༺ Festival (3) ༻
Renee mindlessly moved her body.
She just tapped her cane and walked like a robot.
Then she became worried. Were her hands sweating? Was her expression stiff? Was her way of walking weird?
Since she couldn’t check Vera’s reaction, she was worried about even the smallest things.
‘Ah…’
She involuntarily lowered her head, her cheeks burning. Perhaps her whole face was blushing.
I have to ‘pretend’ to be relaxed… but it seems that hiding it is impossible because I have to tuck my hair behind my ears to emphasize the neck.
While she was thinking like that, Vera spoke.
“…We have arrived.”
Renee raised her head in surprise.
“Already?”
It didn’t seem like they walked that much, but they had already arrived. At the words she made with that thought, Vera replied with a firm voice.
“Yes, the 3rd and 5th Street are within a twenty minute walking distance.”
Twenty minutes.
Had she been embarrassed for such a long time?
Renee’s face was filled with a dismayed expression at the thought.
“Uh… Should we go in then?”
Get your act together. Didn’t you promise to make some progress today?
“Yes, then this way.”
Renee gathered her composure and followed Vera’s guidance into the restaurant.
***
The 5th Street of the Imperial Capital was where one can taste all kinds of high-end dishes, and was also called Gourmet Street.
[Whispers of Salt] was one of the best high-end restaurants there.
After entering that place, Vera led Renee to the window seat that he had reserved on the second floor.
The tables were lined up along the window, so they had to sit next to each other.
Because Renee had various inconveniences while eating, they couldn’t go to a table facing each other, so he deliberately chose this seat.
After they sat at the reserved table, Vera let his breath out as quietly as possible so that Renee wouldn’t notice.
It was because his left chest felt stuffy.
They walked hand in hand as always and it wasn’t the first time for them to walk together in the Imperial Capital, but he felt nervous for some reason and could hardly calm down.
Vera glanced and looked at Renee’s profile sitting next to him.
Her hair was gently tucked behind her ears, revealing a visible line.
It started from the round forehead and crossed over the straight nose bridge, down to the red lips all the way to the sharp and thin jawline. If you follow the line all the way, you can see the similarly thin white earlobes and the white nape.
‘…A mole.’
At the point where the end of the chin meets the nape of the neck, a small dot was stamped there.
His gaze that was secretly peeping was blatantly directed at that mole before he knew it.
While he was staring at that spot…
“Vera?”
Vera’s body flinched a Renee’s call.
Belatedly, he felt embarrassed.
The blind Renee probably didn’t know where he was looking, but regardless of that, he felt like he was ‘caught in the act’ and felt guilty.
“Yes.”
His voice came out very stiff.
Vera waited for her response, scolding himself for not being more alert.
Renee raised the corners of her mouth slightly, a dimpled smile spreading across her face before she spoke.
“How does the atmosphere here feel?”
She asked, keeping in mind the ‘Art of Seduction’ that she had learned from Annie.
Vera felt his chest tightening again at that, and he hastily looked around.
“The interior is mainly decorated with a combination of white and gray. The material is… rock. I’m guessing that it’s probably marble. There are about twenty tables visible, plus maybe five more if you count the long tables by this window, so the second floor alone can hold twenty-five tables. You can see apricot-colored magic lights everywhere. The light reflected on the glittering marble is creating a quite faint atmosphere.”
Oh, fortunately I didn’t stutter.
With a small sigh of relief, Vera cleared his throat.
“What about the sound of music I’m hearing right now? Is there a performer by any chance?”
“It’s a magic tool. I believe it was submitted as a graduation project from the Academy’s Department of Magical Engineering a few years ago then it became popular and is being used this way.”
“Magical engineering? Wow, that’s amazing.”
Vera replied with a nod as Renee stroked the handle of her cane that was leaning against her chair.
“Yes, since it is practical, it’s expected that there will be more amazing items in the future.”
There was actually such a saying.
It was said that if magical engineering developed further, the continent’s way of life would change in the next fifty years.
Of course, it was a speculation that went to naught as the Demon King reduced the continent into nothing but a wasteland.
“Hmm…”
Renee nodded to Vera’s words and suddenly asked a question.
“I wonder if there will be something that can help blind people see?”
Vera’s fingertips trembled and his gaze turned to Renee. It was to examine whether she was showing a sad face or whether she had a bitter feeling in her heart.
Silence naturally fell between the two.
Vera bit his lips slightly before finally breaking the silence.
“…It will definitely be developed. If it’s not, I will go and order it to be made.”
“Pfft– what’s that?”
An airy laugh escaped Renee’s mouth.
Meanwhile, gratitude bubbled up inside her.
She knew that Vera, who was always serious about everything, wouldn’t say that as a joke.
Renee, who was smiling in gratitude and excitement for his firm attitude of saying that he would go that far for her, continued her words in a slightly mischievous tone.
“Are you going to threaten them?”
Vera felt his conscience being pricked. This was because he was actually considering such a method.
Wasn’t it true, though? After all, scholars were human beings who would create anything if they were pressured.
Although it was a statement that he had spat out based on his experience in dealing with such types of people in his past life, Vera realized a little too late that it was ‘not the right thing to do’ and bit his tongue.
Renee giggled at Vera’s attitude of keeping his mouth shut, and this time spoke in a lower voice as if whispering.
“If it doesn’t exist, I can just live without it.”
“However…”
“Vera will show me the way, right?”
Renee cut off his rebuttal and continued. She felt a pleasant sensation rising at Vera’s flinching presence. Her face was getting redder.
“…You promised to stay by my side, remember?”
Those were the words Vera said in Remeo three years ago.
In addition, those words were like a treasure that has not faded at all even after so many years passed.
Did Vera know how much those words meant to her, when he said that he would live for her?
“It’s okay if I can’t see, because I’m used to it.”
After saying that, Renee took a breath for a moment and added in a quiet voice.
“Vera will show me the way, I can live like this.”
Her words were not just simply about the visual part, but also came with a bit of the feelings that she had hidden inside her.
At that, Vera’s pupils trembled slightly.
Even though she was absolutely right, and even though there was no room for other intentions in the context of the conversation…
Those words felt harsh somehow and made him feel like his insides were burning.
“…Yes, that is correct.”
Vera replied, fiddling with his glass of water in an attempt to calm his nerves.
“I will always be by the Saint’s side.”
Vera carried on with his words and gulped down a lot of water. However, he still felt hot inside. Even though he drank cold water, he still wasn’t calming down.
His gaze, which had been directed towards Renee just a moment ago, was now looking out the window. His expression crumpled. He did it because if he didn’t, he wouldn’t be able to control his expression, and it would have been too embarrassing.
It was a pathetic attempt to keep his embarrassment from showing, but unfortunately, Renee could feel Vera’s embarrassment.
From his tone, the rustling movement, or the gulping sound of drinking water.
Despite the sounds of other guests talking nearby or the music playing in the restaurant, Renee’s senses were solely focused on Vera.
Renee’s world was filled with only Vera.
Suddenly, Renee felt a small pang of regret.
‘I want to see his expression.’
What kind of expression is Vera making right now? What color is his face? Where is he looking at?
She was also curious about a lot more than those.
She needed all the visual information about the person named Vera.
Although she said that it was okay even if she couldn’t see, it was still unfortunate that she couldn’t see him.
She just wanted to see Vera, not the world.
Renee felt such a regret.
***
Even though his heart was in a mess and his thoughts were not organized well, the meal was delicious.
At least, Vera thought so.
‘It’s been almost ten years.’
It had been a long time since he had eaten a multi-course meal like this. In the previous life, he couldn’t eat it because he ran away after the rise of the Demon King, and in this life, he couldn’t eat it because he didn’t have a chance.
Thinking of the joy of indulging in gourmet food after a long time, Vera passed the steak he had cut to Renee.
“Try this, too.”
“Ah, thank you.”
Renee smiled, grabbed the fork, carefully dipped the steak with Vera’s guidance and put it in her mouth.
She chewed slowly, taking a moment to chew and feel the taste of the steak.
‘It’s delicious, but…’
It tasted kind of boring.
Such an impression came to her mind.
If she had to express it, it can be evaluated as an ‘expensive taste’.
‘I think the soup that Marie made tastes better.’
I liked it because it was stimulating.
‘Should I ask her to make it one more time before we go?’
To borrow Vera’s words, the ‘twisted gourmet’ Renee chewed and swallowed the steak while recalling such thoughts but soon shook them off.
‘Well, the atmosphere is good though.’
Perhaps the reason why this place is famous is because of the atmosphere.
The gentle sound of a song or the warm sensation. According to Vera, the interior was also quite well done, so it would be fair to say that this restaurant was a place that set the atmosphere for celebrations.
Renee smiled a little at those thoughts.
It was a smile that came up from the excitement of knowing that Vera had taken today’s outing seriously.
Of course, Vera, unaware of her feelings, was in the middle of judging that Renee liked the meal as she smiled while eating the steak.
“Excuse me.”
The waitress said as she approached.
Vera asked as he watched the sherbet served on the table by the waitress.
“What is this made of?”
It was a question he had asked because the color was so unique. A sparkling ice cream with a white glow. When he asked a question that came up because he had never seen it here in his previous life, the waitress smiled and answered.
“This is a new menu developed by the Chef. It was inspired by the miracle that appeared in the sky of the Imperial Capital not too long ago.”
Flinch—
Renee’s shoulders flinched at the waitress’s words because she felt a bit embarrassed.
“…Thank you.”
She said it unintentionally when she heard that the sherbet was inspired by her, but the waitress, who didn’t know that Renee was the Saint, just tilted her head.
“Please tell him that we will enjoy the food.”
“Oh, yes. Then have a good time.”
The waitress left at Vera’s handling, and soon after, an awkward air began to rise between the two.
“Hm, it’s embarrassing.”
“I think it’s something to be proud of.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, for a chef, a menu is like an art containing personal philosophy, so wouldn’t it be the same as saying that by the creation of this menu, the Saint has become the muse of that art?”
A muse.
Renee, who became more embarrassed by the excessive praise, changed the topic with an awkward smile.
“Then let’s try it.”
Feeling as if she would die of embarrassment if she listened to it any longer, Renee scooped the sherbet with a spoon and put it in her mouth. Suddenly, she opened her eyes wide and exclaimed.
“Hm! It’s really good!”
The spicy and salty taste gave her a thrilling sensation.
It was a taste that perfectly hit her preferences.
A natural, bright smile came upon her mouth.
“Vera, try it quickly, too. It’s really good.”
So, this place has good desserts.
As Renee teased her spoon with the thought, Vera gave a small nod and followed suit, scooping up the sherbet.
Soon after…
“Eup…!”
Vera’s expression crumpled.
“It’s delicious, isn’t it?”
Vera looked at Renee with a baffled expression.
Was it strange for him to be angry at the appearance of her waiting for an answer with a face full of expectations?
Unable to meet Renee’s eyes, Vera dropped his gaze to the floor and struggled to spit out his answer.
“…Yes.”
I can’t understand Renee’s tastes no matter how hard I try.
Vera was thinking such thoughts.
