Chelsea Ramirez was growing impatient. “What do you want?”
Orion smiled. “Are you in charge of the meals here?”
Chelsea Ramirez replied coldly, “No.”
Orion persisted, “I’m not familiar with this place. Do you have any good restaurants to recommend?”
Chelsea Ramirez laughed sarcastically. “With your taste for exotic delicacies, there’s nothing in this small village that would suit you.”
Orion faltered. “Well, I’m not picky. I’ll eat anything.”
“Even feces?” Before Orion could respond, she pointed to the restroom. “You can fend for yourself.”
Orion felt surprised The Luna he remembered wasn’t this rude. He even doubted if the person in front of him was Luna at all. But how could someone else have the exact same face? It was uncanny. He maintained his composure. “You were just joking.”
Chelsea Ramirez glanced at him and retorted, “No, I wasn’t joking.” With that, she walked away, stomping down the stairs.
Orion wasn’t discouraged. When it was time for dinner, he approached the woman and asked, “Does your inn provide meals?”
The woman paused for a moment, then smiled, “We have it clearly marked that we don’t provide meals. But if you don’t mind, you can have a simple meal at my place…”
“Mom,” Chelsea Ramirez interjected, approaching them. “He’s a person of status. He won’t like our food. Plain food won’t satisfy his palate. Let’s go for dinner and mind our own business.”
With that, she grabbed her mother and pulled her away.
Orion followed along and chimed in, “I can adapt. I can eat simple home-cooked meals too.”
The woman was kind-hearted. “Come on, come on.”
Chelsea Ramirez rolled her eyes at Orion. There was nothing more she could say. She wanted to swallow her pride, but deep down, she felt resentful. Someone who had caused her trouble at work was now going to have a meal at her house. Just the thought of it made her angry. Watching Orion, she couldn’t even digest the food she had eaten. It felt as hard as a rock in her stomach.
Orion, on the other hand, didn’t hold back. The home-cooked food was good. Seeing Chelsea Ramirez’s defeated expression, Orion inexplicably felt a surge of happiness as he savored his meal.
“I plan to stay here permanently. So, I’ll pay a small living fee for my meals here.” Orion said, reaching into his pocket for money.
The woman quickly refused, “Oh no, there’s no need for meal expenses. If you can stay here, it’s already a great help to our business.”
Her inn charged fifteen hundred a day. Having someone stay long-term and providing meals was a profit for her.
“If you don’t mind, you can eat at my place,” the plump woman smiled kindly.
“I’ll gladly accept your offer,” Orion said, pleased with himself. He glanced at Chelsea Ramirez, who was glaring at him, and asked knowingly, “Miss Ramirez, did you eat a fly? What’s with that expression?”
“You’re the one who ate a fly,” Chelsea Ramirez retorted. With that, she stood up and walked away from the table.
The woman looked at Orion and asked, “Do you know my daughter?”
Orion nodded. “I’ve had meals at her workplace, so we know each other.”
“I see,” the woman nodded repeatedly. “She’s my only daughter, not very easy to get along with. If she offends you in any way, please don’t take it to heart.”
Orion asked, “Is she your biological daughter? She doesn’t resemble you much.” He took the opportunity to inquire.
The woman’s face instantly changed. But soon she realized that her reaction had been too strong. She quickly put on a smile. “You’re joking, right? She’s not my biological daughter. Do you think I found her on the street?”