Raga of the Dry Branch

9: And so in the end, it goes away (3)

Even if my father, the head of the family and a noble of Cheiva, wanted an overnight stay, it wouldn’t be easy.

Which was why I never thought that with any relations in my life I would be able to be here, so why was I standing in front of this door?

“Darling, here!”

As I received the gaze of many men, I followed Shang-di’s gestures and moved.

“What about Poppy?”

Since this was a hotel, I was worried that Poppy wouldn’t be allowed inside.

“You sleepy young master, except for us three, the others have already settled in the hotel. Let’s go and eat something delicious. The three of them will just check in the reserved room and come to the restaurant right away. Don’t worry about Poppy, Juli will take care of it.”

“Let’s go!”

Heli, who followed close to me, took my hand as she led me on, and the staff, as if they were waiting for us, led us to the next building where the restaurant was located.

Splendid yellow chandelier shone in yellowish shining light, illuminating the spacious interior. The atmosphere of the restaurant was different from the restaurant in any normal inn.

This was on the same level as a small-banquet hall in the capital, which is mainly attended for meetings, but better than that.

“What would you like Al?”

A female employee in a red dress with a long side slit appeared with a smile and a white tray in her hand. Seeing that, Chang-di asked me to point to the food.

Since it was a buffet type, it seemed like we had to go and pick a food, and the staff next to us would carry them back to the table for us.

As I listened to the female employee explain things, I picked up the food and went back to the table, and the three who arrived before us, greeted us with hands.

“The room is well organized and there are no problems. There are large bathrooms in the room, a small pub and a training room fully equipped, so we won’t have problems with our stay.”

“It isn’t the room which is the problem, it is your eyes which constantly seek more. Anyway, the facilities are nice, Ren. I can see why you wanted us to come here.”

“If you don’t like it, we can just cut down the neck of the manager here. He needs to be punished if he can’t do his job right.”

“Even if you want me to do that, I need a plausible reason to act. How many people will be alive on the continent if we kill them because they were a bother? Isn’t that right Al?”

As I listened quietly, shang-di spoke about her job. However, I was more afraid of Mahoren who casually spoke about killing despite the kind face.

I looked at Heli and Juli who were sitting next to each other and asked, “… wasn’t this place only for royalty and great nobles?”

“Right. But you have nothing to worry about. ‘Jugrener’ is so famous that even that class of people won’t be able to touch this place.”

“Phew~ though I’d like to see the king try touching this place once or twice. But I don’t know why, but I am more worried about this old man rather than Shang-di. Ah, right, you are a villain who shakes the nation and sometimes brings changes in the rulers. Jugrener is a place for upper class nobles and rich companies for that reason. Well.”

Shit… There are times I let it slide, but Mahoren is something more.

Heli’s last words were more shocking. However, among all the people around me, Mahoren and Fay seemed best, but then again, no one can be trusted.

Fay seemed nice, but from my experience, the suspicion that this man has something he’s hiding was growing into me.

By the way, Mahoren wasn’t some rich man, but also controlled rich companies. Even in my dreams, I couldn’t imagine the wealth he possessed.

Somehow, I began to be afraid of the new house they bought in Bishatsur.

There is a long time for the work to start, so I could take my time, and it was only a day’s ride from Cheiva to Bishatsur by airship… I’ll try to hold on until then.

“Have something. Is that enough for you?”

“… yes, I am fine.”

I have a habit of pretending to eat.

“What? Are you on some kind of diet? Even if you look fine, you will be misunderstood by others.”

I quietly lifted the fork. And different from the pretty color and shaped food on the place, I picked up the purple grass which is famous for its bitter taste, and shoved it into Juli’s mouth.

The moment I did that, Juli jumped from his seat and ran into the bathroom, making me laugh.

“Is the food not good for you?”

“No, it is delicious.”

Fay narrowed his eyes as he looked at the empty place with a worried expression. It was really delicious, but as of today I didn’t exactly know the meaning of enjoying a meal.

Even so, I decided to tell the truth to stop the concerned people from worrying.

“If I eat more than this, I don’t feel good. I have been like that since I was young, the same even when I take medicines, the weird feelings don’t go away, so I am careful of how much I eat.”

“… I see.”

With a slow response, Fay glanced at Mahoren.

For some reason, Mahoren was staring at my empty plate with a gloomy expression. However, it felt like the gloomy face was rather bright for some reason.

… I must have got it wrong, I didn’t know why, but the mood dropped because of me, so I decided to… change the mood.

“Shang-di said we were staying here, is there a reason for it?”

This was a good place, but it was too much to pay the cost of three month lodging in a regular inn, for one meal and a night stay at this place. No matter how much money Mahoren had, it felt burdensome for me to depend on him.

“Are you feeling burdened for some reason?”

“Eh! Don’t feel burdened by Al and use all of these facilities often, this is all paid by Mahoren.”

“… that is why it is inconvenient, Heli.”

“Uh! You are doing it again! Why are you speaking formally to me?”

“… well, hm.”

“I want to become comfortable with you like Juli!”

… I don’t really think that is very important.

But I could feel it, more and more, I was starting to talk informally than before. Was it evidence that I was getting used to them?

“Darling, you are too timid. I can do this for you, just ask me whatever you need.”

Shang-di smiled as the sound of forks falling all around the restaurant could be heard. This sinful woman!

“Should there be a reason? In this area, this is the one I liked the most, so I insisted on staying here. Is it so troubling?”

“…”

“It is fine. If you declare it for us, you can live with this luxury for the rest of your life.”

Don’t they get tired of it? Saying all such things in a soft voice, Mahoren is the neighbouring gangster who was seducing an innocent girl!

I smiled awkwardly as I stood up.

I ate what was handed to me, and the food was good, but my stomach felt bad for some reason. I needed to catch my breath.

I moved to the bathroom which had a nice scent. Quickly poured cold water on my face as I looked in the mirror.

An expressionless white face that dripped with water.

For some reason or because of all that happened, I looked different from usual. My cheeks seemed redder, and my mouth more stiff, so I went back to clean it and rubbed my face with bare hands.

Suddenly, I remembered the dinner table back home. I grew up watching it, without any affection diverted towards me, so having dinner with a lot of people was the biggest stress for me.

No one cared for me, but I honestly didn’t know what the taste was, I only ate what was given, and I was too conscious as I ate the food because it would always upset my stomach. I even remember chewing on food thinking if it was meat or rubber.

I couldn’t stop eating as I had to live, so eating ended up being the only thing which I could control in my life. It has been repeated for a long time and I no longer care what other people say about my way of eating, but still, when I see people who enjoy their food, I am unable to understand them.

But, tonight’s meal was delicious. Which was why it felt scary all of a sudden.

“Am I a saint to end the meal with just rice?”

We did dine in the inn before today, but today, the food felt bland. I even thought that I was being emotional and not enjoying it. I wonder how long it has been since I was emotional.

I didn’t like thinking about the past. Even though I didn’t like thinking about it, more and more of those memories crept up into my mind…

Click.

When I turned my head to the sound of a door opening, I saw a young man in a red jacket stand tall.

He glanced at the signboard and then at me for a moment, as he carefully stepped inside.

Giving him a brief glance, I wiped my face with the handkerchief and then adjusted my sleeve. I noticed the man who was washing his hands kept looking at me.

I was puzzled, so I left the bathroom, only for the man to follow me and speak.

“Excuse me. There is something I would like to ask you…”

“What is it?”

As I asked him right away, he hesitated before opening his mouth.

“I saw you with a group of people, the silver-hair…”

Ah. Because of Shang-di.

The man immediately went silent, and began to blush, he looked around my age, roughly 20. Contrary to his arrogant appearance, he seemed like the naïve and shy kind, seeing how he couldn’t maintain eye contact.

“I saw you two together. A-are you a couple?”

Shang-di had her arm laced with mine near the table, so it looks like he misunderstood. However, I wasn’t sure it was a good idea to speak about that issue to a stranger.

“I am not her lover, but I don’t know if she has one, so I don’t think I can give you the answer you want.”

“Ah…”

He seemed a little pleased, and wanted to ask something.

The moment he clenched his fist for confidence and was about to ask his next question.

“Oh my, brother, what are you doing here?”

Someone intruded.

“Ah, Diana. It’s nothing.”

The bright looking girl, with indigo blue hair had decorated diamonds on her, and her eyes were like cat eyes, light green, and she stepped towards the man.

Behind her, a girl with a calmer appearance, who seemed like the elder one because of her similar appearance, followed her.

“Hmm.”

The man seemed disappointed. The girl looked at the man once and then looked at me. Her cat-like green eyes narrowed at me. Not a single speck of kindness in her eyes. With a voice which boasted her power, the girl spoke to her sister, as if I wasn’t worth speaking to.