Chapter 9: Dinner

“It’s a complete mess. Those old folks are really energetic, aren’t they?”

“…I’m sorry for troubling you, oppa.”

“No. Rather, my niece must have been in a difficult situation.”

When all the other examinees came out but Aria didn’t, I went to look for her, and found seven old men in colorful robes surrounding Aria, passionately lecturing her, spitting as they spoke.

They were barraging her with all sorts of questions, like who her master was, and if she had any intention of joining their magic tower.

Aria was extremely shy, so it would have been hard for her to answer even one person’s questions, let alone several people bombarding her like that, so she just stood there, head bowed, wiggling her feet.

Even when I stepped forward as her guardian to take her away, they clung to her so persistently, refusing to let her go.

Only after a staff member waiting outside came in and urged them, saying there were many people left, did they finally let her go, promising to contact her separately.

After finally being freed, we stopped by the Grand Duke’s mansion in the Imperial Capital to unpack, and by then, it was already dusk.

Since I had planned to have dinner with Aria, the two of us set out into the streets of the Imperial Capital alone.

****

The Imperial Capital’s evening presented itself to the two of them with immense and unfamiliar vibrancy.

Unlike the North, it had well-organized districts and a complex, bustling scenery.

Both Kain, who had only ever been stuck in remote areas of the North, and Aria, who had never left the North due to the Grand Duke’s overprotective nature, were practically strangers to the geography of this vast city.

Kain looked around with curiosity at the magic stone lamps illuminating the streets, the rapidly moving carriages, and the crowds filling the avenues.

It was an atmosphere completely opposite to that of the North.

In the North, no one dared to venture outside their homes at night unless it was for a truly important matter.

The sky was covered by clouds year-round, making it unusually dark, but it was also cold enough to risk death.

Perhaps the Imperial Capital was like the embodiment of the fantasy Kain had imagined, making everything he saw endlessly fascinating.

Aria, on the other hand, followed half a step behind Kain, a slightly nervous expression on her face.

In her small hand, she clutched a map to their destination, which she had prepared in advance with a servant, so tightly it looked like it would crumple.

Aria stealthily checked the map, trying not to let Kain notice, and subtly guided him little by little towards their destination.

‘Is this alley… the right one…?’

Aria moved awkwardly, caught between her desire to get a little closer to Kain and her anxiety about not getting lost.

Sometimes she would stumble as if by accident, leaning slightly against Kain’s arm, or use the bustling crowd as an excuse to gently grasp his sleeve before letting go.

“S-sorry…”

“Are you okay? There are a lot of people, so be careful.”

Kain seemed to view her clumsy attempts at closeness merely as anxiety about the unfamiliar city and its crowds, responding casually without any particular suspicion.

Aria bit her lip slightly at his indifference, but her heart still fluttered just by being by Kain’s side.

Aria recalled “conversation topics to smooth the atmosphere” that she had read in books and mustered the courage to speak to him.

She cautiously brought up the weather, and subtly tried to probe Kain’s preferences with her questions.

Of course, she didn’t get the answer she hoped for.

He replied that he wasn’t particularly interested right now.

At least it was a relief he didn’t say his type was a woman unlike her.

After several awkward alleyway explorations and fumbling directions, the destination marked on Aria’s map, an antique-style restaurant, finally came into view.

She involuntarily let out a sigh of relief and spoke in as natural a voice as possible.

“Oppa. Look over there! Th-that restaurant, it looks really nice…”

Kain glanced at the restaurant Aria pointed to, where warm light spilled out, and readily nodded.

“Yes. It looks good. Let’s go in.”

A faint smile blossomed on Aria’s face at Kain’s immediate agreement.

After all, that restaurant was the stage she had prepared to narrow the distance between herself and Kain.

****

‘What on earth is she thinking?’

I glanced at Aria, who was fidgeting beside me, and muttered to myself.

I simply couldn’t understand what plan Aria was acting on.

First, the small map tightly clutched in her hand.

She kept peeking at it, sometimes almost openly, guiding me somewhere.

She probably thought she was being subtle, but I could clearly see Aria checking the next direction every time we turned a corner.

‘She has a specific destination.’

Anyway, it didn’t matter where we went.

I wasn’t picky and ate anything well, and no matter what, Aria wouldn’t take me anywhere strange.

So, I just followed Aria’s lead without saying much.

But other inexplicable actions continued.

It was such clumsy acting—like pretending to trip and lean on me, or subtly grabbing my sleeve—so unnatural that it was harder to pretend not to notice.

And just a moment ago, didn’t she suddenly ask, “What kind of woman is your type?” a roundabout question with an unclear intention?

As far as I knew, there was only one reason a woman would act like that.

‘Could it be she likes me? No, that can’t be…’

Logically speaking, there was no reason for her to like me.

Though she was my niece, I had only occasionally played with her or taken her to interesting places when she was young, and our interactions hadn’t been frequent as she grew older.

And even though we weren’t blood-related, I was still her uncle whom she had known since she was a baby, and Aria was my young niece whom I needed to protect.

For me, with my strong Confucian values, the thought of her liking me, even hypothetically, was difficult to accept.

As I walked, indulging Aria’s clumsy acting with these complex thoughts, we soon arrived in front of what seemed to be the restaurant Aria had been guiding me to.

A restaurant with an antique exterior and a pleasant atmosphere, located in a spot with a good view.

“Oppa. Look over there! Th-that restaurant, it looks really nice…”

“Yes. It looks good. Let’s go in.”

Even at my casual agreement, I could feel Aria’s face brighten.

What was so good about it?

Was she happy because she thought she had arrived safely without me noticing her intentions?

I shrugged and opened the restaurant door.

Upon entering, I noticed the soft magic stone lighting, the gently flowing music, and small flower vases on each table.

It was an atmosphere incomparable to the rough, noisy taverns or the few scarce restaurants in the North.

It was certainly a place a young woman would like.

Had she secretly guided me here because she thought I might not prefer such a place?

“How about that table over there, Oppa? It looks quiet and nice…”

Aria naturally pointed to a two-person table in the back corner.

It seemed like a reasonable choice, being sufficiently separated from other tables for conversation, and given the many other customers, it would be awkward for two people to use a large table.

However, once we sat facing each other, the table was narrower than expected, making the distance between us quite close.

Enough to make me feel a bit awkward for no reason.

“This… looks delicious.

Would you perhaps like to share…? It looks like a lot for one person.”

Aria carefully asked, pointing to a pasta dish on the menu.

Share?

It was a bit of an out-of-the-blue suggestion.

Not like Aria at all.

I replied without taking my eyes off the menu.

“No, I’ll have this.

My niece can leave leftovers if she wants, so order whatever you like.”

I had simply chosen what I wanted to eat, but Aria made a slightly crestfallen expression.

Why that expression?

Did I speak too bluntly?

Aria soon ordered the pasta and salad she had wanted.

While waiting for the food, Aria was definitely different from her usual self.

She chattered much more, even if in a small voice, and the number of times she tried to look me directly in the eye while talking increased.

Sometimes her gaze was so direct that I was the one who subtly looked away first.

And what about when our fingertips brushed as she reached for the water glass on the table?

Aria flinched in surprise but didn’t immediately withdraw her hand.

From the fleeting touch of our fingertips, I almost felt an inexplicable warmth…

I was confused.

The sense of incongruity I had felt on the street became even clearer once we entered the restaurant.

The subtle angle at which she leaned her body, the casual personal questions she threw out.

They were similar to the familiar actions one takes to gain another’s favor, which I had experienced countless times in my previous life.

‘No way…. No, it can’t be.’

Even though I knew it was an absurd thought, the possibility slowly crept into my mind.

But I quickly shook my head.

That can’t be.

Aria is my niece.

Even if we’re not blood-related, that fact doesn’t change.

I must be severely misunderstanding something.

Perhaps she’s just momentarily excited because the environment suddenly changed after coming to the Imperial Capital, or maybe I’m just being too sensitive.

“Oppa? Is there something on my face…?”

Aria tilted her head and asked, sensing that I kept staring at her.

“No, nothing.”

I deliberately pretended to be nonchalant and averted my gaze.

Whether Aria truly harbored different feelings, or if I was simply overreacting.

Without certainty, I couldn’t act rashly or say anything.

In contrast to the restaurant’s cozy atmosphere, a subtle and awkward tension permeated the table.

Aria looked at me with sparkling eyes, seemingly expecting something, but I couldn’t accurately read the meaning of her gaze and simply waited for the food to arrive quickly.