And it was like that, princess Kalina began following Alex around. She even moved into his new house.
Among the houses in the village, it was the only one with the modern facilities the princess needed.
The newly built house was designed by Alex to cater to all his needs. And his needs were greater than that of royalty. After all, as a person from the modern era, it was hard to live in a crude four-walled construct and call it home.
So, he built a big bathroom, shower, bathtub and even a heater to get running water in the extreme cold.
And among the modern technologies, the in-floor heating stood out the most. Alex built it by using bricks he brought from the city. It was magical to see a warm house in the winter. The tribesmen were excited to build one in their house.
Carefully, selected materials were used to make furniture and bedding. And he even bought costly silk and satin clothes to make a pillow.
By the current standards of the stone head tribe, Alex's house could be called a palace. But by modern standards, it was a small villa.
After all this hard work, Alex was not thrilled to share his living space with someone else. But he gave up trying to kick her out once he saw Mupan glaring at him threateningly.
'Well, she is a sight for sore eyes, a beautiful lady, an eye candy. I have nothing to lose by letting her stay with me.'
"Meru, can you help me bring water into the bathroom?" Suddenly, a voice captured Alex's attention.
Wearing unbuttoned clothes, Kalina was standing near him, asking for help. Her thin yet beautiful figure caused his eyes to wander along her body. Alex was dazed for a moment encountering the sudden change in atmosphere.
'You cannot let your mind wander, Alex. You can not trust her. This is trickery, a seduction tactic to capture your attention. She is trying to use you.' Alex said rigorously in his mind.
Finally, he battled with his teenage body and won. His mind surpassed its limits and looked away. With pure willpower, he forced out some words.
"Come with me." He said while quickly scurrying away to the bathroom while blushing slightly.
'This woman is dangerous.' He said in his mind.
Kalina was preparing to take a bath. However, the contraptions in the bathroom were completely foreign to her. She didn't know how they worked.
In the palace, there used to be servants that helped her. But now, she doesn't know what to do. Frustrated, she finally requested Alex's help. She was careless and didn't think about how she dressed. She was oblivious to the effect it had on Alex.
"You twist this slightly and warm water will flow into the bathtub. And the other knob will release cold water. Remember to mix it in the appropriate proportion so that you won't cook yourself alive while taking a bath." Alex warned sincerely.
"Somethings you might need can be found in the cupboard near there. Take the towels in there if you need them. Did you bring clothes when you escaped?" Alex asked.
"No." She said while looking at Alex, startled by the revelation.
How could she forget that!
She was appalled by her own foolishness.
"Huh! I will bring you something that I bought from the city. It may not be as luxurious and fancy as your clothes. But it would be comfortable." Alex looked at the pitiful Kalina and said.
Is this the mature lady he knew? He thought while going to bring some clothes to the dunce.
It was pretty obvious from her behaviour up to now that she has no real-life experience. She might be strong, but she was not as smart as Laya.
"Sigh!" With a long sigh, Alex walked out of the bathroom.
______
After a while,
"Is it comfortable?"
"No. These are obviously men's clothing. Are they yours?" Wearing a thick woollen shirt and trousers, Kalina inquired.
"I never said it isn't. You look good in it. Much better than the gaudy outfit you used to wear. Nice to meet you brother Kalina." Alex smiled after saying that.
"You… What do you want to talk about." Kalina frowned. The clothes were warm and comfortable, but she didn't want to show it on her face.
After that, she took a seat across from Alex while drying her hair with a towel.
"Business. Nothing is free in this world. The same applies to anything that you receive from me. So, I propose a system of equivalent exchange."
"What do you mean?"
"Ha ha… Don't worry. I am not ruthless enough to ask for the clothes back. But you need to pay for food and accommodation."
"Reasonable. How much do you need? A thousand gold coins would be enough, right?"
Kalina was a tier 4 warrior of the ice phoenix tribe. Money was not a problem for her. If something could be acquired with money, she doesn't need to think twice before getting it.
Hearing her words, Alex was thrilled. This proved that Kalina was a reasonable person, unlike the first elder. If she really wanted, she could have gotten anything she wanted in the stone head tribe without spending a penny. And yet, she was willing to do so. This improved his opinion of Kalina.
"I do not want money."
"Then what else do you want? Precious stones or energy stones."
"Neither, I want you to follow me into the wilderness and help me hunt magical beasts. Every day, we will hunt one magical beast below tier 4. This will be a great way to maintain the food reserve of the tribe. Isn't it a good offer?" Alex said with an evil grin.
For Kalina, it was a task as easy as moving a finger. But in some way, she felt like the deal was unfair. Yet she couldn't put a finger on it. It was an elusive feeling that came and went in an instant.
Trusting her instinct, she rejected Alex's offer.
"No."
And her instinct was correct. Alex, like usual, had an underlying plan in his mind. He wanted to make Kalina into his bodyguard while also reaping the benefit of hunting tier 3 magical beasts. If he was successful, he could cultivate crops that require mana to grow on his interdimensional farm. After all, the tier 3 beast was the ingredient to make fertilizer.
It was a plot that Alex carefully decided on after some thinking. Making Kalina do nothing and sit around all day was a waste of resources.
"Well, if that's your opinion. I wouldn't be able to do anything about it." Rising from his seat, Alex went towards the kitchen and brought a pot of steaming hot soup. After that, one by one, he brought delicious dishes. There was meat, fried and roasted. There were sauteed vegetables and well-cooked rice. Every one of the vegetables was fresh produce he brought from the farm. It left a delicious aroma lingering in the air.
It was a feast ready to be consumed.
"The stone head tribe hunts all year round. Trying our best to survive the cold harsh winter. Most of the time, we survive by tightening our belts and saving food." Alex said while plating the dishes.
Carrying a bowl of rice. He moved towards Kalina.
"The meat from the migrating prey would be preserved and stored to last until the ice thaws. And the meagre amount of salt, grains and vegetables we could buy from the city would be used scarcely."
Alex said while plating each dish in front of Kalina, especially the vegetables.
He moved quickly and precisely to cut the meat.
"Everyone wanted to welcome the princess warmly. So, they pitched in to prepare the meal before you. It is beautiful, isn't it?"
"We treat our guests like family. So, please taste the food."
Alex said while finally plating the sliced meat near Kalina. With a cheery smile and great expectation, he asked her to taste the food.
The dishes he prepared alone, with abundant meat and vegetables he had, turned into a feast prepared by the whole tribe while tightening their belts, just to please the princess.
This was Alex's trump card. He smiled sweetly once again.
But, Kalina was in no mood to eat. Her feelings were in conflict over the food.
She could see the care and dedication of the stone head tribe while looking at the feast prepared before her. But remembering the poor condition of the village, she felt burdened by it.
Were they using up their reserved food to treat her? She thought with a heavy heart.
If only there was a way to pay them back. Suddenly she remembered. Taking a piece of meat, she chewed it slowly. The delicious texture blessed her mouth with its presence. The juice inside it flowed through her mouth, whetting her appetite.
It was too delicious. The combination of spices was something indescribable and the tender and well-cooked meat made her fall in love with the food. Her lips curved up and a small smile formed on her face.
In that instant, she looked like a blossoming flower. The chilly persona she had was completely gone.
One by one, she began eating the dishes. The soup, the stir-fried vegetables and even the rice. Everything felt so delicious to her. This food was better than the one she got from the palace.
Finally, she was convinced. She lifted her eyes to look at the smiling Alex and said.
"I agree to help you hunt. But I have one condition."
"What might that be?"
"I want you to serve me delicious food like this every day."
'Hm… Too easy.' Alex thought.
"Then it is a deal."
"Hmm." She affirmed while bobbing her head up and down.
Kalina was so entranced by the food. She couldn't take her eyes off it. Thinking about eating it every day, she happily munched on the food.
And once again, she felt as if she had forgotten something important. But she ignored it and continued eating the food.
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