Chapter 604: I do Not Know Anything About Him

The beautiful silver of Heka’s boots reflected the shop’s lamps with every step, drawing more than one glance from other customers who were not accustomed to seeing an Amazon in a place that sold cooking ingredients.

She ignored them out of long habit and followed Eric toward the section clearly marked for cooking ingredients.

When they had found a quieter corner between two heavy shelves, where the noise of the shop dimmed to a distant murmur, Eric turned to her with the same bright, practical energy he brought to most tasks.

"These are the side for cooking ingredients," he said, gesturing toward the neat rows of baskets and open sacks, each one labeled with careful characters. "You can start any time. Take whatever you think will work. We can adjust once we see the full selection."

But Heka did not move toward any shelves.

A disturbed expression settled over her face, drawing the lines of her features into something tighter and more guarded.

Her left hand rose, first rubbing absently along her right upper arm, then pressing more firmly as if trying to anchor herself to something solid.

The usual forward energy that carried her through most situations had thinned into something quieter and heavier, something that seemed to weigh on her shoulders.

"Hm...? Is something the matter, Heka?" Eric stepped closer at once, the concern in his voice open and immediate.

He had to tilt his head back to meet her eyes, his smaller frame somehow making the gesture feel more earnest. "It is fine to be nervous and uncertain, you understand? This is a new environment and all. Markets can feel overwhelming when you are not used to choosing for someone else."

"No. That is not the case." Heka’s voice came out low and reluctant, the words dragged from somewhere she did not want to look.

She kept her gaze fixed somewhere near the floorboards, as though the grain of the wood had become suddenly enthralling. "I... The truth is I..."

Eric watched her face carefully. The usual spark that lived in her expression was missing, replaced by something that looked almost like shame.

And worry began to gather behind his own eyes.

"I do not truly know what Benjamin’s favorite food is..." The words left Heka in a sullen, heavy rush.

Her brown eyes remained fixed downward, and moisture had already begun to gather along the lower lids, slow and shining, catching the light from the windows.

"I have been with Benjamin for about a month now, but it has felt like we have been together for years. The days blur when I’m with him, and the nights feel longer than they should. Nevertheless, despite claiming to be his lover, I do not know what he considers his favorite meal. I cannot even name a single dish with certainty."

"C... Calm down, Heka. Do not cry." Eric’s own eyes had started to water in instinctive sympathy, mirroring the distress he saw in her face.

His slender hands flew up to rest warmly against the muscle of her arms, fingers pressing with careful reassurance. "Do not beat yourself up so much. It’s not your faul—"

"But it is!" Heka’s voice rose sharply, cutting through his words with the force of something that had been held back too long.

The tears that had been gathering finally spilled over, tracking clean lines down her scarred cheeks.

"When you asked me a few moments ago, I also realized I did not know a lot about him as well! I... I have been prancing around with my shoulders high, acting as if I understood him, but I do not know as much about him as is even satisfactory! I cannot tell you what he reaches for first when he is tired, or what smell would make him pause in a market. I took a place at his side and then failed to learn the simplest things."

"But... you have been with him only a month!" Tears had begun to fall from Eric’s eyes as well, matching hers in helpless solidarity.

His voice climbed up to meet her volume, cracking slightly at the edges.

"I am certain even Benjamin understands. A month is too short to know everything about a person! You cannot map an entire life in thirty or so days. The fault lies with time, not with you!"

"Y... You are just saying anything so I would not be dejected." Heka turned her face away, the motion stiff and deliberate.

Tears continued to stream without pause, dripping from her chin onto the dark fabric of her top.

"No! I would never do that, and certainly not at this sensitive moment!"

Eric’s teary eyes had gone stern despite the water in them, the expression of someone who was absolutely serious about what he was saying.

He kept his hands on her arms, refusing to let her pull further away.

"I trust you! Just give it more time, and you will know just about every hair on his head. You will know the food, the habits, and the small silences. It will come. It always does when the days are allowed to accumulate."

Heka’s mouth opened as if she meant to argue further, as if she had more objections waiting behind her teeth.

Before the next words could form, the elf moved.

Eric quickly closed the short distance between them and wrapped both arms tightly around her toned torso, pressing his face against the chest of the Amazon as far as his height would allow.

The embrace was sudden, fierce, and completely without calculation—just the direct need to close the space and hold on until the tears slowed.

Heka looked down at the elf still half-wrapped around her midsection and managed a small, tired smile that pulled faintly at the corners of her mouth.

"But... how are we going to get the ingredients for..." her voice had softened considerably.

The earlier storm of tears had slowed to occasional traces that still shone on her dark cheeks.

The question came out quieter than her previous outbursts, almost practical again, as if the simple act of planning the next step could push the heavier feelings aside for a moment.