4~ |Life With The Elf King: Part 02|

"What is that weird-looking, colorful but kinda brown little thing?”

Sean looked between the elf king and the food he placed in puzzlement. His eyes widened, and his jaws dropped open, allowing at least tons of insects to fly in if they were interested. “Huh?”

"What kind of food is this?" Oswin looked at the food in disgust, still making a face as if the content on the plate was something not worthy of his royal sight.

"Has his majesty never had fried rice before?" Sean rolled his eyes and slid down his chair, sitting opposite Oswin.

"Fried...rice?" Oswin’s expression changed. "I’ve somehow heard of rice before. So, you’re saying that thing is edible?”

“If it isn’t, why do you think I offer it to you?”

Oswin narrowed his eyes, looking between the plate and Sean briefly. “Make sense. But this dish looks and sounds foreign."

Sean looked at the baffled king with fascination and surreptitiously shook his head.

If he thinks fried rice is foreign, what'll he think of hamburgers or pizza? He

sighed, suppressing the urge to speak out the thoughts in his head.

"So, this is it?" Oswin’s question snapped Sean out of his thoughts.

"What do you mean, 'this is it'?" he asked for confirmation, not sure what the elf king meant.

"Only one plate?"

"Yeah, there's only fried rice. How many plates do you want to use?"

"I mean, this is the only thing I'm being served as breakfast?"

"Well, what do you expect?"

"My servants always prepare rows of plates and bowls for my breakfast."

This guy still thinks he's the king? Even with a good sleep last night, it couldn't get him to clear his head? Sean thought to himself, wanting to confront Oswin to stop his blubbering about the royalty. However, he was too tired in the early morning for an argument. Whatever. I'll play along.

"Well, sorry to disappoint you, my king. But I'm poor. I don't have that many dishes to offer." He meant it as sarcasm; however, it confounded him a little when he detected sympathy from Oswin's eyes.

"It's fine. Just this one is enough then," Oswin lowered his eyes at the plate, making Sean even more confused.

What's wrong with this guy? Is another spirit possessing him? Split personalities, maybe? Sean tilted his head to the side in stupefaction, finding this morning was so unlike any other he has had.

It was full of the elements of surprises.

"But first, tell me what you put in this...fried rice dish," commanded Oswin as he looked straight into Sean's eyes, demanding an answer.

Urgh, the king's spirit is back. Inwardly, Sean rolled his eyes at the authoritative aura emitting from Oswin's eyes and voice.

"Nothing much," he shrugged. "Just some rice, eggs, and vegetables. Andー"

"Vegetables?" Oswin cut Sean off.

"Err...Yes. Vegetables. You know, stuff like carrots, peas, and corn. Do all these still sound foreign to you?"

Oswin stared at the dish one more time before picking up the spoon and scooped up the rice into his mouth. Without uttering any word or complaints, one spoon was followed by another; each was bigger and faster than the previous one.

Sean's jaws dropped open once again at the person in front of him who was eating like there was no tomorrow.

For someone who finds my food disgusting, look at how he shoves my rice down his throat, Sean thought to himself.

"Hey, I'm thirsty," said Oswin.

The plate was completely empty and clean as if there was no food on it in the first place. If it wasn’t for the oily stain, it could have been mistaken for a new plate. Shaking his head, Sean got up to get a tray containing a jar of water and two glasses before putting them down on the table between them.

“Here is your water.” He slid the tray to Oswin before picking up the spoon and began eating his breakfast. The rice looked greasier, for it was getting colder. He needed to eat it now. However, before he could even put the food into his mouth, a guttural voice disrupted his action.

"I said I'm thirsty," Oswin repeated.

Sean dropped down the spoon, leaned back on his chair, and crossed his arms across his chest. "If you use your eyes, you'll see water and glasses in front of you." His eyes glared at Oswin.

"I can see the water."

"Oh, yeah. Then what're you waiting for?"

"My servants always pour drinks into my gold goblet and present it to me. What do you expect me to do with that weird-looking, see-through thing?"

Weird-looking? Again? Is there anything in my house that looks normal to you? Sean complained inside his head.

With a big sigh from the bottom of his lungs, he got up and headed to the tray of water, where he began pouring the water into both glasses. "I don't own a gold goblet in this house, so bear with it," He handed one of the glasses towards Oswin. "And this see-through thing is called glass. From now on, if you want to drink water, milk, or any juice, just pour it into this thing. I can’t believe your kingdom doesn’t owe any glasses."

Ignoring Sean’s word, Oswin lifted the glass to his lips and took a sip. A funny expression plastered on his face the moment he tasted the water, making Sean burst out laughing.

"Hey, what's so funny?" he put down the glasses and stared at Sean with a frown.

"Your face. Haha." Sean kept laughing till tears formed in the corners of his eyes. "Why? Don't tell me your kingdom doesn't have water?"

"Nonsense. We do. We have spring water and waterfalls among all other kingdoms. But this one tastes a bit weird."

"Well, what do you expect? This is tap water, not a spring one.”

“Tap water? What’s that?”

“Urgh!” Sean groaned, knowing he just dug his own grave by bringing yet another new vocabulary to the glorious elf king’s ears.

“I’ll explain later. For now, no more questions, please, your majesty. Just concentrate on the weirdness of the water by yourself, if you want. And stop disturbing me while I have my breakfast. I need to hurry and go to work."

Sean headed back to his chair and began gulping down his food in a rush. Surprisingly, Oswin didn't say anything further while Sean was digging in his rice. He kept looking at the mortal before him in silence as if to search for something.

Or rather, to understand something.

The latter was too busy eating that he didn't realize he was being watched with his every move.

<TO BE CONTINUED>