To begin with, “I” don’t know what’s in the streets of this world. But it seems that’s the same for Felix too.

Whether I looked here or there, it was full of amazing things. As I walked behind Helena and let out small exclamations of admiration, she smiled and spoke subtly.

“That’s why you asked me to join you earlier, right?”

“…Right.”

I smiled slightly and walked, following Helena.

It felt like coming to the set of a medieval movie. However, the sense of liveliness was on a different level.

Blankly watching people moving around directly, I came to my senses at Helena’s hand pulling me and followed her.

“Hmm, should we eat breakfast?”

“…Okay.”

Just like the saying that even Mt. Geumgang is best viewed after a meal*, it’s not too late to explore the city after filling our stomachs. With that thought, I nodded at her suggestion.

It seems there are famous restaurants among people in this world too, as Helena’s steps were unfaltering. Of course, lacking knowledge about such things, I could only trail behind her.

“Hmm~… What should we eat…?”

Helena seemed to be in a good mood from the rare outing, humming as she was lost in thought.

Yet her steps didn’t stop, giving the impression that she had already roughly decided on a destination in her mind.

Walking a step behind her, I suddenly looked at her profile, which came into view.

Seeing her smiling brightly with an excited look.

A very old memory came to mind.

Helena has loved wandering outside since she was young. Of course, as children of aristocratic families, it was nearly impossible for us to sneak out and walk around while avoiding surveillance.

Only twice a year.

On my and Helena’s birthdays, the knights’ surveillance was always coincidentally less, and there was always one hole for us to slip through.

Of course, now we now know that it was “consideration.” At the same time, we learned that the knights had a harder time watching in places out of our sight.

But at that time, we were young. As children, we only thought it was simply due to the busy preparations for our birthday parties that made the management negligent.

Thanks to the great acting of the knights guarding the mansion, we could gush about how “lucky” we were.

After sneaking out of the mansion like that, we always headed to the nearby mountains. If we went to the village, countless people would recognize us, and at the same time, it could be dangerous.

Moreover, the mountains have always been an unknown world to us.

Helena and I would hold hands and explore the mountains—this way today, that way next time. We would wander around every corner of the mountain, discovering interesting things and talking about them.

Sometimes, we gazed at the fields as the sunset, and sometimes, we looked at the mountain scenery after yesterday’s rain.

Helena’s expression was exactly the same as hers at those times. It was a face that looked joyful, free, and happy.

Seeing Helena delighted like a colt with a loose rein at the rare outing, I smiled briefly and slowly blinked my eyes, coming to a stop.

‘However…’

There were not my memories.

The memory that naturally came to mind was Felix’s. However, I naturally thought of it as my own.

That subtle sense of disconnection made me frown.

“Are you hurt somewhere…?”

I came to my senses at Helena’s voice and shook my head. She was looking at me worriedly as I suddenly stopped walking.

Reassuring her with a faint smile, I let out a small sigh and opened my mouth.

“So, have you decided where to go?”

“Huh? Ah, yeah…! If we go a bit further this way, a delicious place will appear. It’s super famous…!”

“Really? Can I look forward to it?”

“Of course!”

Helena thrust out her chest exaggeratedly and placed her hands on her waist as she spoke. She probably thought I still hadn’t regained my senses due to my conversation with my father earlier.

Inwardly expressing my gratitude for Helena’s consideration, I also exaggeratedly nodded.

“Then I’ll trust you, Helena.”

“Leave it to me, sir.”

As Helena exaggeratedly bowed her waist at my words and led me, I let out a small laugh. Helena, who seemed relieved, laughed and grabbed my arm, hastening her steps.

“Let’s hurry! If we’re late, there will be many people, and we’ll have to wait…!”

“Okay, okay.”

I naturally responded to Helena’s words and actions and moved my steps to follow her.

Of course, I knew in my head. As I became Felix, distinguishing between his memories and mine became less meaningful.

Rather, Felix’s memories were important for me to live in this world properly.

There were still many cases where the rules of this world didn’t make sense to my common sense. Of course, even excluding such aspects, Felix’s memories were important.

But…

‘At this rate, really.’

I wonder if I’ll become someone other than myself.

Even if I pompously declared that Felix was dead and coldly said I was someone else.

Ultimately, I was just an ordinary person living in a peaceful world. An ordinary person living an ordinary life, or perhaps even a below-average life.

Always pretending to be calm and imitating the protagonists of the novels I often read.

A little fear was bound to arise. If Felix’s memories fully returned, would I be able to exist wholly as myself?

Such anxiety was…

“…Okay, we’re here!”

“Ah…?”

Such worries were once again broken by Helena’s voice.

Before I knew it, we had arrived at the restaurant Helena mentioned. Lost in thought, I came to my senses at her words and looked at the restaurant.

“…Steak?”

“You have to eat meat in the morning.”

From the morning…?

Of course, I heard that people in this world enjoy eating meat regardless of breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Still, as a native Korean, it was a food culture that I couldn’t understand.

Still, I had no choice but to smile at Helena, who spoke as if it were natural and followed her into the restaurant.

Despite the early hours, many people could be seen having a meal inside the restaurant. Indeed, am I the strange one for finding this odd?

It felt like being the two-eyed person who came to a one-eyed village.

Although she was from a baron family, Helena, who had surprisingly frugal spending habits, chose this restaurant. Despite being a steakhouse, the prices weren’t that expensive.

Of course, that was only from the perspective of aristocrats, and it would naturally be a burden for commoners.

“Should we order one steak and one pasta to share?”

“Sure. But will that be enough?”

Both Helena and I were big eaters, belonging to the combat classes that mainly used our bodies.

I didn’t know how much food they served here, but if it was an ordinary restaurant, one steak and one pasta would not be filling.

At my words, Helena, with her pretty blue eyes, waved her long, white index finger left and right and clicked her tongue lightly.

“As expected, Felix doesn’t know anything?”

“…What is it this time?”

“Originally, when you go on a d… No, when you go on an outing in the city, you’re supposed to eat just a little.”

“Why…?”

You were about to say date just now, right?

At Helena’s words, which were transparent to me, I asked nonchalantly without responding cluelessly.

Helena, who naturally covered up her slip of the tongue, continued speaking with a calm face. However, I could clearly see her earlobes turning slightly red.

“Because there are so many delicious street foods!”

“Then, can’t we just fill our stomachs with those?”

“…Snacks and meals are different, you know?”

…I guess.

Helena doesn’t train very hard but eats almost as much as I do. Yet she maintains that slim body, which is incomprehensible to the point of being unbelievable.

As she spoke to me with a genuinely uncomprehending expression, I let out a hollow laugh. She then nonchalantly ordered the food and hummed a small tune.

It was just like Helena, the girl who found the most joy in eating.

No matter what, it was true that Helena’s training was lacking, so I decided to work her harder once we returned, smiling slightly.

“Surprisingly, there are a lot of high-quality and cheap snacks around here. Felix doesn’t know, right?”

“That’s right. I’ve never come out before.”

I didn’t think it was something to be embarrassed about.

As someone who wielded a sword, it was natural to be devoted to training.

Speaking in a slightly teasing tone, Helena clicked her tongue and shook her head when my expression remained unchanged.

“Felix, are you going to live alone like this for the rest of your life?”

“… Isn’t that fine?”

“No? If you don’t know how to have fun like this, you won’t be able to go on dates with girls later.”

“Is that so…?”

As I tilted my head, persuaded by Helena’s words, she muttered in passing with a slightly flushed face.

“Well… I’ll take you out often and teach you.”

“…Thanks.”

It seemed she wanted to hang out with me using this as an excuse.

I couldn’t help but smile at her cute appearance, which was transparent to me.

I didn’t know why, but it wasn’t easy to push Helena away or distance myself from her. Instinctively, I felt like I couldn’t refuse Helena.

However, it didn’t feel unpleasant, so I enjoyed the current happiness.

Translator’s Corner

*Mt. Geumgang (금강산, also known as Diamond Mountain) is a famous mountain in North Korea, known for its scenic beauty. It has been a popular subject in Korean art and literature for centuries.

The saying suggests that just as the beauty of Mt. Geumgang is best appreciated on a full stomach, other things in life are also better enjoyed when one’s basic needs, such as hunger, are satisfied first. In other words, taking care of your physical needs before engaging in different activities to appreciate and enjoy them fully is better.

-Ruminas