Chapter 28

I took a sip of the rose-colored wine that seemed to dance with the fruits. It appeared that I had burned my mouth with the fried food earlier, and it tingled a little, but it would heal soon. It wouldn't be a problem to eat, drink, or chat.

After enjoying the sweet scent of star anise that rose gently, I lightly mashed the strawberry with a spoon. The strawberry's aroma intensified, and the sweet and sour flavor spread through the wine.

Next, I reached for the quiche. When I cut a bite-sized piece with a fork, the crispy texture of the pastry was evident, and it looked delicious even before I tasted it. When I brought it to my mouth, the pastry was indeed crispy, and the sweetness of the eggs paired well with the saltiness of the anchovies marinated in oil. The crunchy texture was probably from the onions. I felt so happy that a smile slipped out.

"Ah, it's delicious. Eating with you is always so good."

"...I was thinking the same. That's why I couldn't really eat much."

"Really? Then it's mutual. We might end up losing weight, but if the food gets delicious again, we'll probably gain it back quickly."

He thought the same way. I was glad, but I also felt like I had made a rather bold statement. I glanced at Noah, but he didn't seem to mind and continued eating the quiche. I felt a bit relieved.

As I continued eating the quiche and drinking the rosé wine, the slightly cooled wine was easy to drink, and I finished it in one go. When I tried to scoop the fruit at the bottom of the glass with a spoon, I suddenly felt someone's gaze and turned to look at Noah. Even though his expression didn't change, the smile on his lips seemed to convey some emotion.

"What?"

"Nothing. I was just thinking... you really enjoy your food."

"You were definitely thinking something else."

"I was thinking you look cute."

"...Are you kidding me?"

His gentle words made my eyes widen. My face heated up, not just from the alcohol. I didn't know how to respond, and a mix of embarrassment, confusion, and other emotions led me to mutter a curse.

Noah didn't seem to mind my curse and just shook with laughter. Knowing how my face must look, I was probably blushing, and he could easily read that.

"Emma, can I have another hot wine? Rosé again, please!"

I placed the beautiful glass with a glass stem on the counter and called out to Emma in a loud voice. As she approached, saying "Sure," she tilted her head in curiosity when she saw my red face.

"Alicia, your face is red... are you already drunk?"

"N-no... I'm fine. Don't worry about it."

Next to me, Noah was covering his mouth and shaking his shoulders, clearly laughing. Emma, who seemed to have figured something out, chuckled and returned to the kitchen.

Noah, still laughing, didn't seem to be coming back to his senses. I decided to eat everything, including his share. I piled the fried food onto a small plate, coated it with the slightly cooled sauce, and started eating it one by one.

By the time Noah stopped laughing and took some of the fried food from my small plate, and we shared the last piece of quiche, the food was gone in no time. Usually, I could barely finish one piece of quiche. The usual heaviness in my chest was gone, and my appetite seemed to have returned. My stomach was full, and my skirt felt a bit tight.

While drinking my third hot wine, I sighed, and the alcohol content seemed to have increased. I might be getting a bit tipsy.

"Today's dessert is a tarte Tatin."

Emma brought two plates with tarte Tatin, one for me and one for Noah. The beautifully caramelized apples on the golden-brown pastry crust, topped with fluffy custard cream, glistened under the light.

"Looks delicious!"

I eagerly cut into the beautiful layers with my fork. The satisfying sound of the caramelized apples cracking was delightful. I mixed the caramel with the custard cream and brought it to my mouth. The light cream melted in my mouth along with the caramel. When I added the apple and the pastry, the firm texture was fun and delicious.

"Mmm, it's delicious. It's crispy and fluffy, and the crunchy and crispy textures are just amazing."

"Yeah, it's good."

"Great. If you want more, just let me know."

Emma smiled happily at our words and waved as she returned to the kitchen to help the master with the dishes, rolling up her sleeves.

"About what you said earlier..."

"Earlier?"

"About not seeing you in my dreams."

I remember you said that. Meeting in dreams is such a cute wish, but I can't be satisfied with just dreams. I need more.

Noah put down his fork after finishing his tarte Tatin. Our shoulders touched, and I realized we were so close. But I didn't mind, and I wasn't embarrassed. I was just happy to be so close.

"I didn't see you in my dreams, but I thought about you."

"About me..."

"Every night. What you're doing, if you're doing well, if you're not being bothered by weird people... all sorts of things."

"Did I worry you?"

"That's not it. I just thought about you."

I didn't know how to respond. I had been thinking about Noah too, but was it okay to say that?

What did Noah mean by saying such things? My thoughts were all over the place.

But his voice sounded sweeter than the tarte Tatin, and my heart felt squeezed.

"Heh. It's been a while since I drank, so I might be a bit tipsy. Let's go home early today."

Noah laughed with a self-deprecating tone before I could say anything. I felt a bit relieved and swallowed the last bite of tarte Tatin.

"You look tired. You should rest well."

"If you're going home, I'll walk you there."

"Is that okay? Then I'll take you up on that."

"Only if we walk."

"I understand."

I usually ask Marc to pick me up, but I told him a much later time. If I go home now, I won't miss him. Besides, I still wanted to be with Noah even after leaving the restaurant.

"Emma, can we get the bill? Include Alicia's too."

"I can pay for myself, it's fine."

"It's been a while since we met, so I'll treat you."

"But you treated me last time too..."

"Don't worry about it."

"Then I won't hesitate. Thank you."

Since I always get treated, I wanted to return the favor, but I had no idea what to give this man who does things I don't understand. Next time we meet, I'll treat him. I thought about that while buttoning my coat and wrapping my scarf.

While I was getting ready to leave, Noah settled the bill and put on his black coat. He put on leather gloves from his coat pocket and opened the door for me. I always thought he didn't care about his appearance because he usually dressed casually and his hair looked unkempt. But upon closer inspection, his clothes, coat, and gloves were all of high quality, and it was clear he had chosen them with care.

As I was thinking about this, Noah's lips curved into a smile.

"Ready to go?"

"Thank you. Emma, Master, see you again."

"Sure. Thanks for coming today."

We were seen off by Emma and the master and stepped outside. Looking up, I saw a light snowfall of ash-like snowflakes. I put on my gloves and started walking under the streetlights. The stars and moon were hidden behind thick clouds.

Walking side by side with Noah, the familiar streets looked different. We walked a bit slower than usual, leaving footprints in the snow.

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