Chapter 222: Successfully Feeding the Princess

Chapter 222: Chapter 222: Successfully Feeding the Princess

Inside Lance’s home.

The young woman was no longer wailing like she had been in the marketplace.

The mad dash while being carried seemed to have vented all the grievances she had been bottling up.

She was now sitting by the wooden table, cupping a meat pie that sizzled with hot oil in both hands.

Although the pie was scalding hot, making her constantly hiss and suck in cool air, she still desperately stuffed her cheeks until they bulged.

’This kid is starving.’

Through their brief conversation earlier, Lance had learned the young woman’s name was Elvira.

He even found out that she was the Pure White Knight who had recently risen to fame, her renown matching his own.

Elvira said her family had specifically arranged for her to participate in the trial.

Tears still welled in her eyes, but her hands didn’t stop eating for a second.

"I just... *hic*... I just wanted to sell some apples to buy a little bread to eat..."

Elvira complained indistinctly as she chewed with all her might.

"Yesterday, I helped a farmer find his sheep and even fought three wargs, but he didn’t even give me a sip of water..."

"And there was another village... the people there were horrible."

"They made me pull up stakes, move stones, repair houses, and then they even sent me to fight a direwolf."

"When I got back, they actually made me sleep in a drafty cowshed at night and only gave me black bread to eat."

"I could smell them hiding in their houses, eating roast meat... They were bullying me..."

"Later, I got so hungry I had to run into the mountains to pick fruit myself. But as soon as I left the village, some villagers saw me and asked me to chop some firewood for them on my way back..."

The more the young woman spoke, the more aggrieved she felt.

Fat tears plopped onto the meat pie in her hands, mixing with the glistening oil as she swallowed everything down in huge gulps.

Lance was thankful his [Foreigner] trait had been effective. Otherwise, he would have been tormented to death on his journey here as well.

Faced with the young woman’s completely unguarded trust,

Lance recalled a psychology video he had watched online in his past life.

When a person struggles for a long time in a hostile environment and then suddenly encounters someone who shows them kindness,

they will unconsciously let down their psychological defenses and may even see that person as a safe harbor.

Halfway through her meal, Elvira suddenly stopped and haphazardly wiped her stinging eyes with the back of her hand.

The motion instantly smeared her little face, making her look like a comical, streaked kitten.

At that moment, she didn’t have a shred of the dignity befitting a Princess.

Her dignity had been completely worn away by those villagers during the past few weeks of the trial.

It had shattered into a million pieces the moment she became so hungry she had no choice but to use her Holy Sword to knock fruit from the trees.

She was living a very down-to-earth life now.

In the most literal sense, since she often just hugged her sword and slept in the wilderness.

It was only recently that she had found a place to stay in Golden Ears City.

[Heroic Spirit Clovis is scrutinizing you...]

Just then, another notification popped up on his panel.

The corner of Lance’s eye twitched.

’Ever since I carried her back, this Heroic Spirit known as the Red Dragon has been staring daggers at me. Is that really necessary?’

’It’s making my skin crawl. I have the strange feeling of being caught by my father-in-law.’

"Eat slowly. When you’re done, you should head back before it gets dark."

Lance turned, poured a cup of sweet fruit wine, and handed it to her.

Unlike the Material Realm outside, if you went out too late here, you really needed to carry a storm lantern.

"Mhm."

Elvira took the wooden cup with both hands, tilted her head back, and took several large gulps. GLUG, GLUG.

This blonde girl’s appetite was truly immense.

Lance had bought a generous two-day supply of ingredients, yet she had sat here and devoured it all in one go, like a tornado sweeping through.

And this was a portion he had bought based on his own appetite.

As the last gulp of fruit wine went down, a long-lost feeling of fullness finally settled in her stomach.

Elvira’s movements suddenly froze.

As her hunger faded, her reason seemed to slowly return.

She looked at the empty plates on the table, her grease-stained hands, and then at Lance’s smiling eyes across from her.

Her face grew redder and redder.

The upbringing she had received since childhood brought a powerful sense of shame over her in that moment.

She finally realized she had eaten far too much, and on top of that, had cried while eating like a misbehaved child.

She put down the cup in a fluster and quickly wiped her hands clean with a handkerchief from the table’s edge.

Then, she straightened her back, placed her hands properly in her lap, and gave Lance a deep bow.

"Thank you, Lance."

"You’re the kindest person I’ve met since the trial began."

The pitiful air of a little stray puppy was now completely gone from Elvira.

From her proper posture and expression, one could see she had received an excellent upbringing.

As she straightened up from her bow, her eyes darted away, and she began to explain in a voice as soft as a mosquito’s buzz.

"Um... about what just happened, please don’t mind it."

"I’m not... usually like this."

"It’s just that, recently, everyone has been so mean to me, and I was feeling a little wronged..."

She didn’t know why, but in front of this man, she wanted to protect her image and try to explain her recent loss of composure.

Lance found it rather amusing but forced himself to hold back his laughter.

He decided to spare the young woman’s pride.

"Of course. I didn’t see a thing."

Lance smiled.

Hearing this, Elvira secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

She hesitated for a moment before asking with a blush, "Can... can I come see you again?"

"You can. I’ll be living here for the next ten days."

Lance nodded in agreement.

Hearing the ten-day timeframe, Elvira thoughtfully turned her head and glanced at the Heavy Spear resting on the weapon rack in the living room.

But she was sensible enough to look away and didn’t ask any questions.

"Well then, I wish you a peaceful night."

Having reached the door, Elvira turned and waved enthusiastically to Lance.

Then she left, taking advantage of the last rays of the setting sun.

With a full stomach, her steps became much lighter, and she quickly disappeared into the crowds of Golden Ears City.

"This Trial World is so realistic."

Lance leaned against the doorframe, sighing with emotion as he watched the direction the young woman had disappeared.

’The plot design is so interesting that even a random local from the instance has a story like this.’

’Blonde hair, green eyes, blue ribbons, a shocking appetite, and the status of a Knight.’

’All these elements combined are really quite to my liking.’

’An image of a famous character from an anime in his past life uncontrollably surfaced in his mind.’

’Next time she comes, I should just tell her that story. It could be fun.’

「The next evening.」

Lance, having just finished practicing his Spear Technique in the courtyard, took a hot bath.

He was drying his hair when he heard a knock on the main door.

He opened the door to find Elvira standing outside.

She was holding a giant wild boar’s leg.

Her back was straight and her eyes were bright, completely devoid of yesterday’s awkward and pathetic appearance.

"Thank you for the meal yesterday. This is my payment."

She lifted the heavy boar’s leg, her tone carrying an obvious hint of showing off.

This took Lance by surprise.

’Yesterday she was a punching bag anyone could bully in the market, but today she’s come back with such a bountiful harvest?’

Seeing Lance’s surprised expression, a small sense of pride swelled in Elvira’s heart.

In truth, ever since she saw the Heavy Spear in the living room yesterday, Elvira had her suspicions.

That spear was a Treasure on par with the King’s Choice Sword, so of course, there would be portraits of it within the Royal Family.

He had to be a Trial Taker just like her, one who had entered from the Material Realm through the Baptism Ceremony.

He was even, in all likelihood, the successor of the White Dragon.