Chapter 95: |
The packed crowd of the restaurant boasted of its fame. But inside, you could not hear the usual restaurant sounds of people chatting, tableware clashing, and the footsteps of bustling servers.
One might wonder if even the Great Temple was this quiet during prayer time. The people seated were as stiff as stone statues. Only their eyes moved busily. And all eyes inside the restaurant had honed onto the three people who had just passed through the entrance.
Black hair, green eyes, large physiques with scary impressions! People couldn’t help but recognize them. The imperial family’s faithful dogs: Count Fertan Radwiell, Calyx Radwiell, and even that Rosaline Radwiell!
And for some unknown reason, a rare breed of cat in Illavenia was following them. Of course, the restaurant did not allow animals to enter, but, like everyone else, the staff could not speak out.
Usually, noblemen with great power enjoyed their meals quietly and reserved a whole floor, flaunting their wealth. But Count Radwiell was a man without such flair.
Eating is about eating. A restaurant is a place to eat. So all I have to do at the restaurant is eat. What else should I have to do?
However, those who did not know the intricacies of his mind remained confused. Why don’t you go to the other floor? The restaurant corner is for people who don’t have money, so why are you guys there? Is this a warning? Are you telling us to get lost because you’re going to eat here from now on? By the way, doesn’t the restaurant forbid animals?
Only Calyx read the questions in people’s eyes and suffered. We only… sat here because these are the only seats left… The cat… I’m sorry… it’s not listening to me…
My dear Idelavhim…
Two days ago, Calyx entered the beginning of this dreadful situation. It started with Rosaline bragging to him that she would go out to eat delicious food with Father.
Eating together? You two don’t have a good relationship, so there’s no reason to eat together. Thinking that there must be some hidden agenda behind that promise, Calyx had no choice but to tag along.
As a child, he knew well that descriptions of his father were quite far from words like ‘schemer’ and ‘malicious’. However, Rosaline was a wild card. He would not be surprised if something happened in the unprecedented situation of ‘the father sharing a meal with his dead daughter’.
So he dragged his feet all the way here…
But there were other problems.
Calyx thoroughly thought of what effect his father’s actions would have on his sister, but he hadn’t thought about the impact the two would have on outsiders.
As Calyx moved to take his seat, he accidentally met a man’s stare. The man dropped his knife in surprise.
“…”
He’d thought only his father and sister were the problem. He hadn’t expected his presence would also triple the pressure.
The moment they stepped into the restaurant, the ambiance completely changed. The band stopped playing, mouths stopped eating, and it was as if the air itself had also come to a standstill. Calyx was the only one who cared about the people holding their breath and not cutting into their food even as it cooled down.
Fertan stayed still and watched Rosaline for ten minutes as she thought hard about the menu items. When Rosaline nodded while looking at the list sternly, Fertan finally spoke.
“Have you decided?”
“Yes.”
“Have you decided, Calyx?”
“…Yes.”
Calyx thought that whatever he ate would taste the same in their current situation. He was going to get indigestion no matter what.
Aside from having a big fight with his father the last time they saw each other and then leaving for Vista, the situation itself was just too awkward. A combination of father and sister? Plus Macaron? Calyx squeezed his eyes shut. He was going crazy.
When Fertan raised his hand, the waiter rushed to them so quickly it looked like he was rolling on wheels. Judging from his age and attire, he was no ordinary employee. Maybe the owner of this restaurant or the general manager. It was pitiful to see cold sweat dripping down his forehead.
Rosaline opened the menu and pointed to the item at the top.
“Would you like the lamb rib steak and pumpkin soup set?”
“From here…”
Her first words were unusual. The old manager opened his eyes wide. F-From here…?
Rosaline ran her finger to the bottom of the menu.
“…To here.”
The man hiccuped. Rosaline blinked contentedly and grinned.
As Rosaline tried to close the menu, Macaron pushed the back of her hand with its cottony foot. Then it pointed at the lamb rib steak.
“Ah, and one more lamb rib steak.”
As he took the order, the look man’s face became strange. Calyx quickly stroked the Macaron’s head and smiled awkwardly, attempting to make the cat look as harmless as possible.
“Our Mimi… is… very smart…”
The ‘very smart’ Mimi scratched Calyx’s hand. The wound was painful. Do you think I said that because I wanted to…?
Soon they received the food. Thanks to Rosaline’s order of ‘from here to here’, two tables had to be put together and loaded with plates, to the surprise of the other patrons. As everyone else’s food cooled and lost its shine, the food that filled those two tables steamed and dripped with luster. Even Calyx, who had no appetite, was salivating.
Fertan picked up his spoon first.
“Let’s eat.”
“Yes! Thanks for the meal.”
“Thanks… for the… food…”
Calyx facepalmed. He swallowed and wanted to run away. The three of them focused on the food without any conversation. Only the occasional rattling of dishes echoed in the quiet restaurant.
As Calyx nibbled on the food, Rosaline cut the steak into cubes and put it close to Calyx’s mouth.
“Why aren’t you eating? Go ahead. Say ahhh—”
“…Sister. You see, I-”
“Ahhh.”
As Calyx groaned helplessly and opened his mouth, Rosaline put a large piece of steak into his mouth.
“This, too!”
Then she quickly put some roasted asparagus into Calyx’s mouth. He munched and glanced at her, but Rosaline slowly turned her head to avoid her brother’s gaze.
As expected, she put it in with meat because she didn’t want to eat her vegetables… Should I say she’s getting smarter?
People quietly stirred every time Rosaline moved. Sir Rosaline… ordered a lot of food! Sir Rosaline… fed her brother the steak! They reacted to each of Rosaline’s actions, and soon it seemed like they’d start to marvel at her breathing too. But Calyx thought it would be more interesting to see a carp dipping a steak in sauce than to be impressed by her slurping.
“You seem to get along well.”
Fertan suddenly spoke up. Calyx swallowed the piece of meat without chewing it all. He felt Fertan’s words were a reprimand for getting along with someone who was not his daughter, but Rosaline seemed to take it differently.
“Yes. We get along very well.”
Fertan nodded in response to her dignified answer. Then he concentrated on eating again.
Rosaline, Macaron, and Fertan ate all the food like true gourmets. Calyx also emptied a plate. As Rosaline slowly melted while eating the pudding for dessert, Fertan spoke again.
“Did you eat well?”
“Yes. It was delicious.”
“That’s good.”
What happened!? Fertan hadn’t even questioned Calyx’s presence, who thought his father had called her for some reason. Shouldn’t he perhaps ask what Rosaline wanted, criticize her on her plans for the future, or try to get rid of her?
But, without doing anything like that, he said things like ‘Have you decided?’, ‘You seem to get along well’, and ‘I hope you ate well’ as if this meal was the only purpose for their meeting.
“I’m going back to the frontier tomorrow.”
“Founding Day is coming soon. Won’t you stay until it passes?”
“I have a bad feeling.”
Balta is restless, and today’s borders are more dangerous than they have been in years. It’s a situation where others would feel nervous even if their senses are worse than Father’s. The Emperor would’ve told him to remain in the Imperial city until Founding Day, but Father is a stubborn person because he is a Radwiell.
“…Take care,” Calyx said, scratching his chin and looking elsewhere.
“Take care,” Rosaline said, following Calyx’s lead.
Fertan rose from his seat, looking at his son and then looking at Rosaline.
“Calyx.”
“Yes.”
“I told your mother.”
“…I see.”
He must’ve meant the things about Rosaline. Rumors spread across the continent that her daughter was a mage, so there’s no way Edelweiss wouldn’t have known about it. Would she be able to accept the details of Rosaline’s death and that something wearing her daughter’s face was acting as if it were her daughter? Calyx was worried that his mother might have fainted.
“She’s a descendant of Gala-Zertaye. Your mother is stronger than you think, so don’t worry about it and send her a letter.”
“… Then why don’t you go back before leaving? At least to see her.”
Even though Calyx groaned and counterattacked, he didn’t faze Fertan in the least; his father even snorted at his attempt. Fertan put on his cloak and looked at Rosaline one last time. Rosaline and Fertan looked into each other’s eyes for a long time.