Chapter 123: I fell in Love

Before returning to Grandma Miranda’s house, I left a letter at Viviana’s mansion.

I wrote that I was doing well and hoped she would visit sometime.

It was a letter written from my desire to see them again.

“Hello, Tina.”

“Hello, Tina!”

But I never expected it to happen the very next day.

Right before my eyes, Viviana and Lillian were sitting in the restaurant. Blinking in surprise at the unexpected guests, I stared at them.

“What brings you two here…?”

“You asked us to visit, didn’t you?”

Viviana waved the letter back and forth between her fingers. It was the very letter I had left behind yesterday.

“That was from yesterday…”

It was still early morning, not long after I had opened the shop.

Traveling from the Empire to here would take about half a day. That meant they must have received my letter at dawn and hurried over immediately.

“We happened to have business in the area, so we set off right away.”

“Hehe, me too.”

I couldn’t help but wonder what business they could possibly have in such a remote village.

“It suits you, Tina.”

Lillian glanced over my uniform and offered a compliment. Viviana nodded in agreement.

Well, I had wanted to see them too. Since they were here, I wanted to serve them some food, so I hurried back to the kitchen.

After getting Grandma Miranda’s permission, I took over the kitchen.

I could have asked for her help, but I wanted to serve them a dish made with my own hands.

I clearly remembered from the game that Viviana preferred meat dishes while Lillian enjoyed meals with vegetables.

I prepared a basic stew for each of them. For Viviana, I made a chicken dish, and for Lillian, I prepared a salad topped with fruit dressing. I also sliced a few pieces of chicken and placed them on the salad.

Carefully placing the finished dishes on a cart, I carried them out. Compared to the luxurious meals they had at their mansion, my food was undoubtedly inferior, but I hoped they would still like it.

Returning to their table, I set the food down in front of them.

“Tina, you know how to cook?”

Viviana asked in surprise as she stared at the food.

“No, I only started learning after coming here.”

“…For a beginner, your skills seem ridiculously good.”

“T-Thank you… It’s all thanks to Grandma Miranda’s great teaching.”

It was probably just a polite compliment, but her words alone made my cheeks heat up.

Lillian took a bite of the salad I had prepared.

“Oh my goodness, Tina! This is amazing!”

Her wide-eyed expression and the faint blush on her cheeks told me her reaction was genuine.

“N-No way… Compared to the dishes you usually eat, it must be lacking…”

“Not at all! I’ve never had such a sweet and delicious salad before!”

Viviana nodded in agreement with Lillian’s words.

“Lillian is right. It’s really good, Tina. Even better than I expected.”

The two protagonists of this world were praising someone as insignificant as me.

That alone was enough to make my whole body flush with warmth.

After that, they continued to enjoy my cooking, showering it with compliments about how delicious it was.

I’m happy. How could I be this happy?

In Viviana’s transparent eyes, my reflection showed heart-shaped pupils.

With my face flushed red, I lowered my head and expressed my gratitude. Lillian, who had been staring at me absentmindedly, soon let out an awkward cough.

“By the way, Tina. May I check something for a moment?”

“Y-Yes…”

“Could you sit beside me for a moment?”

Without much thought, I sat next to her. Lillian gently touched the collar around my neck.

“The holy stone is functioning properly…”

“Is something wrong?”

“It’s nothing bad. But more than that, I have a question for you, Tina.”

“Please ask.”

“Do you not hate me?”

There was a serious glint in Lillian’s eyes. She seemed to be recalling our time in the underground prison.

“Then, Lillian, do you not hate me?”

I asked her in return. But without hesitation, she immediately gave her answer.

“No, I’ve come to love you, Tina.”

“I’ve come to love you too, Lillian.”

Without hesitation, I gave my answer back.

“I see… I see… Wh—What?! WHAT?!?!”

Lillian, who had been nodding calmly, suddenly widened her eyes in shock and shot up from her seat.

The way her pupils trembled violently showed just how flustered she was.

“L-Love?! You love me?!”

Was it such a surprising statement? Even Viviana, who had been beside me, looked at me with eyes filled with shock.

“Yes.”

Isn’t it obvious?

I had tried to kill her. And yet, Lillian had whispered words of love even to someone like me.

How could I possibly dislike someone like her?

Lillian was exactly as she was described in the game—a saint loved by all.

“T-This isn’t the time for this! We need to head to my mansion immediately—”

“I love you too, Viviana.”

This time, I turned my gaze toward Viviana as I spoke. For some reason, she also sprang up from her seat and stared at me.

“M-Me too?!”

She was someone who had even gone to war for my sake. And more than that, she had promised to stay by my side until my vile sins were forgiven.

How could I possibly dislike someone like that?

“At the very least… I want to receive forgiveness from both of you. I’ll do my best so that I can.”

Awkwardly fidgeting with my fingers, I carefully confessed.

It was a confession I mustered all my courage to say, but in return, all I got was silence.

If they didn’t like it, it would be better for them to just reject me outright. The longer the silence stretched, the more my shoulders drooped.

“…Tina, just to confirm, you don’t mean romantic love, do you?”

Viviana’s question made me realize why they hadn’t responded.

They had misunderstood my words.

They must have mistaken it for the love shared between lovers.

If I were Viviana, I would have been disgusted too, if someone as wretched as me had confessed such love.

So that’s why you were flustered.

Yeah, that would be natural.

It’s only natural to dislike it…

And yet, for some reason, my heart ached just a little.

She really dislikes it that much.

“Of-Of course! There’s no way I would have such feelings!”

I forced an awkward smile and nodded.

Only then did Viviana and Lillian sigh in relief and look at me.

“You really startled us, Tina.”

“S-Sorry… I misspoke…”

“No, Tina, you don’t need to apologize.”

“Still…”

Clutching my throbbing chest, I forced a bright smile.

What exactly am I to them?

That thought suddenly crossed my mind.

***

“Hello, sisters!”

A clear and cheerful voice from a young girl caught the attention of the two women.

The two women, their muscles visibly toned, were mercenaries hired to track down the remaining stragglers of Kaladwen’s forces.

One of them, with golden eyes, looked down at the girl.

“This isn’t a place for kids. Where are your parents?”

“I don’t have any. Both of them died in the war.”

At the unexpectedly grim news delivered in a bright voice, a hint of bewilderment appeared in the woman’s eyes.

“O-Oh… I see… I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay!”

The girl’s cheerful laughter only weighed heavier on the woman’s heart. Unable to stand it any longer, the other woman stepped forward toward the girl.

“Then, do you want to come with us? There’s a really great restaurant nearby. We’ll buy you a meal.”

“Really?! I know that place!”

The little girl beamed and ran up to the woman.

“There’s a really beautiful lady there, isn’t there?”

It wasn’t hard to guess who she was talking about.

A few months ago, a new waitress had started working at Miranda’s restaurant.

She probably wasn’t even aware of how well-known she had become, but by now, most mercenaries were familiar with her.

That included the two women standing here.

One of them had already been captivated by the waitress’s bright, innocent smile and subtle charm.

“Hehe, that’s right. To be honest, we’re also going there just to see her again.”

“…Ah.”

The girl’s expression darkened in real time.

Tsk.

Clicking her tongue in irritation, she gave them a sharp glare—completely opposite to the bright smile she had shown moments ago.

“As expected, the pests are already starting to gather.”

Her voice instantly turned cold.

The two women instinctively took a step back, startled.

“Don’t even dream about it, bugs. That soul belongs to me.”

A glowing cross shone in the girl’s eyes.

At the same time, the two women, staring into the cross, slowly lost the light in their own eyes.

As if they had fallen under a spell.

“So, you’ll help me take her back, won’t you?”