Upon hearing Claudia’s inquiry, Ronald lowered his head and thought for a mont.
At present, his knowledge of Springs was limited to a very small area, so out of a sense of responsibility, Ronald felt it was better not to suggest anything rashly.
Thus, he spoke seriously,
"Isa..."
"How can I arrange the itinerary conveniently among these three locations?"
"Eh?"
Hearing Ronald’s quite serious inquiry, this ti it was Claudia who was stunned.
With her past social experiences,
she had never encountered a man like Ronald before.
After she had posed her question, this guy had just kicked the ball back to her.
This...
Was this the response of a gentleman?
Facing this novel and unique experience, Claudia couldn’t help but shake her head and sigh,
"Ronald, your unfamiliarity is truly sincere."
"However, I suggest you be more careful; next ti a woman asks you to plan a trip, don’t respond the way you did to today."
"Doesn’t that sound too strange?"
Seeing Claudia’s reaction, Ronald imdiately replied with a sheepish smile,
"I actually just didn’t want to delay anything."
"After all, counting everything, I have been in Springs for just over twenty-four hours, not even a day and a half."
"And if you think about it, we don’t have much ti today either."
"Well, all right then." Hearing Ronald’s reply, a conflicted Claudia generously waved her hand and then turned to walk out to the street.
Since Ronald really wasn’t familiar with Springs, she, the local, had to make the decision.
She roughly calculated in her mind.
Claudia had already planned the route for tonight.
"Then let’s first..."
"First go to..."
But it was just the beginning of her words when the young girl’s voice gradually lowered.
And standing close to her, Ronald clearly saw that Claudia’s gaze was fixed on the restaurant door at the street corner, featuring Springs’ local cuisine.
It was as if sothing particularly appealing was attracting her there.
A foreboding feeling surged in his mind.
Seeing Claudia’s eyes locked on the restaurant, Ronald tentatively asked,
"Isa, haven’t you had dinner yet today?"
Upon hearing Ronald’s inquiry, Claudia instantly nodded her head, her tone even carrying a hint of surprise,
"I indeed have been quite busy from this afternoon till now."
"So, Ronald, are you offering to treat to dinner?"
"..."
For a mont, Ronald beca speechless.
But no matter the circumstances, he couldn’t possibly let Claudia go without a al!
Suppressing his own rationale, he finally responded,
"Yes, that’s right."
"I’ll treat you to dinner."
Watching Ronald, whose smile was sowhat unique, a slight smile appeared on the young girl’s face.
And her next response was also sothing Ronald had not anticipated at all.
Speaking with confidence, Claudia said,
"Then let’s go to the harbor area first."
"I’ve heard that you can eat the freshest seafood there every day, and it should be quite good."
She abandoned the idea of going to the street-side restaurant with local specialties.
rely through watching his expressions, she realized Ronald didn’t want to go to the restaurant she was interested in, so she simply decided to change her mind.
"..."
Looking at Claudia, who was smiling and watching him, Ronald’s feelings started to get complicated.
It wasn’t that he felt seen through by her gaze, causing unease.
It was just that their relationship, guided by the young girl, had rapidly grown closer on this first eting.
This feeling was distinctly different from his previous experiences.
With a subtly complex expression, Ronald nodded:
"Let’s go then, to the harbor area."
"..."
The journey that followed was rather ordinary.
It was just past seven o’clock, and the cab horses on Springs Street were at a peak operating ti.
The two quickly hailed a carriage and went directly to the harbor area.
Ti passed, and the sky gradually darkened.
By the ti they reached their first destination of the night, the colors in the eastern sky had dimd.
Standing in the harbor area, Ronald looked around.
Although he had originally entered Springs by passenger ship, Claudia’s chosen destination was quite a distance from where he had disembarked, making this area totally unfamiliar to him.
As for their current location...
It was an entrance and exit for fishing docks in the harbor area, a bit further from the shipyards of the harbor area. The street lanterns hadn’t been lit yet at this ti, but it wasn’t too obstructive to pedestrians’ sight.
Even though dusk was approaching,
The carriages transporting goods continuously passed by in front of them.
People thronged around the prosperity of Springs as if nothing would change over ti.
Just then, Claudia, standing beside Ronald, spoke up:
"Ronald, go buy so grilled fish."
"We can walk and eat at the sa ti, which would be more convenient."
Ronald nodded in response:
"Happy to oblige."
"..."
Due to its special location, it was very easy to find a restaurant that served fish.
Turning his head and walking a few dozen ters, Ronald spotted a restaurant where many people were trying the food. He spent 1 De Pu and 6 Nars and bought a rather appealing grilled fish, then handed it to Claudia, who was waiting by the roadside.
"This is it."
Claudia imdiately nodded in thanks:
"Ronald, thank you so much."
While expressing her thanks, she took the grilled fish from Ronald’s hands.
However, instead of eating it right away, she poked the crispy skin of the fish with her fingers, feeling the warmth at her fingertips and the aroma at her nose. Claudia then looked around at the passersby.
Making sure no one was paying attention to her and Ronald,
She then carefully tore off a strip from the fish and handed it to Ronald:
"It’s a rare chance, why don’t you try so too?"
Ronald took the piece of fish she offered:
"Thank you."
He tried the grilled fish he had bought.
Ronald imdiately confird that his choice was not mistaken.
Although the overall flavor was strong, the perfect combination of fla and seasoning made the fish taste quite excellent.
In contrast to Ronald’s actions, Claudia was much more straightforward.
After cautiously trying the taste of the fish at first, a satisfied expression appeared on her face. Covering her mouth as much as possible, she managed to finish her dinner in just five minutes.
Just at that mont, the two of them left the fishing area’s entrance and exit.
What appeared before them now...
Was a shipyard along the coast in Springs.
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