Volume 2 Chapter 3 Interlude - Hot Wine And Caramel Latte
A slender and flexible finger is holding my hand.
Sir Ciel's hand is much bigger than mine, and it's a bit cooler than my body temperature.
When he touched me, it felt a little chilly, but as we held hands, our temperatures mixed together, making the boundary of our skin feel unclear.
"Sir Ciel, they are selling pumpkin soup. There are also lots of pumpkin pies. They are shaped like pumpkin ghosts, cute, right?"
"Would you like to eat, Ms. Lydia? If you want something, just tell me."
"I have money. Sir Ciel, I can buy it myself, so it's okay."
"At least let me pay this time. I'm older than you, and I don't often get to buy things... I feel happy to be able to buy something for you, Ms. Lydia."
Sir Ciel tilts his head as if thinking.
Then, I guess it's okay to take him up on his offer.
"Then, um, Sir Ciel, would you like to drink caramel latte? Do you like sweet things? Or would you prefer sake? They also have hot wine. It has cinnamon and lemon in it, and a little honey. It's a bit sweet, but it seems to have a kick."
"Well, ...I suppose it's okay to indulge on a holiday."
"Yes... um, when Sir Ciel is happy, I'm happy too. So please eat and drink lots of delicious things. You always just have water and solid food..."
"I've been eating your cooking recently, Ms. Lydia."
"Please eat more variety."
"Are you worried about me?"
"I am worried. ...It's sad that I can't enjoy food."
"I feel like, if I'm with you, even meals can feel special."
"Then let's eat together. Please eat a lot today, Sir Ciel. I'll make pumpkin soup for dinner, so please stay and eat."
"Thank you. ...And you spoil me, so I might get a little hopeful."
I felt a slight strength in Sir Ciel's hand that was holding mine.
Hope──.
What is hope?
We are friends, so that's normal.
It's normal, right? We are friends. Being close is normal.
But──somehow. I still feel a little uneasy.
Sir Ciel bought caramel latte and hot wine, and Eir-Eir got a pumpkin pie.
The lady at the stall acted suspicious when she saw Sir Ciel.
I watched her, impressed by how good-looking he is.
Sitting on a long bench set up in the square bustling with the Festival of the Dead, I took a sip of my caramel latte.
It tastes sweet and gentle. Delicious.
Eir-Eir is on my lap, stuffing a whole piece of pumpkin pie into his mouth, munching away.
Even though my body is about the size of a slice of pumpkin pie, it's a mystery how I can fit an entire slice of pumpkin pie in my mouth. When I stuff my cheeks with food, they puff up just for that moment. It's cute.
Sir Ciel is sipping red wine from a cup while looking at the town's scenery and the people passing by.
The sight of the vampire Sir Ciel drinking red wine is just so vampire-like.
He stands out so much that I can really feel the stares. Sir Ciel is eye-catching. Amazing.
In the lively town, a child dressed as a ghost under a sheet is being led by their mother.
Couples are holding hands and laughing happily together.
Everywhere, there are large pumpkin decorations with cut-out eyes and mouths, and delicious smells are wafting from the food stalls.
"Sir Ciel is beautiful, so Sir Ciel must be popular with women. Do you have a girlfriend?"
"...Girlfriend?"
"Um, well... now that I think about it, if you had a girlfriend, I wonder if it would be bad for me to walk around the town with you like this."
As I watched the couples passing by, I felt a bit guilty.
It wouldn't feel good for Sir Ciel if he had a girlfriend and was out at a festival with a woman who isn't his girlfriend, even if we are just friends.
I would feel very sad.
So sad that I might end up producing a lot of minced meat, calling him a cheating man.
"I don't have anyone like that. I'm different from people, so I often get feared or disliked. I honestly don't understand the popularity with women... but I don't need that."
"You don't need it...?"
"I don't need it. ...The truth is, I don't care how anyone thinks of me. I don't want to be liked by anyone. I only want to be liked by you. Being disliked... is scary."
Sir Ciel slowly said this as if he were speaking to himself, while looking at the red hot wine swaying in his cup.
"Sir Ciel, I like you. I won't dislike you."
"Ms. Lydia... it's better not to say such cute things. If I get drunk on wine... I might do something bad under that excuse."
Sir Ciel's voice softly echoes in my ears.
Since we're sitting next to each other, his voice is close.
His cool and sweet voice touches my eardrums, making me feel a bit strange.
It feels different from usual.
Is it because of the festival? Sir Ciel's atmosphere──it's like a real vampire Count.
"Sir Ciel, are you weak to liquor? There's going to be a pumpkin harvest festival soon, are you okay...?"
"Yes. I'm not weak. I won't get drunk from this much."
Sir Ciel looks down, seeming troubled.
"...Maybe it's because I'm wearing different clothes than usual. Today, everyone is in costumes that are not human. Even I, who usually pretends to be human... feel like I can become one."
"Sir Ciel is just like me. Always the same..."
"Ms. Lydia, ... I can't help it. When it's just the two of us, I end up saying things I usually wouldn't. Even though I'm the older one, I keep relying on you."
"I've always been taken care of by Sir Ciel, so please, rely on me. A lot. If it's okay with me, that is."
"... Thank you. Ms. Lydia, shall we go after we finish drinking? I hope we can win the harvest festival."
"Yes!"
Sir Ciel quickly finished the rest of the hot wine.
I also finished my caramel latte, took Sir Ciel's outstretched hand, and stood up.
Eir-Eir seemed full and quietly snuggled into my chest.
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