Theo entered the Elmswood Inn that he had noticed earlier. From the start, he had planned to stay there, which was also why Rowan couldn't spot him when Theo quickly went inside.
Upon entering, a bell jingled, signaling the arrival of a customer. At the reception stood a young elven girl, seemingly about seven years old. She wore over-sized glasses that seemed comedic on her small face.
Her cyan hair matched that of a boy, presumably her older brother, who paused from sweeping the floor as Theo entered. Judging by his appearance, Theo figured the boy was around fifteen.
"Welcome to Elmswood Inn. How can we assist you, sir?" the young girl inquired with a businesslike tone, her voice was filled with the adorable lilt of a child.
From the corner of his eye, Theo noticed the cyan-haired boy sighing but saying nothing. After setting the broom aside and wiping his hands on his apron, the boy approached Theo.
Meeting Theo's eyes in a icy manner, it was clear that the boy harbored some animosity towards him, much like the princess had.
"What brings you here?" he asked, his tone void of any warmth.
Not bothered by his odd behavior, remembering that this was the sole inn in the vicinity, Theo replied, "A room for 11 days."
Before the elven boy could respond, the young girl's voice chirped in a high-pitched tone, "That would be 2 silver per day, sir. So, 20 silver for 11 days." Her innocent mannerisms were undeniably endearing, but her miscalculation left her older brother teetering on the brink of a facepalm moment. It was like watching a squirrel try to perform calculus – cute, but baffling!
Choosing to engage with the nicer of the two, Theo stepped towards the reception, addressing the little girl and leaving the brooding boy behind. "Only 20 silver?" he queried in a gentle tone.
"Yes, sir," she nodded, her eyes big and earnest.
Behind him, The cyan-haired boy was making frantic gestures to his sister, seemingly warning her to not give the room to this human boy. As the young girl looked puzzled and was glancing at her brother, Theo noticed it and turned around just to catch the boy mid-gesture, which he hurriedly ceased upon being caught.
Without further ado, Theo laid a gold coin on the counter, saying, "Here's 1 gold. 20 silver for the eleven days, and the remainder is for you – a reward for being far adorable than anyone else I've met today."
With sparkling eyes, the little girl beamed, "You're the best, big brother!" Her gleeful tone only added to her charm.
The older sibling was taken aback by Theo's generosity, but the sudden ‘big brother’ reference left him truly bewildered.
"What's the name of this little cute angel?" Theo asked.
"I'm Neria," she said with a twinkle in her eye, "and that's my brother, Lorian. What's your name, big brother?"
"Theo," he responded.
However, as their conversation flowed, Theo could feel a chilling glare directed at his back. Turning, he found Lorian standing ominously close. If looks could kill, Theo would have met his end right then and there.
Lorian cold stated, “Your business here is finished. Let me show you your room.”
Theo nodded, casting a final glance at Neria who was waving at him, her eyes squinted into a joyful crescent shape. He followed Lorian.
As they ascended the wooden stairs to the second floor, Lorian paused midway and remarked, “Mind your own business and refrain from being overly friendly with my little sister. Stay for eleven days, and then leave. I'll return your remaining 78 silver later.”
Theo remained silent, sensing the animosity wasn't directed at him personally but towards humans as he had never met this elven boy before. Most of the elves he'd encountered thus far had displayed prejudice against humans. It seemed this world wasn't much different from Earth when it came to racism.
Reaching the second floor, Lorian unlocked the second room and handed the keys to Theo. Without another word, he departed.
Theo sighed at the rude boy but didn't have the luxury to dwell on it; he was running late, and the demoness was growing impatient.
Inside, the room was modest yet comfortable. A bed sat adjacent to a table, and there was an attached bathroom. Flower and leafy patterns adorned the walls, giving it an added flavor of an elven city.
Drawing the curtains for more privacy, Theo cast a portal. “Lilith, you can come in.” He called her telepathically.
Soon after, a figure stepped out from the portal, her cheeks puffed and eyes shooting daggers at Theo.
“Don’t be mad. We can go shopping now. Let's get everything we need,” Theo coaxed. The mention of shopping brightened Lilith's mood, her eyes lighting up and she nodded in agreement.
However, Theo realized a potential issue. “Since I came up the stairs and you didn't, could you use the window to exit and wait for me outside?”
“Noo…” Lilith protested.
“They didn’t see you come upstairs, and it might seem suspicious if you suddenly appeared out of nowhere,” Theo reasoned.
Hesitating a moment, Lilith huffed. "Fine."
She approached the window, and, with an elegant motion, descended. It was as if gravity had taken a momentary pause for her; she floated down gracefully, her form barely disturbing the air, landing softly, almost like a petal drifting to the ground. Theo watched from above, impressed by her effortless movement.
Lilith had already left, so Theo exited his room, making sure to lock it with the key. Upon reaching the ground floor, he noticed Neria's downcast expression. It appeared as if she'd been chided by her brother. When she caught his gaze, she lowered her head further, perhaps fearing another scolding from her older brother. As for Lorian, he was nowhere to be seen, likely having stepped out.
Theo sighed and exited the inn, stepping into the evening air. The sun was teetering on the brink of the horizon, ready to dip into the embrace of night. Once outside, he noticed the elves had paused in their tracks, their attention fixated on someone.
As he followed their gaze, he saw it was Lilith. Even though she wore Theo's over-sized clothing, her beauty was hard to hide.
The elves whispered amongst themselves, their voices filled with awe.
"She's stunning. Are all human women this beautiful?"
"No way! But I've heard that Princess Liliana from the Lighthaven Empire is even more beautiful than our own Princess Aerin. Could this be her?"
"With those clothes? Why would she be here, looking like that?"
"Maybe she's on some secret mission?"
"Such beauty hidden in those loose clothes. It's almost a crime!"
Hearing the murmurs, Theo quickly clasped Lilith's hand and took her away from the gathering crowd. As they moved, he could still make out the hushed voices behind him.
"How dare he touch that goddess?"
"What's that ordinary-looking guy doing with that lovely lady?"
"Probably, she is doing some charity work by being with him."
"I think, he must've bewitched her or something. There is no way she'd be with him otherwise."
"Perhaps she lost a bet and has to be with him?"
“I bet she doesn't even know how out of her league he is."
"It looks like a swan paired with a toad!"
"More like seeing a rose being held by a weed!"
Though these words stung, Theo brushed them off. To him, appearances and the opinions of others held no importance.
Aware that Lilith's ravishing beauty, even in his baggy clothes, could cause unwanted attention and trouble, Theo approached a street vendor who sold masks and veils.
Lilith's face lit up with excitement as she strolled through the city streets. Her eyes darted eagerly from one shop to another. However, she noticed Theo had come to a halt. Following his gaze, she spotted an elven old man displaying an variety of masks and colorful veils.
Without a second thought, Lilith grabbed a black veil and put it on. As she adjusted it, Theo's gaze swept over to land on her, witnessing her beauty.
The veil covered her face just right, highlighting her sparkling eyes even more. The black of the veil against her skin made her look even more unreal. With the veil on, there was this mysterious charm added to her beauty. Even if it covered a bit of her face, she still looked as stunning as ever, if not more.
Deciding to purchase a few, Theo inquired, “How much for these three?”
“3 silver coins each. That makes 12 silver coins in total,” the vendor replied.
"Shouldn't it be 9 silver coins?" Theo asked, a hint of confusion in his voice.
The old man gestured towards a girl beside him. Following his gesture, Theo noticed the demoness playing with a white mask adorned with crimson marks below the eyes, giving it a stylish appearance.
"This would suit you," she commented, holding up the mask.
Though Theo hadn't considered buying one for himself, the price was reasonable enough. He handed a gold coin to the old man, who returned 88 silver coins. After storing the mask, veils and silver coins in his golden vault, the duo moved on to look for another shop.
Lilith headed towards a store with Theo following closely behind. The signboard read, ‘Elven Elegance: Finery & Attire.’
As the duo entered, they noticed several beautiful elves browsing through the selections. The staff members were all elves, youthful, with all appearing to be in their twenties at most, making it hard for Theo to guess their real age.
The interior of the shop was elegantly designed. Dresses of various colors and designs hung on golden racks, creating a variety of fabric choices. There were sections designated for different types of clothing, with soft, ethereal lighting highlighting the finer details of each piece.
Most of the customers appeared to be female, busy trying on different outfits.
As Lilith was searching for the right dresses, one of the elven assistants approached her and started to offer her recommendations.
Theo positioned himself to the side, observing the demoness.
Lilith commented with a hint of disappointment in her voice, “These aren't good enough.” She made a face, clearly unimpressed.
Noticing her dissatisfaction, Theo asked the elven attendant, “Don't you have something better?”
“We do, sir, but those are quite expensive,” the elven girl replied. Given the casual attire of the pair, she assumed they might not be able to afford the pricier selections.
Not bothered by her scornful look, Theo responded flatly, “Just show them to her.”
“Alright, sir. They're on the 2nd floor,” the attendant said in a mocking tone.
As they were ascending the stairs, she thought to herself, ‘This human is going to regret it when he sees the price tags.’
On reaching the second floor, Lilith was shown a variety of high-end dresses. She seemed to finally find a few to her liking, separating them into two distinct piles - one at the left and other at the right.
Turning to Theo, she requested, “Hey… help me pick one.”
The boy hesitated, “I'm not an expert in these things. It's best if you decide.”
“Just help,” Lilith insisted, shooting him a sharp look.
Sighing, Theo started to search from the pile and selected a black long skirt paired with a matching top. Embellished with crimson and blue jewels, the ensemble shimmered enticingly. “Here, this one,” he suggested.
Nodding, Lilith disappeared into a nearby changing room. Moments later, she emerged, looking absolutely stunning. Theo appeared momentarily taken aback.
On the other hand, the elven assistant had her mouth agape and eyes wide in shock from Lilith's transformation. Even though she was wearing a black veil over her face, her tantalizing figure was fully displayed in the new dress compared to the baggy clothe she had been wearing.
“How do I look?” Lilith inquired with a soft smile.
“You look... Okay,” Theo responded as he didn’t want to reveal his true thoughts.
The elven girl internally rolled her eyes, ‘He's such an idiot! How can he say she looks just 'Okay' when she looks extremely breathtaking?’
Seemingly unimpressed with Theo's dreary response, Lilith directed the assistant, “Please pack all the dresses on the right side.”
The elven girl, with a hint of disdain in her voice, remarked, “Young Lady, those are twenty-two dresses in total. I'm not sure you can afford even one from this section. Perhaps you should select from the first floor instead?”
Upon hearing this, Lilith turned to Theo for an answer.
“How much for all these dresses?” he inquired with a calm tone.
After taking a moment to calculate, she responded, “They total nearly three hundred gold coins,” the attendant lips graced with a proud smile, clearly expecting them to balk at the price.
====[SnowNote]====
Please bless this novel with high ratings so that it can gain more exposure and attract more readership.
Theo entered the Elmswood Inn that he had noticed earlier. From the start, he had planned to stay there, which was also why Rowan couldn't spot him when Theo quickly went inside.
Upon entering, a bell jingled, signaling the arrival of a customer. At the reception stood a young elven girl, seemingly about seven years old. She wore over-sized glasses that seemed comedic on her small face.
Her cyan hair matched that of a boy, presumably her older brother, who paused from sweeping the floor as Theo entered. Judging by his appearance, Theo figured the boy was around fifteen.
"Welcome to Elmswood Inn. How can we assist you, sir?" the young girl inquired with a businesslike tone, her voice was filled with the adorable lilt of a child.
From the corner of his eye, Theo noticed the cyan-haired boy sighing but saying nothing. After setting the broom aside and wiping his hands on his apron, the boy approached Theo.
Meeting Theo's eyes in a icy manner, it was clear that the boy harbored some animosity towards him, much like the princess had.
"What brings you here?" he asked, his tone void of any warmth.
Not bothered by his odd behavior, remembering that this was the sole inn in the vicinity, Theo replied, "A room for 11 days."
Before the elven boy could respond, the young girl's voice chirped in a high-pitched tone, "That would be 2 silver per day, sir. So, 20 silver for 11 days." Her innocent mannerisms were undeniably endearing, but her miscalculation left her older brother teetering on the brink of a facepalm moment. It was like watching a squirrel try to perform calculus – cute, but baffling!
Choosing to engage with the nicer of the two, Theo stepped towards the reception, addressing the little girl and leaving the brooding boy behind. "Only 20 silver?" he queried in a gentle tone.
"Yes, sir," she nodded, her eyes big and earnest.
Behind him, The cyan-haired boy was making frantic gestures to his sister, seemingly warning her to not give the room to this human boy. As the young girl looked puzzled and was glancing at her brother, Theo noticed it and turned around just to catch the boy mid-gesture, which he hurriedly ceased upon being caught.
Without further ado, Theo laid a gold coin on the counter, saying, "Here's 1 gold. 20 silver for the eleven days, and the remainder is for you – a reward for being far adorable than anyone else I've met today."
With sparkling eyes, the little girl beamed, "You're the best, big brother!" Her gleeful tone only added to her charm.
The older sibling was taken aback by Theo's generosity, but the sudden ‘big brother’ reference left him truly bewildered.
"What's the name of this little cute angel?" Theo asked.
"I'm Neria," she said with a twinkle in her eye, "and that's my brother, Lorian. What's your name, big brother?"
"Theo," he responded.
However, as their conversation flowed, Theo could feel a chilling glare directed at his back. Turning, he found Lorian standing ominously close. If looks could kill, Theo would have met his end right then and there.
Lorian cold stated, “Your business here is finished. Let me show you your room.”
Theo nodded, casting a final glance at Neria who was waving at him, her eyes squinted into a joyful crescent shape. He followed Lorian.
As they ascended the wooden stairs to the second floor, Lorian paused midway and remarked, “Mind your own business and refrain from being overly friendly with my little sister. Stay for eleven days, and then leave. I'll return your remaining 78 silver later.”
Theo remained silent, sensing the animosity wasn't directed at him personally but towards humans as he had never met this elven boy before. Most of the elves he'd encountered thus far had displayed prejudice against humans. It seemed this world wasn't much different from Earth when it came to racism.
Reaching the second floor, Lorian unlocked the second room and handed the keys to Theo. Without another word, he departed.
Theo sighed at the rude boy but didn't have the luxury to dwell on it; he was running late, and the demoness was growing impatient.
Inside, the room was modest yet comfortable. A bed sat adjacent to a table, and there was an attached bathroom. Flower and leafy patterns adorned the walls, giving it an added flavor of an elven city.
Drawing the curtains for more privacy, Theo cast a portal. “Lilith, you can come in.” He called her telepathically.
Soon after, a figure stepped out from the portal, her cheeks puffed and eyes shooting daggers at Theo.
“Don’t be mad. We can go shopping now. Let's get everything we need,” Theo coaxed. The mention of shopping brightened Lilith's mood, her eyes lighting up and she nodded in agreement.
However, Theo realized a potential issue. “Since I came up the stairs and you didn't, could you use the window to exit and wait for me outside?”
“Noo…” Lilith protested.
“They didn’t see you come upstairs, and it might seem suspicious if you suddenly appeared out of nowhere,” Theo reasoned.
Hesitating a moment, Lilith huffed. "Fine."
She approached the window, and, with an elegant motion, descended. It was as if gravity had taken a momentary pause for her; she floated down gracefully, her form barely disturbing the air, landing softly, almost like a petal drifting to the ground. Theo watched from above, impressed by her effortless movement.
Lilith had already left, so Theo exited his room, making sure to lock it with the key. Upon reaching the ground floor, he noticed Neria's downcast expression. It appeared as if she'd been chided by her brother. When she caught his gaze, she lowered her head further, perhaps fearing another scolding from her older brother. As for Lorian, he was nowhere to be seen, likely having stepped out.
Theo sighed and exited the inn, stepping into the evening air. The sun was teetering on the brink of the horizon, ready to dip into the embrace of night. Once outside, he noticed the elves had paused in their tracks, their attention fixated on someone.
As he followed their gaze, he saw it was Lilith. Even though she wore Theo's over-sized clothing, her beauty was hard to hide.
The elves whispered amongst themselves, their voices filled with awe.
"She's stunning. Are all human women this beautiful?"
"No way! But I've heard that Princess Liliana from the Lighthaven Empire is even more beautiful than our own Princess Aerin. Could this be her?"
"With those clothes? Why would she be here, looking like that?"
"Maybe she's on some secret mission?"
"Such beauty hidden in those loose clothes. It's almost a crime!"
Hearing the murmurs, Theo quickly clasped Lilith's hand and took her away from the gathering crowd. As they moved, he could still make out the hushed voices behind him.
"How dare he touch that goddess?"
"What's that ordinary-looking guy doing with that lovely lady?"
"Probably, she is doing some charity work by being with him."
"I think, he must've bewitched her or something. There is no way she'd be with him otherwise."
"Perhaps she lost a bet and has to be with him?"
“I bet she doesn't even know how out of her league he is."
"It looks like a swan paired with a toad!"
"More like seeing a rose being held by a weed!"
Though these words stung, Theo brushed them off. To him, appearances and the opinions of others held no importance.
Aware that Lilith's ravishing beauty, even in his baggy clothes, could cause unwanted attention and trouble, Theo approached a street vendor who sold masks and veils.
Lilith's face lit up with excitement as she strolled through the city streets. Her eyes darted eagerly from one shop to another. However, she noticed Theo had come to a halt. Following his gaze, she spotted an elven old man displaying an variety of masks and colorful veils.
Without a second thought, Lilith grabbed a black veil and put it on. As she adjusted it, Theo's gaze swept over to land on her, witnessing her beauty.
The veil covered her face just right, highlighting her sparkling eyes even more. The black of the veil against her skin made her look even more unreal. With the veil on, there was this mysterious charm added to her beauty. Even if it covered a bit of her face, she still looked as stunning as ever, if not more.
Deciding to purchase a few, Theo inquired, “How much for these three?”
“3 silver coins each. That makes 12 silver coins in total,” the vendor replied.
"Shouldn't it be 9 silver coins?" Theo asked, a hint of confusion in his voice.
The old man gestured towards a girl beside him. Following his gesture, Theo noticed the demoness playing with a white mask adorned with crimson marks below the eyes, giving it a stylish appearance.
"This would suit you," she commented, holding up the mask.
Though Theo hadn't considered buying one for himself, the price was reasonable enough. He handed a gold coin to the old man, who returned 88 silver coins. After storing the mask, veils and silver coins in his golden vault, the duo moved on to look for another shop.
Lilith headed towards a store with Theo following closely behind. The signboard read, ‘Elven Elegance: Finery & Attire.’
As the duo entered, they noticed several beautiful elves browsing through the selections. The staff members were all elves, youthful, with all appearing to be in their twenties at most, making it hard for Theo to guess their real age.
The interior of the shop was elegantly designed. Dresses of various colors and designs hung on golden racks, creating a variety of fabric choices. There were sections designated for different types of clothing, with soft, ethereal lighting highlighting the finer details of each piece.
Most of the customers appeared to be female, busy trying on different outfits.
As Lilith was searching for the right dresses, one of the elven assistants approached her and started to offer her recommendations.
Theo positioned himself to the side, observing the demoness.
Lilith commented with a hint of disappointment in her voice, “These aren't good enough.” She made a face, clearly unimpressed.
Noticing her dissatisfaction, Theo asked the elven attendant, “Don't you have something better?”
“We do, sir, but those are quite expensive,” the elven girl replied. Given the casual attire of the pair, she assumed they might not be able to afford the pricier selections.
Not bothered by her scornful look, Theo responded flatly, “Just show them to her.”
“Alright, sir. They're on the 2nd floor,” the attendant said in a mocking tone.
As they were ascending the stairs, she thought to herself, ‘This human is going to regret it when he sees the price tags.’
On reaching the second floor, Lilith was shown a variety of high-end dresses. She seemed to finally find a few to her liking, separating them into two distinct piles - one at the left and other at the right.
Turning to Theo, she requested, “Hey… help me pick one.”
The boy hesitated, “I'm not an expert in these things. It's best if you decide.”
“Just help,” Lilith insisted, shooting him a sharp look.
Sighing, Theo started to search from the pile and selected a black long skirt paired with a matching top. Embellished with crimson and blue jewels, the ensemble shimmered enticingly. “Here, this one,” he suggested.
Nodding, Lilith disappeared into a nearby changing room. Moments later, she emerged, looking absolutely stunning. Theo appeared momentarily taken aback.
On the other hand, the elven assistant had her mouth agape and eyes wide in shock from Lilith's transformation. Even though she was wearing a black veil over her face, her tantalizing figure was fully displayed in the new dress compared to the baggy clothe she had been wearing.
“How do I look?” Lilith inquired with a soft smile.
“You look... Okay,” Theo responded as he didn’t want to reveal his true thoughts.
The elven girl internally rolled her eyes, ‘He's such an idiot! How can he say she looks just 'Okay' when she looks extremely breathtaking?’
Seemingly unimpressed with Theo's dreary response, Lilith directed the assistant, “Please pack all the dresses on the right side.”
The elven girl, with a hint of disdain in her voice, remarked, “Young Lady, those are twenty-two dresses in total. I'm not sure you can afford even one from this section. Perhaps you should select from the first floor instead?”
Upon hearing this, Lilith turned to Theo for an answer.
“How much for all these dresses?” he inquired with a calm tone.
After taking a moment to calculate, she responded, “They total nearly three hundred gold coins,” the attendant lips graced with a proud smile, clearly expecting them to balk at the price.
====[SnowNote]====
Please bless this novel with high ratings so that it can gain more exposure and attract more readership.
