Chapter 333 – Late Night Snack

The moonlit night with few clouds was quiet.

The movements of Seria rolling her eyes and wiping dry needles in silence are clear.

Her dainty hand held the handle of the sword with hesitation, and she let go again and again.

I can feel that her feet are shaking and that she is suppressing her backward steps with reason.

“I want to get along with her Ceria by giving up her reputation and being honest with her… But maybe I have offended her Ceria?”

It is clear that my statement about wanting to live with Seria without her faults was unreasonable. Know.

On the contrary, knowing the power my words had on this girl, she was quite cautious before saying her words.

Considering her relationship with Liline, it is a burden that is no different from coercion on Ceria.

It is clear that affection without respect and understanding falls into the category of violence.

Intimacy without considering location or position can be a one-way street.

So I was cautious.

‘Are you going to be okay?’

I first consulted with Lillyne, who was very worried about Seria, who seemed to be distraught recently.

I reached this point after listening to the opinions of my two friends, Eclair, and Alice.

“I···.”

“Huh.”

Seria’s gaze, which had been meeting her eyes the whole time, was directed to the floor.

Her lips fluttered and she made progress with her voice, catching Roman’s attention.

“My words and actions recently are…”

“Huh.”

There was no urging or questioning.

I quietly waited for Seria to say whatever she wanted.

“Adventurer, I am absolutely not upset or anything like that…!”

“Really?”

“True! Really!”

As Ceria somehow expressed her yes, Roman straightened her knees and stood up.

“If I haven’t done something wrong, I’m relieved.”

“!”

Let’s somehow get the most important point across in a sentence that is almost like a struggle.

Ceria pursed her lips and nodded her head.

“I’m sorry. I caught you during training without even noticing it… So my body must have cooled down.”

The sweat and heat that had soaked Seria’s bangs have completely subsided.

Now it joined with the night wind and tried to take away the warmth that the girl had kept.

“Just a moment.”

Ceria hesitantly extended her hand as Roman took her blanket from the pile on her chair and handed it to her.

“Thank you···.”

A picture of Ceria wearing a blanket like a cloak and the sword in her hand.

Roman asked, hiding his happy smile.

“Do you want to train more?”

“No! I was just trying to move my body a little, so I’m going to wash up and lie down again.”

I felt like a thorn stuck somewhere without even knowing its location was missing.

Thinking that she had cleared up a misunderstanding that had been bothering her, she felt like if she closed her eyes, she would somehow be able to sleep.

“You’ve been tossing and turning lately because you haven’t been able to sleep. Are you okay now?”

“···Oh, maybe.”

She realized that for several days, she had been wandering around her mansion like a sleepwalker, and that her every move was being read.

Ceria’s face lit up with her embarrassment.

Starting from the last dungeon outing, I felt ashamed of Roman for making such a fuss.

“Kitty said she would sleep late today too… Hmm.”

“Yes?”

Roman, who was muttering something and thinking about it, broke his silence and lowered his head.

“If I can’t sleep, should I go outside for some fresh air?”

“W-now?!”

Roman showed a light smile at the girl’s surprised reaction.

“I’m going out at night and eating salty food and coming back. How about it?”

“Snacks…!”

Ceria’s head spun vigorously at her charming invitation.

‘What should I do? What do we do!’

It’s not even evening for Ceria, and she barely remembers wandering around the capital in the early morning hours, at the end of the night.

It was a time when people who made people feel disgusted, regardless of their power, were bustling around, so most people did not go out.

Gangsters, drunkards, robbers, vagrants who insist on asking for a penny, etc.

Maybe it’s because of his small size.

In dark times like now, there were a lot of people giving unpleasant or creepy looks in the alleys.

However.

Even if it is a dirty and dangerous road.

If you’re with a platinum adventurer, wouldn’t you be able to avoid it on your own?

‘···It might be fun?’

I felt hungry because it was salty food, but I didn’t have any negative thoughts that it might be dangerous.

On the contrary, perhaps because of anticipation, my heart was pounding even before I left.

“Everyone is sleeping, should we wake them up?”

Roman, who was scratching his chin and pondering Ceria’s question, shook his head while maintaining her bland smile.

“Let’s go secretly together. Keep it a secret from Lily’s.”

Roman lets out a signal by slightly sticking out his fist with a smile.

“···.”

Seria hesitated for a moment.

She stretched out her tiny fist, which was less than half the size of Roman’s, and bumped it lightly.

Widely!

A cool fist greeting.

With this act, the girl felt like she had broken a wall in her heart.

··
··

Roman goes to Eclair, explains the situation, and waits in the yard.

Only then did the door noisily open.

“Ugh! I’m sorry… You’ve been waiting a long time!”

Ceria finished her shower and whined trying to put on her shoes.

She yelped and jumped to her feet.

“Did her hair dry properly?”

“Yes! It’s a little hot.”

The girl’s skin, which had just washed with hot water, seemed to have not yet become warm.

“Even if it’s a little hot, keep your clothes on. Will it be a big problem if you catch a cold? You need to take a break from the academy as well.”

“You’re going to get scolded by your sister, right? You’re going to be worried, too.”

“Unconditionally.”

A relationship that became easier than before thanks to a few words exchanged on a moonlit night.

The two giggled and moved their feet at the subtly friendly conversation.

Jerk. Jerk. Jerk.

‘It’s quieter than you think? There’s no one in the alley.’

Maybe it’s because the mansion is located in a place with good security.

The pitch-black humans that Seria remembered were nowhere to be seen.

She sees a figure walking next to her and wonders if she was hiding in the dark.

“Oh oh···.”

As soon as I got out onto the main street, I couldn’t hide my curiosity and admiration.

Ceria caught a glimpse of a guard passing by with a torch and moved her gaze around.

“Has Ceria ever come out at this hour?”

“She’s been with her sister twice, right? She has experience, but she came back quickly after seeing it.”

I need some time to close my eyes, so it’s difficult to go too far.

Since Ceria has to go to the academy when the sun rises, it is impossible for her to chat for a long time.

Roman slowed down his walking pace on the wide boulevard that could lead anywhere.

I asked the girl standing on my left.

“If it’s okay with Seria, it seems like it would be okay to go to the Adventurer’s Guild Tavern. Are you interested?”

“Uh, only adventurers can go there, right?”

“It’s no problem. The guild receptionists aren’t that flexible.”

In reality, the receptionists are talented people who have received hardcore training, so they are far from Roman’s sentiments.

They try to follow the manual so as not to be held responsible, but are close to not being flexible enough to look at the situation at each time.

But.

It is also true that if Seria were to accompany Roman, she would pretend not to know and would not get involved.

“Mmm-!”

“Or are the stores right nearby okay? Let’s go where Seria wants to eat.”

“I think-“

It wasn’t unexpected.

The girl who was contemplating with her arms crossed decided not to go to the adventurer’s guild, but to eat something light at a nearby store and go back home.

Roman nodded his head willingly, as the result was somehow expected.

····

A combination of a huge man with a fierce appearance and a small woman who looks quite young.

When two people who are polar opposites enter a tavern.

The clerk was a little embarrassed and guided us to our seats.

Since Roman had no intention of drinking alcohol, he decided to drink the same drink as Seria.

Since it was a late-night snack, I ordered a few spicy dishes that reminded me even more.

“Huh.”

Seria, who sat down in her seat, could not calm down and continued to move her body.

Roman asked, expecting the reason but also trying to start a conversation naturally.

“What’s the matter?”

“···It feels weird to be outside at this time, like it’s a deviation.”

“Sometimes I think this kind of experience is good. It would be difficult if I got into a habit and ran away every day.”

Ceria smiled at Roman’s words.

“That won’t happen. I don’t want to do anything to worry her sister.”

“It’s amazing.”

Among the nobles I met while living in the empire, there were few sisters who got along so well.

In addition, the two sisters in the mansion were the only ones who had the right character by my standards.

It may be so because Eclair and Lily’s sisters are worth imitating.

It felt like Chloe and Ceria were the ideal representation of her younger sister.

“Lily’s is Lilly’s, but Chloe is also a delicate child, so if something happens to Seria…”

“The mansion will flood, right?”

“Maybe that’s not an exaggeration.”

When Roman accepted it, Seria smiled and showed a playful expression.

She lightens the mood with personal jokes.

The clerk she had seen at the entrance approached carrying a heavy wooden tray.

“The dish you ordered has arrived!”

Widely! Widely! Bowls and glasses filled the empty table with noise.

To put it mildly, drinks that are a bit thin, like a mixture of water, are a delicacy at a tavern, and the same goes for spicy dishes.

“It’s been a while since I ate it, so it’s delicious. It reminds me of the old days.”

One-bite dishes that you eat with a fork without a plate in front of you.

The taste of the poor sauce applied here reminds me of the past.

There is a subtle addictiveness to this pungent taste, and Ceria enjoys eating it, smearing the sauce around her mouth.

“Isn’t the food at the guild tavern similar? My sister bought it for me once because I wanted to try it.”

“That’s right. Makes me wonder if the chef is from the same place. When I asked him before, he said he makes the sauce himself.”

The conversation, which was briefly interrupted when the clerk appeared, continued smoothly like a wave.

So we finished the meal.

With only a drink left, Roman smiled and pointed at her face.

“It varies from person to person, but they say hot sauce can sting your skin if you don’t wash it off right away.”

“Oh, thank you···.”

As I handed her the moist cloth, Ceria turned her head as if noticing and wiped it around her lips.

“Left on the right side? It wouldn’t be a perfect crime for Lily’s to leave a trace of the sauce.”

“Here you go?”

“A little bit higher.”

“Hmm…?”

With her words, I felt like I would stab her in the eye.

Seeing Seria’s actions of wasting her time, leaving exactly one space, Roman raised her body.

“Stay still.”

“···!”

Roman came closer and carefully moved his hand to avoid damaging Seria’s skin.

The girl stopped breathing at the soft touch that did not feel like a rough hand.

Those few seconds.

Those few seconds felt like hours.

It felt like it lasted less than a second.

“That’s it. There’s no need to get caught anymore.”

“···.”

“Should I wake up now?”

There was no answer to the question Roman asked as he prepared to return.

“Seria?”