Ch.74Chapter 74. Well, That Could Happen.

I felt somewhat concerned about various things, but ultimately Irie had given her permission.

Thinking it would be fine to follow my heart for now, I relaxed and headed toward our meeting place.

To Merilyn, who was waiting for me there, dressed exactly as she had been before.

“You’re here, Hyoseong.”

“Sorry, it took me a little time.”

“No, it’s fine. After not seeing you for so long, I can wait a short while.”

As she said this, Merilyn looked me over.

I noticed that the more she did so, the more clearly the smile on her lips became.

“Your outfit is different from earlier… Hehe, maybe it’s because you’re wearing it, but what you have on now looks good too~”

A compliment focused on me, not the clothes.

Just as I was starting to feel embarrassed, she looked down at her own body wrapped in a black cloak and began expressing regret.

“Meanwhile, I didn’t think to change my clothes… Perhaps I should have changed into something nicer?”

“Ah, no. It’s fine. We’re just meeting for a casual meal today anyway.”

“A casual meal? Don’t tell me you plan to end today’s meeting with just that?”

“Pardon?”

“Well, since we’re meeting after a long time, I wanted to spend more meaningful time celebrating our reunion. For example…”

She let her words trail off as she brought her lips to my ear.

Her whisper made me feel so embarrassed that I unconsciously expressed my bewilderment.

“…Ms. Merilyn.”

I had momentarily forgotten.

That she was someone who knew how to make such jokes actively.

“Hehe, I’m just kidding~”

Even if it was a joke, making such frivolous comments wasn’t exactly appropriate.

Finding it awkward to express my displeasure, I held my tongue as she turned away from me and began walking ahead down the street.

“Well. No point in wasting time, so let’s start with dinner… Do you have any place to recommend, Hyoseong?”

“Is it okay for me to decide?”

“As it happens, I’m not from the Empire. While I’m used to visiting unfamiliar places, I’m not very familiar with the geography here since I only stopped by briefly last time before leaving.”

Well, even a traveler can’t know everything about a newly visited place.

Thinking that I should take the lead in today’s relationship, I began following her while looking at a familiar sign beyond her.

“There happens to be a nice restaurant nearby. It’s a bit expensive, but I can cover that much for you.”

“My~ Are you treating me to a meal, Hyoseong?”

“Of course I should treat you when we’re meeting after so long. Irie was very satisfied when I went there with her last time, so I’m sure you’ll be satisfied too.”

It’s expensive, but worth the price, I thought.

As I smiled, imagining how pleased Merilyn would be, I noticed her footsteps suddenly stopping in place.

“With Irie…?”

“…Ms. Merilyn?”

“Who is Irie?”

“Ah, well…”

My answer cut off abruptly.

As she turned to face me, I almost felt like my heart had stopped when I saw the cold look in her eyes.

No, my heart didn’t stop—it just beat slower.

That brief moment when I met her gaze was enough to burn her expression into my memory.

“Hyoseong.”

But even that brief silence seemed to bother her.

She was addressing me again as time flowed on.

“Who is Irie?”

When I finally came to my senses at her repeated question.

I shook off the inexplicable chill and tension that had overcome me and struggled to answer.

“She’s… a boarder.”

I don’t know why.

But it seemed like the best answer I could give in this situation.

“A boarder, so she’s someone staying at your home?”

“Ah, yes. That’s right, but…”

Why?

Why is Ms. Merilyn suddenly looking at me with those eyes, and why am I freezing up just from meeting her gaze?

Did I unknowingly step on a landmine?

“Hmm, is that so?”

As I was feeling anxious, Merilyn finally shared her thoughts.

Then she shifted her gaze away from me and drew a smile on her lips.

“Well, I suppose that’s possible.”

Her voice was light, in stark contrast to the cold feeling from before.

There was no trace of her usual playfulness or mischievousness in it.

As if, just for this moment, she had become someone else.

“Ms. Merilyn? What did you just—”

“Hey!”

As I was concerned about this, Merilyn suddenly rushed toward me.

I was startled by her sudden action, but by then she was already grabbing onto my arm.

“Hehe, shall we go right away then?”

“Ms-Ms. Merilyn. Suddenly linking arms…”

“What’s the problem? We’re meeting after a long time, so this much is fine, right?”

As she said this, Merilyn even rested her head against my arm.

I could feel various soft things pressing against me as she moved closer, but I pretended to be fine and started walking again.

“Yes, then… let’s go.”

“Hehe, thank you~”

As she expressed her small gratitude and walked alongside me, the previous ferocity had disappeared as if it were a lie.

As if emphasizing that the feeling itself had been an illusion.

****

No, it wasn’t just my imagination.

Even though I don’t have much experience with women, I’m not so oblivious that I can’t tell what feelings Merilyn has for me.

After all, she even left that letter before departing and has now returned.

Wouldn’t it be strange to think she has no feelings for me?

“This restaurant’s name is ‘Storm of Time and Space.’ That’s quite unique.”

“Ahaha, yes. It’s an extremely unique name.”

Given how concerned I was about this, I couldn’t help but feel complicated emotions as I sat across from her in the restaurant, watching her continue to smile.

When I received her letter in the past, I had even dreamed of having a special relationship with her, but now I had sorted out my feelings for her and was dreaming of a new connection.

Yes, until I met Merilyn directly, there had been quite a commotion, so I had to be careful about these matters.

That look in her eyes earlier was enough to put me on high alert.

“Hmm, just having a meal seems a bit dull… should we order some alcohol too?”

Merilyn quietly asked while looking at the menu as I was collecting my thoughts.

When I regained my senses and met her eyes, I could see her smiling, unaware of my inner thoughts.

“Alcohol, you say?”

“Today is a day to celebrate our reunion. I think it would be nice to have a drink to commemorate it.”

“Ah, that, I don’t think I can drink today.”

A disappointing answer to her expectations.

But it couldn’t be helped.

Before coming here, Irie had expressed concern about what might happen if I got drunk and caused trouble.

“Do you dislike alcohol?”

“It’s not that, but I don’t think I can drink today.”

“…Then there’s nothing to be done.”

Though she expressed regret, Merilyn reluctantly accepted.

Relieved that we had moved past this without incident, I placed our order with the waiter and spent time chatting with Merilyn.

Most of it was about what we had been up to recently.

In my case, the achievements I had made as an adventurer, and for Merilyn, a brief account of her journey back to the Empire after successfully submitting her resignation to her lord.

“The world is in chaos, so my return was delayed.”

Although she summarized many parts and I didn’t know exactly what had happened, she must have gone through many hardships.

The words that followed at the end of her story vaguely revealed such concerns.

“…Ahaha, but it’s fortunate that you returned safely.”

“Yes, that’s right. Though I’m a bit late, I can start anew from now, right?”

A bright smile and an expectant question.

I couldn’t give any answer and could only pass it off with an awkward smile.

Starting anew from now, she says.

I had already sorted out my feelings for her and was pursuing a new relationship.

If she were to learn about my circumstances, would she still show me the same smile?

“Your order is ready.”

As I was worrying, luxurious dishes were gradually being set on the table.

Eventually, Merilyn stopped our conversation and eagerly picked up her fork and knife, turning her attention to the food.

“Hehe, we’ve shared our recent news, so shall we start eating?”

Merilyn cut into the well-cooked veal steak with the knife in her hand.

Then she picked up a carefully cut piece with her fork and brought it to her mouth.

But not to her own mouth—to mine, as naturally as water flows.

“Here, Hyoseong. Aahn~”

Then she opened her mouth as if telling me to follow her lead.

Feeling embarrassed by her action, my gaze unconsciously began to drift around.

“Ms. Merilyn. As I mentioned before, doing this in public is a bit…”

“I don’t do this with just anyone. Only with you, Hyoseong.”

“……”

“…We’ve only just reunited, so this much should be okay, right?”

Despite my embarrassment, Merilyn smiled awkwardly and pushed the fork in her hand forward even more.

The gesture, which hadn’t been so forceful during our first meeting, now showed more assertiveness.

As if to show that what she felt during the time we spent together hadn’t faded, despite being apart for over three months.

“…Just for today.”

Unable to refuse her feelings, I ate the steak, and she smiled as she watched my reaction, then speared another piece with her fork.

“Now, Hyoseong. One more bite… huh?”

But was I going to just take this lying down?

Taking advantage of her open mouth, I cut a piece of steak and put it in her mouth, causing her to look at me with a surprised expression.

“This is the place I brought you to, after all. I came to treat you to the food here, so it would be a problem if you didn’t eat, Ms. Merilyn.”

With a chuckle, she removed the fork from her mouth.

As I stared at her, Merilyn swallowed the meat in her mouth and looked back at me.

“Is it delicious?”

“…Y-yes.”

Perhaps she hadn’t expected me to respond this way?

Her voice trembled uncharacteristically as she lowered her head and quietly answered.

“It’s very delicious. Maybe because you fed it to me, it’s more…”

Though her voice was almost inaudible, she couldn’t completely hide her emotions.

More than eating what she had offered me.

The fact that I had fed her seemed to be more special to her.

“…I’m glad. That you’re satisfied.”

The satisfaction I felt just from seeing her like this clearly meant that I hadn’t completely let go of my lingering feelings for her.

Although I couldn’t prioritize her over the one before me now, the desire for her to be satisfied…

No matter how our relationship might turn out in the future, my wish for her happiness was genuine.

“Excuse me.”

As we were sitting intimately across from each other having our meal, a waiter interrupted us.

He placed something on the table and then gestured toward a secluded corner of the restaurant.

“The gentleman over there asked me to give you this.”

“…This?”

Feeling curious, I turned to see a middle-aged man wearing a fedora.

He brushed back his distinctive long hair, pulled his coat tightly around himself, then stood up and began moving toward the exit.

There was something strangely familiar about that figure… No, it couldn’t be.

Why would that vampire suddenly appear here? I thought with a smile as I opened the envelope on the table, which contained two tickets and a familiar message.

[Young man, I’ve prepared a small gift as thanks for the pleasant sight I witnessed at my regular restaurant where I stopped for breakfast. I hope you enjoy a good time with that young lady.]

Damn it.

Using the term “breakfast” during dinner hours is a dead giveaway.

“Ah, haha. It seems someone has taken a liking to us.”

Just as I was shocked by the realization that the vampire really was a regular at this restaurant and that he had caught me with Merilyn instead of Irie.

I tried to hide my dismay with an awkward smile, but Merilyn’s gaze was fixed not on the tickets in my hand but toward the restaurant’s exit.

With the smile gone from her lips, she was following his retreating figure with those amber eyes she had shown me earlier.

“…He doesn’t seem harmful, so shall we put this aside for now?”

“Ms. Merilyn?”

“Ah, I’m sorry. I was just concerned about the person who showed us such kindness.”

Merilyn laughed again, changing the atmosphere.

While such a sudden shift in mood was concerning, I decided to let it pass for now.

Whatever happens later, Irie had trusted me to return safely when she let me go.

“Hmm, looking at the tickets, they seem to be for an opera performance nearby. You said you’re free until tonight, right?”

“Yes, if it’s okay with you, let’s go together…”

Yes, Irie had given her permission, so it should be fine for now.

She had said that unless there was a “whim of a transcendent being” that she had repeatedly warned about, the predicted future wouldn’t change…