Volume 1. Chapter 11: Dinner

Ken walked down the wooden staircase, which gave off a pleasant creak beneath his steps, and immediately caught the rich, mouthwatering aroma wafting from the kitchen. After a long day of walking and taking in new experiences, a hot bath had been absolutely essential. He still felt the soothing warmth pulsing through his body and was glad he’d quickly figured out how to use the heat from the magical stone - a rare find even in this unusual world.Lily was just finishing up the final preparations: carefully setting plates on the table, adjusting the utensils, and gently ladling soup into bowls. She turned at the sound of footsteps and smiled warmly when she saw Ken coming down.“How was it?” she asked, looking up.“That bath is something else,” Ken grinned, stepping closer. “In this world, I expected a lot of things, but not a hot bath. And that magic stone... turns out even stuff like that exists here!”“I’m glad you figured it out. Heating stones are pretty rare - not every house has a bath,” Lily replied, surprised by his enthusiasm. “I guess in your world, you don’t have anything like that?”Ken laughed. “Actually, Lily, it’s the opposite. In our world, almost every home has hot water and a bath - and also electricity, refrigerators, washing machines. Comforts, you know, everywhere you look.”Lily froze, listening, her eyes widening. “You’re… telling me that everyone has hot water? And you don’t need… magical stones for it?” She struggled to wrap her head around the idea.“Yeah, exactly. And not just water. We have electricity to light up entire cities, heating in every house to keep warm in winter,” Ken continued, emphasizing how normal these things were for him. “It’s all so routine, you sometimes forget how lucky we are.”Lily nodded thoughtfully, trying to imagine what life would be like if everything were that easy. She picked up her bowl and gestured to the table, inviting Ken to sit. Once they settled in, Lily served him miso soup, roasted meat, a few salads, and other dishes that gave off an incredibly appetizing aroma.Ken took a small sip of the soup and immediately appreciated its flavor. He closed his eyes, inhaling the scent with satisfaction, then opened them with a serious expression and said, “Lily, this is amazing. You’re not just a warrior and a mage - you’re a culinary genius!”Lily blushed and looked down, smiling nervously. “Well… I just cook what we usually eat. I don’t have any special tricks.”“Sometimes talent doesn’t need tricks,” Ken added with a sly glint in his eye, watching Lily grow more and more flustered. “In my world, I’m sure a lot of people would love to eat food like this every day.”Lily, unsure of how to respond, blushed even more.“You always joke like this, Ken?” she asked hesitantly, trying to hide her smile.Ken leaned forward, putting on a mock-serious face. “Of course. In fact, I wouldn’t mind eating your cooking every day myself, Lily. I can’t imagine a better chef.”Lily froze on the spot, unable to believe what she was hearing. She tried to find words, but instead just pressed her hands to her cheeks, desperately trying to hide her embarrassment.“Ken,” she finally whispered, summoning the courage, “in our world, that’s considered… that means… a marriage proposal…”For a second, silence filled the room, broken only by the crackling of the fire in the hearth. Ken pursed his lips, trying to hide a smile, but his eyes betrayed his amusement. He furrowed his brow theatrically, as if deep in thought.“Well, if that’s the custom,” he began, leaning a little closer with mock drama, “should I start preparing for the wedding?”Lily stared at him, stunned, mouth open, not knowing what to say. Her face ran through a mix of emotions - embarrassment, surprise, and finally, a hesitant smile.“Ken!” she cried out. “You… you’re messing with me, aren’t you?”Ken burst out laughing, unable to hide his delight at her reaction. “Of course!” he confirmed, noticing how her cheeks flushed again. “But honestly, I wouldn’t mind getting to know this whole ‘marriage proposal’ tradition of yours a little better. You’ve got so many interesting customs - I should learn them all, right?”Lily, completely flustered now, turned away, trying to hide her smile and keep him from seeing how she bit her lip in embarrassment.