Volume 1 - CH 4

Alme replied to the brown-haired man she met again.

“Ah, the young man from earlier! Did you manage to reach the pharmacy?”

“Yes I did, thanks to your assistance, so I wanted to thank you again.”

Sweating as hot as ever, the man pulled out his wallet from his bag. He quickly took out several bills of the largest denomination and offered them to her in a flowing gesture.

“This is a thank you gift. Please accept it.”

“Eh? No, um, I just gave you directions, so I can’t take your money ……!”

“But I think great work should be compensated.”

“It’s not a great work at all! It’s just a small thing!”

She was startled by the man’s sudden movement and raised her voice.

What he offered her was 50,000 G. It was about the same amount of money as if she had worked for six days at a well-paid job. It was not a good amount of money to receive just for showing him the way.

(No, I’m sure there are people who wouldn’t hesitate to take it, but I can’t…! On the contrary, I feel guilty…)

Seeing Alme desperately refusing, the man stiffened with a puzzled face for a while, then quickly put the money in his wallet.

“Is that so…I’m sorry. You were very helpful earlier, and I was thinking if I could convert this feeling into paper money, it would be worth at least this much…”

(This is the first time I’ve seen someone convert feelings directly into money.)

She looked at the man intently. His beautifully shaped face is exactly what the word ‘perfect’ should be, but his personality is a bit off…This is what she would call being a natural in her previous life.

She laughed a little when she saw the man retracting his wallet in a daze. The difference between his appearance and personality was kind of strange.

“Umm, I appreciate the sentiment. ――Ah, yes. If you would like to thank me, can I ask you for a little help?”

“How can I help you?”

The man who was in low spirits suddenly raised his bright face. He looks a little older than her, but his honest demeanor is like that of a pure child, which is comforting to see.

From inside the store, she brought the wooden sign she had wiped earlier and handed it to the man.

“Could you hang this sign above the front door? It’s just attaching the holes of the sign to the bracket”

“I understand.”

The sign could be reached by Alme if she had a chair, but this tall man seems to be able to install it just by reaching out his hand.

As I expected, the man easily hung the sign over the front door with a single-handed motion.

“Thank you very much, it’s perfect”

“Titty’s Shop…? So you are in charge of this shop. What kind of shop is this?”

“It used to be a juice shop, but now I want to open it up as an ice cream shop.”

“Ice? Is it an ice magic stone shop?”

The man was puzzled again. It seems that saying “ice cream shop” doesn’t ring a bell. -This is something she should prepare a proper explanation for when she advertises the store in the future. People in this world might mistake it for an ice magic stone shop.

“It’s a shop that sells ice desserts, not magic stones.”

“Ah, I see. There is a store in my hometown that sells frozen fruit. This city is extremely hot, so it seems like a good store.”

The words “extremely hot” caught her ear and she looked at the man. Indeed, he looks terribly hot. Even now, he is sweating pitifully.

As for Alme, she didn’t feel particularly sweaty. If people move for a long time in direct sunlight, it will get hot, but not so much now. In today’s weather, she’s sure all the residents of the city feel the same way.

(This person is sensitive to heat. Some people get sick if they don’t get used to the climate, but I wonder if it’s okay…)

When she saw the man’s condition, she was worried. After all, Alme in her previous life was the very person whose life ended after getting heat stroke. She began to worry when she thought of the possibility that this man might also suffered such a misfortune on his way home.

“Um, if you have time, why don’t you cool off a bit? The shop is still messy, but I can serve you an ice cream sample. If you sweat too much, you’ll get sick…”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, please come this way. Sorry for the mess.”

Without refusing, the man readily complied. She is sure that he could not bear the heat in his heart.

Inviting him into the store, she guided him to the counter seats.

After asking them to sit and wait, Alme hurried to the kitchen in the back.

She took out the strawberry ice cream she just made from the freezer and puts it in a clear glass bowl.

When she placed the bowl in front of the man waiting in the seat, his eyes lit up clearly.

“This is ice cream…? It’s different from what I imagined. It’s not just about freezing fruit.”

“Yes. The pulp is crushed and frozen while air is mixed in, so it’s softer than frozen fruit. Please eat it before it melts.”

“Thank you.”

The man scooped a large amount onto his spoon and stuffed it into his mouth. He squirmed for a moment, then swallowed and turned his sparkly face to her.

“Delicious…! Very delicious!”

“Thank you, I’m glad it was to your taste.”

“Haa… it’s cold and really delicious… it’s like coming back to life…”

She chuckled at the impression that spilled from the man’s mouth like a soliloquy. Alme had just spoken the same impression earlier.

He brought the ice cream to his mouth and ate it in no time.

“Thank you for the meal. It was very delicious.”

Saying thanks, the man tried to take out his wallet from his bag again. Before she is offered the money, she put in a refusal. 

“Ah, I won’t ask for money. This is a sample, so it’s enough if you give me your impressions.” 

“Eh… Is that so? I thought 70,000 G would be enough.”

(70,000 G for a bowl of ice cream… what’s going on with his sense of money…)

Her face twitched involuntarily. She wondered what kind of person this man is… an incognito aristocrat or some kind of well-paid man?

But since he’s wandering alone in this back alley, she wondered if he’s a commoner after all… it’s a mystery.

Instead of replying, she returned a wry smile and took the empty bowl. As soon as he got up and started getting ready to go home, she suggested an idea.

“It’s only to make you feel better, but I’ll lightly cast an ice spell on you. It’s just a weak spell that sends cold air and makes you feel just a little bit cooler. It will probably be hot on the way back.”

“You can use ice magic…! Please do!”

The man’s eyes brightened again. Laughing at his honest reaction, she activated ice magic in both hands. She turned her palms toward the man and softly channeled the magic. Cold air enveloped his body.

“It’s magic that disappears quickly, but it’s really comforting.”

“No, it’s much cooler. Thank you…”

“Ah, that’s right. I might be able to use that after all.”

She took out the flat box from her bag that had been left on the side of the counter. Taking out the light blue scarf from inside, she wet it with water and wrung it out lightly.

She froze the scarf with ice magic and massaged it to make it more flexible. After folding it into a long, thin shape, she presented it to the man.

“I will give this to you. Wrapping it around your neck will make the heat easier, so please take it with you on your way home.”

“… I’m sorry, you shouldn’t have.”

The man took the scarf, wrapped it around his neck, and exhaled in the pleasant coolness. It’s a scarf that has no place to go, but it’s still a fine item that would be a waste to dispose of. If it can be used to help others, this scarf will also be saved.

“If you feel unwell under the sunshine, I recommend going underground to rest. Don’t forget to hydrate along the way. Oh, and please lick some salt! If you don’t take salt with you, you’ll collapse.”

As she walked the man to the door, she fluently spoke out whatever came to her mind. These words are the words she wanted to say to herself in her previous life.

(–Wait, I’m starting to sound like a meddling old auntie…I hope he doesn’t think it’s annoying.)

She suddenly noticed and glanced over to check his expression. Then, contrary to her imagination, the man spoke to her again with that clumsy smile.

“You are a very kind person. Um, my name is Falk. Please call me that.”

“Ah, yes. Mr. Falk. My name is Alme. Alme Titty.”

Come to think of it, she hadn’t told him her name. It was a bit of an itchy feeling when they said each other’s names face to face. She hadn’t said her name properly since the first meeting for the marriage proposal.

“Alme, that’s a lovely name, ‘Alme Titty’s Ice Cream Shop’… I was able to come across such a good shop. I’ll remember the location of the shop well so I don’t get lost next time.”

“Thank you, please come back again.”

They said goodbye to each other outside the entrance of the storefront. As they continued their conversation, a few words of sentiment spilled out. Perhaps she was taken in by Falk’s sincerity.

“I’m also glad that I was able to meet Mr. Falk today. I was feeling a bit depressed, but talking with you lifted my spirits. Thank you very much.”

“Is that so? I am honored that I could be of help. Well, Miss Alme, I’ll see you next time…and we’ll chat again.”

When he added that last remark, the man who called himself Falk smiled clumsily again.

(――Ah, this smile,)

When she saw his smile for the third time, she somehow noticed. 

(This smile, maybe he’s holding back…? It’s not that he’s not good at smiling, it’s that he wants to smile as much as he can, but he’s forcing himself to hold it back and make it look subdued…)

Although it was a short visit, Falk’s personality came through in its own way. He was willing to offer a large sum of money out of gratitude, he reacted honestly like a child, and his eyes sparkled in front of the ice cream

…Despite his elegant and well-groomed appearance, she got the impression that inside he was a natural and spontaneous person.

Judging from his personality, he must be the type of person who grins from ear to ear when he smiles.

She got the feeling that he is forcing himself to suppress that full-blown smile and keep it to a “modest smile”.

She couldn’t help but relax her features as she noticed the secret behind his awkward smile. She gazed at Falk’s back as he walked away, feeling relaxed.

He is quite tall and has the body of a knight, but somehow…

(…The first customer was a very cute person.)

With a playful look, she saw him off as if watching over an adorable little chick.