episode_0076

Time passed and class was coming to an end. Priscilla, who was turning the pages, nodded and closed the book.

“I guess that’s enough for today’s class. We will test the three potion recipes from today during practice next week, so please memorize them well.”

Priscilla finished class with those last words and left the classroom.

The other students quickly cleared their seats and left the classroom to take the next class, and Hermel and I followed them to the next classroom.

While heading to the next classroom, Hermel didn’t say anything. I glanced at his face and saw that he was walking forward with a very sulky expression on his face.

It seems that the reason was that I overlooked the question asked during class earlier… … .

“Hermel.”

“Heung.”

The way he looked away and swooshed gave me the feeling of a pouty puppy that had played too much.

It’s cute, but I briefly thought about leaving it like that, but it was clear that if I stayed like that until the evening, I would definitely be sulky the next morning, so I sneakily walked up to Hermel’s side to make him feel better.

As I approached, Hermel glanced in my direction and naturally took a few steps away. I narrowed the distance to Hermel by getting closer as he got further away.

As this situation continued, Hermel was naturally pushed out of the hallway, and when he finally reached the wall, he stopped walking and looked at me with a sullen expression.

“Are you upset?”

At those words, Hermel widened his eyes and looked at me. As I chuckled at Hermel, who was looking at me as if that was something that would happen in the current situation, Hermel’s face became even more distorted.

Hermel, whose cheeks were puffed out in anger, tried to pass me by, so he immediately blocked the way and said,

“I’m sorry.”

“… … Heung.”

Hermel seemed momentarily shaken by my words, but then quickly turned his head and averted his gaze.

Still, he must have felt a little relieved to see me apologizing, and his expression was more relaxed than before.

“I’m sorry for not being able to answer your question about how you looked happy earlier. I did it because I felt a little uncomfortable talking about it because it was a family matter.”

Hermel flinched and trembled at those words and turned towards me, pouting. Maybe he was still sulking, but he didn’t make eye contact.

“If you had said that from the beginning, I wouldn’t have misunderstood… … .”

“That’s my fault. I apologize again for that. I’m sorry.”

Hermel, who was mumbling at those words, looked up at me with a slight blush on his face.

“Well, you know… … .”

I smiled slightly as I watched him awkwardly put his hands together and wiggle his fingers.

“Do you have a favor to ask?”

Hermel nodded cautiously. Please… … . Even without looking at it, you can get a rough idea of it. He’ll ask you to spar, or he’ll say he wants to lead tonight.

As I had a vague idea, Hermel made a request that was completely different from what I expected.

“Well, it’s been a month, so it’s a bit awkward to talk about it now, but… … .”

“… … ?”

Hermel cleared his throat as if he was embarrassed and scratched his cheek.

“It’s okay from now on, so can’t we just put it in peace? We are friends.”

He looked at her blankly at Hermel’s words.

It’s not a request to spar, nor is it a request for a night job. All you want to do is just let go? And that too because they are friends?

I really never thought I would hear something like this from Hermel, let alone someone else, so I blinked and looked at Hermel, and Hermel’s face turned red.

“Well, answer me something!”

“Ah, ah. Umm… … . Sorry, Hermel, not anyone else. I was a little surprised because I didn’t know you would say something like that.”

“So I won’t do it… … ?”

Hermel said with a slightly disappointed look on his face.

After a moment of thinking about what to do with this, I looked at Hermel and smiled.

“Definitely, I think it’s a bit too late to say let’s talk now.”

When I said that while smiling awkwardly, Hermel, who had been blinking blankly, showed his teeth and smiled mischievously.

“Hehehe, what do you think! It’s okay if you say it now!”

“It’s still awkward. It’s my first time talking like this… … .”

“Start like this and slowly get used to it. Let’s go!”

Hermel said and held my hand. It was even a little surprising to see him smiling brightly, as if the pouting he had shown up until now was actually all an act.

It’s nothing else, but who would have thought that I would love it so much just for letting go of the horse. She is a princess who can do anything she wants and has a status that no one can treat badly.

I looked at Hermel for a moment, who was holding my hand and walking with a bright smile, and then looked forward again.

‘Oh, that’s creepy.’

What a friend. It’s not even funny.

.

.

.

After class, I was on my way back to the dormitory as usual. When Hermel asked me to go out to dinner, I told him that I had no intention of going and that he should eat first.

Then Hermel, who was walking ahead of me, stopped, turned to me and made a pouty face.

“Why don’t you eat dinner so often these days? Are you uncomfortable eating with me?”

“No, it’s not like that… … . No, hmmm. That’s not it, it’s because I really don’t feel like eating anything.”

“How can you not want to eat?”

“I used to only eat breakfast and dinner every day, but suddenly there was lunch, so I guess my body couldn’t get used to it… … .”

Hermel let out a humming sound at my words and stretched out his hand to feel my stomach.

Hermel, who was groping my stomach with no strange feeling, just as if he was looking for something, stretched out his finger and poked my stomach, then tilted his head.

“It doesn’t seem like I have any extra flab… … .”

“Perhaps I, no. Do you think I’m on a diet?”

“Other than that, there is no reason to skip meals. Oh, or perhaps… … . You’re having dinner with someone other than me… … !?”

Hermel looked at me with wide eyes, and I shook my head.

“Hermel, you know. Other than you, there’s no one I go with.”

“There’s that commoner. The girl you said you trained.”

“Seria is lying down in the health room right now. How can I go out to eat with a child who can’t move because his ribs are broken?”

“Umm… … . Then is it because you really don’t have much thought?”

Is that so? He blinked as he said that, and only then did Hermel slowly nod his head as if he understood to some extent.

“Okay, then.”

“Let’s have dinner together tomorrow.”

“Do you have to keep that promise? Got it?”

When I nodded, Hermel pouted and walked towards the restaurant.

I looked at that for a moment, then turned around and headed to the cafe inside the academy, which I hadn’t been to for a while because I was training Seria.

As I headed towards the cafe with a small smile, the sight of the cafe with soft lights coming out of it caught my eye.

The inside of the cafe seen through the window–how can I say it–is quite different from the atmosphere of the cafe during the day. It felt more like a bar than a cafe.

Now that I think about it, in previous episodes, I thought I might die if I wandered around at night, so I only came here during the day. So this is actually your first time coming to this cafe at night?

“Hehe.”

I felt a strange excitement as I felt I had discovered something new. Since I knew very well that this cafe was not a threat to me, all I had was a small expectation.

I gently placed my hand on the cafe door and pushed it open. Then, the cafe door opened with a tinkling sound, and a deeper aroma of coffee and a delicious smell tickled my nose than when I arrived during the day.

As I entered the cafe with a small smile, the owner of the cafe, who was standing at the counter and washing cups, looked back.

“Welcome. At Cafe Seratorie. hmm? Ah, you are a frequent customer during the day. Welcome.”

“Business hours, are they correct?”

When I said this with a grin, the cafe owner smiled and nodded.

“Yes, it has just opened, but it is usually open at this time. Now, please take a seat where you are comfortable. Guest.”

I nodded, sat down where I always sit, and ordered coffee and pasta. After eating it once last time, I thought about it often and ordered it.

” If you drink coffee at this late hour, you won’t be able to sleep well. Are you okay?”

“I sleep better when I drink coffee.”

“I see. Then please wait a moment.”

The cafe owner said that and went into the kitchen.

As I turned my head and looked out the window at the setting sun, the food was ready and placed in front of me.

“I prepared the same food you had last time. If you are eating, we will make your coffee right away.”

I nodded at the owner’s words and began to eat the pasta little by little.

In a quiet cafe with no sound of wind, the sounds of grinding coffee beans, boiling water, and pouring water over filter paper continued smoothly.

As I was eating the pasta with a satisfied smile, the spicy taste lingered in my mouth as I chewed the poorly ground pepper.

“I have one question. Can I ask you a question?”

“Yes, what is it?”

“The last time I asked you, you said that the pepper used in the pasta here was a gift from a noble professor, right?”

The cafe owner nodded as he placed the coffee down in front of me.

“Of course, I said so. But why are you suddenly asking that?”

“It’s not really important, I just want to say thank you to the person who helped me eat such great food. That’s it.”

The cafe owner smiled slightly at my words and spoke as he brewed a new drip coffee.

“You decided to come to the cafe today, so if you don’t mind, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to take a look.”

“You decided to come to the cafe?”

The cafe owner nodded.

Should I go see it? Just go back? Actually, I didn’t know, but it didn’t really matter, so I was quietly thinking about it, and the cafe owner looked out the window and said.

“Ah, you’re there at the right time.”

Let’s follow the cafe owner’s words and take a quick look out the window.

“Ah.”

There.

[ah.]

Priscilla was standing.