Alme responded to the brown-haired man she had encountered again. "Oh, it's you from earlier! Did you manage to find the pharmacy alright?" "Yes, thanks to your help. I came back to properly express my gratitude." Still looking hot and sweating, the man took out his wallet from his bag. He carefully extracted several of the largest bills and held them out with a fluid motion. "This is a token of my appreciation. Please accept it." "Eh!? No, I... I can't possibly take money just for giving directions...!" "But surely significant assistance deserves appropriate compensation?" "It wasn't significant assistance at all! It was just a small thing!" Alme raised her voice in surprise at this man's sudden actions. The amount offered was 50,000 G. It was roughly equivalent to six days of hard work at a fairly well-paying job. It was far too much for simply helping him find a place. (Well, I suppose some people wouldn't hesitate to accept it, but I can't... It actually makes me feel guilty...!) Seeing Alme desperately refusing, the man froze with a puzzled expression for a moment, then quickly deflated and put the money back in his wallet. "I see... I'm sorry. You were such a great help earlier, so I thought this amount would be appropriate when converting my feelings into currency..." (I've never met someone who so directly converts feelings into money before.) Alme found herself staring up at the man. His beautifully sculpted face truly suited the word "perfect," yet his personality seemed a bit off... Was this what they called an airhead in her previous life? Watching the man dejectedly put away his wallet, Alme couldn't help but laugh a little. The gap between his appearance and personality was somehow amusing. "Um, I appreciate your sentiment. ―― Oh, I know. If you really want to thank me, would it be alright if I asked for a small favor instead?" "A favor, you say?" The man who had been looking dejected a moment ago, suddenly lifted his face with a bright expression. He appeared to be slightly older than Alme, but his honest demeanor was like that of a pure child, which was soothing to watch. Alme went inside the store to retrieve the wooden sign she had just cleaned and handed it to the man. "Could you please hang this sign above the entrance door? You'll need to pass the metal fittings through the holes in the sign." "Understood." The place where the sign needed to be hung was within Alme's reach if she used a chair, but for this tall man, it probably was easily in arms reach if he just stretched a bit. As expected, the man effortlessly hung the sign above the entrance door with one hand. "Thank you very much, it's perfect." "'Titi's Shop'...? So you're the shopkeeper, young lady. What kind of shop is this?" "It used to be a juice shop, but I'm thinking of trying out an ice cream shop now instead. Though, we haven't opened yet." "Ice? So a shop for ice magic stones?" The man looked puzzled. It seemed that the term "ice cream shop" didn't quite register with him. — This was something Alme would need to keep in mind when promoting the store in the future. She'd have to prepare a proper explanation. People in this world might mistake it for an ice magic stone shop otherwise. "It's not magic stones, but a shop that sells frozen desserts," Alme explained. "Ah, I see. There was a shop that sold frozen fruits in my hometown too. Since this city is terribly hot, your shop should do well here."

The words "terribly hot" caught Alme's attention, and she looked at the man. Indeed, he seemed to be suffering from the heat. Even now, he was sweating pitifully. It wasn't hot enough to make Alme break a sweat at all. While it would get quite hot if she stayed under direct sunlight for a long time, it wasn't that bad at the moment. On a day like this, the town's residents would probably feel the same way. (This person seems to be sensitive to heat. Some people get sick when they're not used to the climate... I wonder if he'll be alright...) Alme felt a twinge of concern as she observed the man's condition. After all, her previous life had ended precisely due to falling ill from heat. If this man were to meet with such an unfortunate fate on his way back... The thought made her worry. "Um, if you have some time, would you like to cool off for a bit? The shop is still a bit messy, but I can offer you some ice cream samples. Sweating too much can make you feel unwell, so..." "Are you sure that's alright?" "Yes, please, come this way. But please excuse the mess here." Without hesitation, the man readily agreed. He must have been struggling with the heat. Alme invited him into the shop and guided him to a seat at the counter. Asking him to wait, she hurried to the back kitchen. She took out the strawberry ice cream she had just made from the freezer, scooped it into a transparent glass bowl, and returned. As she placed the bowl in front of the man waiting at the seat, his eyes visibly lit up. "This is ice cream...? It's different from what I imagined. It's not just frozen fruit, right?" "Yes. I mashed the fruit into a pulp and froze it while mixing in air. Thus it's softer on the palate than frozen fruit. Please, enjoy it before it melts." "Thank you for the meal." The man scooped a large spoonful and took a big bite. After chewing for a while, he swallowed and turned to Alme with a sparkle in his eyes. "Delicious...! It's really delicious!" "Thank you, I'm glad you like it." "Ah... it's so cold and truly divine... I feel revived..." Alme chuckled lightly at the man's muttered impressions. She had just expressed similar sentiments herself not long ago. He continued to eagerly spoon the ice cream into his mouth, finishing it in no time. "Thank you for the meal. It was extremely tasty." As he expressed his gratitude, the man reached for his wallet again. Before he could offer money, Alme hurried to refuse. "Oh, please don't worry about payment. This is a sample, so your feedback is more than enough." "Eh... is that so? I thought 70,000 G would be appropriate." (70,000 for a single serving of ice cream... what kind view of money is that...) Alme's face involuntarily twitched. She wondered what kind of status this man had... Was he a noble in disguise, or perhaps some high-earning individual from somewhere? But then again, he was wandering alone in this back alley, so maybe he was just an ordinary citizen after all... A mystery indeed. Returning a wry smile instead of a verbal response, she cleared away the empty bowl. As the man stood up and prepared to leave, Alme made an impromptu suggestion. "It may not be much, but would you like me to cast a light ice magic spell on you? It's a weak spell that sends a cool breeze, just enough to make you feel a little cooler. The way back will surely be hot as well." "Oh, young lady, you can use ice magic...! Yes, please, I'd appreciate that!"

The man's eyes lit up once again in a very obvious way. Alme laughed at his straightforward reaction while activating ice magic in both her hands. She turned her palms towards the man and gently let her magical power flow. The cool air began to envelop his body. "This magic will disappear quickly, so it's really just for momentary relief," she explained. "That is quite alright. I'm very grateful..." he responded. "Oh, that's right. I might be able to use that too," Alme suddenly remembered. She retrieved a flat box from her bag that had been left beside the counter. From it, she took out the light blue scarf, dampened it with water, and wrung it out lightly. Using ice magic, she froze the scarf and then crumpled it to soften it. After folding it into a long strip, she offered it to the man. "I'd like to give this to you, onii-san. If you wrap it around your neck, it'll help with the heat. Please use it on your way back," Alme suggested. "...Thank you, for everything," the man said as he accepted the scarf. He wrapped it around his neck and exhaled, feeling the pleasant coolness. The high-quality scarf, which had lost its intended purpose, was too valuable to simply trow away. If it could be used to help someone, the scarf would surely find its purpose. "If you start feeling unwell under the sun, I recommend going underground to rest. Don't forget to stay hydrated along the way. Oh, and please lick some salt! You need to take in salt as well, or you might collapse," Alme rattled off as she escorted the man to the entrance, voicing thoughts that came to mind. These were words she wished she could have told her past self. (Oh my, I'm starting to sound like a meddlesome old lady... I wonder if he finds me annoying.) Suddenly realizing this, she glanced at his face. Contrary to her expectations, the man once again showed that awkward smile and spoke to her. "You're a very kind person. Um, my name is Falc. Please, call me that." "Ah, yes. Falc-san. My name is Alme. Alme Titi." Come to think of it, she hadn't introduced herself yet. Formally exchanging names face to face made her feel somewhat embarrassed. This kind of proper introduction was the first since her arranged marriage meeting. "Alme-san, what a lovely name. 'Alme Titi's Ice Cream Shop'... I'm glad I found such a nice store. I'll remember the location well so I don't get lost." "Thank you very much. Please visit again," Alme said, exchanging farewell greetings with Falc at the entrance outside the shop. Then, carried by the flow of conversation, words laden with emotion spilled out by themselve. Perhaps she was influenced by Falc's straightforward atmosphere. "I'm also glad I met you today, Falc-san. I was feeling a bit down earlier, but chatting with you has lifted my spirits. Thank you so much." "Is that so? I'm honored if I was of help. Well then, Alme-san, let's... let's chat again sometime." After adding those final words, the man who called himself Falc once again showed that awkward smile. (Ah, this smile...) When Alme saw his smile for the third time, she suddenly realized something. (This smile, could it be that he's holding back...? It's not that he's bad at smiling, but rather he's trying to restrain himself from breaking into a full smile, forcing it to be more subdued...) Though their time together was brief, Alme felt she had gotten a decent sense of Falc's personality. Despite his refined and well-groomed appearance, Falc seemed to have a natural, guileless nature. He had tried to pay an exorbitant amount out of gratitude, shown childlike honest reactions, and his eyes had sparkled at the sight of ice cream. Given his character, Alme thought he was probably the type of person who would normally break into a full smile when laughing. She felt he was forcibly restraining himself, holding back to just a "modest smile." Realizing the secret behind his awkward smile, Alme's expression softened involuntarily. She watched Falc's retreating back with a warmth in her heart. Although he was quite tall with a knight-like physique, there was something about him that made Alme think: (My first customer turned out to be such an adorable person.) She found herself seeing him off with a soft expression, as if watching over a lovable little chick.