Chapter 8

I grabbed Gerard’s arm as he raised his hand high and pulled it down, then handed him the empty glass I had been wiping. I didn’t even know why I handed it to him.

Gerard lowered his head and looked at the empty glass held out in the air, then began to chuckle.

Ah, I got played.

Realizing he never had any intention of complaining to the owner about my attitude, a faint irritation rose inside me.

Gerard snatched the empty glass.

“This is the first time I’ve seen someone try to placate me with something like this.”

As if he really intended to have a drink here, Gerard pulled out a chair and sat down. I had told him to sit without thinking, but now that he had actually settled in, I felt troubled.

At least it didn’t seem like his memories had returned.

Should I ask Turner to switch with me? While I hesitated for a moment, Gerard tapped the wooden table lightly with the back of his hand, as if telling me to focus on him.

“Would you like the menu?”

“Bring me the most expensive drink.”

“Even then, it would probably taste like cheap liquor to you, Lord Castion.”

“My tastes aren’t that refined either.”

Gerard stuck out his tongue as if to show me. His unusually red tongue gleamed even under the dim lighting of the pub.

“Alright, put it away.”

“Fine.”

I snapped the open menu shut and turned around. From the display shelf, I chose a bottle of cognac that seemed suitable for a noble young master’s taste and brought it over with some fruit on the side.

Even after I poured the drink and handed it to him, Gerard paid no attention to the alcohol and simply rested his chin on his hand, staring at me. Because his eyes reflected the light more than most people’s, his blatant gaze felt especially burdensome.

As the uncomfortable situation continued, my stomach began to churn and I felt dizzy.

Why is he staring like that. It wasn’t my duty to chat with customers, so after watching his reaction for a moment, I was just about to slip away.

“Miss Louize Harper, I hear you’re a Purifier?”

Only then did I understand why Gerard had personally come to this old pub that only commoners visited.

“I’ll go to Lord Castion and make him apologize to you.”

Haah, Arvina. I pressed my forehead and lowered my head.

Even though I had told her it was fine, she must have ignored me and told Gerard anyway.

“Did Arvina tell you?”

“Otherwise, would I even be here?”

No, wait. Arvina didn’t even know I worked part-time at a pub.

Arvina was rigidly by-the-book, the type who strictly followed rules to a fault. And Purifiers were prohibited from holding second jobs.

If she found out I was working part-time, she would report me to the temple without hesitation.

‘I’m doing this for you, Luzi. We’re Purifiers, not part-timers selling drinks at a pub. You understand how I feel, right?’ She’d say something infuriating like that!

“Don’t tell me, Arvina also knows I work here…”

“Our dear princess doesn’t know.”

I felt relieved for the moment.

Gerard’s feelings for Arvina were so sincere that just one word from her had made him go as far as investigating me.

“…Let’s say I’ve received your apology, so please keep the fact that I work here a secret.”

“You’ve got a wound on your face.”

His head tilted slightly, as if something about it displeased him.

“……”

“What time do you finish?”

“Excuse me, are you perhaps not hearing what I’m saying?”

“She insisted I treat you to a meal. Looking at that injury, I don’t think just any restaurant will do. Is there somewhere you’d like to go?”

This is ridiculous. It’s already uncomfortable enough just running into him, and now he wants to eat together? I’d rather scrape my other cheekbone against a stone wall.

“The wound will heal soon, and I don’t have time to leisurely eat with someone. And I’m really fine, so you don’t need to feel apologetic. Are we good now?”

“So, what time do you finish?”

…He’s seriously not listening.

Even as I stared at him with obvious discomfort, Gerard instead straightened his back and stretched his arm over the chair beside him. He looked like some back-alley thug who had come to collect protection money.

Thud. I planted both hands firmly on the wooden table in front of him. Then, meeting his eyes directly, I spoke in the firmest voice I could manage.

“I accept your apology. However, I get indigestion if I eat with strangers. If you truly want to apologize to me, you can drink this, go home comfortably, and tell Arvina that you treated me to a meal. I’ll consider it as if I’ve eaten.”

For the first time, the relaxed expression on Gerard’s face hardened. He stared at my face, now close to his, with a heavy gaze.

I thought he would casually say, ‘Fine,’ and stand up, but instead of answering, not even the slightest smile remained on his expressionless face.

“Strangers…”

At his low murmur, I flinched without thinking. Soon, the space between Gerard’s brows tightened.

“Are we really strangers?”

“……”

At those words, my heart pounded as if it would burst through my chest, and sweat began to gather in the palms I had pressed against the table.

The moment I tried to pull my upper body back, the urge to run suddenly rising.

Tap.

My wrist was caught in the man’s hand.

• Author
• Recent Posts

mikan

Latest posts by mikan (see all)