After causing a major incident in the royal capital—part of the killing of the chicken to scare the monkey scheme orchestrated by the King of Siacan—Elisa had ended up hiding inside a wardrobe in Dahlia's bedroom. That was how the two had first met.
Later, Catherine and the others got to know Elisa through Dahlia. During her days in the capital, Elisa had spent her time hopping from one hiding place to another.
Her skill in dyeing hair was actually taught by Little One, and that was how she managed to escape the royal capital. She had originally planned to flee south, but after saving a few elves, she ended up in the western lands instead.
"Can you not talk like that? What do you mean, I got ugly?" Elisa rolled her eyes and dragged the two to a seat.
"But it's true!" Catherine exclaimed in amazement. "Your silver—"
"Catherine, stop!" Dahlia quickly cut her off.
One glance was enough to tell her that Elisa was in disguise. Saying anything more would expose her, especially in a place full of customers.
"Oh oh!" Catherine also reacted, quickly covering her mouth and glancing around nervously. She felt a bit uneasy—she knew Elisa was very valuable.
"What are you two doing here?" Elisa's green eyes fixed on them. They were supposed to be in the royal capital. If Dahlia had come, she wouldn't have been surprised, but Catherine being here was truly unexpected.
"I'm here for business." Dahlia said softly.
She stared blankly at the smile on Elisa's face—so different from the sorrow she had seen before. What had she been through to change so much?
"I'm here for a relaxing trip," Catherine said, her eyes lingering on Elisa's hair. That beautiful silver-white hair… How had it turned gray?
"A trip? To Sedona City? All the way out here?" Elisa was stunned for a moment, but after seeing Dahlia's helpless expression, she immediately understood—their bond was still as strong as ever.
"Elisa, what about you? Why are you here? And why are you dressed like this?" Dahlia asked curiously.
"Me? I've settled down here. This shop is where I work." Elisa replied gently.
"Huh?" Catherine and Dahlia's eyes widened in disbelief. This beautiful elf had actually chosen to settle in such a remote little town?
They clearly remembered Elisa once saying that as long as she had the ability, she would rescue more elves. So why had she decided to stay here?
Could it be… she had met someone she liked?
"Elisa, do you have someone you like here?" Catherine asked bluntly.
"What?" Elisa was stunned. A figure with black hair and black eyes flashed through her mind, but she quickly shook her head. That couldn't be called liking at all.
"Wait… do you really have someone you like?" Catherine's eyes widened. Elisa's reaction was suspicious.
"I don't. You're overthinking it." Elisa said, avoiding Catherine's gaze. It wasn't liking, not yet—but there was a bit of fondness.
"Alright, let's not press her about it. Let's order first." Dahlia said softly, sensing that Elisa didn't want to talk about this topic.
"Elisa, what's the best thing to eat here?" Catherine was immediately drawn to the menu.
"There's no regular food here, only pizza. I'll order for you." Elisa said with a gentle smile.
"Great! Thanks for the help." Dahlia nodded.
"Just a moment." Elisa said softly before heading to the kitchen. She wanted to personally make a deluxe pizza to treat the two of them—after all, they had taken good care of her back in the royal capital.
As Elisa walked away, Dahlia turned to Catherine with a slight scolding tone. "Catherine, you're way too curious. Didn't you notice Elisa is in disguise? If you ask too many questions, you might expose her identity."
"Uh… I just got excited and ended up asking too much." Catherine scratched her cheek awkwardly.
"It looks like she's doing well here." Dahlia sighed.
"I still think Elisa definitely has someone she likes," Catherine said seriously, resting her chin on her hand. "When a girl suddenly changes a lot, it almost always means she has someone in her heart."
"You're treating Princess Lucy's novels like a dating bible again." Dahlia rolled her eyes.
"But they make so much sense!" Catherine flicked her long hair and muttered, "I tested it. My maids all said it's true."
"…." Dahlia covered her face. Why was her best friend so naive?
The two whispered back and forth, chattering for a while. Finally, Elisa returned, carrying a tray and setting it down in front of them. A freshly baked, multi-flavored pizza was placed before them—she had even paid for the extra ingredients herself.
"This is pizza?" Catherine's eyes lit up. It looked so appetizing!
"Mhm! This is my special creation." Elisa said gently.
Dahlia didn't hesitate—she grabbed a slice and took a big bite. The moment it touched her tongue, her face lit up with pure enjoyment.
"It's delicious! So soft and chewy!" Dahlia said, eyes half-closed as she savored the taste.
"Mmm-hmm!" Catherine nodded enthusiastically, her mouth stuffed with pizza, holding a slice in each hand.
"Catherine, where are your manners?" Dahlia scolded—while grabbing another slice and stuffing her own mouth full.
Elisa sat across from them, resting her chin on her hand, watching the two fight over the pizza. She couldn't help but smile. Who would have thought that a brilliant businesswoman and a duke's daughter would be here, completely ignoring etiquette, competing over pizza?
Maybe this was their true selves. In the noble-dominated royal capital, every action had to follow strict etiquette. Living there must have been exhausting—perhaps they always had to wear a constant, polite smile like a mask.
"Phew…" Catherine let out a long breath, feeling a bit too full. When she looked up and saw Elisa lost in thought, she suddenly remembered—she was the daughter of a duke.
She glanced around and noticed that everyone else was also eating heartily, some even smiling kindly at her. This was something she had never experienced before. If she ate like this in a high-end restaurant back in the royal capital, she would have received nothing but disapproving looks.
"Feels relaxing, doesn't it?" Elisa's green eyes carried a hint of amusement as she spoke softly. "Here, you don't have to worry too much about etiquette—when the food is good, everyone just digs in."
"Yeah!" Catherine nodded, licking her fingers out of habit.
Dahlia sighed and wiped her mouth with a napkin. "Honestly, you should still be a little mindful. If we get too careless in public, people will gossip."
"Being a noble is so exhausting." Elisa murmured.
Her thoughts drifted to Lucas. The way he acted now… was that really his true self?
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