Chapter 16

The next day, no one was waiting for me when I returned home.

Relieved by this, I still glanced around cautiously as I headed to a place other than my house.

In the snow that was slowly accumulating, the sign of the "Amaliris Dining" was lit up. As always, just seeing its light made me feel at ease.

I slid the door open and went inside.

"Welcome, Alicia."

"Good evening."

The one customer who was there seemed to be about to leave. After he finished paying, I opened the door for him, and he bowed. His face was flushed from alcohol.

There were no other customers.

I sat down at the second seat from the right at the counter. I hung my coat on the back of the chair and put my hat and gloves in my bag.

"What would you like today?"

"A white wine and something to go with it. Surprise me."

"Very well."

Emma, with her usual smile, looked beautiful today. The large flower in her hair swayed cutely as she moved.

I picked up the glass placed on the counter, raised it slightly, and brought it to my lips. The scent of flowers filled my nose. The taste was light and sweet. Yes, it was delicious.

"You look tired. Are you okay?"

"I've had a lot going on. But seeing your face cheers me up."

"Oh, that's wonderful."

Emma chuckled and placed a small plate in front of me. The plate contained peanuts, pistachios, and walnuts. I immediately popped a walnut into my mouth. It was salted and very delicious.

The door opened with a creak.

As I was putting a peanut in my mouth, I saw Noah shaking the snow off his head as he entered.

"Hey."

"Good evening. We seem to be meeting a lot lately."

"I come here quite often."

"Do you come to see me?"

"Cooking is a hassle."

Noah laughed and pulled out the chair next to me. He neatly folded his coat and hung it on the back of the chair before sitting down.

"Emma, I'll have an ale. And bring out something random."

"Sure thing."

The master nodded from behind Emma.

He's as quiet as ever, but his gaze on Emma is always gentle.

"How's your cold? Did it get better?"

"It's much better. Maybe it was the candy that's good for colds."

"That's great. Lemons really do work, huh?"

"Hmm? Yes, I suppose so...?"

How does he know about lemon candy?

While receiving the ale, Noah tilted his head in curiosity.

"I was just wondering how you know about lemon candy."

"Huh? ...I don't know about lemon candy, but Emma made me a drink with lemon and honey."

"Oh, right."

That makes sense. It was delicious and soothing for my throat.

As I nodded in agreement, Noah raised his mug. I raised my glass of white wine, and the clink of the glasses produced a high-pitched sound.

"How have you been lately? Have you settled down?"

"Not really."

"I'll listen to your complaints if you want."

"Thanks. But my complaints have been constant lately. It feels a bit embarrassing."

"Don't worry about it. I'll listen as much as you need."

Noah's thin lips curved into a smile.

His soft voice tickled my ears. ...No, what's wrong with me?

"Thank you. I'll take you up on that."

"Sure. It's interesting to see the different kinds of people in the world."

"Hey, don't enjoy my misfortune."

I glared at him exaggeratedly, and Noah chuckled, shaking his shoulders.

Noah reached for the small plate and picked up a pistachio. He then picked up a walnut, placing it between us for easy access.

...I noticed his beautiful fingers. His long, slightly bony fingers were very handsome. His nails were neatly trimmed, and his palms seemed to be calloused... No, what am I looking at?

I took a big sip of white wine to hide my embarrassment.

"...My ex-fiancé came to my house, but that's fine."

"Is it fine?"

"I didn't see him. The family member who dealt with him was exhausted because they couldn't communicate."

As I said this, a pleasant aroma wafted to my nose. Drawn by the fragrant smell, I looked over the counter and saw Emma holding a steaming plate in both hands.

"Today's special is chicken cooked in red wine."

"Sounds delicious. Emma, I'll have red wine."

"Me too."

"Sure thing."

This definitely calls for red wine.

The plates placed in front of Noah and me contained bone-in chicken, small onions, and mushrooms, all looking incredibly cute.

After folding my hands in prayer, I picked up my knife and fork. The chicken was so tender that the knife slid in easily, and the meat separated from the bone effortlessly.

I took a small piece of meat to my mouth. The aroma of red wine and the juices locked in by cooking combined to create an incredibly delicious flavor.

The meat fell apart in my mouth, and I could taste the savory flavors of the vegetables that had seeped into it.

"Mmm, this is delicious as always."

"Yeah, it's good."

"I'm glad. I also added some diced chicken, which is even more tender because it's from a young bird."

I enjoyed the small onions melting in my mouth and then tried the piece of meat I thought was from the young bird. It was indeed very tender.

"This meat is delicious too!"

"It's good, but I prefer the bone-in. It's more flavorful."

"I understand. Both are delicious."

I took a sip of the red wine placed on the counter, and the spicy aroma filled my mouth. It was a smooth, dry wine, and the breath I exhaled was heavy with alcohol.

"Ah... I'm happiest when I'm eating delicious food."

"You're extra sensitive to it because you're tired."

"That's true. ...I wish I could stay here like this forever."

After leaving here, I'll have to face tomorrow.

Today, I wasn't ambushed, but I don't know about tomorrow.

It's emotionally draining to live with such uncertainty every day.

Without thinking, I let those words slip out, and a warm hand landed on my head. Noah was stroking my hair.

"...Noah is so kind."

"You looked like you were about to cry."

His gentle voice and gentle touch made me feel like I might really cry.

My chest ached. No, I shouldn't be thinking about that. I pushed the thought to the back of my mind and brought the glass to my lips, not removing the hand from my head.