Volume 1 Chapter 55 Memories With Mr. Lucian
As I walk from my restaurant down the alley towards the market, I reach the main square in the center of the south district.
It's not a very wealthy area, but the main square is lively, filled with popular cafes, candy shops, and clothing stores for young people.
In the center of the square, there are some trees and flower beds.
There are benches and tables for resting, and I can see mothers watching their kids play. Because of the crowds, this place is relatively safe in the south district.
That said, if you leave your things unattended, they can easily be taken, and if you're not careful, someone might steal your bag. You also have to keep an eye on your kids, or they could get snatched away.
"It's been 6 months since Mr. Lucian helped me."
Today, there are various stalls set up in the square.
There are cute giant pumpkins with holes for eyes, a nose, and a mouth.
Some stalls sell snacks and food, while others offer cheap decorations, magic stone lamps, flowers, and miscellaneous goods.
Since it's also a harvest festival, there are many stalls selling vegetables.
I look around at the stalls and talk to Mr. Lucian.
"Time flies, doesn't it? Six months ago feels like just yesterday."
"Mr. Lucian, you sound like an old person..."
The market ladies often say, "A year feels like just a week, so while you're young, enjoy yourself a lot."
A week and a year feel completely different.
But for me, who has been sad about my own misfortune and crying for the past 6 months, half a year really went by quickly.
"I'm still 24. Younger than Ciel."
"Mr. Lucian, are you close with Sir Ciel?"
"No. Ciel is the top mage of Saintwise. Because of our positions, we sometimes meet and talk, but we're not personally close."
"I see. I thought you were friends..."
"We're not friends. Before I started seeing Ciel at Lydia's restaurant, I thought he was a quiet guy who was hard to read. But when he's with Lydia, he talks a lot. Maybe it's because he feel sstrangely at ease when heI look at your face."
"Mr. Lucian, saying things like that so casually is not good... What's that red thing? It looks like an apple on a stick."
"I really think so... Is that an apple? I wonder what it is."
I was going to thank Mr. Lucian for something from 6 months ago, but he started saying silly things in a sweet voice, so I puffed up my cheeks.
Then, I headed towards a stall where I saw an apple on a stick.
"Oh, Lyd-Lyd. You're with a handsome guy today. Want to eat some candy apples?"
The stall was run by a lady who always sells fruit at the market.
The candy apple is explained to me as an apple covered in boiled sugar.
Now that I think about it, I was planning to serve some dessert at Lobelia Diner House.
I usually don't eat sweet things much, but I thought it might be helpful, so I decided to buy one.
When I tried to take out my wallet, Mr. Lucian paid for it first.
He paid so casually; it feels like he's used to going out with women.
He says he doesn't have a girlfriend, though. That's suspicious.
"There's still time until the mushroom picking event. Do you want to sit and eat, Lydia?"
"Mr. Lucian, aren't you going to eat?"
"I'll pass."
Mr. Lucian. Even though I think he hasn't had lunch yet, he still won't eat anything.
I wonder if he doesn't like street food.
The fluffy steamed meat buns, the sweet potatoes roasted in a pot, the grilled octopus on a stick, and the grilled river fish all look delicious.
Mr. Lucian took me to a bench in the green area.
There are chocolate cosmos flowers blooming in the flower bed.
The deep brown cosmos, which has a slight chocolate scent, is Mx. Margaret's favorite flower.
I think they like chocolate more than the flowers.
"Mr. Lucian, it's sweet and tasty."
"Is that so? That's good."
I licked the candy coating on the apple. It's delicious, but I might take half a day to finish this.
As I gently lick the sweet candy with my tongue, I frown.
I might have bought a difficult food to eat when I need to go mushroom picking.
"Lydia. It seems like you should bite it, not just lick it."
"...Even though it's candy, should I really bite it?"
"Yeah. The kids are biting it. The candy coating is thin, so it should be fine to bite."
I thought about it and stared at the apple candy, deciding to take a bite.
I always thought candy was something you lick, but it seems that's not the case.
There are different ways to eat food.
When I bit into the apple, the candy surprisingly broke easily. I took another bite of the apple.
The sweetness of the candy and the sourness of the apple filled my mouth, and it was delicious.
"Six months ago, I helped you here, but it wasn't just by chance."
Mr. Lucian said this nostalgically while watching me bite into the apple.
I couldn't respond because my mouth was full, so I just tilted my head while chewing.
Was it really not by chance?
I thought it was just a coincidence.
──That was right after I borrowed the restaurant building and money from Mx. Margaret.
When I decided to open the restaurant, I thought I needed to go buy ingredients first, so I headed out to the town.
The shop Mx. Margaret lent me had all the cooking tools, and the fire magic stone for the stove and the water magic stone for the sink were well taken care of, so I could use them without any problems. I only needed to go buy ingredients.
I had never gone shopping alone before.
As I nervously walked the path to the market that Mx. Margaret had shown me, someone almost snatched the cloth bag with money that I had received as a hand-me-down from Mx. Margaret, which was hanging from my shoulder.
"Hey there, little lady... you have a really cute face. I was just going to take your money, but I've changed my mind. Let's go, guys!"
With that scary guy's shout, I found myself not just having my bag taken, but I was also being picked up and carried away.
This kind of thing had never happened in my life before. I was so confused. All I could do was cry.
Then, out of nowhere, Mr. Lucian appeared in front of me.
"Let go of those dirty hands. Unless you want to get killed. ...Listen, that woman is very important to me. If you touch her again, you'll be making an enemy of Lucian Kilkade, the captain of the Holy Knights, Leonsroar."
Mr. Lucian pointed his drawn sword at the men.
After that, he took me to the market, and then he even walked me to a restaurant.
When I said I wanted to thank him, Mr. Lucian replied, "Then how about you cook something for me?"
So, Mr. Lucian became the first customer at the restaurant.
At that moment, I thought he had just happened to walk by, but maybe that wasn't the case.
It seems like Mr. Lucian often helps women in town.
I thought I was just one of those women he helped.
"Leonsroar, the Holy Knight Order, is a knight group directly under the Bernard royal family. So, of course, I knew about you, the fiancée of His Highness Stefan, and I also knew that you hadn't returned to the Rest priest family after being broken off from your engagement with His Highness. That's why I was worried... and I was looking into your situation."
"I see... If it weren't for Mr. Lucian, I would have been caught by scary people and sold off. Thank you for that."
"Don't be so formal... It's fine, Lydia. We're close, right?"
"What kind of close?"
"Well, if you look at it a certain way, it might look like we're lovers."
"Ugh, Mr. Lucian, even though you properly thanked me, you're trying to tease me..."
I was crying softly with my mouth sticky from the candy around the apple.
I was seriously trying to thank him. That Mr. Lucian.
He probably treats all the women he saves like this.
Maybe what Mx. Margaret said about getting stabbed someday is true. I'm actually scared that I might get stabbed.
"...Mr. Lucian, back then, you asked me to make a dish I didn't know well... but since then, I haven't made that dish, have I?"
"Lydia... your mouth is red. Is there food coloring mixed in the candy? It looks like makeup, and it's cute."
Mr. Lucian reached out to my lips.
He wiped the stickiness with his fingertips and brought them to his mouth.
I stared in shock as Mr. Lucian licked his fingertips.
"...Mr. Lucian, I really think that's not good... If you do that to everyone, they'll hate you...!"
"I only do it to you, Lydia."
"...Everything feels so suspicious now."
As Mr. Lucian reaches out his hand again, I quickly stand up to escape from it.
I need to go sign up for the mushroom hunting contest soon.
While I walk cautiously, Mr. Lucian follows closely behind me.
I can't tell if he's feeling down or if he's just being his usual self.
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