"Well then, thanks for the treat..."
Charlotte took a glimpse at Allen's face.
"Allen should have the first pick. I'm fine with the rest."
"No, it's all right. I don't like sugary food."
"What?"
Charlotte's jaw dropped as her eyes widened in surprise.
"Are... all of this for me...?"
"Have you only noticed it now? Of course, it's all for you."
"To the extent of selling your valuable magical tool...!? Why would you do that!"
"What's wrong?"
As if it wasn't a big deal, Allen tilted his head.
"I thought you'd be pleased?"
"Huh?"
Charlotte was lost for words. Her eyes were frozen wide in place.
Allen could only tilt his head quizzically at the unfamiliar response.
"What's the matter? By any chance do you not like sugary food?"
"No, no, not at all... it's just that..."
"Well then, eat up."
"Y-yes..."
Charlotte picked her fork up again, somewhat awkwardly, as if her heart was not in the right place.
"For me..."
Touched by his action, Charlotte swallowed the knot in her throat. Then, she gently lifted her fork, sliced off a small triangle top of the shortcake, and took a bite.
Her actions were slow as a tortoise's steps but Allen watched keenly over her every move.
Charlotte chewed that small bite carefully and thoroughly as if it was her last dessert. Shortly after, a small squeak could be heard from her throat before she was stunned and frozen.
"How's the taste? Is it good?"
Allen asked, puzzled.
"Maybe the cake was not to her liking? Or has it been spoiled by the time she ate it?" Allen thought as he peered into Charlotte's face, worried.
Then...
"It's delicious!"
"That's great!" Allen thought with relief. But the words he had prepared to say disappeared into the back of his throat.
A drop of tear fell on her cheeks. Followed by another and another. They fell from her eyes one after another and before long, the tears had become a stream before she burst into a full-blown sob.
Allen was left speechless.
Charlotte scrunched up her face and tried desperately to wipe away the tears. But her tears did not seem to cease.
As the tears fell on the table and on her knees, a faint voice escaped her trembling lips.
"Up to now... no one has ever... went out of their way... to please me or be kind to me...!"
Charlotte said in broken sentences.
Her incoherent mutterings seemed to be a cry for help from the depths of her very soul.
And it ignited a fire in Allen's heart.
Charlotte raised her tear-stained face to look at Allen.
"Is it all right for me to feel this kind of happiness?"
"... What a foolish question!" Allen mumbled.
Even though it was a little pricey, it was only worth about one silver coin.
There was no way that such happiness was... enough.
"You think this is 'happiness'? Please don't make me laugh. This is only the beginning. From now on, I will teach you all the pleasures of this world. No matter how much you cry or scream, I will not let you off."
He would make sure that she got to eat delicious food and visit many different places. Be it fun or delight, he would let her experience them until she was tired of it all.
Then someday, she would be able to proudly say that she was the happiest person in the world.
Even after declaring his intent, Charlotte's face crumpled.
"Why are you being so kind to me, a total stranger?
"Who knows? I wonder too."
Allen revealed his thoughts honestly.
"How could she cry so much over a piece of cake?"
The thought of it made Allen sick to his core.
It wasn't just pity. It was a complex blend of rage and sorrow. It was the first time he harbored such a feeling in his life.
Allen didn't even know how to label this emotion he was feeling.
But that was just a trivial matter.
Once he had decided to do something, by hook or by crook, Allen would see it through. That was his motto.
"Anyhow, I vow to you, as long as you are in my presence, I will teach you all the pleasures of the world!"
"But... I can't return the favor."
"I don't need you to repay me back. Just think of it as you indulging in my hobbies against your will."
"Haha... you're so kind, but you're also such a weird person."
Charlotte giggled as she dabbed away her tears.
It seemed she had grown accustomed to Allen's eccentric personality.
Seeing her smile again, Allen patted his chest in relief. He didn't know why but he felt that he much preferred her smiling face rather than her crying face.
Regardless, Allen handed her a handkerchief to wipe her tears and then offered her one cake after another.
"Go on, eat up. Which cake should you try next? How about this chocolate cake?" Allen asked.
"I can't eat that much... Allen, please help me eat some."
"I have already told you... I don't like to eat sugary food."
Charlotte's expression clouded a little the moment he said he didn't like them.
So Allen swallowed his remaining words and picked an acceptable cake. It was a tart with lots of fruits.
"Would you like to share it?"
"Yes! It would taste much better if we ate it together."
Seeing the smile had returned to Charlotte's face, Allen secretly stroked his chest in relief.
Even though he was poor at socializing... but for her, he would try his best to improve.
However, Charlotte furrowed her eyebrows.
"The two of us can't eat this much... what should we do?"
"What if we eat a little bit every day?"
"But, can a cake last for that many days...?"
"Well, there's this way..."
Allen murmured an incantation and snapped his fingers.
Instantly, a cube barrier surrounds the chocolate cake.
"There should be no problem if you stop the time."
"... You really can do anything, can't you?"
"Well..."
Allen shrugged his shoulders casually while he stuck his fork into the tart.
"That's because I'm an outstanding evil wizard. Be it stopping time or tricking pitiful ladies, it is merely a child's play for me. Mmm! This tastes surprisingly good."
Thanks to the acidity of the fruit, even Allen, who did not like sugary food, was able to enjoy the taste.
"I think I'm going to favor that store from now on." Allen thought to himself.
"Here, you try some. Open up. Ah--"
"Ah--"
Charlotte took a small bite of the tart nervously.
She chewed on it with a serious look for a while, before breaking into a smile. Her cheeks were tinged slightly red.
If that color were to have a name, it could only be called the 'Color of Happiness'.
"It's delicious."
"I'm glad to hear that."
Allen chuckled and heartily ate the remaining tart. After all, it didn't taste bad.