Chapter Twenty-Seven: Home

Kai bemusedly continued to stare at those eyes as if nothing else mattered even after he asked. Helix didn't answer for a while. Only when he breathed out and his eyes narrowed down a bit that he answered with a similarly silent voice.

"Compared to yesterday, my condition's much better now." The coldness in his eyes slowly dissipated as he continued the contact through their gazes. After a short silence, Helix continued, "Sleeping like that, looks like you're relying on the fact that you've gotten used to the coldness of your manor." Exactly as he had said, even though the room is enveloped with coldness, Kai already removed most of his clothes last night and wore the thin tunic he wore underneath his formal clothes from yesterday's banquet.

The coldness inside the room must be the result of the magic Helix cast with his remaining strength to cool off the temperature inside the room yesterday.

Kai was about to say something when Helix tossed the white blanket right at his face and halted his words instantly. "When are you leaving?" He heard Helix's voice again. Kai removed the blanket from his face and sighed.

"After breakfast… Let's eat downstairs first?"

-

The table at which the two sat before each other was filled with breakfast for two people. The meat stew is still emitting transparent smoke that proves that it was just freshly made. Aside from the two stews, there is also a piece of bread and a cup made of wood filled to the brim with clear water which made a messy sight, each for the two of them. Compared to the stew, however, the bread is already stale and cold.

Seeing the sight of the messily prepared food, Helix looked down with coldness and disgust in his eyes. His hands trembled as if he was afraid of touching the utensils and the food before him.

Kai awkwardly looked at Helix's expression and then he slowly picked up his own wooden spoon to scoop out a spoonful of stew. As soon as Helix caught a glimpse of Kai's actions, his face worsened. He slammed his hand on the table and stood up then grabbed the wooden spoon out of Kai's hand. Helix tensely glared at Kai as he crushed the spoon with his bare hands and mumbled in a dangerously low voice:

"Why don't you put your magic to use and create our own utensils?"

The thought of his utensils being touched by others beforehand gave Helix a fright for once. Because, who knows what kind of dirt they touched before this! Nobody knows what kind of bacteria are in these utensils… even the food, he cannot bring himself to trust.

What's with this stale bread?

Is this really what they serve to the public?

Is this even legal?

Proper sanitation and cleanliness, as well as clean food and water! Those are basic human rights! And Helix doesn't know if those are being exercised properly in this inn. So how could he eat it?

Kai couldn't help but sigh, putting down the wooden fork as he stared at the food in front of him. True, at first sight, they don't look so bad. But he could faintly smell a not-so-right odor from the stew. Of course, Helix also cooked stew before too. Kai's observation has gotten quite good lately, so he could differentiate the difference between the stew and Helix's. Obviously, Helix's is much better but this stew probably has bad meat. He also saw how the server earlier handed the utensils. He held it plainly, no paper or tissue or whatever. He just held the utensils with his bare hands.

Not to mention, the wooden utensils are cold, definitely no signs of further sterilization…

As a medical student himself, Kai is very aware of how important sanitization is. Especially for public spaces and uses, such as this.

Helix coldly glared at the table and grumbled with dissatisfaction, "I'm going back to the room."

"You're not going to eat?"

"Lost appetite."

Truly, he was still a nobility after all. Eating this in a place like this, Helix would only do it if he really had no choice anymore.

Kai watched as Helix left and went back upstairs. And then just like that, Kai was left alone. Kai sighed quietly and silently leaned back on the chair. "Really…" he whispered as he stared at what was above his head, the ceiling. The cheap lantern hanging above the ceiling had some insects flying close around it. Kai also lost some of his appetite actually…

He has gotten used to his mother preparing his meals back in his original world, and here, he's the one who handles the cleanliness while Helix is the one who takes care of the meals.

This is quite a culture shock, and it took him so long to realize that this world is truly so different from his own in many different ways… Especially hygiene… and technology…

Kai moved his gaze to outside the window with a sigh. He then called the server and told him to give the food to the beggar child outside the inn. The serving person hesitated for a while, but when Kai added an additional payment, he no longer had any second thoughts and hurriedly packed the food for two and went outside to give it to the child.

Meanwhile, Kai had already gone back upstairs.

It's not that he's hungry anyway. He only wanted the other guy to eat and recover as much energy as possible… but that guy actually left without touching anything… Sure enough, Helix is a hell of a mysophobic 'villain'.

Seeing that the door of Helix's room was closed yet again, Kai sighed deeply. Strange, he feels like he could handle Helix sometimes, but often not.

He continued his steps and arrived at his front door.

Kai will be going to the palace as planned. And then, after hearing out the king, he would leave and go home back to that freezing manor.

Home, huh?

As Kai changes his clothes in front of the clear and clean mirror, he dazedly thinks of that place while his eyes are glued to the mirror so that he won't wear his clothes incorrectly. A dark blue coat above a white suit with a blue tie, from the innermost clothing to the outermost, there's a total of three layers. Kai frowned slightly as he cast cooling magic within his clothes so he wouldn't feel too hot.

He grabbed a pair of topaz cufflinks and wore it on the coast's wrists.

Well, this much should be fine.

Kai didn't bring much, only a few silver and gold coins, a handkerchief, and his pocket watch.

He remembered earlier that he wanted to buy a few books as well as a few herb seeds. But since he's really in a rush because of Helix, he'll just make a quick purchase after leaving the castle later on. Kai took a glance at the pair of bracelets with similar designs with only different colors placed atop the small wooden desk together with Kai's recently worn clothes, and Kai sighed languidly.

So many questions with so little answers.

Kai left the bracelets behind and left the room in an unhurried manner. He glanced at Helix's room and quietly sighed. "I'm going to the palace now." He uttered, eyes softening as he stared at the wooden door.

Helix's curse won't activate, however, the pain will arise and his magic, both normal and dark magic will be unstable for use. Now that Kai cannot feel Helix's magic, a bit of worry is not enough to describe the anxiousness in his chest.

The medicine pill that has been consumed by Helix has been appraised by Kai beforehand already. Though his ability is lacking, he can at least recognize if it's a good or bad medicine, as well as its effect. He guaranteed that it would only be beneficial to Helix, and no other harmful effects.

The pain must've subsided by now, with only the irresistible drowsiness tempting Helix into a deep slumber left.

"... Come back fast."

It was barely an audible whisper. But Kai heard it nevertheless.

He smiles helplessly and as he nods to himself. 'Of course.'

Who else would he go back to?