In silence I accompanied Sion who fell silent, but it was getting tough slowly.
A while ago I met eyes with Lars who came to check on me, and signaled to him to pretend Iām a different person. I breathed with relief when I confirmed he went back to the inside of the shop after silently nodding.
When our turn came inside the shop, the employee who mustāve been informed by Lars understandingly guided us to a table in the back. I wryly smiled how he evidently chose the place out of consideration. Iām grateful. Iāll have to come again to thank him.
āYour order? What do you want?ā
While passing the menu to me Sion asked so.
āWhat about Sion?ā
āI always choose the spicy original curry⦠It has a familiar taste, I donāt feel like eating anything elseā
āā¦ā
When he muttered the few words, my hands that were receiving the menu stopped.
Actually, the spicy original curry is exactly the same as what I used to make for Sion-senpai in my previous life.
My chest tightened from his line that said he wants to eat it.
āLidi?ā
āAh, no⦠Letās see⦠Iāll take the same thingā
āIs that so? Itās quite spicy thoughā
āIām relatively fine with spicy things. Thanksā
After nodding to my words, Sion called for the employee.
Without any mistakes he ordered even my part.
Seeing him familiar like this made me think.
⦠Shion-senpai remembers the taste of my curry.
Recalling his words just now, I felt deeply moved.
The curry I had always made for him.
Senpai didnāt say anything despite eating it, so actually I had no idea what he thought.
I thought he didnāt dislike it since he ate without leaving leftovers, however I never would have thought heād remember it.
ā⦠Lidi? What is the matter?ā
In response to Senpaiās voice I smiled slightly. And shook my head just a little.
āNo, itās nothing⦠As a matter of fact, I also like the curry in this shopā
When I softly said that as if I was revealing a secret, Senpai opened his eyes wide with an Oh .
āA lady with your social status would go to such a place?ā
āYeah⦠A while ago I was brought here by His Highness during an inspectionā
Come to think of it, I saw Senpai for the first time then.
What was Senpai doing at that time.
ā⦠Is that so⦠Was it fun?ā
āOf course, it was very funā
Sure, we were attacked by assassins, but the date with Freed itself was very fun.
Enough that I would like to get invited again.
Thatās why I nodded from the bottom of my heart, and with him saying Then thatās good , the conversation broke off.
Becoming somehow uneasy, I picked up the cup in front of me.
Drinking the ice water, I resolved myself.
I carefully started talking.
āUm, listen. I wonder if I could ask now?ā
When I resolved myself and asked, Senpaiās face said that he was waiting for it.
āOh, is it finally the main question. Very well, go aheadā
āCan I?ā
āIt was me who suggested we move here after all. I cannot promise that I will answer anything, but you can ask without hesitationā
Senpai urged me so in a soft voice.
At that answer I swallowed my saliva.
What should I ask.
Even so, Iāve already decided what Iāll ask first.
ā⦠Then, Iāll ask⦠Sion, are you involved with Tarim?ā
When I asked that unreservedly, Senpai made a slightly interested face.
āOh. Iām just a singer. Why did the word Tarim appear?ā
āDonāt answer a question with a questionā
āI did say I will not answer everything, did I not? Well, fine. I will answer, so please tell me⦠What made you think that?ā
Told that, I had no choice but to answer.
I reluctantly explained the reason.
āYour name⦠Ćventail, isnāt it. It should certainly be the surname unique to Tarim⦠You have no scar, at a glance you are obviously not from Tarim, so itās strange you call yourself with it. A foreigner who calls himself with a Tarim surname. I canāt think you arenāt an important person in such Tarimā
When I raised my face and pointed that out, Senpai smiled as if to praise my insight.
ā⦠Very well. You pass. It seems His Highness the Crown Princeās Princess Consort is not a mere decoration. I thought I had been fairly blatant, but strangely nobody, starting from Marquis Muller, had asked me that question until now. I never would have expected I would need to be cautious hereā
I grew embarrassed as Senpai laughed in relief that not every important person in Wilhelm is a fool.
⦠That stupid Marquis.
Every night heās indulging himself in evening parties, so he didnāt notice such important information.
Even my Brother noticed Senpai was suspicious.
I felt like our country has been disgraced, still I fixed my gaze at Senpai.
ā⦠Donāt look down on us. The people at the top should have properly noticed. More importantly, answer. Who are you?ā
āLetās see⦠you could say a wandering singerā
āThatās too suspicious. Tarim people never let outsiders call themselves with a name from their country. Their pure-blood doctrine is abnormal. And yet you were allowed to do that, you shouldnāt be a mere singerā
āOh my⦠Youāre really cleverā
Senpai theatrically shrugged his shoulders.
He slowly crossed his legs.
āItās simple. As you have guessed, I am not from Tarim. I was allowed to call myself like that thanks to a little achievement, thatās all. Ah, but, please donāt ask what country am I from, okay? Iām just a singer. I donāt want to be asked thatā
Tarim isnāt such a sweet country to allow him to use a name for a little achievement.
His achievement absolutely must be considerable. And I have no doubt it has a military nature. Senpaiās knowledge can be put to a good use in military affairs. I know that simple fact.
Letās think back on recent Tarimās military achievements.
Theyāre stopped from going south every year by Freed, but unusually they had a streak of victories in skirmishes against their smaller clans.
⦠I think thereās no way he wasnāt involved.
But thatās not whatās important now.
What I want to know is why Sion is here.
Whether he is a threat to Freed. Thatās the most important. Thereās no meaning if I mess up the priority in a fluster.
Enduring the feeling of wanting to ask, I again met eyes with Sion.
āI see. Tarim isnāt such a sweet country though. And? Why has a person with a connection to Tarim come to Wilhelm?ā
āAah, you wanted to hear thatā
Sion theatrically clapped his hands.
Every single gesture he does is theatrical. Even though he wasnāt like that in the past, I wanted to sigh at how long we hadnāt seen each other.
āItās the truth that Iām a singer right now. As a matter of fact⦠I lost my job over there. Then I came here as a wandering singerā
āLost⦠your⦠jobā¦?ā
It was so far apart from Senpaiās image, that my head couldnāt follow for a moment.
Lost his job? Did he say he lost his job.
Lost his job⦠as a tactician?
āHaā¦?ā
Senpai nodded with a very serious face to me who made a foolish voice.
āYes, I did. So I thought I might as well look around the world. Coming here⦠was a coincidenceā
āā¦ā
Thatās a lie.
I reflexively thought so. Senpai shouldāve absolutely came to this country with some goal in mind.
After all, he said some time ago. āI have no more business in this countryā
In other words, he should have had some business.
As I stared fixedly at Senpai without saying anything, eventually he breathed out troubledly.
āI give up⦠When I look at you, somehow I canāt help but remember my acquaintance. It makes me want to say the truth⦠To be honest, I came to this country because there was something I wanted to check. But it was a let-down. Thatās why itās enoughā
āSomething you wanted to check?ā
āYeahā¦ā
Senpai narrowed his eyes as if remembering something. And looking at me, smiled regrettably.
āI will leave this country today. I donāt know where I will go next. But, I have a wish that I will spare no efforts to fulfill. I will fulfill it without fail. I swore so to myselfā
āA wishā¦?ā
When I tried asking what it is, the ordered curry was brought in.
Senpai seemed to notice heād said too much, and while bitterly smiling forcibly changed the subject.
āAah, itās finally here. Today is my last curry⦠Iām grateful I donāt have to eat it alone, Lidiā
āAh⦠yeahā
Feeling the aura that allowed no more questions, I held my tongue.
Following Sion, I picked up the spoon. The normal curry after a long time.