Chapter 79

From the kitchen, the sound of running water and Emma's cheerful laughter could be heard.

The relaxed atmosphere made my lips curve into a smile.

The glass in my hand was fragrant with the aroma of grapes. I took a sip of the slightly warm white wine and sighed. As Emma had said, it was truly delicious.

"…Noah, you must be tired after everything that's happened, right?"

"You too. But… I can't help but think that we could have handled it better."

Noah, who had quietly placed his glass down, spoke with a sigh, and my hand, which was about to bring the glass to my lips, stopped.

Noah's expression was hidden behind his thick bangs and black-rimmed glasses. His mouth was curved as usual, but I wanted to see his face.

"When Princess Camilla started paying attention to me, I should have taken you and run away."

The regret in his voice made my chest ache.

Noah must have… been regretting it all along. The worries I had, the things I got involved in. It wasn't something Noah should have had to bear alone.

I put down my glass and reached out to Noah.

When I gently brushed his bangs to the side, Noah didn't pull away from my hand. His purple eyes behind the glasses seemed to waver with unease, but his gaze was still fixed on me.

"…You fool. It should have been 'holding hands' instead of 'running away.'"

"Haha, you're right. If we had chosen that, you wouldn't have had to suffer."

I took my hand off his bangs and placed it on his. His hand was larger and more bony than mine. I've always been protected by these hands.

"That's just hindsight. It's true that I was worried, but Noah has always been there for me to help me through it. It would be a lie to say it wasn't hard, but it's not your fault."

Noah didn't need to carry all that burden.

I squeezed his hand tightly, hoping he would understand. Noah returned the squeeze, intertwining his fingers with mine. The warmth and strength of his hand made my heart ache.

"Rather, you've had it harder. I've always just taken from you and haven't done anything for you, haven't I?"

"That's not true. Having you there is what helped me endure."

Noah's voice seemed less composed than usual.

As I blinked, the hand holding mine tightened. The evening star peeking through his bangs seemed to be looking at me.

"Then, we must have been right back then."

A painful longing welled up in my chest. I felt like crying, but I forced a smile to hide it, though I'm sure Noah could see through it.

"While I said I wanted to take away your worries, I was the one who was worried. …I was afraid you might be tired of being dragged into my problems."

"You can drag me into anything. If we make it our problem, we can solve it together."

"You…"

Noah's expression softened, and I smiled in response.

Our hands, now intertwined, were the same temperature, mixed with each other's warmth.

"Even though there were many difficult times, Noah was always there for me. You told me you loved me, and that made me feel okay. Thank you for protecting me."

"…You're welcome."

Noah's smile deepened.

His hand, which had moved from my head, gently patted it.

"Alicia?"

"Hmm?"

"…Thank you."

"You're welcome."

I picked up my wine glass and raised it.

The hand that had been on my head slid down, and Noah also raised his glass.

We clinked glasses for what seemed like the umpteenth time and brought them to our lips. The wine, now warm, had a stronger sweetness.

"Do you want more?"

"I think so, just a little more. What about you, Noah?"

"I will too. Emma, can we have another glass of wine?"

From the kitchen came a cheerful "Sure!"

Just hearing her voice made me feel better, as if Emma had some mysterious power.

"Do you want dessert too?"

"Sure! What's today's dessert?"

I leaned forward in excitement, and I could tell Noah was smiling beside me.

Even though he wanted to eat it too, I thought as I took the wine glass he offered.

From behind Emma, who had brought the wine, the master appeared with two plates.

It looked like a blueberry tart, with its beautiful purple-blue color.

The master placed them in front of us, and I remembered something I had been curious about.

"Master, the cookies you gave me before were really delicious. Did you make the molds yourself?"

"Molds?"

Noah's voice was filled with surprise. I understood why. I was also surprised when I asked Emma.

The master nodded and then smiled a little sheepishly.

"Making them was fun."

"Right now, he's carving intricate molds for stamping."

Emma laughed in exasperation, but her gaze was gentle.

"I'll give you some when they're done, so try them."

"I'm looking forward to it."

Emma and the master said, "Enjoy your meal," and returned to the kitchen.

After watching them leave, I turned my attention to the plate with the tart.

The small tart was loaded with plenty of blueberries. The way they glistened in the light made them look like beautiful jewels.

"Who is that man, really?"

"Can he not do anything? He makes molds and carvings…"

"He can cook anything too."

"Come to think of it, I don't even know the master's name."

We chatted as we cut into the tart with our forks.

The tart crust was softer than I expected and easily cut with the fork. Under the blueberries was a layer of purple cream, which was probably also blueberry.

I took a bite-sized piece on my fork and tasted it.

The refreshing tartness of the blueberries and the sweetness of the cream. The tart crust, which crumbled in my mouth, was also slightly sweet.

"Mmm, delicious."

"It's good. I tried asking the master his name once, but he didn't tell me."

"Right. Emma only calls him 'my man.'"

"True. But from the way he supplied us with rare wine before, he doesn't seem like just a cook."

That's right. He had once treated us to a rare wine.

He's a mysterious person, but still—

"Well, there's no point in worrying about it."

"You're right."

The food here is delicious, the master and Emma are good friends, and the atmosphere is great.

That's enough, isn't it?

I took another bite of the blueberry.

It wasn't sour.

It was delicious and a happy time.

I realized that my daily life had truly returned, and a sigh of relief escaped me.