Elias gulped as he looked away from the pair of murderous eyes across from him.

Earlier, he had managed to shake off the police who were chasing them. Or rather, they had probably given up at that point, as their patrol car was no match for his engine—even if they kept pushing the gas.

But after that, his entire body had started to shiver. He knew he would have to answer to her. So he kept driving at maximum speed until he reached an outdoor tent restaurant.

With so many people around, she wouldn’t kill him.

I managed to keep my head intact... but she’s going to drill a hole through my forehead with the way she’s glaring at me.

"You know the food here is nice," he laughed awkwardly, scratching his cheek with his forefinger. "I don’t know if you’ve tried this place before, but don’t judge it until you’ve had a taste."

Lynsandra maintained her poker face, fully aware of why he had chosen this location. It was crowded, busy, and loud.

Not exactly ideal for murder.

"Even if you’re the brother of the Alpha of the North, you shouldn’t be so reckless with the law," she huffed lightly, glancing around. "I can’t believe you."

This time, he looked at her and muttered a half-hearted, "Sorry."

Her lips parted to say more, but before she could speak, an old auntie appeared beside their small folding table.

"These are your orders, right?"

Lynsandra turned to the auntie, who was carrying a large, round tray piled high with food—mostly steaming bowls of soup.

"Ah, Auntie, let me—"

Elias gasped when his hand was slapped away. His face twisted as the auntie maintained a sweet smile, though her eyes narrowed into slits.

"You, brat..." the auntie leaned over, deliberately turning her head away from Lynsandra as she hissed into Elias’s ear. "What are you doing bringing such a beautiful young lady to this place?"

"Eh?" Elias glanced up at her, also making sure Lynsandra couldn’t hear clearly. "What do you mean? I’m treating her to good food—"

He flinched when the auntie hissed at him like a snake, glaring sharply.

"Is this your first date?" she demanded. Judging by his expression, she already had her answer. If not for the tray she was holding, she probably would have smacked him on the head. "Goodness! You better make sure the lady is having fun. You should treat her somewhere nice. Aren’t you rich?"

"..." Elias bit his tongue and cautiously peeked at his date.

"Hehe. You must be hungry," the auntie continued, this time turning her warm smile toward Lynsandra. As she began placing the dishes down, she kept talking. "This soup is best with these side dishes—and this one, too. And just a bottle of beer will make everything perfect!"

Elias’s brows slowly rose as more and more dishes filled the table. As far as he remembered, he hadn’t ordered this much.

"Together, it’s perfect!" the auntie declared cheerfully. "Young lady, enjoy the food, alright? If you need anything, just let this young man know."

As if on instinct, she grabbed the back of Elias’s head and patted it firmly.

"Anyway, enjoy your date! Have fun! If you want more, just tell me~!"

Slowly, the auntie turned and walked away, but not without shooting Elias a warning look. His face twitched as he watched her retreat.

He clicked his tongue before turning to Lynsandra when her voice reached him.

"Are you a regular here?" she asked, picking up the cutlery. "It seems like the two of you know each other well."

Had Elias been in the city since only the Selection? That was just over a month ago. It was strange for him to be this familiar with people in just a short time.

"Ahh..." he nodded, scratching the back of his head. "I eat here every once in a while whenever I’m in the city."

Lynsandra paused and shot him a sharp look. "Oh?"

"They have the best noodle soup on the continent," he said with a grin. "So whenever I get the time, I come here. They’re generous with the servings."

Right, she thought. He’s from the North. And from what I know, he grew up in the coldest region where it’s nothing but endless snow.

Even for werewolves, their fur barely offered protection there. They had to expend extra energy just to maintain body heat. It was a brutally cold place.

So his preference for hot soup—even during the dry season—made sense.

"Anyway, should I teach you how to eat this?" he asked, watching her lift the bowl’s lid. "You haven’t eaten at a place like this before, right?"

Lynsandra blinked innocently.

"No," she hummed. "I’ve been to places like this before."

"Really?"

"I didn’t know about this vendor," she admitted, staring at the soup for a moment, "but I used to eat at places like this quite often. Thank you for the meal."

With that, she began eating.

Surprise flashed across her face the moment she took a sip of the broth. Instinctively, she looked up, her wide eyes meeting his.

Elias smirked. "See?" he chuckled. "It’s the best, isn’t it?"

She pursed her lips, trying to keep them from curling upward. But in the end, she failed.

"I like this place."

"I can bring you here anytime you want," he winked. "Anyway, how about street food? Have you tried that before?"

"What do you think I am?" she replied after swallowing. "Royalty?"

He blinked. "Uh... yeah. Aren’t you?"

She paused, thinking. "I am, indeed."

But for the past few hours, she hadn’t felt like one.

After all, no one would dare treat royalty the way he did. And no one would take a princess to such a small, inexpensive place.

Not that it was bad.

If anything, it amused her.

And somehow... it reminded her of a part of her past.

*****

Years ago...

People came and went through the small tent restaurant near the large city bridge. Each enjoyed their hot meal in the chilly weather, some pairing it with a cold bottle of beer.

At one particular table sat a lone woman.

Lynsandra.

Her hair was tied in a low bun, and large glasses rested on the bridge of her nose. The tip of her nose was red from the cold, and the corners of her eyes were slightly reddened. She kept stuffing mouthful after mouthful of food into her cheeks until they puffed out like a chipmunk’s.

DING!

She paused and glanced at her phone lying on the table. A notification lit up the screen.

[From: Vic <3

Sorry. I forgot I have a dinner meeting. You can still go to the restaurant and eat something nice.]

Lynsandra scoffed, flipped her phone face-down, and continued eating—hoping the warmth of the soup would drown the disappointment threatening to swallow her whole.