"So you are the fool that ordered my explosives."
a slightly tanned complexion and light brown eyes. Her hair was tied up with the help of a golden clip, and her black tunic and red skirt highlighted her figure, which was easily comparable to that of a top-class beauty. She extended her hand toward him and said,
"Kali."
Gawain raised an eyebrow.
"Isn't your name supposed to be"
"Laxmi is my mother's name. The dish is named after her because this was originally her recipe."
Her expression soured when she mentioned that name. Gawain was wise enough to not go there.
"I wanted to thank you for your dish."
He accepted her handshake.
"As a person that enjoys spicy things, your food was amazing to me."
She released his hand.
"A genuine compliment is always appreciated."
She was not used to getting compliments from the customers, but she was confident enough to express what she wanted to.
"I also wanted to ask you for something."
The main reason for his visit.
"What is it?"
Once again, that annoying expression returned. He didn't want to annoy her, so he got straight to her point.
"I want to get the recipe for your tea."
Back at the academy, one would never even look at the cafeteria to order beverages. To put it politely, they couldn't make a good, flavorful tea with a knife around their neck.
"The recipe is a family heirloom. That wouldn't be possible."
She answered. The attendant that had brought Gawain to the kitchen froze out of fear.
"Is that so..."
He would have to visit this place more often.
"Please forgive her!"
The man looked at him and joined his hands in forgiveness.
"Brother?"
Kali walked toward him and grabbed his arm.
"There is no need-"
"You are a knight in training. Offending you now might lead to our ruin in the future."
He was misunderstanding something.
"No. I won't do anything like that. Plus, I am not a noble. I got into the academy as a commoner."
He understood his panic, but this was baseless.
"You are not noble?"
This took him by surprise.
"I am not a noble."
He reiterated.
Kali looked back at him. This time, her eyes were a lot softer.
"That exam is supposed to be extremely difficult. How did you manage to pass it?"
Gawain gave a prideful smile,
"My family was very supportive, and my hard work paid off."
"Hmmm."
The brother became silent. Laxmi knew the reason for it.
"Anyway, I respect your decision. Not getting the recipe means that I will be one of your repeat customers in the future, so I hope that you will treat me well."
Lean and assertive.
"I like you."
She openly declared. His stature immediately contracted in surprise.
"Pardon?"
She let out an enchanting smile and said,
"I like you. Your attitude and personality are suitable for my tastes."
She licked her lips in a sensuous manner.
"I am sorry, but I don't intend to accept your proposal."
Her brother facepalmed at his words.
"She is teasing you. Don't take it too seriously."
He made it a point to follow through with his words.
"You heard what I said. Teasing or not, those are my thoughts."
She clicked her tongue.
"Tch. Boring."
She walked closer to him.
"Last offer. The recipe for my special tea is up for the exchange."
"Nope."
He turned around and left the place without saying another word. Kali was left speechless.
"Why did you tease him?"
His brother, Bharat didn't like her attitude.
"He is a good person. And my teasing didn't offend him; it just made him slightly uncomfortable."
She looked towards the exit door.
'If you take something away from someone, it only makes them want it more.'
She smiled.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Gawain was back at the academy and went straight to the house chambers. His day off had been successful in relieving some of his stress.
"You are back early."
It was still only evening. Joan was expecting him to be out for longer.
"The first phase of my break is complete. Now, I will proceed to sleep for the entirety of the remaining time."
Joan closed her eyes.
"Where did you go?"
He shrugged his shoulders.
"Everywhere except the red light district."
She nodded her head.
"Did you buy some souvenirs?"
"I didn't. The market isn't going anywhere."
She opened her eyes.
"That is also true."
"You are back."
He turned around. Celia was standing close to him.
"Yes."
With a cute smile on her face, she extended her palm forward.
"Hand it over."
Completely unable to make any sense of her words, he asked,
"What am I supposed to hand over?"
Her grin widened.
"I already know. You were about to bring a gift for me. Sister Joan informed me beforehand."
Joan nodded her head once more.
"I told you, remember?"
Gawain started sweating profusely.
'A gift for the immediate senior that has helped you train for the past few weeks.'
"So? Hand it over."
He dug into his pocket.
'Perseus, I believe in you.'
He took out the pear and said,
"Here. Something that we give to honor our well-wishers back in my village."
The truth was, pears were his favorite fruit. On his way back, he was able to buy five of them for 2 silver each and ate up four on his way here.
Joan was surprised, and Celia was staring at the 'gift' in his hand.
"It also happens to be my favorite fruit. I am not well-versed in buying gifts for girls, and my mother has always taught me that if you respect someone, value the intentions more than the gift itself."
Breaking his efforts, he presented the pear with a bow.
"Please, accept my gift."
He didn't even share pears with his blood-related brother. Plus, God knows when he will get the time to go out and buy something again. So the sacrifice hurt, but it was worth it to quell the wrath of his senior.
"T-thank you."
She gently took the pear from his hand.
He looked up. She was red once again.
"I hope that you like it. By all means, it is delicious."
Joan looked at them with a snarky grin.
'He knows how to get himself out of problems.'
As his teacher and a Perseus follower, she couldn't be more proud.