Frieren: Reincarnated As a Demon

Chapter 129: Frieren's cognitive bias

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"I heard this country is supposed to be very wealthy," Frieren began, her voice carrying a hint of mischief. "But it turns out they can't even afford to give each person their own portion of pudding. And they're so polite about sharing… Rumors are all lies, aren't they? Obviously, they have the money to give everyone their own portion. Well… if you think about it, our lives aren't so bad. Even if we can't eat dessert every day, things are still pretty good, isn't it?"

Frieren's sudden declaration left Ubel, standing next to her, completely stunned. Even Ash and Fern, who were familiar with her eccentricities, couldn't help but wear strange expressions.

"If anyone else said this, I'd assume they were just trying to change the subject..." Ash sighed, holding his forehead with one hand. "But you…"

"What's Dad talking about?" Frieren asked, clearly puzzled. When Ash hesitated and didn't seem willing to explain, she shrugged and raised her hand. "Boss! Five servings of Mercury Pudding!"

"Five servings, right? Coming right up!" the manager called back from behind the bar, not giving it much thought. Soon, he delivered five plates of pudding to their table.

As Frieren eyed the extra portion, Fern hesitated, her expression conflicted. "…Lady Frieren, are you planning to eat two servings yourself? That has to be it, right? It can't be…"

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Frieren replied, shaking her head helplessly. Picking up the extra plate, she briskly walked over to the couple.

Her action was so quick that Fern didn't have time to react. She could only turn to Ash, silently pleading for help.

But what could Ash do? Quietly, he slid his chair to the side, distancing himself in an attempt to disassociate from Frieren.

"—Lord Ash?!" Fern gasped, grabbing his wrist with a look of disbelief. She clearly hadn't expected him to abandon Frieren so easily. Her eyes widened as she stared at him, as if trying to appeal to his conscience.

That look made Ash hesitate for a moment. Then, without hesitation, he grabbed Fern's chair and pulled both her and the chair closer to his side.

Caught off guard by the sudden movement, Fern, who had nearly toppled over, ended up lying partially against Ash. Startled, her face flushed slightly red as she looked up at him. She wanted to say something but hesitated, eventually pouting like a child and muttering, "Master Ash… what are you doing?"

"I'm just trying to prevent you from being seen as a weirdo," he replied flatly.

"I've been following you for so many years. Haven't I been misunderstood enough already?"

"Don't give up, Fern. You still have a long life ahead of you."

"…At a time like this, shouldn't you at least try to correct the misunderstanding so it doesn't happen again in the future?"

Ash's seemingly casual encouragement made Fern's expression shift to something strange. Unable to contain her frustration, she lightly hit his chest with her small fist.

She didn't use any strength, just venting her dissatisfaction, but even so, Ash sighed helplessly. "I'm already reflecting on myself, but clearly, Frieren's situation is worse right now."

"…Fern, I'll explain it to you in detail later. Please just try your best for now."

"Well… I'll try," Fern replied, looking a little deflated.

"Why won't you look at me when you say that? What kind of effort is that supposed to be?"

Ash abruptly turned his head away, letting Fern grumble to herself. His mind wandered, completely ignoring the words of the girl beside him.

…

…

Not long after, Frieren, having delivered the pudding, returned to the table and sat down. She didn't even acknowledge the sight of Fern leaning on Ash and hitting him like a spoiled lover. Instead, she rested her chin in her hand, her expression puzzled.

"…So strange…" she murmured.

"Lady Frieren, what's strange?" Fern asked, temporarily ceasing her attacks on Ash, who continued pretending to be oblivious. She glanced at Frieren with curiosity.

"There's something wrong with those two people's expressions. They look… strange. As I thought…"

"—Lady Frieren, do you understand?!" Fern exclaimed, surprise lighting up her face.

"...What are you talking about? I'm not stupid. Even though I might be a little slow, I still understand. At least, I understand from the look on his face." Frieren pursed her lips unhappily but looked at Ash with a distressed expression, seeking help.

"Ash, I think I hurt that boy's self-esteem. What should I do?"

"Uh... what did you say?" Her seemingly irrelevant comment left Ash visibly confused.

"The teacher said that when boys get angry for no reason, it's often because they've lost face in front of girls. But it's hard for girls to notice because it's a difference in sensibility between men and women."

"Although Flamme likes to spout nonsense most of the time, she's actually right this time," Ash admitted, straightening Fern's posture as he sighed helplessly. "But, Frieren… the scenario you're using is completely wrong."

"Is it? What's the problem? Isn't it because I gave them pudding that the boy felt his self-esteem was hurt in front of the girls?"

"Do you think there's a possibility that… they actually enjoyed the situation?"

"So... they find joy in suffering?" Frieren asked, her eyes lighting up with sudden understanding. She nodded thoughtfully, "Indeed, suffering can enhance the range of emotions between people."

"—That's not it! This is completely unrelated!" Ash groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Do you even listen to yourself?" she countered.

"Of course I do! You just don't understand the actual situation!" Ash sighed deeply. "Please don't make strange interpretations on your own and then act like they make sense. What I'm trying to say is, when people eat together, although it can sometimes reflect a lack of money, it's more often a sign of camaraderie. Sharing food can strengthen relationships. Think of it that way, okay?"

"Ah, now I understand!" Frieren exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with realization. "I always wondered why adults feed children. It turns out there's a deeper meaning behind it!" Without missing a beat, she scooped up a spoonful of pudding, turned to Fern with a smile, and offered it to her. "Come on, Fern, let's eat together!"

"…Lady Frieren, you don't think I'm a child who needs to be fed, do you?"

"Not at all. I just want to strengthen my relationship with you."

"I really don't want to do this in public… Isn't it embarrassing?" Fern said, her expression troubled as she looked at Frieren's expectant face. "Besides, even if I do this, I'm still going to say whatever I need to say."

Frieren, realizing her plan wasn't working, fell silent for a moment. Then, without skipping a beat, she extended the spoon toward Ash instead.

"Ash… want some?"

"Thank you." Ash, ever pragmatic, accepted without hesitation and ate the spoonful in one bite. Frieren's face lit up with joy at his gesture, but before she could celebrate, Ash added with a smirk, "Though I ate yours, don't count on me for anything important. I won't be dragged into this."

"…Feeding increases affection… Is it really a lie?" Frieren's smile froze, her eyes filled with indignation as if she had been betrayed by his words.

She stared at him for a while, but Ash continued to act as if nothing had happened, completely ignoring her glare.

Annoyed, Frieren decided to retaliate. She quickly snatched Ash's untouched pudding, swapped it with her partially eaten one, and happily began enjoying the dessert.

Unfortunately, this exchange didn't go unnoticed. Fern, who had been trying to stay out of the situation, caught the whole scene.

She froze, her mouth slightly agape, her eyes falling on Frieren's spoon—one she hadn't bothered to replace. An indescribable emotion surged in her chest.

Moments later, Fern, who had just moved her chair back, suddenly leaned sideways. Her chest pressed lightly against Ash's arm, making him fully aware of the softness and pressure.