Without warning, the door to the food warehouse abruptly opened, leaving them no time to hide.

Louise's eyes widened as she whirled towards the door. Then she despaired. The caretaker was there, standing at the opening.

Oh my G.o.d. Did she have to write more statements? Would she be falsely accused of stealing from the warehouse?

'Wait, no, it's not false at all. I actually ate the food here. I'm a thief.'

Louise's tongue was numb as the caretaker approached them.

“Have you tried it? What do you think?”

Then, shockingly, she asked for feedback.

“It's great. Would you like me to help you carry it tomorrow afternoon?”

Ian answered her smoothly, and Louise's head pivoted back and forth between the two. The caretaker was visibly relieved when what came out of Ian's mouth were words of praise.

Oh, Louise understood now. She and Ian weren't stealing. They were here to sample the pudding at the caretaker's request.

“It's just the right amount of sweetness! The texture is great as well.”

Louise hurriedly added her opinion as if she were here for the pudding tasting all along.

“Really?”

Louise felt a little guilty at the caretaker's apparent delight. If Louise had known beforehand, she would have savored and slowly rolled the pudding around in her mouth, rather than swallowing it in huge gulps. 

The caretaker gave them more pudding anyway, and when Ian complimented her on the delicious autumn apples, she also gifted him three of them. Ian was indeed a man of resourceful living.

After parting with the caretaker and leaving the warehouse, Ian and Louise strolled along the dark path together, each with a basket in arm. 

“Why didn't you tell me from the beginning?”

“That we had permission to taste it?”

“Yes, I was really surprised. I thought I had to write a whole new statement.”

“You're kidding.”

He let out a laugh, the corners of his eyes crinkling. This probably meant even if they weren't given permission, Louise still wouldn't have to write a new statement.

“You would have been too self-conscious if you knew that caretaker asked.”

“I—!”

“Then you wouldn't have felt better.”

“But I wouldn't have lied.”

“When the caretaker asked you about the taste a little while ago, you should have answered, 'It made me feel better after eating it.' She would probably have happier than you simply saying it was delicious.”

“But that isn't an objective review at all.”

“I'd be much happier if someone told me that. Good food isn't just about what you taste on your tongue.”

The pair finally arrived in the kitchen to wash the gla.s.s cups they had emptied.

“Sit there, eat an apple, and wait. I'll be done in a minute.”

Ian lit a few lamps and pointed towards a stool. Louis wasn't in the mood for an apple, so she simply sat down. Soon she heard the sound of water on the cups, and then Ian spoke.

“You like fairy tales.”

“What?”

“Is it because of the memory of living in a fairy tale? Do…do you miss that place?”

Oh my goodness. When Louise used the term "magic orb" to describe a screen, he must have thought Louise had memories from a fairy tale.

“It wasn't a fairy tale world. Well, and…”

Louise thought of the faint, gray fragments that were her memories and shook her head.

” …I don't miss it.”

“I miss it a little.”

"What?"

“I mean, what you said when you dreamed of being ordinary."

He took out a dry cloth and began to dry the dishes.

“It wasn't so good.”

“That's why I wanted to meet you.”

“What?”

“Hmm…”

He peered at the surface of the gla.s.s to make sure there were no prints.

“There was a time when I longed to be normal too.”

At birth, his life was already burdened with the benefits and obligations of his status. Many envied his birth. However, the weight of his existence also contained danger as well. It could crush him, and he would be gone.

“But I had you. “

He arranged the clear gla.s.s on top of the high cupboard.

“For the you who wished to be ordinary…I wish I could have been there for you.”

He turned around, shaking the excess water from his hands. His silver hair glimmered in the lamplight. Louise looked at his awkward smile and answered carefully.

“You were there.”

“Hmm?”

“You were with me then.”

“Beyond the orb? Is it that powerful?”

“I…”

She struggled to explain it. A story was only a list of words, and without understanding the reader's feelings, the story simply told its words step-by-step. But as Louise followed the story, she found herself sharing her feelings with those words. It made her sad, or it comforted her, and it even made her hate.

“I enjoyed them. The stories you can see in the orb."

As Ian approached her, he looked into Louise's face for a moment and looked strangely dissatisfied.

“Was it that good?”

Louis nodded her head, and Ian pinched Louise's cheek with one hand. His fingertips felt chilled from the water.

“Who the h.e.l.l was that person…"

He grumbled moodily.

"You're still thinking about that?"

“Why not? You are my fiancée. I've just learned that there's another man you like.”

“President. Perhaps—”

Louise enveloped his cold hand with hers.

“—are you jealous? “

“I am not.”

There was not a shade of truth in his answer.

“I'm just trying to keep track of your taste and all that.”

He was full of excuses as well. 

President, don't underestimate the reader who had the time to complete the novel. You're jealous. 

Louise smiled meaningfully.

“But what I saw in the orb is very different now.”

“Very different?”

“Yes.”

“Sometimes I noticed that you're very cautious in what you're about to say.”

Ian recalled the many strange reactions and behaviors he had seen over time.

“Right.”

“Sometimes I think you believe more than what's already in front of you.”

Louise didn't answer. There was no room to protest against what he said.

“Look, Louise Sweeney. You are here now.”

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