A Confused World

Valeria tried communicating with Caelum using different gestures in the hope that one of them would click. After several attempts of miming the act of speaking, his expression shifted as if he had finally pieced something together.

"Ouy nawt ot tae dofo?" he said, tilting his head.

She had no idea what he had just said, but she took a guess and nodded. "Yes," she answered. "I think so."

Caelum looked around, taking in the details of the cottage. They were closest to the dining area within the main living space now, and he gestured at the nearby table and chairs, presumably inviting her to sit.

She followed his lead, settling into a chair. Her nerves prickled at the uncertainty of the situation, but she knew that she needed to try.

So, with a deep breath and a shaky voice, she closed her eyes and began to speak slowly and clearly.

"Caelum, I'm sorry for bringing you here. But let us try and learn how to speak to… each other."

She trailed off as she opened her eyes. He wasn't by the table anymore.

"Wait! We haven't even gotten started yet!" she exclaimed, scrambling after him after seeing him walking toward the kitchen area. "And you're not supposed to wander around in a stranger's home! Erm, I think."

He paused, turning to face her with a puzzled expression. He still didn’t seem to understand her words, but after some brief hesitation, he merely shrugged and continued on his way.

Valeria watched in exasperation as he approached the sink.

"Yma I?"

She frowned slightly. "The sink? What do you need the sink for?"

He didn't answer. Instead, he started looking around the room until his gaze landed on the pantry. Without hesitation, he opened it and stared at the items in amazement.

"Tish si a tol fo dofo!" he said, grabbing a bunch of potatoes and some oil from one of the shelves before putting them on the counter. "Aym I kooc tiwh siht?"

Valeria blinked. "Caelum, what are you doing?"

He gave her a determined look, as if misunderstanding her question entirely, before turning back to rummage through the cupboards. Before long, he had retrieved her mother’s cast iron pot and a pair of cooking tongs.

"Tansd kacb," he said, placing the pot on the stove and perhaps motioning for her to turn on the burner.

Valeria felt a little peeved at his insistence on whatever he was doing, but she sighed in resignation and turned on the fire crystal with a minor chant.

Caelum’s eyes widened at the sudden burst of flame, but after a brief flash of surprise, he quickly shook his head and refocused on his task.

Valeria watched as he poured the oil he had gathered into the pot, then he washed, peeled, and cut the potatoes into log-like shapes.

This wasn't what she had intended for, but she couldn't help but be impressed. His movements were swift and precise, and the way he worked reminded her a little of her mother, though his cooking method was unfamiliar to her.

She hesitated before taking a step back and giving him some space. It was strange to see someone else in her kitchen, especially after so many years of being alone, but she didn't mind it much.

When the oil had heated enough, Caelum carefully dropped the potato pieces into the pot. A satisfying sizzle filled the air, and soon the rich scent of frying potatoes drafted throughout the room.

Valeria’s stomach growled loudly.

Caelum turned toward her with a small, awkward smile upon hearing it. He said something, but she couldn’t quite make it out.

"Sorry, I don't understand," she admitted apologetically, lowering her gaze.

Then, she noticed where his attention had shifted—to her stomach.

Ah.

She blushed, quickly looking away in embarrassment.

Caelum chuckled awkwardly before turning back to tend the potatoes. "Fries," he said, gesturing at them.

"Fries?" Valeria repeated. She wasn't sure what that meant, but from the way he said it, she assumed that it was likely the name of the dish.

He nodded. "Fries."

After a few more minutes, he carefully removed the golden-brown logs from the oil and set them on a plate. They certainly looked appetizing.

Valeria’s hand slowly reached out to take one, but before she could grab it, he swiftly batted her hand away.

She yelped, pulling back and rubbing her fingers as she frowned. "Okay, okay. I’ll wait."

Caelum didn’t seem the least bit apologetic. Instead, he had already turned his attention to the cooling cabinet across the kitchen. To her confusion, he then placed the freshly fried potatoes inside the freezing compartment.

Valeria watched with growing bewilderment as he moved on to preparing something else entirely. He whisked together eggs, oil, and a mix of herbs, his hands working with the same practiced ease he had shown earlier.

She had no idea what he was making, but what puzzled her even more was that when he retrieved the fries from the freezing compartment after several minutes, he dropped them right back into the hot oil.

Her brows furrowed. What was the point of cooling them just to reheat them again? It made no sense.

Still, she held back her questions and chose to trust him.

After several more painstaking minutes and finishing the food off with some seasonings, he finally seemed satisfied.

Valeria eyed the strange 'fries' and the creamy white egg mixture that he presented to her. Their enticing aroma filled the air and made her stomach grumble in anticipation.

"May I finally try it now?" Valeria cautious asked.

"Uoy nac tae won," he said, nodding to her as he gestured at the food.

She hesitated a bit but took that as approval. She grabbed a fork and poked one of the 'fries'. It was crispy, and the sound of her poking through it made a pleasing crackling noise.

However, just as she was about to take a bite, Caelum stopped her and pointed at the egg mixture.

"Mayonnaise" he said.

Valeria glanced at the mixture uncertainly. Was it a sauce?

Deciding that was the most likely explanation, she tentatively dipped the fry into the creamy, white substance before taking a bite.

The instant it hit her tongue, her eyes widened in shock.

It was delicious!

The crispy texture of the exterior was perfectly balanced with the fluffy potato inside; the salty flavor mixed with the tanginess of the mayonnaise; and the slight hint of spice from the seasoning was perfect! They all melded together beautifully into a harmony that she had never tasted before.

Before she could stop herself, a loud, satisfied moan escaped her lips.

"…"

Caelum froze, and his face turned as red as Val's cloak.

Realization hit Valeria hard. She blinked as she suddenly remembered she wasn’t by herself, and her face quickly flushed with embarrassment.

"Uhh, thank you," she awkwardly mumbled. "It tastes good."

Caelum remained silent; his expression was somewhere between disbelief, amusement, and something else she couldn’t quite place. After some time, he finally seemed to relax.

"Fries… kaoy?" he asked, looking at her expectantly.

Valeria tilted her head. She still wasn’t sure what he was trying to say, but she had a feeling he was asking for her opinion on the food.

"Good?" She gave two thumbs up, hoping that would work.

For some reason, his gaze lingered on her as she held the gesture. His expression wasn’t hostile, but the way he stared made her a little nervous.

"…?"

Then, to her surprise, his lips quirked upwards and he… looked away?

Valeria blinked as his face once again turned a deep shade of red.

"Did I do something wrong?" she asked hesitantly.

Caelum immediately shook his head and waved his hands as if he was trying to reassure her.

"Then are you okay?"

He nodded a little too quickly, still avoiding her gaze, before grabbing one of the fries and shoving it into his mouth.

He let out an awkward, muffled laugh as he chewed. "Tsaht si dgoo."

Valeria didn’t understand the words, but the way he said them was oddly endearing. She couldn’t help but giggle.

Caelum stiffened at the sound, but when their eyes met again, she noticed his expression had softened. He looked calmer now.