Be Careful When Agreeing to Terms and Conditions - Be Careful When Agreeing to Terms and Conditions chapter 55
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- Be Careful When Agreeing to Terms and Conditions chapter 55
6. Liyue Branch (2)
The wild boar meat in Spring Water Village was special. Thanks to know-how accumulated over a long period of time, the wild boars of Saemmul Village grow while maintaining a certain number of wild boars in specific hunting grounds. The wild boars raised in this way maintained their wild nature, but boasted excellent meat quality because they were raised in a well-maintained breeding environment like livestock.
Nevertheless, the reason why Saemmul Village’s wild boar meat was not very famous on the Tivat continent was entirely because Saemmul Village was a small village. The hunters of Saemmul Village were skilled at hunting wild boars, but they did not know how to use it for business.
Of course, despite its limitations, the wild boar meat of Saemmul Village had a certain level of reputation. No matter how hard you tried to hide it, you couldn’t hide the taste. In particular, in Mond’s culinary world, where freshness is important, wild boar meat from Saemmul Village was one of the popular ingredients.
However, compared to the fame he enjoys now, his previous fame was nothing more than a peripheral honor. The gastronomic center of the Tivat continent is Liyue. In Liyue Port, which has the continent’s best trading port, cuisines from numerous cultures coexisted, competed, and survived. And the food ingredients that are renowned there can truly become food ingredients recognized throughout the Tivat continent.
When demand soars, its value also increases. Moreover, my name was widely known in the Liyue gastronomy world. If I were to apply the ‘backpack’ function again and sell ultra-fresh wild boar meat, not only would I be able to make a lot of profit, but it would also be a good opportunity to make my name known in the Liyue commercial world once again.
For the top to take root, trust was important. And although fame did not immediately lead to credit, it goes without saying that there was a certain degree of correlation. Therefore, I could say that it was necessary for me to stay at Mr. Duraf’s house today.
It was never to taste the skills of Mr. Duraf’s daughter, ‘Diona’. Yes, I just wanted to hear the story about whether it was a ‘cooking competition’ or something.
I made an excuse and served a plate to someone I didn’t know. There were a variety of dishes that could be made with wild boar meat from Saemmul Village, but the one I cooked most often was “Pile High.” It was a delicacy where you could feel the unique soft texture of Saemmul Village wild boar meat and the contrasting rough flavor with the moist meat juice. You could add flavor and richness with cheese or potatoes.
What was served as a side menu was ‘Satisfaction Salad’. Originally, my ideal combination was “Stacked high,” Fertile vegetable wrap, and dandelion wine, but today we had special guests, so I decided to serve a special Mond-style salad.
Making the salad was simple. All you had to do was wash the fresh vegetables thoroughly, sprinkle dressing on them, and top them with boiled potatoes, licorice, which is an essential part of Mond’s home cooking, and soft-boiled eggs. The fluffy boiled potatoes contrast with the crunchy texture of the vegetables, bringing out the flavor of the green vegetables and adding to the feeling of fullness. The soft boiled egg gave a soft, not dry feeling along with the rich flavor of the yolk.
Duraf was already looking at the food I served with expectant eyes. He had already tasted Xiangling’s cuisine with me before. At that time, the hunters in Sammul Village, including Mr. Duraf, praised the “High Stack” I made, saying it was “The best thing they’ve ever eaten.” So the reaction wasn’t strange.
In fact, it was the two kids who were looking at me with strange eyes. In Saemmul Village, which is now overflowing with tourists, there was no accommodation, so residents who had spare rooms in their houses used to receive guests. Naturally, there were several guests from Liyue at the house of Mr. Duraf, who could be considered the head of the hunters in Spring Water Village.
Among them all, the one who looked at me with the most curiosity was a little boy named ‘Hee-ah’. She was a girl, and the fact that she called herself a ‘gourmet’ made me think she was from Liyue. As soon as she heard that I was staying at Mr. Duraf’s house for the night, she came in begging me to let her sleep in the barn.
As soon as she saw me, her eyes lit up. It seemed like he knew me well.
“You are the famous ‘Siwoo’. The skill of Liyue’s Hyangneung was recognized as a rival, and Wangsaengdang’s guest view was evaluated as comparable to Yuurijeong and Shinwolheon. “I’m looking forward to it.”
It seemed like there were a lot of things the little boy had heard of somewhere. However, unless she was a mature woman like Director Jin or Sister Kamwoo, she could not have given me much inspiration. I just cleared my throat, feeling a little embarrassed that my skills, which were merely borrowed from the ‘cooking’ function, were being evaluated so highly.
And the other little girl who looked at me strangely, she was ‘Diona’. She is the daughter of Mr. Du Laf and the signature bartender of ‘Cat Tail Bar’, which is on par with ‘Angel’s Share’ in the Mond liquor industry. She was so popular that even though she had been playing for more than a week in Saemmul Village last time, she was so rare that we couldn’t even see her face.
When I saw Diona, my first impression was that it was ‘small.’ Although I used to call Fisle ‘little one,’ she was still a woman who went out where she had to go and went in where she should go. If Fissle was a girl with a fresh charm, Diona was literally a ‘little girl.’ In terms of her age, she was closer to Klee.
That little kid is a bartender who dominates the Mond liquor industry. If it were real, she would have nothing to say even if she was accused of child abuse. Aside from that, it was a style that middle-aged people would like.
Pink hair reminiscent of animal fur, cat ears and tail. And there was something about her tied up bangs and cat-like pale green eyes that touched the hearts of middle-aged people who happened to have daughters. Because it was cute.
The only question she had was that she was looking at me with wary eyes, even though she was probably meeting me for the first time. It felt like I could hear a purring sound.
“…… Well, is there anything you don’t like?”
I asked as if I was scolding a child. Mr. Duraf just had an embarrassed smile on his face. Dio I calmly shook her head and turned around.
“Hmph, I heard. “I heard you’re helping Dyruk feed Mond’s liquor industry?”
I put the last plate down on the table and went to my seat next to Mr. Duraf. And I crossed my arms. It was a sign that I still didn’t understand.
“No, you’re also a member of the Mond liquor industry, right? And the only thing I did was sell the Daun Winery’s alcohol, which happened to be in stock, in Liyue.”
“That’s it!”
Diona cried out in a fit of laughter at my humility. She slammed her small hand down on the table. Well, since her hands were small, it didn’t make much noise. I looked at Diona with eyes watching her little boy’s cute antics.
Diona was amused by my lukewarm eyes and let out a soft snort again.
“Alcohol is everyone’s enemy… No matter how great a person is, if he drinks alcohol, he is no different from a wild boar! So, one day, I will ruin Mond’s liquor industry.”
At her confident declaration, I cast my gaze at Mr. Duraf without saying a word. Mr. Du Raph shook his head with a wry smile. I don’t know what it means, but it seemed like there was a reason. Since I had no interest in meddling in other people’s family affairs, I recommended it to people who were only looking at me blankly.
“Yes, yes. “Shall we eat first?”
“…… “You don’t believe it at all!”
Diona’s voice of injustice burst out, but she could not be heard by those who were already drooling over her. The meal started immediately. Dionado must have thought that she had no choice, so she sat down and picked up her fork and knife.
It didn’t take long for small exclamations to come out of the mouths of those who started eating. Mr. Du Raph also nodded his head with a satisfied smile. The eyes of her little boy named Hee-ah, who volunteered to be a gourmet, opened wide.
Diona, with her innocent face, began to look around when her people’s reactions were unusual. And then she cut off a layer of the “High pile” That was placed on her plate with a questioning look on her face. It was a single layer of steak, cheese, and potatoes.
And the moment she ate that piece, Diona’s cat-like ears perked up. Her eyes were round.
It looks delicious, I thought as I sliced a layer on my plate. And without hesitation, I moved the sliced piece to my mouth.
It had a soft and fluffy texture. As soon as she chewed, the juices that had burned her outer surface overflowed and soaked her tongue. What decorated the savory taste of the steak and the feast of moist meat was the unique salty taste and intense flavor of the cheese. And what do fluffy potatoes taste like? The unique, subtle savory flavor of potatoes permeated through the intensity was like pure white drawing paper that allowed the colorful flavors to stand out.
The salad was crunchy. The refreshing water washes away your greasy tongue, and the sweet and sour dressing whets your appetite again. The fresh scent of sliced apples blended well with the refreshing scent of the salad. The eggs added a soggy flavor to the salad, which may have lacked weight.
“Wow, it’s delicious…” ….”
A single sentiment flowed from Diona’s mouth. And that was probably the sentiment that everyone here was thinking about right now. The ‘cooking’ function never fails. And I don’t know if it’s my mood, but lately my cooking has been becoming more and more precise.
In the past, it felt like my body was simply moving as it pleases, but now it feels like I am following its actions and controlling them. Perhaps, I didn’t know that more autonomous movements were possible in cooking when I had become so good at it that I didn’t need any corrections. Of course, it was a matter that needed further confirmation.
Duraf’s impressions of playing with the fork and knife in silence for a while supported my guess.
“…… Wow, that’s amazing. Siwoo. “I’m not sure, but I think it’s better than last time.”
I felt a little proud of those words. Of course, I don’t know if the ‘cooking’ function has evolved or if my skills have improved, but it’s always nice to hear that my skills are improving.
I don’t know why. I felt like cooking had become distant from my daily life these days, but before I knew it, I was cooking in the kitchen again. And since he was happy that his cooking skills had improved, it seemed that Hyangneung had caught the ‘chef disease’.
But I never forgot to understand the topic. Anyway, there was no change in the fact that I was only half-baked with the ‘cooking’ function. Even if my skills improved, it was not obtained through blood and sweat, but through an expedient act called the ‘cooking’ skill.
But no matter how I felt, the taste of food never spoke of complex circumstances. Hee-ah’s body trembled.
“Oh, this can’t be right…” It’s really better than most restaurants in Liyue… ….”
It seems that Hee-ah had a strong sense of pride in ‘Liyue food’. No matter how widely my name spread in the Liyue gourmet world, you couldn’t know what my skills were until you tried it. I guess deep down, I thought I might be a step behind Li Yue, but my ‘cooking’ skill was, as I said, an ability that had even been recognized by Xiangling.
Of course, I wasn’t that great. Then, I took out the glass of alcohol I had been waiting for. There was a bartender at the famous ‘Cattail Bar’. No drinking here? That was nonsense. This was the reason why I deliberately coated my stomach with fatty foods.
However, whether or not there was a conversation between adults through eye contact, Diona was hastily putting meat into her mouth and Hee-ah was muttering something of her own.
“I thought Mond was a little inferior to Liyue food, which emphasizes the freshness and taste of ingredients and adds aroma and taste in various ways… But, in fact, one way is to best preserve the original taste of the ingredients…… ?”
First of all, Hee-ah said she was muttering something unintelligible, so she decided to ignore it. Instead, I handed the glass to Diona, who was melting down on the chair with a satisfied smile like a well-fed cat, as if she was somewhat full.
D.O. Then I said, “Oops,” And took her place right away. She looked at me warily again. However, after he showed his relaxed appearance like before, I thought it was just cute.
“So, you can show off the bartending skills that Cattail Bar is proud of, right? “You’ve already seen my skills once.”
When I spoke in an uncharacteristically provocative tone, Diona looked at me with a sallow look on her face, and she snorted, hmm.
She took out her shaker, as if she had been preparing it in advance. It was a thoroughly cleaned shaker with no stains. Although he said that he would ‘destroy Mond’s liquor industry’, he surprisingly seemed to have a sense of professionalism. She started adding unidentifiable ingredients to the bottles of alcohol I gave her.
It seemed like things like ‘pickled peppers’ and ‘lizard tail’ were also included. Surely not? I decided not to believe it, so I turned around and talked to Mr. Duraf and other guests from Liyue.
The guests from Liyue also seemed to know my name. It was around this time that we were talking about the recent trends in Liyue’s commercial world, passing off the barrage of compliments that were pouring in with an awkward smile.
With a thud, the glasses were placed on the table. Dio seemed familiar and pushed her glass away. Then, as if by magic, an ice path like light dew formed under the table, and the drinking glasses were delivered to each person.
It was amazing workmanship. ‘God’s eyes’, I looked at Diona with a look of surprise. I couldn’t have guessed that that little boy was hiding such skills. It was right to assume that anyone with the ‘Eyes of God’ would basically be no match for someone like me.
Anyway, Diona was looking at me with a slightly smug and slightly expectant expression. His face looked like he was thinking of some kind of naughty prank, but I gave him a slightly suspicious look and shared a glass with the guests, including Mr. Duraf.
And a glass of alcohol went straight down my throat. It was a bad habit I learned while drinking with Tartaglia. Did they say that at Snezhnaya, when welcoming a guest, you must drink the first drink in one go? Cocktails were drinks that had to be savored little by little, but since there was a lot of alcohol, I decided to think it was okay.
It didn’t take long for my eyes to open. It was sweet. And that lingering scent that touches the tip of your nose in a cool yet spicy way. It blended exquisitely with the scent of alcohol and completely erased the unpleasant aftertaste.
I couldn’t help but admire it. Suddenly, I saw Diona again.
“…… Hey, it’s delicious?”
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“Eck.”
However, Diona’s reaction was unexpected. She made a lethargic sound in response to my reaction, as if something was wrong with her. Diona’s voice praising her skills continued.
“It is indeed a country of alcohol, and there is something to learn from the capital of Mond. “I feel like my insight, which was confined to Liyue, has expanded.”
“hahahahaha, my daughter’s skills are quite amazing.”
When the elderly Liyue merchant spoke in a voice full of admiration, Mr. Duraf, who can be said to be the epitome of a fool, was flattered and accepted the words. The more this happened, the more Diona’s shoulders slumped. She looked downcast.
“…… “Hmph, I failed again.”
However, the adults, who were starting to get excited as the alcohol started to pour in, had no reason to pay attention to what Diona was doing. I walked over to Diona’s downcast side and put down her bottle. It wasn’t Diona who didn’t know what that meant.
She looked at me with her downcast gaze. I patted her shoulder proudly.
“You… You said you were going to ruin Mond’s liquor industry, but your sincerity was evident in your drinking. Actually, I loved Mond’s liquor more than anyone else… Ah, ouch! Moo, don’t bite! Mr. Duraf! Ta, your daughter is biting me!”
Then, Diona, who was glaring at me, slapped my hand and bit my hand, but the atmosphere at her drinking party was cheerful. This was because the delicious alcohol Diona made was more valuable than that.
The wound caused by the bite was quickly healed with the newly made ‘mushroom chicken skewers’ as a snack. Afterwards, Dio I tried all kinds of new things in front of us, as if she was feeling better, but the taste was always so good that she became depressed again.
After several drinks, the night got deeper and Hee-ah and Diona went to bed. Now the time to become an adult has begun. As I sipped Diona’s last glass of cocktail, I brought her to the point.
“Now that I think about it, Mr. Duraf, what do you mean by ‘cooking competition’?”
Hearing those words, not only Mr. Duraf but also the eyes of the guests from Liyue turned to me as if they were interested. These were people who came here because they loved gourmet food. And people who crossed the border even though the road that was destroyed by the storm had not yet been restored.
It was easy to guess that they were people with some degree of wealth. And in Liyue, where the golden rule prevailed, people with a lot of wealth meant that they had a certain degree of influence. They were showing interest.
Yes, night was the time for adults. Even drinking parties were no exception.
When I asked the question in an off-the-cuff manner, Mr. Duraf looked at me with a slightly intoxicated look. And he nodded, as if he remembered something.
“Yes, Brooke has been saying that she would like to compete with you even before that. Don’t you remember? The cook of our spring water village. I think Brook must have been very stimulated by ‘Seuvid’ or something, but wouldn’t Brook need to take a break from the store for a few days to find ingredients and come up with a dish? Then, the amount of supplies Brooke needs to take will skyrocket, so it wouldn’t be a bad idea for you to take it.”
It would have been absurd to close a restaurant while business was normally doing well. But that was just the opinion of a businessman like me. People like Hyangneung and Brook were true craftsmen. People who have worked hard their whole lives to cook and are proud of their skills.
Brooke’s ‘cooking competition’ was a battle of pride. So it was a possibility that Brooke would close the restaurant for a few days. No, if Mr. Duraf said something like that, it was safe to say that it was almost certain.
Duraf’s suggestion was a bright idea. Surely, if I do that, I can secure the quantity and Brooke can be satisfied as well. And the event called ‘Cooking Competition’ could attract the attention of quite a few people, even if they didn’t know it. Although it may be a little quiet for a few days since Brook’s Restaurant is closed, in the long run, it was beneficial for the spring water village.
But something was boring. Just me and Brooke competing over cooking? It was no different from the last match between Hyangneung and Brook. The fight between Hyangneung and Brook happened so suddenly, and the fight between the two was a battle of pride as chefs. So there was no room for business involvement in it.
But I was a businessman. Pride in cooking? There wasn’t. I could immediately admit that Brooke was a better cook than me if she asked me to. Because it was true. The reason I decided to participate in a cringy event called a ‘cooking competition’ was because there were benefits that came with it.
Then there was only one thing I could do. All you had to do was adjust your plan to get more profits.
“…… “Then how about this?”
Mr. Duraf’s eyes turned towards me with a question in mind. The guests from Liyue were also waiting for me to open my mouth, as if they were having fun. I spoke calmly, pretending I had no ulterior motive.
“Let’s raise the board.”
Several things started rolling around in my head. First of all, population movement was reduced due to the Wind Demon Dragon incident, and as usual, this reduced population movement led to an increase in travel demand. And more than anything, the people of Mond wanted to somehow shake off the dark memories of the Wind Demon Dragon incident. This would be the same for the Knights of Pebonius and the cathedral.
In addition, the spring water village was not only close to Mond Castle and Daun Winery, but was also crowded with tourists from Liyue. The rumor would spread in an instant. This could be seen just by looking at the eyes of the Li Yue guests present.
How can we not spread this exciting news? They were gourmets.
“Let’s make it a ‘festival,’ not just a ‘cooking competition.’”
Yes, ‘festival.’
The people of Mond would be able to shake off their dark memories, and the people of Liyue would be able to experience the gourmet cuisine of Mond.
And if my upper body could fit in between them, I thought with a smile on my face. In complete contrast to last time, Mr. Duraf was just looking at me with a puzzled look on his face.
**
A few days have passed since then. I was busy at Mond Castle. Preparation for the festival took time. It took time for the rumor to spread, and it was also important to receive cooperation from the Knights of Pevonius and the Cathedral.
The fortunate thing was that both the Knights Templar and the cathedral were first to welcome the sound of ‘festival’. And for the first time in a long time, Mond Castle, which had been stagnant, was abuzz with interesting rumors. Mond’s ‘Gourmet Festival’ seemed to be a proposal that appealed to the people of Mond, whose daily routine was to drink and sing like the Windbloom Festival or Harpastum Festival.
Time was running out. It was about a month, and I thought I would have to visit Liyue one more time during that time. There were people I needed to meet, and there wasn’t enough time right now to spend a whole month just preparing for the festival.
There were less than a few months left until Liyue’s ‘Cheongshin Ceremony’, which could be considered an important national event. Lumine’s goal was to participate in the ceremony. Until then, I had planned to complete preparations to support Lumine by setting up a branch in Liyue.
At Mond, there was a talented person who I could trust and leave to the top even if I was away. Needless to say, it was Mona.
However, Mona quickly became pouty at my request. The reason was truly shocking.
“Then I have to stay away from Siwoo for a while, right?”
I had no choice but to make an embarrassed face. For me, the only person I could ask for right away was Mona. However, the reason for his refusal was not for any other reason, but ‘he didn’t want to be away from me’. He said he was scared of women in love, but this was the first time I had experienced such a blatant attack of affection.
In the end, I had no choice but to sigh. Then he asked Mona again.
“Mona… You know that you are the only person I can trust, right? Instead, I will give you generous compensation…….”
“The compensation has been paid.”
I took a deep breath at Mona’s words. I can’t believe Mona rejects Mora. Mona was shocked at my reaction and glared at me.
“It’s done. Why? Money can be everything for me… “You didn’t think she was that kind of woman, did you?”
“Oh, no. Well, that can’t be… ha ha ha… ….”
I couldn’t help but smile awkwardly, feeling prickly. Mona, who was glaring at me with a suspicious gaze, soon shook her head as if she had no choice.
And when she opened her eyes again, there was a mischievous look in her pale green jade eyes.
“The repairs were made, but instead… ….”
At the same time, Mona slowly turned her head and tapped her cheek with her index finger. Her soft, soft cheeks changed shape as my fingers pressed on them.
“…… “If you give me a kiss on the cheek, there’s nothing I can’t do for you, right?”
Mona’s eye smile that followed took my breath away. Looking again, Mona was an attractive woman. So much so that she doesn’t understand why a woman of this caliber would hang her neck on me.
But no matter how attractive Mona was, she couldn’t make any more mistakes. To be honest, I was a little hesitant, but I eventually came to my senses and succeeded in shaking her head.
“Mona, don’t make fun of me.”
“…… “Chi, I’ll be waiting for Si-woo the whole time, so you can’t even give me this much?”
Mona’s expression became pouty again. Her grunting voice was full of dissatisfaction. I thought about what to do, and then said as if there was nothing I could do.
“Let’s think about it when we get back. “I don’t know about kissing.”
“…… “When you come back?”
Mona nodded at what I said and looked at my face quietly. She looked a little dissatisfied, but that didn’t seem to mean she was going to refuse my request from the beginning. Mona eventually nodded her head. Instead, as she raised her body, she whispered in my ear.
“Be prepared, because when I come back, I will make up for the time I missed.”
So, it was decided that Mona would take charge of the headquarters in Mond for a while. And she planned to ask Fissle for directions to Liyue. I was planning on going on a regular flight anyway, but I thought I would at least feel like I was going on an outing with Piseul for the first time in a while.
Recently, Fissle seemed to feel left out between Lumine and Mona, who suddenly approached her while she was away. So I had no choice but to take care of it. Because Fissle was a precious colleague to me. And the longer we were alone, the more we would be able to say things that we couldn’t say when we were together with Lumine or Mona. Because Fissle was shy.
Come to think of it, when Fiesl returned from his first journey up the mountain, he said he would grant him a ‘wish’, but Fiesl still had not said his ‘wish’. On this occasion, she decided to grant Fisle’s wish if she could.
Once things got on track, time passed in an instant. It was another hectic day.
I stopped by the bathroom and heard a strange squeaking sound. It was a sound coming from the first floor. It sounded like a door hinge that wasn’t properly oiled.
I probably locked the door before going to sleep, but I felt puzzled and went down to the restaurant. There, as I expected, there was a door that creaked open. Only it wasn’t the front door like I thought, it was the back door. Door leading to the backyard.
As I stepped through the gap where the moonlight seeped in, the cool night air penetrated my disheveled clothes. I looked around and soon found her sitting in her backyard.
The light golden hair was shining as it meekly accepted the moonlight. Those amber eyes, looking up at the night sky, had a beautiful color as if they had been cast by melting gold bars. She was sitting on the rock, looking up at the sky in silence, running her delicate hands through the side of her hair.
Lumine, I muttered her name in my mind. Sometimes Lumine would look up at the night sky like this without saying anything. Every time that happened, her complexion would reveal a sadness and loneliness that could not be hidden. And even longing for someone.
There was no need to ask her who she was thinking about and whether she was missing her.
She was separated from her family, whom she had spent her entire life with. I could only guess what that sense of loss would be like. However, I remembered the day I lost my parents. The day I was left alone in the world, I felt like I was suffering from a terrible fever. My head was dizzy and my heart was heavy. At that time, I thought I had become emotionally dry. Because I didn’t even shed any tears.
However, I suffered from severe insomnia for several months after that, and it was only when my parents appeared every time I had a dream that I realized. Actually, I was very sick. It hurt so much that I had no choice but to half-heartedly accept the breakup, just as I couldn’t feel anything when the pain reached its peak.
I walked to Lumine’s side without saying a word and sat down on the rock. This was the rock where Venti used to sit astride and play her harp. When I sat down, it was big enough for two people. I also looked at the night sky in silence.
There were stars in the sky. It was a bright light like white paint scattered on black drawing paper. So, every time I looked at the night sky, I realized that this was not reality, but the continent of Tivat. Seoul, where I lived, was a city where stars did not rise even at night.
How much time had passed? Lumine, who was looking up at the night sky, turned to me. She smiled slightly. Unlike usual, it was a helpless gesture.
“You’re awake, Siwoo.”
“…… Yeah, it just so happened. “Maybe it’s because the moon is bright.”
Lumine did not criticize me despite my lame excuses. He just smiled faintly and looked up at the sky again.
How long would that be? I cautiously opened my mouth.
“What kind of person was your brother?”
Lumine paused as if thinking about what I said. Then she thought of something and smiled bitterly.
“…… He was a pleasant person. “He was very playful, and yet there was always a constant stream of people around him.”
At the same time, she cast her gaze into the air as if reminiscing something about herself. Lumine’s eyes deepened. A little further in the past, her eyes must have been following something about her.
“But actually, I didn’t like people. Men look at me with dangerous eyes… But since I have an older brother, it’ll be okay. “I was thinking so.”
Then Lumine’s gaze shifted to me. Lumine’s eyes and mine met. With those sad eyes, I couldn’t say anything.
Lumine bathed in moonlight was more beautiful than under the sun. I remembered the day I first saw Lumine’s sad eyes. Even back then, Lumine was beautiful, and even more than that, she looked dangerous. So I may have thought about it without thinking about it.
I will protect Lumine from now on. For an ordinary person with no power, it was quite a cheeky promise.
“One day, I was alone. Isn’t it funny? In the end, my brother is my brother, and I am just me…….”
I thought. Lumine is actually not a very strong person. She had an unbreakable heart more than anyone else, and although she treated people with a kind heart and achieved heroic feats, her essence was ultimately hidden within that shell.
A sick and lonely girl is here. Lumine’s head fell onto my shoulder. The fragile weight of her leaning against you, the subtle warmth conveyed.
I held Lumine’s hand in hers without saying anything. And I looked up at the sky.
I hope that one day, Lumine will be able to rely on me with her heart.
“…… “Siwoo.”
When I turned her gaze, Lumine’s scarlet eyes were staring at me. Her lips were so close that my breath could overlap at any moment.
Lumine smiled. It was a mysterious smile, a mixture of sorrow and unknown emotions.
“Would you like to go on a date tomorrow?”
Of course, I couldn’t refuse.