Ch.12Roommate (3)

*

Unfortunately, or perhaps inevitably, I was caught by Miss Sylvia in an instant.

Well, she’s a hero who defeated the Demon Lord, so of course she could easily catch up to an ordinary person like me running away.

Even without the carriage accident, I probably would have been caught easily.

I was breathing heavily, perhaps because it had been a long time since I’d run like that.

No, honestly, it wasn’t just a matter of physical stamina.

It was also due to the subtle fear evoked by that incomprehensible scene I had witnessed earlier and the desperate expression on her face as she firmly gripped my arm.

This fear was different from the terror I felt from the killing intent she had emitted before.

If that previous fear was literally one that made me anticipate death, this current fear was the kind you feel when confronting something you cannot understand.

Miss Sylvia, without disturbing her breathing at all, protested with a flushed face.

“How much did you see?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t see anything, I didn’t hear anything.”

“You heard…?”

“No. No, I didn’t. I didn’t hear anything.”

“…”

I desperately pretended not to know.

Of course, I wasn’t brave enough to demand an explanation for that scene.

How many people would have the courage to point out that a woman who defeated the Demon Lord has a blanket fetish or a scent fetish?

Miss Sylvia opened and closed her mouth repeatedly, trying to say something but stopping, then trying again but stopping once more.

Yet her gaze remained firmly fixed on me.

I trembled as I spoke.

“Um, uh, that…”

“…I don’t know what you’re thinking, but whatever it is, you’re wrong. It’s a misunderstanding.”

“I wasn’t thinking anything. Please spare my life.”

“What you saw was… well…”

Miss Sylvia tried to explain something but then firmly closed her mouth, her face turning even redder.

I tried to understand her.

Let me think about this.

Why was she sniffing my blanket?

Does she like blankets?

No, she was repeatedly calling out my name.

Could it be that she…me?

I shook my head.

How old might she be?

Since she graduated from the same academy as my sister, she must be around my sister’s age.

Even with a wide margin of error, that means she’s 3-5 years older than me, and since I’ll be turning 21 on my next birthday, it means she’s a robust maiden in her mid-twenties.

So, I suppose she would have… sexual desires?

Women naturally have desires just like men do.

I estimate she’s been here for about 4 years.

She’s been living here alone since she was around 20.

And I was the first strange man she had met in years, and now we were living together.

If that’s the case… well, it’s not impossible.

Having spent her most vigorous years, full of feminine energy, in this forest with no one around, she might have desperately longed for a man’s warmth.

My appearance isn’t impressive enough to captivate a hero, so this situation must be due to her unique and unfortunate circumstances.

If that’s the case, isn’t this level of fetish actually quite mild?

It’s fortunate she didn’t display even more unseemly behavior.

I forced an awkward smile and said:

“Well, it happens. When you’re lonely or… when your body heats up, like after hunting or intense physical activity, I think I’ve heard somewhere that such urges can arise…? So, um… well. No, I mean, how should I put this.”

Miss Sylvia’s face turned bright red, and her entire body trembled.

Then she shouted loud enough for it to echo through the forest.

“It’s a misunderstanding, I tell you!”

*

“W-wow, this rabbit looks really delicious…”

I commented while preparing the ingredients in the kitchen, looking at the skinned rabbit meat.

“…”

But there was no response.

I cleared my throat awkwardly and began cooking.

Honestly, I had been looking forward to this time since it had been a while since I last cooked, but due to the unexpected incident, it was difficult to fully concentrate on cooking.

I glanced toward the table as I put the chopped vegetables into the pot to boil.

Miss Sylvia was sitting at the table with her face covered.

She seemed to have been sitting in that position for three hours already.

Even when I mustered the courage to say something, there was no response.

Well, if I imagine myself being caught by Miss Sylvia while sniffing her blanket… ugh.

Just imagining it briefly was horrifying.

It must feel similar to being caught masturbating by family members.

I had no idea how to comfort her.

Should I say, ‘It’s okay’? No, it’s definitely not okay.

Conversely, if I were in her situation, being comforted by someone saying it’s okay might make me feel even more ashamed.

Um… should I say it’s fine for her to do it? No, that’s equally strange.

Above all, I wasn’t comfortable with her continuing such behavior either.

Having her deeply inhale my scent—isn’t that too embarrassing?

Besides, she repeatedly said it was a misunderstanding but never explained why she did it.

However, I didn’t have the courage to probe into her motives.

How could I ask, ‘Excuse me, but why were you sniffing my blanket?’

In the end, my choice was to do my best to change the subject.

“Before the vegetables are fully cooked-ed, I’ll add the meat seasoned with herbs-erbs?”

I hummed awkwardly, adding musical notes to the cooking process.

I felt I had to say something to break the awkwardness.

But my hasty attempt to erase the silence resulted in a critical vocal crack at the final note.

This made me embarrassed again, and I closed my mouth.

As a result, an even more awkward atmosphere filled the cabin.

In this awkward silence, only the sound of the broth bubbling in the hearth could be heard.

Ah, this wasn’t the enjoyable cooking time I had imagined.

“…It’s ready.”

After about an hour of silent cooking, I took out two wooden bowls and filled them with the stew-like dish I had diligently prepared.

Until the cooking was finished, Miss Sylvia remained seated with her face covered.

She looked as if she had been turned to stone by some vicious petrification spell.

The name of that spell is shame.

I carefully placed the bowl in front of her and put a spoon beside it.

The stew was filled with tender rabbit meat and vegetables, with fragrant steam rising from it.

On top of the stew, I had placed shredded roasted rabbit meat as a topping, and over that, I had crumbled finely chopped roasted vegetables.

There was also a side dish of mushrooms roasted to a golden brown, stuffed with minced scallions and potatoes.

Since I had boasted about my cooking skills yesterday, I put in quite a bit of effort, and it looked quite appetizing.

I couldn’t find salt, so it would inevitably be bland, but I was confident that with herbs and mushrooms enhancing the umami, it would taste good as well as look good.

However, despite my efforts, only an awkward and cold atmosphere lingered in the cabin.

It wasn’t at all a mood conducive to enjoying a meal.

“Miss Sylvia. Please eat.”

“…”

“…”

Of course, I had offered to cook because I wanted to treat her well for all her kindness to me.

Since the food was primarily for her, I couldn’t force her to eat if she wasn’t in the mood.

But honestly, having made this dish with such limited ingredients, I would feel quite disappointed if she didn’t properly enjoy it.

I swallowed hard and steeled myself.

“Are you embarrassed because of what happened earlier today?”

I asked her a question to which the answer was obvious.

Of course, I wasn’t asking because I didn’t know.

I was simply trying to convey that I was no longer concerned about it.

Miss Sylvia’s body flinched noticeably at my question.

“That could be it.”

“Ugh…”

“…Miss Sylvia was just wondering whether to wash the blanket or not, there was no other meaning behind her actions, right?”

“…!”

I dug an escape route for her.

As expected of a hero,

She didn’t miss that small opening.

“Y-yes… that’s what it was.”

“R-right?”

Of course, I knew that it wasn’t simply an action to gauge when to wash my blanket.

And naturally, she would know that I was being considerate.

We began to coordinate our lies, though neither of us was fooled.

“Well, I’ve been here for quite some time now. I must have sweated a lot during that time,”

“That’s right, you were groaning in pain and sweating a lot… I was just checking if there was any bad odor…”

“Hahaha, now that my leg is better, I can handle such household chores myself.”

“No, it hasn’t been long since you recovered, so you shouldn’t overexert yourself.”

“You saw me running away earlier, right? I’m fine now,”

“Ah,”

“Ah, aah,”

Oh no, I made a mistake.

As she recalled the scene of me running away, her face turned bright red again.

Like I used to be, cold sweat began pouring down her face like rain.

Silence fell over the table once more.

Damn it.

*

In the end, what broke this standoff was the fragrant smell of the food I had put effort into and the sound of our stomachs growling after a day of hunger.

As our stomachs growled simultaneously, she and I looked at each other and smiled awkwardly.

She slowly picked up her spoon and began to eat the stew.

“…Oh,”

“…!”

What is it? Doesn’t she like it?

I looked at her with a tense expression.

“Wow… this is delicious!”

“Yes!”

“…?”

“Ah, it’s nothing.”

I shouted with joy without realizing it.

Miss Sylvia’s reaction was so genuine that it couldn’t possibly be fake.

Her expression, which had been awkward, instantly changed to one of surprise as soon as she tasted the stew.

I sighed with relief and slumped back against the chair.

“Phew… I’m glad you like it.”

“I used to eat stew like this often when camping during adventures, so I didn’t expect much…”

Miss Sylvia opened her eyes wide like a rabbit and then began to eat the stew continuously.

Watching her, memories of peaceful times from the past flickered before my eyes.

If our family hadn’t become nobility, I would probably have followed in my father’s footsteps to become the chef of the count’s household.

Among the siblings, I was the one who most resembled my father in cooking skills.

In fact, before we became nobles, I often prepared meals for my sister and younger sibling in place of my busy parents.

Even when they wouldn’t touch other food due to lack of appetite, they would always eat at least a spoonful of what I made.

Especially on hungry days, they would clean their plates and smile with satisfaction.

The bright smiles on their faces, devoid of any noble pretense, flashed before my eyes.

Of course, Laila was just a baby who could only eat porridge then, so she probably doesn’t remember now, but my sister surely remembers clearly.

…Idiot.

What memories?

They’re both dead.

“Ash?”

“Ah, yes?”

I suddenly came to my senses at the sound of Miss Sylvia calling me.

“What are you thinking about so deeply?”

“Ah, no… it’s just,”

“…A-again, that was just—!”

“It’s not about that. Come on.”

I calmed down Miss Sylvia, who was about to go off again, and slowly opened my mouth.

“In the past… I used to cook like this for my family…”

“…I see.”

“…”

If I had known this future awaited, I would have used that expensive ham my sister craved more often,

I would have tried harder to find those cherry tomatoes Laila loved,

As the lid covering the sadness in my heart opened slightly, such regrets began to pour in like a flood.

Ha, what’s the point of all that?

All that awaits is death at such a young age.

I still wonder sometimes.

Why did those two have to die so early?

Why did only I have to survive?

I sincerely wished there was some meaning to their deaths and fate.

If it was just an unfortunate coincidence, wouldn’t it be too unfair and sad?

At that moment, Miss Sylvia’s voice tore through my distractions.

“They must have been happy.”

“Pardon?”

“Your family must have been happy. Having you to cook such meals for them.”

“Ah, well, that’s not…”

I instinctively tried to refute her words.

It was partly modesty, and partly a correction of facts.

After all, my skills weren’t as excellent as my father’s, and considering the outcome of our family, the word “happy” seemed so out of place.

But seeing her expression, I was at a loss for words.

Her face was filled with deep envy and profound longing.

Like someone who hadn’t been happy for a very long time.

As if she was so jealous just from hearing about someone else’s happy times that she was trying to hide her envy with a forced smile.

She took a bite of the mushroom dish I had made and chewed with her eyes closed.

Her jaw moved very slowly.

She was trying to feel, very slowly and delicately, the sensation of her teeth cutting through the mushroom and the spicy sweetness of the vegetables stuffed inside.

After savoring the food in her mouth for a long time, she swallowed and said with a faint smile:

“It’s delicious. Really.”

“Miss Sylvia…”

I regretted my shallow thoughts.

Longing for a man’s warmth?

It wasn’t such a simple and shallow desire.

She must have been desperately missing human warmth itself.

Social interactions like conversations, debates, and arguments.

Someone to share human emotions like intimacy, friendship, and love with.

This hero, who deserved praise, had given up all of that and confined herself to this remote forest.

Perhaps she could have asked for help.

Living in such miserable conditions that she was moved by food without even salt,

Suffering from such piercing loneliness that she couldn’t control herself at the scent of a mere male roommate, yet she hadn’t asked anyone for help.

She could have somehow made her survival and curse known to the world and asked for assistance.

Even knowing what dangers might befall the world, the psychological reward commensurate with her achievement of defeating the Demon Lord must have tempted her countless times.

Yet she was just enduring silently.

Alone in this forest where even the sense of date had disappeared due to the lack of any change or event.

Wounds kill the body, but solitude drowns the self.

For her, even death might have been an enviable escape.

“I’ll cook for you every day from now on.”

“Really?”

“Tell me if there’s anything you want to eat. Of course… given the limited ingredients available, I can’t guarantee I can make it perfectly.”

“…”

“No, tell me anything. I’ll try my best to make it.”

“…Hehe, thank you, Ash.”

Miss Sylvia blushed and smiled.

I don’t know how many times her face has turned red today.

It might be an illusion due to the dim cabin with only candlelight, but somehow her face seemed the reddest now compared to earlier today.

“…It’s kind of hot.”

“Yes, it is. Unlike what I imagined, summer in the forest is quite hot.”

“Of course it is, it’s extremely hot. And there are lots of bugs too.”

“Hmm… with this heat, I probably won’t need it for a while.”

“What?”

“The blanket. So if you need it…”

“I told you it was a misunderstanding.”

“…Yes, ma’am.”

After all the ups and downs, the dinner I prepared was successfully concluded.

As soon as she finished eating, she grabbed my blanket and stuffed it into the laundry basket.

Her forceful action was so impressive that I couldn’t bring myself to speak to her again that day.

.