Volume 9 Chapter 5 Omelette Yakisoba At The Beach House
The sand is all gritty.
And then, my wet clothes feel sticky.
Sir Stefan's hand is on my back and then on my head.
When he hugs me tight, I can feel the warmth of his body through my wet clothes.
I can hear the sound of breathing. I can tell my chest is rising and falling. I can also hear my heartbeat. Our bodies are so close that the boundary of our skin feels blurred, and the sound of the waves and the water overflowing from the faucet shakes my eardrums.
"...Lydia. ...I've made you suffer for so long. Lydia, I'm sorry."
"Y-yes... um, what happened all of a sudden...?"
I wonder if Sir Stefan is feeling lonely.
The strength of his arms hugging me is painfully tight, and I furrowed my brows.
"If my time hadn't been lost, I could have made you happy. I know it's pointless to think about it, but I can't help it. I understand that time won't come back. I also realize that I had my chances, and that was probably my fault. ...But still..."
"Sir Stefan..."
"I also understand that I love the current Lydia for being who she is now. ...I can't choose a different path. I can't change the past. ...But, I'm..."
Sir Stefan pauses his words and falls silent.
He presses his forehead against my shoulder and looks down.
His slightly damp golden hair is beautiful like the sun, and I gently touch it.
As I slowly stroke it, it feels all fluffy like a wet dog. It must be because he's wet from the seawater.
Usually, it's much softer and smoother. His slightly wavy golden hair is soft and nice to touch.
"Sir Stefan, it's okay. It's okay. ...I can't say it well, but the years that have passed are shorter than the years ahead. Living on, maybe, will be long... so, um, we can make a lot more memories. There will be fun things, I'm sure."
"Yeah..."
"Sir Stefan, you're officially becoming the King, so you might feel a bit anxious, but... I'm here, and everyone else is too. It'll be okay."
Sir Stefan might be feeling anxious.
That makes sense. There's a lot to worry about. After all, he's the King.
This country has so many problems, and thinking that all of that is resting on Sir Stefan's shoulders, well──if it were me, I'd definitely feel anxious too.
"Sir Stefan, you might be hungry. When you're hungry, it can make you feel sad. How about we grab a bite at the beach house? Then we can go home, prep the clams, and have clam pasta for dinner. Want to eat?"
"...I'll eat."
I hugged Sir Stefan tightly and gently rubbed his back.
He's like an older brother, a father figure, but also a bit like a child. He's been working so hard and being serious all the time, it's no wonder he gets tired.
Being in the sea makes you hungry, and he dug quite a big hole too.
He's probably feeling hungrier and a bit more anxious or sad than usual.
I gently pulled away from Sir Stefan and looked up at him with a smile.
Sir Stefan's hair and clothes were wet, and he had a bit of a sad look on his face. He looked like a dog on a rainy day.
"Alright, let's go. Eir-Eir and the others seem hungry too, right?"
"...Lydia. ...I like you."
"I like you too. I've always liked kind Sir Stefan. Let's go."
I picked up the Eir-Eirs.
They had been waiting for a long time, and Eir-Eir, Ms. Famine, and Nel-Nel were so happy to finally be held, rubbing their little bodies against me. So cute.
"...Stefan. Don't trust Lydia's feelings. That kind of 'like' is the same as liking the yakisoba from a food stall."
"Thanks for the advice. Thank you, Dad."
"Why don't you all try being a bit more assertive? I wonder about you as a man."
"...Lydia is really close to Ciel and Lucian. I don't want to do anything pushy and be disliked. ...If I'm going to lose it all, I want to choose this relationship now."
"Then nothing will change."
"...I'm weak. I really am. And I can't help but think... that I have no place to be after hurting Lydia."
"You probably don't care. Lydia doesn't. ...That girl is growing up in her own way. I think she's interested in boyfriends and love and all that."
Sir Stefan and my dad are talking about something while following us a bit behind.
I ordered 2 raspberry juices and 3 omusoba from the lady at the beach house.
Today, the beach house menu only had gelato and omusoba, so it was a no-brainer.
With fewer menu options, I didn't have to think too hard.
As I sat on the wooden bench outside, waiting for our food with the sea breeze blowing, the lady brought us the raspberry juices and omusoba.
The raspberry juice was filled with ice and had a beautiful red color.
The omusoba, with yakisoba wrapped in fluffy eggs, looked delicious with its oval-shaped, plump yellow egg.
"Sir Stefan, let's eat."
"Ah. ...God Ancestor Theobart, Goddess Alexandria. And Lydia. I'm grateful to be able to share this meal with you."
Sir Stefan offered a polite prayer before the meal.
The soft, creamy taste of the egg, along with the crunchy cabbage, carrots, and small pieces of pork in a rich sauce, spread across my tongue, soothing my tired body from playing at the beach.
Speaking of which, omusoba for lunch.
How about clam pasta for dinner?
Sounds like noodles.
"It's delicious. ...I like this more than palace food."
Sir Stefan really enjoys commoner food.
I smiled at the sight of Sir Stefan squinting happily while eating the omusoba.
The clams in the bucket were opening and closing their mouths.
Nel-Nel and Eir-Eir finished eating their omusoba, their mouths all messy with sauce, and curiously peered into the bucket, poking their hands into it and playing around.
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