Lia was a little too late. Eldric had already seen her, his face looked shocked for a moment before that annoyingly handsome face lit up in a smile. She wanted to turn away and pretend not to see him, but he was already walking towards her.
Eldric stopped in front of her, just in time for Lia to show her poker face. "So we meet again."
"So it seems," Lia replied, drily.
"Don't you think it's fate that we keep on bumping into each other?"
It took all of Lia's willpower not to roll her eyes at him. She only blinked and sighed. "Have a wonderful evening, Vice General."
Lia turned around but not before seeing all the smiles leaving Eldric's face.
"Wait!" He caught her arm in a firm grip. "Are you going home now?"
Lia frowned at the non-sequitur. Eldric released her arm and shrugged. "Let me walk you home."
"No need." It took her five steps away from him before turning back. "I'll pay you back soon!"
The cold night wind gust around them as Eldric looked around before turning to Lia. His smile came back up again, but this time it did not reach his eyes. "You don't have to." In a quiet voice, he added, "You saved me before."
"I didn't help you for compensation. Or for anything. It's not like I make it a habit to help someone just so I can have them owe me. And, uh, you helped me, us, back then." If it were not for him, who knew what else those townsmen would have done to her. He believed her despite everything.
Eldric stilled. Lia frowned and wondered if she said anything that might have upset him. The book described him as magnanimous even though he also seemed flippant at times.
Lia walked, not wanting to dwell too much on the protagonist. He, who has the golden halo, the one who has everything in the world, should not look so alone… and so human.
"Then can we stop counting our debts?" He asked when he caught up with her. "Friends don't do that."
A part of her wanted to just say yes! yes! and yes! She felt comfortable with him when she did not know who he was yet. He seemed to be a good friend. If they were in a different time and place, they would have been one. If she were being honest to herself, he was her first friend in this world. Probably, the only one so far. But befriending the protagonist would be hard. Even if they don't get involved romantically, life would still be hard for the rest of the people who did not have the protagonist's halo.
Lia ignored him. She took out the shopping list she prepared and glanced through it, mentally noting the stalls and the route she was going to take. It had turned silent beside her so she thought that Eldric got bored and left. Sadly, she found out that he was still walking beside her. His eyes darted everywhere, taking in the market which remained bustling despite the hour.
He found her looking at him. "So, what are we buying? Are you going to make dinner when you get home?"
"We?" She narrowed her gaze at him, hoping that he would take the hint.
He smirked. "We."
Lia gave up and went to a stall to buy. They went around a couple more as Eldric continued his one-sided conversation.
"So many things to buy!"
"Look at that! So cheap."
"What? It's half the price?!"
When Lia was done shopping, she went out of the stall and found Eldric still looking fascinated by the whole night market idea. He smiled when he saw her and took the bags from her arm as though that was a natural thing between them. Lia let him do what he wanted, knowing that all of her protests would fall on deaf ears.
"Now I understand why you'd want to buy at night. Those discounted items are worth it!"
Despite herself, Lia fought a smile that was threatening to spill from her lips. Who would have thought that the valiant warrior had the enthusiasm of a child on a playground?
After a while, Eldric spoke, "You want to pay me back right?"
Lia did not realize that he stopped walking, his eyes glued to a single stall. "How about you buy those for me and then we'll call it even?"
She followed his gaze and saw a seller of candied fruits. "You don't mean that do you?"
"Oh, I do." He grinned as he walked his way to the stall.
Lia gaped, staring at Eldric's back. She did not remember reading about the protagonist like this. Thinking back, she could not seem to remember any mundane times. There were only wars and blackmails and all the dark stuff the protagonist had done or had been done to him. He was never like this, laid-back and carefree. Or the protagonist had always been like this, only the mundane stuff was glossed over.