Glen pulled out a chair and sat down with a smile. "These are the utensils from my hometown. Let me show you how to use them," he said.
He demonstrated by picking up a piece of stir-fried meat with chopsticks and chewing it.
Layla and Bonnie exchanged a look, both of them filled with curiosity. They tried to imitate Glen's movements, clumsily at first, but soon managed to pick up the food, much to Glen's surprise. He had been ready to offer them forks and spoons, but now it seemed unnecessary.
When the first bite of food entered her mouth, Layla couldn't help but squint her eyes in delight. The taste was intoxicating, not so overwhelming as to cause her to lose composure, but enough to savor. As for Bonnie, she couldn't hide her excitement. Being naturally free-spirited, she praised the dish without hesitation.
"Oh! The taste is amazing!" she exclaimed.
Glen felt a surge of pride and nearly lost his calm expression at her enthusiasm.
"So, you're students, right? Is today a holiday?" he casually asked while picking up more food.
"Yes, sir," Layla replied. "Bonnie and I are both students at Mes Academy. Today is indeed a holiday, but we'll be back to school tomorrow."
Glen nodded thoughtfully, then asked, "By the way, do your studies include magic?"
Layla gave him an odd look, and Bonnie raised her round face, both of them mirroring the same puzzled expression.
"To learn magic, we'd have to go to the Magic Tower and find a specialized teacher. It's not part of our curriculum, though we do cover some basic related knowledge," Layla explained gently.
"Ah… I see," Glen said, looking slightly embarrassed. "I don't really know much about it."
Layla didn't pursue the matter further. After all, Glen wasn't to blame. The original owner of his memories hadn't received much education and had spent most of his life indulging in wealth, avoiding school. His understanding of basic concepts was therefore lacking.
Soon, the three of them had finished their meal. Glen had a big appetite, and he had prepared a large amount of food. Since he had eaten only a little, there was plenty left for his guests.
During the meal, their conversation grew more relaxed, and the two girls gradually opened up, showing their lively sides. Glen, no longer as stiff as before, cracked a few jokes, drawing laughter from the girls.
"Glen, your lunch is really delicious. If I could eat like this every day, I'd do anything!" Bonnie said with a satisfied grin, rubbing her stomach.
"Who'd want to cook for you, you greedy cat? If anyone did, you'd eat them out of house and home," Layla teased.
"I'd be happy to let you try more dishes, but you'll need a lot of courage to join me," Glen added with a grin.
Bonnie shivered, recalling the eerie atmosphere of the town. "I think I'll pass on that…"
Seeing her awkward expression, both Glen and Layla couldn't help but laugh.
After Glen cleared the table, Layla, with a hint of apology, said, "I feel this visit isn't perfect. My gift doesn't quite match this lunch. If my mom knew, she'd surely scold me."
The basket Layla had brought only contained fruits, vegetables, and bread—nothing expensive, and meat was especially valuable in this era, which was why she said what she did.
"There's no need to focus on the value of the gift. Just showing me your sincerity is enough," Glen said, expressing his true feelings. He genuinely liked Layla, the well-mannered girl, and considered her the first friend he'd made in this world.
Layla was moved by his words. On Earth, such a sentiment might seem trivial, easily expressed by anyone familiar with basic manners, but here, it felt profound.
"I'll remember your words, Glen," Layla said, her expression serious.
"I will too," Bonnie added, also deeply touched.
After chatting for a little while longer, the girls began to get ready to leave, and Glen saw them off.
"Well, your home isn't too close, and it's going to get dark soon. It'd be best if you head back now, so your families don't worry too much."
Layla and Bonnie agreed, understanding the reason behind Glen's concern, and bade him a polite farewell.
Once the two girls had left, Glen silently gave an order to the beast to protect them. He had already decided on how to make money and was preparing to carry out his plan.
…
"Glen is such an interesting person. Maybe we can spend more time with him in the future," Layla said as she walked down the quiet dirt road.
"I think so too, but Layla, I still feel like this place isn't safe. It's better to stay with friends," Bonnie agreed, nodding and suggesting.
"Mm…" Layla thought for a moment, then smiled. "Would you come with me, then?"
Bonnie rolled her eyes. "You should find a strong guy. Between the two of us, we're not much of a match for anything!"
"Poke, maybe? No, he's even more scared than you." Layla thought of the chubby redhead trembling in fear and couldn't help but laugh.
Bonnie frowned, not pleased with the comparison. "I'm not scared!"
She then thought about Poke and asked curiously, "That guy's always saying he wants to be a knight. How could he be scared?"
"Well, you don't really know him…" Layla was about to share some of Poke's embarrassing moments when a familiar voice interrupted her.
"Thank heavens, Layla, I've been waiting here for you for so long. I'm glad you're okay."
A short, middle-aged man with deep brown beard walked toward them, followed by two burly men, each a head taller than him.
Layla froze when she saw the man, her voice filled with surprise. "Dad…"
It was none other than Layla's father, Bob.
Bonnie looked from the man to Layla, unsure of what to say.
"My child, you don't know how worried I was when I found out you were here. This place is dangerous! Come on, let's go home," Bob said with a gentle smile, gesturing for her to come with him.
However, the two burly men behind him remained expressionless, making both girls uneasy.
"No, I won't go with you! You nearly killed Mom!" Layla shouted, anger flaring as memories of her mother's condition at the clinic resurfaced. Her tone was firm.
Bob's eyelids twitched, his expression stiffening, but he quickly tried to justify himself. "My dear child, it was an accident. I had been drinking, and your mother was also at fault. She should have given me the money, and none of this would have happened."
"Enough, Bob, we don't have time for your father-daughter drama. Just act already!" one of the burly men behind Bob interrupted impatiently, stepping forward to grab the two girls.
Realizing the situation was dangerous, the girls attempted to run, but the burly men caught them effortlessly, one holding each of their shoulders.
With a powerful tug, they dragged the two girls to the ground. As they tried to struggle free, the men held them tightly, dragging them back the way they came.
"Let go of us! You bastards!" the girls screamed.
"Be a little gentler, that's still my daughter," Bob muttered under his breath.