Volume 1 Chapter 42 Hijiki Rice And Daikon Radish Miso Soup
I placed the basket I was carrying right inside the store and quickly ran over to Sir Ciel.
Sir Ciel also stood up and walked toward me.
Facing Sir Ciel in the middle of the store, I looked up at his face with a smile.
"Sir Ciel, hello! Have you finished moving yet?"
Today has been busy, but seeing Sir Ciel's face makes me feel relieved.
It's probably because we're friends.
"Ms. Lydia... I'm glad. I was worried since the door was unlocked and you weren't here."
His red eyes looked at me with a hint of concern.
When he called my name in his cool voice, I felt a wave of calm wash over me.
"Oh. I see... When did you come by?"
"In the afternoon. Leavis and the others from Saintwise came to check on things, and when they said Ms. Lydia made sausages for me every day, they told me to go eat lunch at Lobelia."
"Lobelia... Sir Ciel, right now, Lobelia is..."
"Yes. Was that wrong? It's Lobelia Diner House, right? Your place, Ms. Lydia."
"Y-yes! That's right, that's right...!"
I was so happy that I clasped my hands together and nodded eagerly.
It's been a while since someone called my store by its name.
Sir Ciel tilted his head in curiosity, and the gem on his head swayed.
So, Sir Ciel is not wearing the Saintwise uniform today.
From his loose black clothes, I can see his white neck and the wide-open neckline.
There's a big red gem in the center of his collarbone. The gem in his hair is blue, but the one at his chest is red.
"I'm sorry for not being at the restaurant even though you came all this way."
"No, it's fine. I thought you might be out shopping, so I waited a bit. But it's been a long time, and I started to worry... When I asked the neighbor, Mx. Margaret, they said Duke Girard's Roxas took you away."
"Well, um, that's true..."
I can't deny it. It's exactly what happened.
When I nodded, Sir Ciel let out a small sigh.
"I also took Ms. Lydia away, so I can't say much about Sir Roxas. Mx. Margaret told me to wait because you would come back soon, but if it took too long, I was planning to go get you."
"Go get me?"
"Yes. You were probably at the Duke's house in the noble street. I know Sir Roxas's purpose. He consulted me about it once."
"Sir Ciel, did you know about Sir Rail...?"
"Yes. I was told to keep it a secret, so I haven't told anyone. He is suffering from White Moon disease. He asked if my healing magic could help, but unfortunately, healing magic can't cure diseases."
Sir Ciel paused for a moment there.
Then, with a serious look, he stared at me.
"...The cause of White Moon disease is still a mystery. For example, colds are caused by germs. Most other diseases happen when bacteria enter the body. But with White Moon disease, even after examining the patients, we can't find the cause. Their life history and actions right before the onset are all different. The common symptoms are loss of appetite, inability to sleep, and the sound of insect wings echoing in their heads."
"Sir Rail also heard the sound of insect wings..."
"Ms. Lydia... Did Sir Rail eat your cooking?"
"Y-yes..."
"And then?"
"Sir Ciel... What should I do...?"
I looked down.
I heard that Sir Rail has recovered. But it might just be a coincidence.
I don't know what to do.
"Ms. Lydia, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry, and I wasn't trying to blame you. I guess I didn't say it well."
Sir Ciel wiped away my tears that fell like a dam breaking.
It's not Sir Ciel's fault.
I just lack confidence.
I also don't have the determination.
I want to be helpful to someone. It makes me happy to be relied on. To be needed is nice.
But I'm scared.
What if I can't do anything in the end? What if I disappoint someone? What if I become a burden?
I, who was useless and left behind, sitting in a corner of the Rest priest family, was told I was unwanted by Sir Stefan. I just want to live quietly, if possible.
"Many people are in despair because of the White Moon disease. These people line up at the Great Temple with hope in their hearts. They endure the pain of their illness and wait for hours to worship at the temple, asking the Saint for help to cure their sickness. The Saint, that is, Francois."
"...If it's Francois, she can heal the sickness."
"Even though Sir Roxas made a contract and got engaged, Francois didn't heal Sir Rail's illness. There are indeed some who boast that their sickness was cured by Francois's miracle, but I think those people are just like sakura."
"Sakura? Like the flower?"
"Sakura is a flower, but in this case, 'sakura' refers to puppets used to attract customers."
I rubbed my eyes.
Maybe because I felt relieved seeing Sir Ciel's face, the anxiety I had been holding back started to spread throughout my body.
"Sir Roxas also said that... Francois has no healing power."
"I agree. However, I thought that Ms. Lydia's cooking might have the power to break curses and heal, strong enough to cure the White Moon disease. It could be possible, but I think we should take our time to understand Ms. Lydia's abilities first."
"I made a soft octopus risotto. I had some octopus."
"Soft octopus... is it?"
"Yes, I thought it would be better if it was tender... that's all I could do, just that."
"Ms. Lydia... if you really have the power to break curses and heal sickness, then... you..."
"I... actually..."
It's scary.
I can't help but think that I don't have such power.
I know well the pain of being given hope and then being thrown into despair.
But really,
"...I want to be helpful. It's better if fewer people feel sad. But... if I can't, thinking about that scares me."
"...Ms. Lydia."
Slowly, Sir Ciel reached out and stroked my cheek.
His thumb wiped away the tears at the corners of my eyes and then touched my hair.
"If you don't mind, let's go to the sanatorium this weekend to cheer people up. How about we cook for them? ...It's just to let them eat. Not to heal their sickness, but to lift their spirits."
"But, I..."
"The White Moon disease, said to be caused by the white moon, and the moon disease caused by the red moon, have different symptoms, but they feel like the same illness. If we can heal that, the number of people suffering will decrease. This is just my selfish hope. I'm not forcing it on you, Ms. Lydia."
Sir Ciel continued gently, as if to advise me.
"But, Ms. Lydia, you also... wants to save people."
"I don't think it's such a grand thing, but... still, I'm useless, so if I can be of help to someone, I'd be happy."
"Ms. Lydia... you're not useless. I was saved by you."
Tears that I thought had stopped began to flow again, and Sir Ciel gently pulled me close.
He patiently stroked my back until my tears stopped.
Like family.
"...I'll try to cook. ...Not to cure the sickness, but to make them think it's delicious."
Thanks to Sir Ciel, I calmed down and looked up to him.
"I'll help too. The sanatorium has a lot of patients. It must be tough to cook for everyone."
"Sir Ciel is... kind. Thank you."
"Because we're friends."
"Yes...!"
When Sir Ciel smiled gently, I couldn't help but smile back.
Having a friend is reassuring.
Just being together makes me feel really strong.
I used the leftover hijiki, fried tofu, carrots, and vegetables, along with katsuobushi broth and miso, to make hijiki rice and daikon radish miso soup for Sir Ciel.
By that time, it was completely dark outside, and eating dinner together made me feel like the day was finally over.
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