Chapter 151

Chapter 151

Commander Lieber said the investigation could take time . I should have kept his advice in mind that it might ring true .

What was considered accurate the year before may change in the next, after all .

The temple was rundown, so of course they’d want to fix it .

Yeah, it was a dangerous place to be in, I get that . I get it, but…

What the hell happened to all the stuff inside!?

I asked the old man whether there was anything in the temple that seemed to be of even some historical value, only to get a ‘There’s no way there’s anything like that!’ reply and a laugh out of him . In fact, he was surprised there was absolutely nothing of note in the first place .

The villagers all said that if there wasn’t really anything in it, then they might as well tear it all down .

So in other words, can I take it that no Demon Lord is lingering about in there?

Leaving the matter of the stone the Demon Lord was supposedly sealed in aside, if there was some sort of secret room, the villagers would’ve definitely known .

The first day of our investigation left me feeling nothing but stress .

A large hand landed on my head as I was lost in thought with my brows furrowed .

When I looked up, Sir Leonhard was staring at me, care and worry apparent in his gaze .

“Please don’t make that face . Our journey has only just begun, right?”

His sweet, gentle voice made me forget where I was or what I was even doing, leaving my heart aflutter .

I pressed a palm onto my chest and let out a small groan .

Just casually speaking with him was hard enough, but trying to get my head under control in general when my brain already exploded with a poof! was just outright impossible .

Please stop using that ‘brother-doting-on-his-little-sister’ expression on me, otherwise it will awake a new fetish I didn’t know I had!

“Marie?”

And now you’re casually calling my name!?

No, it was just the front we agreed on . Sir Leonhard was merely playing his role given to him diligently .

“It’s nothing, Brother . ”

I managed to hold back my urge to scream and appropriately followed those words with a smile .

‘Is that so?’ He softly patted my head after giving a short reply of his own .

“I heard that this shop’s soup is pretty good . Our bodies are getting a bit cold, so let’s go warm up there . ”

“…Okay . ”

I replied with my eyes squinted as his large hand gave me a pat on the head .

Ah… I wanna be Sir Leonhard’s sister for the rest of my life .

…Nonono! That’s not what you want, right, Rosemarie!? That’s not what you’re aiming for, right!?

That was dangerous… When I fell for his sweetness, I almost wholeheartedly accepted the idea of being his little sister .

I will only enter the Olsen family as a wife! Not an adopted child, but his wife!

Sigh… I wiped the sweat off my forehead .

Sir Leonhard, without giving the slightest hint that he noticed my suspicious behaviour, called the waitress over .

Sir Leonhard and I were currently at a village restaurant .

Despite being a little late for lunch and too early for dinner, the place was still packed . Not only the villagers, but travellers were also here as well .

Anyone looking to cross the border into Raptor from Nebel’s royal capital would stay the night here . The village was bustling, probably because it was positioned in just the right spot .

“Sir Le-… Brother . ”

“Hm?”

Sir Leonhard, who had just finished ordering, turned to me with a smile as he tilted his head .

The waitress seemed to have noticed this gesture and stiffened . Her ponytail shook slightly as she sprinted back into the kitchen with her face dyed beet red .

Miss… I understand… I totally get you…!

Sir Leonhard’s smile’s absolute destructive power…!

“Marie?”

Ah- I messed up again .

“Um… What should we do after this?”

“Let’s take a look around the village after we eat . ”

The chances of this village ‘hitting’ the nail on the head became extremely low .

But we should still go have a look around the temple that was in the middle of being rebuilt at least once, or so Sir Leonhard decided .

I also would like to talk to the people involved with the renovation process as well .

“Okay, and after that?”

“Hm… Let’s come back and rest here . ”

“Is it because we’re heading for the second village?”

When I asked, Sir Leonhard nodded .

“We will only run into the night if we set off now . It would be too dark for you to see the building that you wanted to see . ”

We’re quite close to our second destination from where we are, but I’m guessing we still don’t have enough time for the journey, huh?

Travelling the night posed many dangers, and above all, the darkness won’t let us do a proper search . We also don’t know if the next village will have an inn .

Sir Leonhard’s decision was spot-on .

The first village was a failure, so I was starting to feel a bit anxious, but it wasn’t good to rush things .

When I swallowed my anxiety and nodded, his midnight-coloured eyes saw through me and softly narrowed .

“I’m sorry for the wait . ”

The waitress came to us once our conversation had ended . A deep wooden bowl of soup and a plate of bread were placed in front of me and the same was also given to Sir Leonhard .

The soup used tomatoes as base . Roasted lamb bone and a variety of vegetables and beans were thrown in and left simmered together . I wasn’t too fond of mutton, but the lady said there shouldn’t be any smell left since it was thoroughly cooked through, so I think it should be fine .

The bread was hard . The loaf was round with small cuts making patterns on top . Probably rye bread .  I think I’ve seen these before in Kiki’s Delivery Service .

Both came piping hot . The steam caused the scents to drift up my nose and stimulated my appetite .

I know it all looks delicious, but…

How am I supposed to eat meat stuck on the bone? I wanted a knife and fork, but a spoon was all that was given to me .

When I glanced around, I saw the others going wildly at it .

That’s right… By normal standards, that’s what you’re supposed to do, isn’t it .

When I turned towards Sir Leonhard, our eyes met .

I think he realised that I was troubled and offered his hand to take it from me .

After a little hesitation, I shook my head .

Of course, I was reluctant to bite into the meat while in front of him, but I didn’t know how long this journey of ours would take, so I couldn’t have Sir Leonhard spoil me at every inconvenience the whole trip .

Resolving myself, I grabbed the bone with my bare hands and bit down on its flesh .

The flavour, which remained despite a long simmer in the broth, spread throughout my mouth . Next came the sourness of the tomatoes, the savouriness of the vegetables, and lastly, finishing with the various herb’s aromas . The moment I bit down on the meat, its juices started overflowing .

The meat easily fell off the bone when I pulled it away from my face while still biting on it . I continued chewing with my other hand covering my mouth .

It had a slight stink, but there was a deeper taste to it .

The herbs and tomatoes helped to bring out the flavour and reduced the smell . The fat was also so delicate it effortlessly melted in my mouth .

“So good!”

I involuntarily blurted out .

When I raised my face, Sir Leonhard’s eyes were widened .

Oh- You’re not thinking what I did just now was shameful or anything like that, right!?

Are you even aware of how much I’m panicking? Sir Leonhard simply laughed happily .

“Is that so?”

He didn’t seem to be surprised by my behaviour in the slightest .

Sir Leonhard delightfully started on his food as I continued eating with a question mark hung over my head .

The freshly-baked rye bread was hard to hold onto with my bare hands . When I pulled it apart, the light brown crumb inside appeared . The scent that emerged and filled my nose was quite unique .

When I tore it into smaller bite-size chunks and put them in my mouth, the acidity spread itself all over my tongue . It had a chewier texture compared to white bread . I didn’t hate it . In fact, I think I liked it .

It was even more delicious when paired with the soup .

“Both the bread and soup are all very delicious!”

I mumbled out my honest opinion .

“I’m glad you liked it . ”

A reply to the words that were only intended for myself came, but it wasn’t from Sir Leonhard .

Before I could make heads or tails of who just spoke, a damp hand wipe was shoved into my hand . When I looked up, I could see a man standing over me .

The sunlight shining through the window made him backlit, so I couldn’t make out his face well .

“Use that when your hands get dirty . ”

“Um… T-Thank you very much . ”

“Likewise . If you think it’s delicious, then that makes them worth making . ”

With that said and done, the man headed towards the kitchen .

He turned back before he entered .

“Oh, and there’s plenty more if you want seconds, alright?”

His thin hair went a little past his neckline and covered his forehead . It was a light brown colour much like the rye bread I held in my hands . His eyes, which shared the same hue, looked soft and gentle, likely because they were downturned with lengthy eyelashes . His white, slender face gave an androgynous look to him, but there was no mistaking the thick, manly arms and neck under his shirt .

“Y-”

‘Yes,’ I tried to reply, but my voice was stuck in my throat .

While I thought he was undoubtedly a beautiful man, I didn’t fall in love with him or anything like that . Instead, I was struck with a sense of déjà vu .

I could definitely say, without a doubt, that this was our first meeting . But why, at the same time, did I feel like I had ‘known’ him all along?

Even though I tried not to worry about it, I got my answer a few seconds later .

It wasn’t mere déjà vu after all . I felt something similar when I first met Crowe . This was rooted in my memories… Those from my previous life .

The young man in front of me was the last major character in the otome game Welcome to the Reverse World .