"D... D... Demon?!"

"Hmm? Why?" Lyzia tilted her head, genuinely confused by Celine’s reaction.

Celine stammered, her hands waving frantically. "I-I mean... isn’t a demon supposed to be... like... ugly and terrifying? With horns and fangs and... and they eat people?!"

Lyzia stared at her for a moment, completely stunned. Then she burst into a girlish, melodic laugh, covering her mouth as her shoulders shook with amusement.

"No, no, no~ Where did you get that idea?"

"But... that’s what I’ve heard in stories and tales back home!" Celine insisted, her face flushed.

Lyzia wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, still giggling. "Have you ever actually seen a demon before, Celine?"

Celine paused, her lips pursing. "Well... no. I’ve never met one. You’re actually the first elf I’ve ever met too."

Lyzia’s eyes widened in surprise. "Really? Then what other races are there on your continent?"

Celine thought for a moment. "In my continent, there are three nations: Celestia, Orthosia, and Divinity. They were all part of a single empire under the old power, Orthosia. But everyone in those three nations is human."

Lyzia smiled warmly, her voice gentle. "When we go to the market later, I’ll show you. If we’re lucky, you might even see some dwarven merchants passing through."

Celine’s eyes widened in surprise. "Wait... Dwarves? But aren’t Dwarves and Elves... not supposed to get along?"

Lyzia burst into laughter again, shaking her head as she tugged Celine toward the dining hall. "That’s just old tales. Here, we all live together peacefully."

Few hours later.

Border Town Marketplaces.

Celine was practically glowing with excitement, her arm wrapped tightly around Lyzia’s as she pulled her forward through the bustling market stalls.

"W-What is that!?" Celine pointed at a beautifully arranged stall filled with glossy, neatly packaged blocks and shapes in rich brown hues.

"Hmm? That one? That’s what we call chocolate," Lyzia said with a smile. "It comes in many shapes and forms, some with nuts, some with dried fruits, some plain. It’s sweet, rich, and melts in your mouth. The taste is simply divine."

"Really?!" Celine pulled Lyzia along, her childish excitement bubbling over as they stopped in front of the stall.

A handsome elf wearing a clean apron was carefully arranging the chocolate packs. He looked up, his eyes warm as he greeted them.

"Be welcome to mine humble stall. The sweetmeats herein are fresh as morn’s first dew, their fragrance true and unfeigned. Tarry as thou wishest, and gaze upon their crafted beauty. Should any tempt thy fancy, thou hast but to speak, whether to taste their delight or to treat for their keeping."

Celine blinked, completely stunned, her mouth slightly open.

Lyzia let out a soft laugh, gently squeezing Celine’s arm. "He said, ’Welcome to my shop. The chocolate is fresh, the smell is real, and you’re free to look. Let me know if you’d like to try or buy anything.’"

"A-Ah... umm..." Celine stammered, pointing at a beautifully wrapped chocolate block with her finger, trying her best to use hand signals while speaking, her face slightly flushed. "T-This... h-how much?"

Lyzia burst into laughter, her shoulders shaking. "Celine, he can understand common human language. You don’t need to use hand signals~"

Celine nudged Lyzia softly, shooting her a narrow side glare while pursing her lips in a cute pout.

The shop owner noticed and smiled warmly, placing his palm over his left chest before bowing slightly. "Pardon me, for not noticing Your Highness sooner. This humble servant apologizes for the oversight."

Lyzia raised her palm gracefully, returning the bow with a slight incline of her head. "Please, think nothing of it. I’m not here for an official visit today. I’m simply accompanying this dear friend of mine."

The shop owner smiled and nodded, turning his gaze toward Celine. "If you have any interest in anything here, I would be honored to offer a special price, as a guest of the Elven royal family."

Celine pursed her lips again, shooting another childish side glare at Lyzia, who simply laughed softly behind her knuckle. Celine pointed toward the chocolates, gesturing with her fingers in a subtle money gesture.

"This one is 50 copper, and that one is 70. And this special chocolate box here is one silver," the owner said with a gentle smile. "A special price for you."

Celine beamed, reaching into her sleeve and pulling out a small coin purse. She took out a single gold coin, the emblem of Divinity Nation gleaming on its surface and handed it to the shop owner, who accepted it, examining it closely before offering an apologetic smile.

"Pardon me... but I cannot accept this coin."

"Eh?"

The owner rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "This gold coin is too large in value, and it’s still early in the market day, so I don’t have enough coin to give you change. I’m truly sorry. You would need to visit a money exchange to break it into smaller coins."

Before Celine could respond, Lyzia reached into her own coin pouch, pulling out a silver coin and handing it to the shop owner.

"Thank you for your business, Your Highness."

He carefully wrapped the chocolates Celine had pointed to in a paper bag and handed it to her with a warm smile.

"Thank you, and please come again."

Celine took the paper bag, carefully opening the seal before reaching inside and picking out a piece of chocolate. She brought it to her lips and took a slow, tentative bite.

Her eyes widened instantly, a soft, muffled sound escaping her lips as she chewed slowly, savoring the rich, sweet flavor melting on her tongue.

"Wow... this... this is my first time tasting something this sweet," she murmured, still chewing as she turned to Lyzia. "Where I’m from, sweets like this are only for royalty or nobility."

Lyzia smiled, her expression gentle. "A lot of people used to say that. But since Armand started supplying raw cocoa powder and teaching the recipe publicly, especially with white gold being available to everyone, it’s become something anyone can enjoy."

"W... white gold? You mean the coin?"

Lyzia shook her head, her smile widening. "No, white gold is what everyone calls sugar from Armand. It’s a sweetener that comes in fine, white crystals."

"Sugar? Isn’t that supposed to be expensive?" Celine asked, her eyes wide with surprise.

Lyzia shrugged lightly as they continued walking. "I don’t know the details, but sugar from Armand is so cheap that everyone can afford it. It’s become a common ingredient in most households now."

"Wow..." Celine mumbled in amazement, taking another bite of her chocolate. "In my country, not everyone can get sugar or honey. They’re mostly reserved for nobles and royalty."

Lyzia smiled softly. "I didn’t know that. But from what I’ve heard, things were similar here years ago, before Armand became the main supplier of rice, wheat, and other essentials. But now, with Armand’s trade network, things have changed for the better. Everyone can enjoy the simple pleasures of life."

( End Of Chapter )