When the most talented young men and women in the world gather in one place, what’s the first thing to consider?
Birth control.
These hormone-fueled teens were not only good-looking and rich but also brilliant—and nowhere near burned out.
So Felyn’s first impression of the Royal Capital District in Seiwa wasn’t of its grandeur or majesty, but of the warning signs plastered everywhere about free contraceptive seals and the consequences of pregnancy—namely, being kicked out of the district.
They sent you here to study, not to spend your days making babies. Imagine showing up alone and leaving with a whole crowd in tow.
Besides, the Royal Capital District had incredibly strict screening for newborns. They needed tight control over their population numbers.
What Felyn didn’t realize was that Zervanie had intentionally led him through the areas plastered with those pregnancy warning signs.
In her mind, if Felyn saw the word “contraception,” he’d naturally think of that kind of thing. And when he thought of that kind of thing, he’d think of girls.
And wasn’t she the only girl by his side right now?
Maybe—just maybe—he’d start thinking of me.
That was the little trick Zervanie was hoping would get his attention.
The customs in the Royal Capital District weren’t that open. People weren’t out there doing it in public or anything. But it was still a city full of teenagers, and the number of couples and lovers was definitely not small.
Even though today wasn’t a holiday, couples filled the streets.
And just like that, Felyn and Zervanie blended into the crowd.
Felyn noticed the shops on both sides of the street running couple-themed promotions and looked around curiously.
“Is there some kind of holiday today?”
“Today? It’s just a normal day. No events or anything.”
Zervanie followed his gaze, only now realizing he was staring at all the couple-based sales.
“That kind of stuff runs year-round. There are so many couples in the capital—if you don’t run promotions, how are you supposed to compete?”
She took a water bottle from her bag, twisted off the cap, and casually looped a strand of hair around her pinky.
Sunlight trickled down her pale, smooth neck.
A few drops of water sparkled at the corners of her mouth, highlighting the soft peach fuzz on her cheeks. She gently dabbed the spot with a handkerchief.
“Speaking of which, Zervanie, aren’t you in school?”
“Of course I’m in school! I’m not dumb, okay? Even if I have a baby one day, my kid will be smart! Not dumb at all!”
Zervanie quickly explained herself, leaving Felyn confused.
“I was just curious. Why’d the topic suddenly jump to kids?”
“Felyn, I already enrolled in one of the academies here in the capital. I passed the exam on my own!”
Zervanie puffed out her chest with pride.
“You actually got into a capital academy?! I thought all you did was eat snacks and read dirty—uh, I mean, comic books!”
Felyn had never asked about her academics before, mainly because he’d never actually seen her study. He figured she’d dropped out but was too polite to bring it up.
“So that’s the image you have of me?!”
Zervanie stomped forward, hands on her hips, puffing her cheeks out in protest.
She’d always been diligent—reading during work breaks, hiring private tutors with her own money—and she’d passed the capital entrance exam earlier this year.
The reason she’d never studied in front of Felyn?
She didn’t want to waste her precious time with him doing boring things like studying.
Felyn watched as Zervanie kept defending herself, insisting she wasn’t lazy or unmotivated. It amused him.
But just as she was speaking, she caught a glimpse of the reflection of the two of them in a shop window and suddenly stopped talking.
Felyn looked as well, and in an instant, he understood.
Zervanie, wearing a hat and mask, had her entire face hidden. Aside from her figure and outfit, nothing about her appearance gave away that she was a beautiful girl.
She probably wanted to dress up and go out looking pretty, laughing and messing around with friends, wasting an ordinary afternoon like any other girl.
“Zervanie, you might not be able to walk around freely on the streets, but your face—your presence—it’s already in the hearts of so many.”
Felyn offered those words as a quiet reassurance—an understanding only fellow entertainers could share.
Zervanie’s shoulders trembled. She hadn’t expected Felyn to grasp her disappointment so quickly.
But in truth, he’d only gotten part of it right.
That wasn’t why she was down.
She just wanted—just once—to dress up, look pretty, and stroll through the streets with him. To let him see how beautiful she could be.
Still, she quickly pulled herself together.
Just being able to walk these sun-warmed stone roads with Felyn like this, lazily basking in the light—it was already more than enough.
What more could she want?
The streets were buzzing with life. They hadn’t walked far before a chubby middle-aged shopkeeper came up and greeted them.
“Hey there, young man! You and your girlfriend look perfect together! Want to try our store’s couple event? The prizes are real nice.”
He gestured toward a nearby shop—one of those game-based seal stores. Hanging on display was a pot from the Ponya Divine Church…
A literal cooking pot.
The Ponya Divine Church worshipped food. The pots they made were said to enhance the taste of any dish.
But stir-fry pots weren’t a great fit for Zervanie’s or even the Siveshus Empire’s cuisine.
It was folks like Felyn and Daiyi—foreigners—who preferred using woks.
Zervanie glanced over and dismissed it. The pot wasn’t even that rare or expensive. And seriously—why would a game seal shop be giving away a frying pan? A stuffed toy or necklace would’ve made more sense. Who’s lured in by a pot?
But when she turned back around, she saw Felyn staring at that pot.
Frozen in place.
Felyn really liked cooking. Whenever he saw fancy kitchenware at her place, his eyes lit up.
At one point, Zervanie had considered gifting him a full kitchen set. But then she’d imagined them getting married, with personal chefs doing all the cooking—and decided not to.
And in the end, they hadn’t gotten married. He’d left.
“Young man, check out the rules.”
The shopkeeper, seeing Felyn’s glowing eyes, hurriedly pointed to the event rules pasted on the storefront.
“Join the Disc Hunt Challenge! If your combined score beats our store’s record, you win the Ponya Divine Church Elder’s personally crafted Eternal Flavor Spoon Wok! Just 500 crowns per try. Want to taste your lover’s home cooking? Then sign up now~!”
Five hundred crowns… for a chance at that wok?
Frying dishes were rare in the Empire. And proper stir-fry pans? Nearly nonexistent.
Felyn was so done with all the greasy, roasted, boiled food. He wanted variety.
And this wok—created by the foodie maniacs of the Ponya Divine Church—was a dream come true!
His first wish upon arriving in this world had been for a maid.
His second had been this pan.
He’d even planned to buy it himself, but Siveshus Empire’s strict screening of divine tools made it nearly impossible to obtain.
“But young man, this game is for couples. You two are a couple, right?”
That one sentence triggered very different reactions.
Felyn felt a little down. What? You need a partner to get a pan now? Being single disqualifies you from cooking?
But Zervanie tensed up instantly. Her icy blue eyes darted to Felyn’s back.
Seeing his dejected expression, she felt her chance had come.
She wasn’t the type to wait for Felyn to make the first move.
If there was an opening—she’d take it.
“We’re a couple. We’re a couple! Right, Felyn?”
She was gambling that Felyn wouldn’t deny it. Her heart was racing. She almost closed her eyes.
“…Zervanie, is this really okay?” Felyn whispered beside her. “We’re not exactly lovers.”
“Just pretend. The shopkeeper’s not going to check our ID. I can see how much you want that Eternal Flavor Spoon Wok, right? And I haven’t said anything. You’re getting a free pass pretending to be my boyfriend—you better thank me later.”
Zervanie spoke with a laid-back tone, acting like it was no big deal—just so Felyn wouldn’t get suspicious.
But inside, her heart was quietly breaking.
Felyn… I didn’t say it out loud…
But I want to be your lover.
Even if it’s just pretend.
(End of Chapter)