MCFATTKM

45

Most could eat what was placed in front of them, but Carius had a slightly different way of eating. He preferred to use special spices imported from across the sea.

Carius used tongs to grasp some of the spice from the glass plate. Then he sprinkled the dried grass-like spices on his beef.

He put the tongs down, and Lelia stretched out her arm, picked some spices up with the tongs. She began sprinkling some spices on her meal.

"Ha...!"

Carius looked at Lelia with astonishment.

This spice had a distinctive aroma along with its bitter taste. It cleanses the mouth, but usually people don't like the scent.

This child was willing to eat this spice?

Carius frowned and looked at Lelia.

Over the past few months, Carius' suspicion towards Lelia had lessened.

There have been many times when he felt this girl might be his sister's daughter.

Carius reasoned with himself, saying it couldn't be.

He wasn't able to give up his doubts though, because he was burdened with guilt.

"..."

Carius squinted and watched Lelia.

He wondered if she was really tasting and eating it properly, or if she was stubbornly copying him. This spice has a robust scent that was too strong for ordinary adults to enjoy, let alone children. Carius is the only one who enjoys the spice at Superion Castle. Even his parents, the Duke and Duchess, did not like the spice.

Lelia cut the meat into large pieces and put it in her mouth with plenty of spice on top.

"Well..."

She chewed the meat and swallowed it with an ecstatic look on her face.

Carius' expression hardened when he saw it.

He has never seen a child eat the spice so delightedly and become so ecstatic.

Is she acting? The thought occurred to him but Lelia wasn't paying attention to Carius. She kept tucking her head again and again, eating eagerly.

Lelia took it a step further and sprinkled spices on her soup and salad.

"...."

Carius lowered his eyes and looked down at his plate.

He almost began weeping.

It was because he remembered his childhood.

Elizabeth and Carius were the only ones who liked this spice in the Superion household.

The two loved spices that everyone else didn't like. They enjoyed the sour taste that could be sprinkled on salads and soups, as well as main dishes. The reason why they brought spices from the city was because of the unusual eating habits of this brother and sister. As a child, Carius considered it very special that his sister and he had something in common.

"...."

Carius managed to pull himself together and looked at the child again.

Lelia had almost finished her meal without regard for Carius.

The glass plate, which had contained a lot of spices, was empty before he knew it.

Carius stared at Lelia with emotional eyes.

The similarities that he found between his sister and this child over the past few months crossed his mind, one by one.

If there had been one or two things, he could have simply said, "It's coincidence".