Reinhardtâs smile deepened as he rested his chin on his hand.
He did not respond to those words. He just smiled, got up from his seat, and walked over to Valletta with a broad stride.
âItâs a mess, Master.â
Reinhardt fixed her crooked robe, and after sitting her down on a chair, he went into the bathroom and came out with a towel.
âYour hair isnât very dry either.â
He gently dried Vallettaâs hair with the towel. His touch was very careful. Reinhardt, who was clumsy at first, got used to it over time.
âI thought youâd use magic to dry it.â
âI like this better than that.â
âYouâre strange, really.â
Reinhardt removed the water left on her hair, brought a brush, and combed her hair.
Valletta was familiar with it.
âMaster seems to be good at everything, but she is certainly Countâs daughter in this respect.â
âIf youâre going to curse, go away. Iâll do it.â
âItâs not a curse, itâs a compliment.â
âThink about what you said. Where is the nuance of praise?â
At Vallettaâs growl, Reinhardt burst into a low laugh. He was really good at only one thing: laughing. She couldnât help but laugh a little and her mouth hurt like a cramp.
âEverything.â
As she tilted her head and looked at his face, Valletta stood up.
Reinhardt, still smiling, brushed off her robe and then stepped back.
âDoesnât your cheeks hurt when you smile so much?â
âYes, but this is the best expression to use on my face.â
âItâs good that youâve grown up so well. So where are you going to use it?
âTo seduce Master?â
Valletta gulped at the face that was suddenly pushed in right in front of her. She swallowed her breath and pushed his shoulder out, and Reinhardt was meekly pushed out of the way. He chuckled as he flicked his fingers and got dressed.
âShall we go?â
âAre you going too?â
Valletta asked with a sullen expression and Reinhardt nodded as if it was natural. Snorta bounced up and naturally hung on her shoulder.
âIâm going to eat.â
âThen letâs eat together. I think thereâs a diner down here.â
In spite of the fact that they were going to a crowded place, Reinhardt nodded pleasantly without any change in expression.
âCome to think of it, Snorta needs to be fed, too. We also have to buy feed, but I donât know what else to feed it.â
She felt like she was a little dim for trying to raise them without any common sense. But itâs still cuteâŚâŚ.
Above all, she didnât want to forcibly remove a child who was so tangled up.
âWas it awful for Therion?â
âI guess my attitude was a bit cold hearted when it came to trying to relate to Snorta. I should have been a little better with my words.â
âIn the end, I went to Dukeâs house without saying a word.â
âI didnât mind that I didnât say goodbye to him. I was the main character and I saw the future, so I wondered if I was really doing well. I didnât think much of it after I left, but now I care about it.â
âSnorta is basically an omnivore, so you can give it raw meat. The meat will be even more palatable than feed.â
ââŚâŚ Oh, really?â
âYes. And Iâm an omnivore too, Master.â
Valletta glared at Reinhardt and walked out of the room.
Reinhardt locked the door and followed her downstairs.
ââŚâŚ.â
* * * *
There was a line of people at the diner. Valletta turned her head with a gloomy gaze.
Reinhardtâs gaze moved slowly.
âWell, should we kill them all?â
âAre you crazy?â
âWhat about kicking everyone out or putting them to sleep?â
He seemed to be out of the normal range in his own way, but if the people were all put to sleep, who would take orders and cook? Valletta was a little disappointed as the delicious smell made her hungry, but not enough to make her wait in this line to eat.
âOkay, letâs go outside and buy some apples.â
âOkayâŚâŚ.â
Reinhardt didnât seem to like it, so he took one look at the diner and obediently followed her.
âHuh? Mr wizard?â
A voice that sounded familiar made Valletta stop in her tracks. It was a small voice, but the person seemed to know Reinhardt was a wizard.
âI met you yesterday at the fountain, remember?â
âOh âŚâŚ.â
He was the man from that time. The manâs dark blue eyes were filled with joy as Valletta nodded in understanding. The man with the wavering light sky-blue hair took two more steps closer, as if to show his familiarity.
âAre you planning to dine?â
âYes, but for some reason the line is so long so I was going to go somewhere else.â
âOh, in that case, we made a reservation yesterday when we entered the room. Would you like to join us?â
The young manâs voice was low, hushed, and very clear. He wasnât coughing like yesterday. His skin was still pale, but his complexion was brighter.
âIâd say youâre a different person than yesterday.â
Not that this cheerful mood had changed, of course.
As Valletta was about to shake her head to refuse the invitation, Reinhardt smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her from behind.
âThen can I ask you a favor? My Valletta doesnât eat properly.â
âYouâŚâ
Reinhardt lightly patted her shoulder as if he was soothing her.
âOf course! My party is inside already, letâs go. Oh my name is Desilian.â
The manâs sparkling eyes were a great burden. Vallettaâs expression darkened when she saw the eyes that were as blue as if they were inside a jewel. Valletta, who was looking at Desilianâs neat face, eventually opened her mouth.
âIâm Valletta.â
âYou can call me Rein. I am Lady Vallettaâs squire.â
âWow, a squire, you two seem to be very close.â
âWeâve been together since we were children.â
Valletta and Reinhardt followed Desilian, whose eyes sparkled with envy. He talked a bit with the waitress and was shown to his seat, wondering if it was true that he had made a reservation.
âWell, actually my party is my squire as well. I asked her to be my friend, but she said thatâs a bad idea even if I were dead.â
The well spoken Desilianâs voice was surprisingly unobtrusive. In fact, it was surprisingly catchy.
âItâs just like Eliseâs.â
âWhen was the last time I didnât mind people making noise?â
âMaster Desilian! Where have you been?â
The woman who had been sitting in her seat in frustration stood up and shouted. There were worries in her brown eyes.
Every time she moved, her hair, which was in a ponytail, swung from side to side.
âOh, I met them yesterday in front of the fountain yesterday.â
âYesterday, that person..That wizard?
Yes. This one is the wizard, Mr. Rein, and this one is Valletta. Rein is Miss Vallettaâs squire.â
âThe wizard is the squire?â
The woman questioned suspiciously, then she stared at Reinhardt and Valletta.
Reinhardt looked at her with a sly smile.
âAh, Mr. Rein, Miss Valletta. This is my squire, Lynn.â
âLynn?â
âYes, my original name was Zenith. He calls me by my nickname.â
Valletta nodded, looking at the smile on her face. Zenith greeted by bowing lightly to her.
Desilian was surprised and hurried them to sit down.
âI didnât know this was a place where you had to make a reservation.â
Reinhardt said as he moved the chair out and sat Valletta down, then he sat down after her.
Valletta looked at Reinhardt with curious eyes and tilted her head.
âSometimes this guy seems to be more social than I am.â
The waitress brought out two menus and placed each in front of them. Then she walked away, saying to call her when they were ready to order.
âThereâs a special lunch-only menu here, and itâs really good. Originally, reservations were not available, but they do accept reservations for guests only.â
âHmmmâŚâŚâŚâ
Listening to Desilianâs explanation, Reinhardt slowly skimmed through the menu. The lunch-only menu at the very beginning seemed to be the dish the man in front of him was talking about.
Looking through the food descriptions, Reinhardt quickly moved on to the next section with an interesting glance. After looking at some of the food, he turned his head to the side and looked at Valletta. Vallettaâs brows furrowed very faintly as she read the description of the limited lunch menu.
âShall we have some of this special home cooked meal? Actually noâŚ.â (Reinhardt)
âWhat? Why not? The lunch menu is the best here!â (Desilian)
Valletta also turned her face at Reinhardtâs words and looked at him. Naturally, she thought he would say, âShall we have some of this too?â
âYou donât like fried fish.â
âHow did you know?â
âThereâs no way that I donât know anything about you, Master.â
Reinhardt smiled and closed the menu. Valletta also folded the menu and handed it to him. He took it naturally and smiled at her.
âYou two are really close.â (Desilian)
âIs that so?â
Valletta replied indifferently. It wasnât as noisy in the dining room as she thought, unlike the row of people outside. At least not to the point where they couldnât hear each otherâs conversations.