In the spacious room, a massive wooden tub sat in the center. Under the glow of the Magic Stone lamps, the black-haired elf's beautiful figure was on full display.
The grape-stomping had not even begun, yet the atmosphere in the room was already drifting in a strange direction.
"Fi-Filvis-san, w-what are you doing?!"
Lefiya froze on the spot for a moment, then quickly came back to herself and rushed to the side of the wooden tub in a panic.
Before crushing grapes, one had to wash their feet first. That was common sense. The shopkeeper had emphasized that point as well when explaining the process and precautions.
But never mind washing her feet. Filvis had not even taken off her socks before stepping straight into the wooden tub.
"Hm?"
Filvis blinked in confusion.
She lifted the hem of her skirt and stepped gracefully onto the countless grapes.
The skins split open, and grape juice seeped into the weave of her stockings. The soles of her white stockings, marked with blue stripes, were instantly stained a beautiful purplish red.
Bell stood silently a few meters away, at a complete loss for words.
If Ais had done something like this, he could have written it off as her being airheaded and forced his mind to accept reality.
But Filvis was not like that at all, was she?
They had just run all the way here from near the city wall. Beads of sweat full of youthful energy were still visible on Lefiya's forehead, and Filvis had to be aware of that too.
Could it be that because he had said he was looking forward to the moment he drank it, Filvis had deliberately done this?
No. Judging from the faint smile on the black-haired elf's face, she definitely was not trying to ruin their promise on purpose.
Then why?
For the first time, Bell felt as though a fog lay before him so thick he could not glimpse even the faintest clue.
He stared blankly at Filvis, trying to find the answer in those slender, beautiful feet.
"Um..."
Lefiya glanced at the boy and immediately noticed where his gaze had landed.
She frowned, hurriedly stood on tiptoe, and whispered to the black-haired elf, "Fi-Filvis-san, we need to wash our feet first..."
Lefiya was only stating an objective fact. She was not blaming Filvis.
Filvis had an elf's obsession with cleanliness, but unlike others, hers came more from her own deep self-loathing. She wrapped herself tightly, wearing gloves and white stockings, leaving not a single patch of skin exposed.
Filthy beyond repair. That was how Filvis judged herself. Her obsession with cleanliness was meant to protect others, because she did not want anyone else to be involved with her.
That was exactly why, in Lefiya's eyes, Filvis's current behavior was utterly impossible to understand.
Washing the soles of her feet clean, then stepping in barefoot in front of the boy would already have been embarrassing enough. Yet Filvis had not even taken off her white stockings before stepping directly inside.
Wasn't that way too strange?
Hadn't they just been running around?
And they were supposed to turn grape juice like this into fine wine and send it into Bell Cranel's mouth?
No, no, no. Something was definitely wrong here!
The taste would be strange, wouldn't it?!
Lefiya tugged at Filvis's clothes, her cheeks turning bright red from her imagination.
"Hurry and come out..."
Lefiya urged her in a small voice.
Only a dozen seconds or so had passed. It should still be within the acceptable range.
Probably...
"Hm?"
Filvis tilted her head and thought for a moment.
Then she felt the boy's gaze on her, and it was as if she had fallen into a steaming hot spring. Her cheeks flushed red at a visible speed.
"It's not what you're thinking! I stepped in on purpose. No, I didn't do it on purpose! Um... that's not right either! In any case, I won't let sweat or anything like that mix in!"
Filvis blurted out her explanation in a panic.
"...?"
Lefiya could not understand what this noble elf was talking about at all.
Bell, however, more or less understood what Filvis meant. "Hmm... In that case, does Filvis's outfit have some kind of special effect?"
Back in the Dungeon, he had heard that those pure white clothes had been made by Filvis herself.
If the white stockings were included as part of that, and they purified sweat and other impurities through Magic Power, then Filvis's strange behavior made sense.
"Yes. I can guarantee there's absolutely no strange smell! If you don't believe me, Bell, you can come over and smell for yourself!"
Filvis was usually calm, and it was rare for her to become this flustered.
Aside from the embarrassment of being misunderstood, she also did not want to stain their precious memories.
"Huh? Is that really okay?"
A glint flashed in Bell's eyes.
Magical tools in this world came in all sorts of forms. The outfit Filvis had made could not quite be called a magical tool, but the mystery behind it still stirred the boy's curiosity.
"Of course it's not okay! What are you thinking?! You permanently horny rabbit!"
Lefiya furiously stopped him.
A beautiful elf taking off her boots, standing in the wooden tub in white stockings, then having the boy who was her lover lean in and carefully savor the grape scent from the soles of her feet.
It was shameless!
Lefiya planted her hands on her hips and declared loudly, "Permanently horny rabbit, you are only allowed to stand right there. You absolutely, absolutely cannot come over here! If you cross that line, then from now on... um... for the next month, I won't talk to you ever again!"
Lefiya had intended to make the threat last for life, but after remembering all the sweet and sour memories they had shared, she changed it to one month.
"Hmm..."
Bell's thoughts raced.
During their trip to the 24th Floor Pantry, he had been in close contact with Filvis many times, but he had never noticed anything unusual about those clothes. Even if he went over and smelled carefully, he most likely would not gain anything from it.
Their interaction right now was nothing more than an ordinary daily moment. If he pressed Filvis for details and dragged other things into it, the shared memory Lefiya cared about so much would only dim and disappear like bubbles.
Taking all that into account, Bell gave up on going over to sniff.
But he did not want to let the matter end there.
Setting aside the material of the clothes, as a hot-blooded young man, what was wrong with being curious about the sight of a beautiful girl stomping grapes and wanting to go over for a closer smell?!
With that thought in mind, Bell began his "retaliation."
"Since [my dear Lefiya] said so, I suppose I have no choice but to give up my curiosity and stay right here."
Bell deliberately emphasized the words "my dear."
"Ugh?! I told you not to call me that! Idiot!"
Lefiya shot back, her face bright red.
"Lefiya didn't call it disgusting this time. Does that mean she complains out loud, but she's actually happy deep down?"
Filvis seemed to have noticed something.
At least from where she stood nearby, she could not see any physical rejection from Lefiya.
"Absolutely not! Um... I'm going to wash my feet first. Permanently horny rabbit, don't you dare take this chance to do anything weird to Filvis-san!"
Lefiya glared at the boy and hurriedly fled.
Just how long was this status as lovers going to continue?