Chapter 7 – Sharing a Room

Ｒｅａｄ ｏｎ ＫａｔＲｅ​ａ​ｄ​ｉｎｇＣａｆｅ​

“Let’s go eat right away.”

“Huh? W-What?!”

It seemed Andreina had no intention of waiting for a response, as she picked me up the moment she finished speaking.

My face flushed as her hands slipped under my arms, but her hurried movements, so unlike her usual calm demeanor, made the scenery around me blur as we moved.

Before I knew it, I was sitting at a table.

“Wait here for a moment.”

“Huh? Okay…”

“Absolutely. Don’t even think about going anywhere. Understood?”

“Yes…”

While I was still processing what had happened, Andreina sternly gave me a few more instructions before heading out.

Left alone, I stared at the firmly closed door, then turned to look around.

The room was smaller than my house, but it was a comfortable size for one or two people.

A bed and a modern kitchen were visible a short distance from the table, and besides the door Andreina had left through, there was another door.

That probably led to the bathroom or toilet. In any case, the space felt lived-in and cozy.

“Wait, is this… Andreina’s room?”

Thinking about it, it made sense. We hadn’t left the church; we had just kept going through doors deeper inside.

Oh. So I’m in a woman’s room right now…? For some reason, the thought made me notice a pleasant scent in the air…

No, no. What am I thinking? How could I have such thoughts about Andreina, of all people?

This is the worst. Coming to my senses, I stiffened my expression and slapped my cheeks as hard as I could.

“Ouch!”

“Mari?! What’s wrong?!”

“Eek?!”

But I might have hit myself a bit too hard. The sharp pain made me cry out involuntarily, and Andreina burst through the door, almost breaking it, and shouted.

Startled, I hunched my shoulders and looked at Andreina, whose expression had turned strange.

It was as if she had just witnessed something she had hoped wouldn’t happen.

While I was lost in thought, Andreina approached and placed her hand on the cheek I had just slapped, her voice trembling.

“Good heavens, Mari. What happened to your cheek…?”

“Ah, well…”

How could I explain that I had slapped myself because I couldn’t believe I had impure thoughts in Andreina’s room?

I couldn’t possibly tell Andreina, who was already looking at me like I was some pitiful creature, that I had done this to myself. I averted my eyes, but her gaze only seemed to intensify.

Why?

“…Let me heal you first.”

“Ah, thank you…”

As I replied in a subdued voice, a white light emanated from Andreina’s hand. A warm sensation spread through me, and the throbbing pain subsided.

Last time, I had unconsciously rubbed my cheek against her hand, but this time, I managed to stop myself.

“Huh?”

But this time, Andreina’s palm pressed firmly against my cheek. My lips puckered like a fish’s, and I looked at her in confusion.

Was she teasing me? But her expression was still serious.

Maybe this was a more effective healing method. I thought so and stayed still.

Soon, the light from her hand faded, and the hand holding my cheek withdrew.

Though I missed the warmth, I shook off the feeling and thanked Andreina.

“Thank you for healing me.”

“It’s only natural.”

Of course, Andreina would help anyone in need, regardless of who they were.

It wasn’t because I was special. I reminded myself of that and got up from the chair.

“Then I’ll head home now… Huh?”

But my attempt was quickly thwarted. As if my getting up had been a lie, I was grabbed by Andreina and placed back on the chair.

I looked at her with questioning eyes, and she sighed.

“Mari. Where do you think you’re going?”

“Huh? Well, everything’s taken care of… isn’t it?”

It was my first time dying and being resurrected, but I couldn’t remember much about what had happened before my death, so I felt fine.

This must be the blessing of forgetfulness I had heard about. In any case, I wasn’t hungry right now.

In fact, after being healed by Andreina, I felt more energetic than usual.

Of course, that would fade over time, but I wasn’t in a state where I needed to trouble Andreina.

But Andreina’s expression hardened further at my words.

Oh no, did I say something wrong? The fact that Andreina, who was always so gentle, was making such a face meant I had made a big mistake.

What should I do? I don’t want Andreina to dislike me. Frantically trying to recall what I had missed, I remembered Andreina’s earlier offer to eat and quickly spoke up.

“Ah, right. We were going to eat. I forgot…”

But I wasn’t really hungry right now. Suppressing the thought that popped up in my mind, I forced a smile and looked up at Andreina.

“I’m sorry…”

Andreina looked at me with eyes that were slightly more subdued than usual, then blinked and returned to her gentle expression.

“…I wasn’t trying to scold you, Mari. So there’s no need to apologize. It’s just…”

“Just…?”

“I’m worried that you don’t seem to value yourself.”

“Ah, um… Hehe…”

Is this what it feels like to be hit right in the heart? I awkwardly smiled, rolling my eyes. When you have nothing to say, a smile is the best response.

Andreina, seeing my smile, didn’t say more and pulled a chair next to me, sitting down.

“I’ve brought some light snacks to help with your hunger.”

“Okay…”

Feeling like a criminal, I hung my head low, but then I heard something being placed on the table.

But the sound didn’t stop after one or two items—it kept going. I glanced up at the table and was shocked.

“Ah, Andreina. You said it was just light snacks…?”

“They are light snacks, aren’t they?”

There were various fruits, the basic soup sold at the shop, and even some jerky that looked like it had been sourced from somewhere.

And not just that—food kept pouring out of Andreina’s inventory.

They were indeed light snacks…! But isn’t the amount too much?

Moreover, she must have only been gone for a short time. How had she managed to gather so much food in such a short time?

But I couldn’t stop Andreina. If I tried, she might give me that stern look again.

All I could do was stare at the growing pile of food with trembling eyes.

Finally, after filling every empty spot on the table, Andreina smiled warmly and placed a hand on my shoulder.

“I prepared a lot for you, so eat without any worries.”

“Yes, okay…”

Her hand on my shoulder felt light, but for some reason, it felt heavier than a mountain.

With her even handing me a spoon, I awkwardly smiled and thanked Andreina before reaching for the soup closest to me.

Even if I wasn’t hungry, I could definitely eat this much. With trembling hands, I slowly scooped up the soup and brought it to my mouth.

The moment I took a bite…

“Mmm…?!”

Was this soup always this delicious? It was so good it sent shivers down my spine. As if the awkwardness of eating had been a lie, I quickly devoured the soup.

Soon, the bowl was empty, but as if waiting for this, a delicious-looking slice of apple pie was placed in front of me.

I held it in both hands and nibbled at it, and then jerky appeared, followed by more food, one after another.

How long had I been eating nonstop? Before I knew it, the table, once filled with food, was now covered in empty plates.

“Ugh…”

My stomach was swollen from all the food, and I slumped back, dazed, when I heard a soft chuckle beside me.

Only then did I remember that Andreina was sitting right next to me. I hurriedly tried to sit up properly, but her hand on my shoulder stopped me.

“Ah, Andreina. I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to look so unsightly…”

“No, I actually found it quite endearing.”

Andreina looked more than satisfied—she looked delighted.

But no matter how kindly she looked at it, it couldn’t have been a good sight. My cheeks were puffed out like a chipmunk’s as I stuffed my mouth and inhaled the food. How could that have been endearing?

Andreina was just being kind. It must have looked terrible. As I sank into gloom, I felt a finger poke my cheek. I quickly looked up to see Andreina’s finger poking my cheek.

“Ah, Andreina…?”

“Why are you making such a gloomy face after enjoying your meal?”

“B-But…”

“When you make such a dark expression, it makes the person who served you the food uneasy. They might wonder if something was wrong with the food.”

Andreina spoke with her usual gentle expression.

“So if you enjoyed the meal, smile brightly. Say, ‘Thank you for the meal.’”

At her words, I hesitated, then forced a wider smile than usual.

“Th-thank you for the meal…”

“Then stay in my room tonight.”

“Huh? All of a sudden?”

“I’ll take care of you until tomorrow morning. If you go home now, you’ll skip dinner, won’t you?”

I think I’ve eaten enough to skip a meal…

But Andreina’s firm expression left no room for argument, so I had no choice but to nod.

“Yes, okay…”

How did things end up like this?

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
…??

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
What a pro, got a pushover to help them already, drain the sister till she is broke!