Chapter 57

■ Chapter 56. Confession (3) □ ᓚᘏᗢ

The meal, of course, takes place in a room with strict soundproofing and security. I never imagined such a space existed until I had meals with the royal siblings, but now I can use it conveniently.

In exchange, it was quite expensive, almost equivalent to nearly two weeks' living expenses. The room's structure must have influenced the pricing, but it's hard not to think it's a bit pricey.

Whether to prevent dine-and-dash or due to the price, it was prepaid. I was prepared to pay with tears in my eyes.

"Let me pay."

Mari, who hadn't let go of my hand since we entered the restaurant, stepped forward.

I looked at her with wide eyes.

"Mari?"

"It's fine. Did you forget where I come from? This is nothing more than a snack for my family."

Her words, dripping with pride, were incredibly charming. When I looked at her with a moved expression, she puffed up even more and squeezed my hand tighter.

After Mari paid, the staff member led us, still holding hands, to follow.

‘Embarrassing…’

You might think I'm a complete novice who has never held a woman's hand, but in my previous life, I had a girlfriend. We naturally broke up after my parents passed away.

However, this is only the second time since my reincarnation. The first was naturally with Cecil, but she grabbed my hand almost forcibly, so the feeling was quite different.

Moreover, unlike Cecil's rough hands from rigorous training, Mari's hands were soft and smooth. The soft, squishy sensation transmitted through my hand made me want to play around.

"Please go in here. If you want to order, please ring the bell here."

"Thank you."

"Then, enjoy your time."

The staff member bowed politely and closed the door respectfully. As soon as the door closed, I looked around the room.

Last time, it was a four-person room, which was quite spacious, but the room we entered was a two-person room, relatively smaller.

Of course, "relatively smaller" still means it's quite large for a two-person room. The high price had its reasons.

‘First…’

I glanced at Mari while looking around the room.

The boldness she showed when paying was gone, and she was now looking down with a red face. Yet, she didn't let go of my hand, which made her even cuter.

But to eat, we needed to let go of each other's hands. I wanted to sit side by side and have a proper meal, but the circumstances didn't allow it.

I stared at Mari for a while and then called her name quietly.

"Mari."

"…Yeah."

"Let's let go of our hands and sit down."

At the same time, Mari's head, which had been lowered, lifted to look at me. Her blue eyes, shimmering with deep regret and a hint of desperation, met mine.

She then met my gaze directly, bit her lip, and answered with difficulty.

"…Can't we just stay like this?"

"… …"

This is too dangerous. I felt my heart flutter at Mari's unusually different appearance.

Mari, who is usually lively and straightforward, looked at me with moist eyes and a slightly trembling voice, making me wonder what to say.

Unexpected charm? That's how it felt.

I stared at Mari, who was looking up at me with a face close to coquettish, and answered quietly.

"…Then, let's wait until the order comes."

"Okay!"

Mari smiled brightly and answered energetically. I couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm.

Before sitting down, we each chose our orders and rang the bell by the door as the staff member instructed. Soon, a staff member knocked and entered.

"What can I do for you?"

"We want to order. I'll have…"

After we each finished ordering, we waited for the food, still standing and holding hands.

"… …"

"… …"

A myriad of thoughts flooded my mind. Mari, who seemed to share similar feelings, was looking down with a red face.

Although her previous comment was a mistake, bringing it up carelessly would ruin the good atmosphere. Honestly, I didn't mind it either.

Most importantly, I'm not indifferent to Mari. Before, she was just a female friend, but after realizing she had romantic feelings for me, I started to feel differently.

‘…Do I like Mari too?’

Honestly, I don't know. But it's certain that my heart started racing after holding her hand.

I struggled to think of what to say in the subtle silence that had settled in the room and looked at Mari again. Coincidentally, she was looking at me at that moment.

Our gazes met. I stared into her sapphire-like eyes and smiled foolishly.

Mari also laughed heartily, indirectly expressing her feelings.

"Isaac."

"Yep."

"Isaac. Isaac."

"Yep. I'm here."

"Hehehe."

Mari, who kept calling my name, smiled brightly, showing her white teeth. She really does like me.

If such a beautiful girl shows that she likes me, who would dislike it? I looked at the smiling Mari and spoke.

"Mari."

"Yep."

"Mari."

"What is it?"

This time, when I called her name, Mari answered with a coquettish tone. She even swayed her body slightly to express her mood.

I squeezed her hand tighter at her swaying movements. Mari's face turned even redder, which I noticed.

‘This is…’

It's incredibly awkward. I didn't intend for the meeting to turn out this way, but it did.

But the bigger problem is my heart. After holding hands with Mari, she started to look more beautiful and cuter to me.

However, when I think about her appearance during the meeting, it's different. Mari is definitely a woman with many charms.

‘If the story of Zayon is really that valuable…’

Would there be any problem if I dated Mari? Of course, from an external perspective, it would look like the daughter of a duke and the son of a baron dating.

There would certainly be criticism and unfavorable rumors about both of us. But the moment I reveal that I am the author of the Zayon story, things would change.

If what Mari said is true, I am a person of immense value, an author that the country would eagerly welcome.

Who would have thought my heart would change so much in less than an hour? I looked at the smiling Mari and remembered the first edition I had tucked under my arm.

It was nice just holding hands, but we still had things to do. I looked at Mari and spoke carefully.

"…Mari?"

"Yep. Isaac."

"Should we sit down? I have something to say."

"Can't we just stay like this? I think I know what you want to say."

That's not it. I almost laughed at Mari's teasing tone but managed to hold back.

"It's not what you think. It might be something bigger."

"…Bigger?"

"Yep. By the way, it's not that kind of thing, so don't misunderstand."

"That kind of thing…"

Mari tilted her head in confusion, then widened her eyes and turned her head away. She was probably trying to hide her embarrassment, but it was futile as her ears were visible through her hair.

As I slowly released her hand, Mari also relaxed. However, just before letting go completely, she tried to hold it again, showing how reluctant she was.

"Should we sit down?"

"Okay…"

Thus, after holding hands for what felt like almost 20 minutes, we finally sat down.

I immediately focused on Mari, who was sitting across from me. She was also looking at me at the right moment.

"… …"

"…Hehe."

I stared at her, and Mari smiled awkwardly. I chuckled and asked her a question.

"Mari."

"Yep. Isaac."

"Is the academy life manageable?"

I decided to start with a simple question to ease the atmosphere. If we continued like this, nothing would get done.

Mari blinked her blue eyes and opened her mouth.

"Why do you ask?"

"Just curious."

"Well… I thought it would be tough at first, but…"

She tapped her cheek with her index finger and trailed off, then looked at me. She smiled widely and spoke with genuine emotion.

"It got better after meeting Isaac."

"… …"

She's not even trying to hide her feelings anymore. She probably thinks we're already half in a relationship.

I tried to calm my heart, which had started racing again. If I couldn't control it, my face would turn red.

"Ahem… Ahem. Really? That's good to hear. Any inconveniences?"

"Inconveniences… Not really. As you know, there are fewer literature students than martial arts students, and I'm busy with classes every day. But it will be different when I'm a third-year. How about you, Isaac?"

"I don't have any inconveniences either. Except for the group project last time."

"Ah, the group project. It was really tough then…"

Fortunately, the conversation flowed smoothly without interruption. Even when the food arrived, our conversation didn't stop.

Eating with the royal siblings was nerve-wracking, but now it was incredibly comfortable. Time flew by as we enjoyed ourselves.

Mari and I laughed and chatted excitedly during the meal. Although it wasn't proper dining etiquette, we didn't care.

Ah, of course.

"… …"

"… …"

As soon as we finished eating and the table was cleared, we both fell silent as if we had a mutual understanding.

Mari probably noticed too. The real topic would start after the meal.

I also planned to start the conversation, so I pondered what to say. It would be better to build up the conversation gradually rather than just diving in.

"…Mari."

"…Yeah."

When I called her name, Mari, lacking the courage to look at me, answered quietly. I placed the first edition on the table from where it was on my lap.

Mari looked at the first edition on the table with a puzzled expression and then at me. To her, it probably looked like just a piece of mail, so she must have been curious about what it was.

She probably had no idea it was the first edition of the Zayon story. Unlike others, she had no clue that I was the author of the Zayon story.

"Phew…"

But as I was about to speak, my heart was pounding so hard I couldn't control it. Even after taking a deep breath to calm down, my heart was racing.

‘It'll be fine.’

Yeah, it'll be fine with Mari.

I closed my eyes tightly to steady my nerves.

"…Isaac."

While I was trying to calm down, Mari called me quietly. I opened my eyes at that moment.

"…?"

As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw an unexpected scene. Although we weren't too far apart, we weren't that close either.

But now, Mari's face was right in front of mine. I was confused until I realized she had leaned forward from her seat.

"You said it wasn't that kind of thing, right?"

While I was speechless, Mari spoke to me. Her voice was moist and had a different kind of allure from Cecil's.

"I have a rough idea of what you want to say, but it probably doesn't matter."

As she finished speaking, Mari slowly approached my face and then…

Peck.

She pressed her lips to mine and pulled away with a soft kiss.

It wasn't a passionate kiss between lovers, but a light peck.

However, the feeling transmitted through my lips was not light at all. This light kiss was a declaration, like planting a flag.

It was an action that etched certainty into the heart of a romantic.

As a result, my thoughts came to a halt. I never imagined Mari would take such a bold action, and it felt like she had skipped all the steps in between.

Meanwhile, Mari, with a face as red as it could be, smiled warmly and spoke in a gentle voice.

"I just like you, that's all."