?’

Before she knew it, Rudis was moving her spoon frantically. Her heart raced with excitement.

“I’m full. That was really delicious. Thank you.”

Her concerns were short-lived as she quickly emptied the entire pot because it tasted so good. While Iska cleaned the kitchen, she opened her guidebook.

‘Just as I thought!’

A new entry had been added to the food category.

[Purification Cuisine]

Reading the description below the dish’s name, Rudis was certain.

So he’s the second one.

* * *

Rudis walked straight over and snatched Iska’s hat.

“Miss Rudis!”

Iska collapsed in surprise, hastily covering his head with his hands.

Normally she wouldn’t do something someone disliked, but this time was different. Simply because the description read:

[A dish from the vanished beast-folk that greatly helps remove foreign substances from the body.]

‘So my suspicions were correct.’

Black ears stood up on Iska’s head. Triangular ears covered with short, fluffy fur.

Beast-folk.

Iska was one of the beast-folk. In fact, she only learned today that beast-folk even existed, but it was definitely a new development.

Moreover, just as she’d expected, Iska’s face was radiant. Glossy black hair and deep blue eyes. With looks like these, he was definitely a main character. And “vanished” beast-folk? Though she didn’t know much, the narrative seemed perfect.

“Don’t look. It’s hideous.”

Iska, still covering his head, fumbled around with one hand searching for his hat. His triangular ears above his elbow trembled.

“It’s not hideous. It’s handsome. And a little cute too.”

Rudis spoke honestly. This wasn’t meant to comfort him. The short, soft fur at the tips of his black ears was truly adorable. Without thinking, she reached up and gently stroked the fur with her ring finger, causing his ear to quiver.

So cute!

Despite his large build, his face was delicate and beautiful. His features formed a beautiful balance, like they had been carefully refined with a carving knife. His blue eyes, slightly teary, glistened with moisture.

“Really? Everyone else just called me dirty.”

“Who would say that!”

Suddenly indignant, Rudis asked, ready to rush out immediately. Iska hastily shook his head.

“…It’s nothing.”

Rudis paused for a moment.

Why hadn’t Iska spoken properly all this time? Why had he lived hiding himself away?

He didn’t seem like just a quiet NPC, but rather someone who had been hurt and hidden himself away.

Rudis carefully continued her speculation.

Perhaps because he was beast-folk…

Because of the ears on his head and his nature different from others, he might have been despised. His low self-esteem probably stemmed from words he’d heard growing up. Words like “dirty” and “hideous.” That might be why Iska had been unbelievably quiet, almost like a lie.

That somehow felt familiar to her.

Rudis recalled her past before entering the game.

She too had once been thoroughly rejected by the world. The world was always cold and sharp. Rudis grew up amid the contempt and disgust people shed with every breath. People’s gazes were always cold, and their words toward her were cutting. No matter how much she reached out, all she received was rejection. Even though not having parents wasn’t her fault.

Rudis had also built walls to protect herself. She learned to hide herself firmly before the world could break her.

Iska must have been the same.

What Iska was hiding under his hat wasn’t just his ears, but protection from the world’s prejudice. He must have been ashamed of his true nature, closing his heart to avoid being abandoned by others.

Thinking about how much courage it must have taken for Iska to reveal himself and speak in front of her now made her heart ache.

“Has it been hard for you all this time?”

Rudis asked gently.

“No… I’m fine.”

Iska quietly bowed his head as he answered. But his trembling fingertips told a different story.

Without hesitation, Rudis reached out and gently stroked Iska’s head.

“You’re not fine. You, hideous? That’s nonsense. You never needed to hear such things. You’re diligent and wonderful… and cute too.”

At her gentle touch, Iska slowly raised his head. His ears trembled once more. His blue eyes were full of unspoken emotions.

Rudis smiled softly and asked, “Can I keep touching them?”

“Yes.”

At his response, Rudis carefully stroked his ears with her fingers. The short, soft fur stood up at her touch. Iska closed his eyes and fluttered his ears slightly. A sound like a purr escaped from his throat.

So cute!

Rudis enjoyed the soft sensation on her fingertips while holding back her laughter. It felt like all her worries and concerns were melting away.

After playing with his ears for quite some time, she felt warm and fuzzy all over. Fortunately, Iska didn’t seem to mind either.

“Where do you live, Iska?”

Taking advantage of the softened atmosphere, Rudis asked naturally.

“…I live in the forest.”

“The forest?”

“…Yes.”

At Iska’s answer, her hand stroking his hair paused. West and north. She had combed through every pixel from the forest entrance to the boundary. Nowhere had she found any trace of someone living there.

“Do you have a house in the forest?”

“…No. I don’t.”

His words didn’t make sense. As Rudis tilted her head in confusion, Iska spoke again.

“I don’t have a house. I just stay in the forest.”

Rudis became solemn at his words. No wonder she couldn’t find Iska’s house—it simply didn’t exist. Had he been homeless all this time? But he seemed too clean for that… She had never thought his appearance was shabby. His clothes were faded and torn in places, but…

Oh…

Thinking back, Iska had always been shabby. It was just that his appearance and build had masked it. Rudis couldn’t imagine how long he had spent so lonely.

“Then shall I build you one?”

Now that she knew her employee of seven years had no home, she couldn’t just do nothing. She’d build houses for guys who proposed marriage without saving a penny, so for Iska, she could build not just a two-story house but even a three-story one.

The Lord would complain and extract plenty of taxes, but she could certainly do that much for Iska.

“No. You can’t do that.”

Iska politely declined. Rudis tried to persuade him at length—No, really, it’s fine. I’ve built many houses. I haven’t been able to pay you much, so don’t worry. Consider it a bonus—but Iska’s response was quite different.

“I can’t live among people looking like this. Everyone would hate it.”

I doubt that. Rudis couldn’t understand why his self-esteem was so low. With his good looks and wonderful qualities, having two extra ears on his head seemed inconsequential—even if he had an extra eye on his forehead, it would probably be fine… But this wasn’t something she could easily judge or persuade him about. Rudis nodded for now.

“Then would you like to stay at our house?”

It was just a casual suggestion, but not a bad proposal. However, one important question crossed Rudis’s mind.

“How old are you, Iska?”

“…I don’t remember well.”

“You’re… an adult, right?”