episode_0038

“…Keuhum. Excuse me. Next time you come, I’ll give you plenty of service, young man.”

“Ah…yes. Thank you…”

-Was that something like that? Sorry!

-..I didn’t know the benefactor of this!

-Buy me a drink next time!

Mealtime was over, and I didn’t know if it was because they were eating or because they were feeling hostility towards me.

Fortunately, I don’t know if Ariel meant it, but she spoke in my defense, causing the citizens and the landlady to look embarrassed.

I don’t know anything else, but I’m so glad that those hostile gazes have disappeared. I really thought I was going to get stabbed while walking down the street like this.

“Phew…”

“Why are you sighing?”

“No. No…”

He asks with a genuine expression of ignorance.

…I didn’t know how to answer, so I just said no.

“Okay then. What are you going to do now?”

“Me? Now we have to return to the citadel and start work again. Slowly… I think time is up.”

Before leaving the stew shop, when I looked at the grandfather clock on the wall, it seemed to be about 1:10, so I think the time will be correct if I slowly walk to the castle.

“Hmm… Just don’t go.”

“….Yes?”

“Don’t go. Right now… I’m getting to know you.”

“But…”

I’m the newest employee, and if I already miss work, it won’t look good to other employees, and more than anything, I feel like I’m not doing what I’m supposed to do, so I tried to refuse…

“Are you disobeying me now?”

“….Okay.”

Ariel spoke with her eyes brightly open, so I had no choice but to obediently follow. No matter what anyone says, right now I am… Ariel’s exclusive butler. Ariel’s orders must be top priority.

“Hmm… He shows a sense of responsibility for his work. I’ll remember it.”

Ariel’s muttering, as if she was looking at me like an experiment, was a bit annoying… but what can I do?

“Then what should we do from now on?”

“Just. what you want to do Try anything.”

Perhaps because he was satisfied with my obedient answer, his bright eyes returned to their usual emotionless look.

As I looked at Ariel so often, I felt like I could sense some emotion in her eyes.

….joy? Oh, no way. Probably not.

“Hmm… Then, let’s go to a dessert shop. I heard it’s a recently popular pancake shop…”

“Pancake?”

When I mentioned the pancake shop that I heard about from the maids, Ariel’s ears seemed to prick up with interest.

“Yes. Pancakes. Do you like it?”

“No. Not really.”

Hmm. The reaction just now… seemed like they really liked it.

“Then, let’s go together first!”

“Yes.”

Well, you’ll find out when you feed it! So, with Ariel following me around, I headed towards the famous pancake shop.

‘I’m sure you said it would be there if you took the left path from the central statue, right?’

In the center of Frost’s territory, a stone statue of a hero was beautifully displayed. A man holding the handle of a sword stuck in the ground with both hands and looking straight ahead.

From what I heard, it seemed like he was the first lord of the Frost family. anyway.

As I walked along the road, a pretty store that looked like a dessert store caught my eye.

As if it were true that it was a popular place these days, I saw people lining up in front of the store.

“Mmm~ The smell of pancakes! Miss Ariel, let’s go and get in line!”

I think I got excited by the sweet smell wafting from afar without even realizing it. I held Ariel’s hand and led her into the store.

“………….”

Ariel followed my lead without saying a word, staring at the hand I was holding tightly.

-Hiyaa… sounds delicious…!

-Yum yum… Wow…! This is really delicious!

A couple leaving the store was seen eating pancakes with a happy expression on their faces.

A generous amount of syrup and a small amount of butter on top of a fluffy pancake.

gulp.

I felt like saliva was leaking out without my knowledge. It’s just a pancake, but why does it make my mouth water so much?

‘…This body seems to like sweet things.’

Originally, I didn’t like sweet things enough to seek out and eat them.

However, the craving I was feeling now made me realize that my body desperately wanted those fluffy pancakes.

“Haha… I’m a little excited, right?”

“You are… a pancake. Looks like you like it.”

“I think so. Because I’ve never eaten it before.”

It wasn’t a lie. I didn’t even like pancakes to the point where I couldn’t even remember if I had ever eaten them in my life, and I didn’t even know pancakes existed when I came to this world.

As we let our imaginations run wild about pancakes, it was finally our turn.

‘Finally… I can finally eat…!’

I approached the pancake shop with excitement, and all I could see was the words -Sold Out- written and pasted right in front of my eyes.

“….Ah.”

That day, my world collapsed.

***

“…….Ah.”

I look at Venice, whose face is full of despair, as if the sky has fallen.

I followed Venice’s gaze to the store wondering what was going on and saw that the pancakes were sold out.

‘Is that all you need to make such a despairing expression?’

Isn’t it just a dessert? A snack to freshen up your appetite before or after a meal.

Ariel didn’t prefer dessert. It wasn’t that I disliked the sweet taste of desserts, but it was just not enough to interest me.

Can’t I just eat it next time?

Ariel tried to talk to Venice.

However, by now, Venice seemed to be sagging.

The always confident and sly expression on his face became depressed, and when I looked closely, I noticed that the eyes of the lowered head were watery.

If it were like usual. Ariel would have told her not to do anything useless and to go back. Whether it’s your father, mother, or brothers.

No matter who the other person was, you probably didn’t care and soon forgot about it.

Exciting-!

But, what do I feel right now… what is this feeling?

As soon as I discovered Tears of Venice, I felt like it resonated somewhere inside my heart.

‘…What the hell is this?’

I wanted to appease him for no reason, and I wanted to make what he wanted come true.

Just the feeling of wanting to hug you.

Ariel didn’t know what to do as she experienced incomprehensible situations and emotions for the first time in her life.

“Go back…let’s go…”

Venice, who was still drooping and looking at the pancake shop as if she had some regrets, turned her back and tried to trudge away.

Ariel unconsciously walked towards the store, looking like a pitiful small animal, and words came out.

“Eh…Miss Ariel…?”

“Two pancakes. Bring it.”

“Ha…but the ingredients…”

“Double. No, I’ll give you five times that. So.”

Make pancakes right now.

As soon as he discovered himself, the pancake owner’s eyes widened. After hearing this, he threw down his apron and started running somewhere in a huff.

The owner hurriedly returned to the store, carrying ingredients he had obtained from somewhere, and began making pancakes at a rapid pace.

“Wow…hehe…here…it is…!”

“Yes. Thank you.”

With the completed pancake in hand, we trudge towards Venice. Even though he had been walking earlier, he was still walking slowly, so he must have been quite worried.

“Venice.”

“Yes…”

“Eat this.”

“Yes…yes? This… this…!”

As soon as I discover the pancakes, my gloomy expression instantly brightens up. How can emotions change so quickly?

“…thank you…!”

Then, I look at Venice, who is inhaling the pancake, as if she is shedding tears of emotion.

It’s just a pancake. Would I be that happy?

“Yum yum… Miss Ariel… eat it too..!”

“Yes.”

At his words, I scoop up a pancake with a small spoon and put it in my mouth. Fluffy and sweet in your mouth.

It’s an ordinary pancake, no different from usual. If it were the usual Ariel, she would have thrown away the pancake after just one bite.

“….It’s delicious, right?”

I look at Venice, smiling happily as if she has everything in the world. I can sense that he wants to share the happiness he feels with me.

“Yes. It’s delicious.”

Excited- Excited.

Depending on today… the pancakes seem delicious.

As the heavy snow began to fall, I surrendered myself to an unknown… but not unpleasant feeling.

Sweeter than pancakes… looking at your smile.

***

“Captain!”

“Vice-captain Seris.”

The day when fall passed and winter came. I walk the streets with the leader.

“It’s cold.”

“Ah…! Hehe..”

The leader gives me a scarf that he personally embroidered. At that moment, I feel like I have everything in the world.

You don’t need anything. If only this moment could last forever.

At that time, the first snow of the year began to fall.

I stare blankly into those eyes, then turn my gaze to the leader, who is also looking at the sky.

It was cold, but the warmth of being with your loved one made you forget even the cold.

And… that heat makes you bring out the feelings you’ve been trying so hard to hide.

“Captain….”

“Hmm? Vice-captain Seris. What’s going on?”

“I… the leader…”

The hidden words cannot be connected, and the world falls apart.

***

“…………….”

Without even thinking about wiping away the tears that had begun to flow, Seris just stared blankly at the ceiling.

It’s sweeter than a pancake, and a dream that I didn’t want to leave flows by. Only miserable reality awakens the spirit.

“………….”

For no reason. I look out the window next to my bed. Outside the window, the first snow of the year falls beautifully, leaving its mark on the world.

The reflection in the window. Blue eyes, like the clear sea, reflect a dead, endless abyss.

“Your eyes are beautiful.”

suddenly. I remember the leader talking about his eyes. Was it a memory of reality, or a sweet lie in a dream?

Without even thinking about whether it was true or not. Only tears flowed from Cerise’s dead eyes.

“Ugh…sigh….sigh…!”

I felt as if my heart was about to explode, endlessly repeating the words I couldn’t say.

…Thinking of that face and voice that I will never see again.

The first snow began to fall.