Chapter 19

Fine snow was falling.

Without a hat, it was only natural that a sigh would escape me, as the snow was particularly heavy at such a time.

I hurried along the path to "Amaris亭" (Amaris Tei), careful not to mess up my hairstyle as I brushed the snow from my head.

Usually, I would let my hair down or tie it up in a single ponytail, but today was different. I had braided the hair by my temples and my fringe, and secured it like a headband. The hairpins were gold with a floral design, which I thought suited my young green hair. Although I usually didn’t do this, today I had even loosely curled my hair... in short, I was dressing up.

Why I was doing this... I was also aware that I couldn’t hide it anymore.

I wanted to be seen as cute by that man... and there was only one reason for that. I didn’t know if he would notice or if he would say the words I hoped for, but that was fine.

I wanted to be cute. Just that. It was the first time I felt this way, but it wasn’t a bad feeling.

Today, the sign of "Amaris亭" was lit with a warm light. Just seeing this light made me feel at ease.

When I opened the door and peeked inside, a man with black hair was sitting at the counter. There were no other customers.

“Hey”

“Good evening”

Noah, who turned to face me, smiled.

Noah pulled out the chair next to where he was sitting, and I sat down. I hung my coat on the back of the chair, warmed my slightly cold fingers at my mouth, and I thought I heard a small sigh from beside me.

“...You seem different today”

“Eh, you can tell?”

“With your forehead so exposed”

“Do you have something to say about it?”

“Cute”

My thoughts stopped at the words that were so casually spoken. I stared at Noah, forgetting to blink, and he seemed to find it amusing, shaking his shoulders.

“What kind of face are you making?”

“Well, it’s because Noah was so honest”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

While I shrugged my shoulders exaggeratedly, my lips were already curving into a smile.

He noticed. He called me cute. I was so happy that my heart was beating wildly.

“Welcome, Alicia. Shall I choose for you today?”

“Good evening, Emma. Is this the drink Noah ordered? I was looking forward to it.”

Emma smiled and nodded, placing two tall glasses on the counter. They were filled with a milky white liquid... this was the drink Noah ordered?

Noah took a glass and offered one to me. I accepted it and raised my glass. Noah clinked his glass against mine, and a high-pitched sound echoed in my ears.

“Cheers”

“Sure”

He said he would treat me, but I was curious about what kind of drink it was. With a sense of excitement, I gently touched the glass to my lips.

...It was sweet. But quite strong.

The sweet aroma that spread in my mouth... was this anise? There were also spices and herbs, giving it a complex flavor.

“...It’s a mysterious taste. I think I might get addicted to it”

“I know. I can’t say it’s super delicious, but I want to drink it.”

It seemed our opinions on the taste were quite similar.

We looked at each other and couldn’t help but laugh.

“What is this drink?”

“Uzo. It’s a distilled liquor made from grapes, and maybe dried grapes. Various herbs and other things are added to create this taste.”

Emma, who had been watching us, chuckled and showed us the bottle. The bottle was filled with a clear liquid, completely different from what was in the glasses.

“It turns milky white when mixed with water. Isn’t that interesting?”

“Wow, that’s interesting. Is it usually mixed with water?”

“It’s a strong drink. Today’s appetizer is steamed clams with this Uzo.”

The master, holding two small skillets in his hands, placed them in front of us. The aroma of anise that wafted up was different from when it was a drink, and it made me hungry. Beyond the steam, the clams were wide open.

“Looks delicious”

I could hear Noah laughing beside me as I said this without thinking.

I didn’t mind and immediately picked up the skewer. I held the clamshell with my left hand and pierced the meat with the skewer. I turned it and easily removed it, then put it in my mouth.

“Mmm, delicious. The flavor of the Uzo goes well with it. It’s very savory and really delicious.”

“Yeah, it’s delicious. Ah... I really think I might get addicted to this drink.”

Noah, who tilted his glass and drank, mumbled with a voice tinged with alcohol.

I nodded in agreement and also brought my glass to my lips.

“This goes well too. Fried small fish”

“Definitely delicious!”

Emma, with a somewhat mischievous look, placed a plate of fried fish in front of us. The shiny tartar sauce added to the fried fish made it clear that it was freshly fried.

I immediately brought a piece of fried fish with sauce to my mouth. It was bite-sized, so I put the whole thing in my mouth, but it was hotter than I expected, and I let out a warm sigh.

“You seem energetic today”

Noah, who had quickly finished his Uzo and water, spoke in a gentle voice. I, having swallowed the fried fish, tilted my glass to cool my mouth.

“I feel relieved”

He said it as if it was nothing, but his voice was incredibly gentle.

Feeling a throb in the depths of my heart, I could only nod slightly. To hide my sentiment, I brought another piece of fried fish to my mouth.

Noah, reaching for the Uzo bottle and water jug, skillfully mixed another watered-down drink. The sound of the glass and ice clinking together was beautiful as he stirred with a glass stirrer.

“I want to eat the fried fish too”

“Sure”

“My hands are full”

While stirring the drink, Noah spoke.

...No, I think it’s already well mixed.

Even though he must have known what I was thinking, Noah didn’t stop stirring. Instead, he moved his chair a little closer to me.

“...There’s no other way, since you’re treating me”

I pierced a piece of fried fish with a generous amount of tartar sauce with a fork and offered it to Noah’s mouth. I was quite embarrassed, but Noah didn’t seem to mind and ate the fried fish in one bite.

“Delicious. This drink is really going down well”

Noah, who had finally seemed satisfied after swallowing the fried fish, stopped stirring his drink.

I, too, tried to eat the fried fish, focusing on the fork in my hand... and only then did I realize I was using my fork.

Once I noticed, I felt incredibly embarrassed.

But I couldn’t say anything, and I couldn’t change the fork either, because a quick glance at Noah showed he hadn’t noticed.

I pretended not to notice and used the fork to bring another piece of fried fish to my mouth.

It should have been delicious, but I could only feel the heat. To cool my body, I brought the glass to my lips and quickly drank the Uzo.