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Noah grabbed the utensils and looked at his plate. “What’s this supposed to be?”
“Grilled meat, rice, and beans,” Grace answered, using her fork to point at the items. “We have thematic food weeks. We are eating human food this week. Tomorrow, it’s mac and cheese.”
“I can recognize human food. We also eat rice, pasta, cheese, and even hamburgers. What I meant to ask was, what type of meat is this? It’s dark and salty.”
“Boar. Straight from Alorya’s hunting reserve. A few of us were hunting last week and brought the game with us.”
“It smells funny.”
“Just try it. Maybe you’ll like it.”
Grace’s smile dissipated when Noah faced her again.
“Aren’t you afraid of what others might say if you eat with me?” he questioned her.
“What do you mean?”
Sighing, he shrugged. “You don’t need to pretend to care about my well-being. You can ignore me outside of the classes.”
“Is my presence bothering you?” Grace wondered.
“I’m not very good at small talk.”
“That’s okay. I’m good at it.”
Noah offered her a lopsided grin.
“Plus, I’m being a good guardian and preventing you from eating alone,” she added.
“Maybe I want to be alone.”
“You can always eat in the teachers’ mess hall if my presence is disturbing you,” Grace said, fluttering her eyelashes and grinning widely.
Noah gave his full attention to the meat, using the silverware to cut it into tiny pieces. “You didn’t come to the attic after the classes.”
“Were you waiting for me?”
He momentarily stopped what he was doing. “No.” Then, he put a piece of meat in his mouth and chewed. Swallowing, he added, “Not my favorite.”
Grace giggled. “You should have chosen the mushroom hamburger.”
“Are you vegetarian?” Noah asked, glancing at her plate.
“I don’t hunt for sport. If I kill an animal, I make sure it’s to feed people. But I also don’t eat red meat if I can prevent it. I do eat chicken and seafood.”
A smile tugged at the corners of Noah’s lips. “You’re peculiar, Grace Delacroix.”
“Is that a bad thing, Mr. Noah Keith?”
“I’m not sure yet.”
