Adro smiled gently before continuing to eat. After finishing his meal, he threw the plastic wrapper into the trash.
"There are lots of things made from strange materials here," Adro said after returning to his seat.
"Yes?" Grace looked at him. "Can you show me the example, please?"
"The food containers you said should be thrown away after use, the wrappers, and the cutlery - They're all made from materials I've never seen before."
"Oh," Grace nodded in understanding with a chuckle. "That's called plastic,"
"Plastic?" Adro repeated.
"Yep. Plastic is the most widely used material in modern times. Many daily items are made from plastic. Even clothes contain plastic, even though it is small and invisible. Plastic is an essential raw material in this world."
"That's amazing. Thank you for explaining it to me," Adro said.
"Is there no plastic in the world you come from?" Grace asked carefully. She was afraid of offending Adro's feelings. He might think that she was indirectly calling him primitive.
Adro shook his head. "No. In my world, we use iron, clay, leather, and wood to make everyday tools."
"Oh, that's the same as what I read in books about life hundreds of years ago, when kingdoms still existed in this world."
"Maybe I will learn about plastic and bring it to my kingdom later. It will be very useful for all my people. However, is it difficult to get?" Adro asked.
"It's actually a cheap material and easy to get, so it is widely used. Unfortunately, plastic also has quite a bad impact." Grace narrowed her eyes, turning serious.
"How could such a useful thing have such a bad impact?" Adro's eyes widened.
"Plastic is so useful for human life that we depend on it so much. However, the use of plastic has been excessive, and the bad fact is that plastic takes tens to thousands of years to decompose. Even when it decomposes, it will still emit dangerous compounds. If we burn it, residue from plastic will pollute soil, water, air, and even living things."
"So, what you're saying is that plastic is difficult to disappear by itself? Why don't you make new objects using old plastic? Glass, iron, and pottery can be made into new objects after they have been destroyed."
Grace shook her head with a faint smile. "Plastic is different from all those things, Adro. Processing used plastic is very complicated and expensive. Recycling plastic will also reduce its quality. Therefore, many people prefer to produce new ones."
"Recycling?" Adro's forehead wrinkled slightly.
"Recycling is changing objects that can no longer be used into new items," Grace explained.
Suddenly, Adro got up and opened the trash can to take out the trash he had thrown.
"Hey, what are you doing? Don't tell me you want to keep that thing?" Grace laughed at his childlike, innocent thoughts. Maybe it was because he came from a middle-aged kingdom.
"I don't want to let this thing do the damage you said. And this cursed thing will never enter my kingdom. If any of my people make plastic, I will punish them severely," Adro said.
Laughing harder, Grace replied, "Adro, it's not what you think. Plastic is useful, but it's just that people have to be wise when using it. I know you feel guilty throwing it away, but that's okay because it will be recycled. After all, this hospital is responsible for its waste. In fact, it's not just this hospital but also the government in this city. Torbern is famous for its cleanliness and environmental friendliness."
Adro's forehead furrowed slightly. "Are you sure?"
"Of course. Why would I make up stories?" Grace giggled.
"Well, then," Adro chuckled and threw the package back into the trash can. "Sorry if it seemed like I doubted you. Your explanation has worried me."
"It's nothing. Worrying about the place where we live is natural. When you have a house, you want it to always be maintained, and you will be sad when it is destroyed," Grace said, slowly turning to a mumble because she remembered the same condition of her life.
"Are you okay?" Adro looked at Grace's sudden, gloomy facial expression.
"Huh? Y-yes, I am." Grace answered as soon as she woke up from her reverie. "I just feel a little sleepy,"
"Then you can sleep. I'll be on guard here," Adro said.
"Thank you. But you don't need to be on guard because there's nothing dangerous here. It looks like you also need some rest." Grace replied.
"Are you sure?" Adro asked.
Grace nodded. "This is a hospital. It's not a dangerous place."
"Then I believe you," Adro said.
***
"Prince Adro,"
A soft voice made the tall, sturdy man in ivory-white royal clothes turn his body. Since earlier, he had been paying attention to the brown horse-drawn carriage parked in front of the steps at the entrance to the palace.
The carriage was tasked with carrying the belongings of a princess from an outskirt kingdom that her father ruled. However, he was waiting for the arrival of a white carriage carrying the princess.
As soon as the prince named Adro turned around, he was surprised to find a girl standing a few steps behind him.
His eyes gleamed when he looked at the pair of sky-blue eyes nested in a small face. Her white skin that shone like porcelain was framed by her long, wavy beige hair, just like a bunch of Pampas grass swaying in the autumn wind. Her lips were red like a ripe pomegranate, and they smiled at him.
The girl who looked like a goddess was Princess Joselyn Marigold Pentapore, the future wife of Prince Adro Aylmer Groendez.
The princess's smile was still the same, just like ten years ago. It never changed. Joselyn's eyes shone, reflecting the sunlight streaming in through the palace windows. There was also a reflection of a dashing prince, who was an idol of the girls' eyes all over West Land.
"Princess Joselyn," Adro said, placing his hand on his lower chest and bowing a little.
Joselyn responded by bending her knees while lifting both sides of her dress slightly. "Your Highness, Prince Adro,"