86 – light drunk
Ever since Ariel bought the teddy bear, she hasn’t let it go.
Concerned that it might be cumbersome on the way, Edgar asked if he could listen to it, but she stubbornly refused to let go of the teddy bear.
When Edgar asked in a funny voice, “Do you like the doll that much?”, she blushed for a moment and just buried her face in the teddy bear.
Ariel dragged the doll around until she found a nice restaurant for lunch.
Eventually, when we arrived at a restaurant written on paper, we put the dolls next to each other so that we could catch our breath for a while.
“It must have been difficult for Riel too, hey.”
Even the hair is fluffy, but I must have been sweating a lot after clinging to someone all day.
When Edgar, who was laughing with his chin resting on his chin, jokingly threw out something, Ariel answered sharply, widening her eyes.
“I told you not to call me that! It’s just a teddy bear, teddy bear!”
“Then why did you name the teddy bear in your room?”
“Because you just heard wrong!?”
“Hmm… … .”
There was no credibility at all, but Edgar decided to take a step back at this point because he was ready to explode if he touched it any more.
In order to make fun of a woman named Ariel Loveheim, it is essential to control the dynamics.
Since it is a dangerous character that spews fire from its hands if it is wrong, it is said that above all, care should be taken when handling it.
food.
“What, what is it? Why are you laughing so badly?”
When a lover smiles on the other side, isn’t it common sense to ask if something pleasant is happening?
However, such common sense did not apply to these two people.
Even though he was openly told that he was in a bad mood, Edgar’s eyes shrugged his shoulders with mixed emotions.
“just. It feels a bit old.”
“How did you feel before?”
“it’s not like that? After becoming lovers, it felt like the relationship had changed drastically.”
“ah… … .”
Ariel, who had some sympathy for her, let out a low sigh and drank a glass of water brought by the waiter.
Certainly, as he said, the first two to three weeks after we became lovers were quite awkward.
The words used to describe the two of them had only changed from childhood friends to lovers, but it was as if they had forgotten how to treat him.
Over the months that followed, I gradually got used to this relationship and learned what it was like to be a lover, but until then I felt like I was stuck.
“It was awkward at first for us. is not it?”
“… Well, for some reason, I felt like a lover would have to do something.”
It’s as good as a relationship as a lover, but Ariel was very confused at first because it seemed that the comfort of being a childhood friend was gone because of that.
To put it another way, it felt like there was a sense of duty attached to the word lover.
Compared to the days when it was comfortable just looking at each other, I hated the feeling of having to hold each other’s hands or hug each other and spend a loving time.
However, that subtle sense of distance was also broken by Edgar’s words one day.
“You did. Let’s not be burdened just because we’re lovers.”
“I even remember it.”
“Do you think I am as stupid as you?”
It was Ariel who responded bluntly, but in contrast, a faint smile was engraved on her lips.
“Anyway, I guess that was right. Looking back now, I wonder why.”
Ariel didn’t regret the memory of that day when she was a little foolish.
Even such a clumsy attitude and behavior was just a problem because they were the first to each other, and it was settled as a small memory.
It’s just that I could have figured it out if I had thought about it a little more. I guess it’s a subtle regret.
It’s just a little embarrassing that I realized after so long, and at the end of my lover’s advice.
“Maybe that was our feeling.”
“What does it mean to be us?”
Not being sarcastic, Ariel was genuinely curious.
Each person has a slightly different interpretation of relationships.
If so, how did Edgar regard the two people in the expression ‘we’?
“You and I always do stupid things. You often fall and get hurt. I’m often busy saying useless things.”
“My, when did I get hurt so much… … .”
“Honey, I can remember more than 10 times. Are you going to pretend you don’t know this?”
“Sigh, noisy! you stupid!”
When Ariel raised her voice in a sullen tone, Edgar said, “Anyway.” and added an afterword.
“It means that you and I are compatible with that immature side. So, not only then, but in the future, you just have to live with that thought.”
“It’s not appropriate to pretend to be serious.”
“How many times have I told you, but are you saying that now?” … ?”
Edgar, who was dumbfounded, muttered in an exasperated tone, but Ariel only responded by sticking out her tongue.
Of course, it wasn’t that she didn’t know.
How serious he is, and how he always keeps in mind the incomparably deeper places.
However, this behavior is her own effort to release the air that is rapidly becoming heavy.
Because they’ve been comfortable with each other since they were young, it was always comfortable for the two of them to joke with each other and make fun of each other.
That’s why when the rather serious and heavy air sank, it seemed like my body was twisted.
And Ariel thought that Edgar must have the same idea.
He had said that just a moment ago, but deep down he must be grateful to himself for lightening the atmosphere.
“Let’s stop talking nonchalantly and order food. I mean, I’m hungry.”
“yes. Oh, by any chance, there was no recommended food written on the paper?”
“Yeah, wasn’t there?”
Ariel unfolded the paper Shuri had handed over and showed it to Edgar.
The name of the restaurant was written there, but as she said, the recommended food was not specified.
Maybe it means that all the food tastes good enough that you don’t need a recommendation.
Since you’ll have to try it first, you’ll know, so Edgar called the waiter right away.
“Yes, would you like to order?”
The man who had just handed over the water came back to where the two of them were.
Since it was his first visit anyway, he thought that the food recommended by the staff would be better, so Edgar asked Ariel to agree and looked around the menu and asked a question.
“Is there anything you can recommend?”
“I would like to know what women like because they enjoy this dish. It’s a beef salad topped with finely grated cheese, but both ingredients came in fresh just today.”
When Edgar glanced at Ariel at the employee’s recommendation, she gave a small nod as if it were okay.
Of course, you can’t just order that, so the two of you finished ordering after receiving recommendations for three more dishes.
I also asked for some wine to accompany it, but Edgar will probably get most of it.
“Are you not drinking much?”
“Yeah, I tend to drink when I’m in the castle anyway. I just want a drink.”
Ariel doesn’t like tea very much, but she enjoys drinking once in a while.
But I don’t drink until I’m drunk, and I sit alone in bed at night and drink quietly.
Rather than liking alcohol, I liked the feeling of becoming slightly emotional after drinking.
So on the contrary, I didn’t like drinking in places where a lot of people could see.
I didn’t like imagining what would happen if I couldn’t control my drinking, and I didn’t want to show others how weak I was when I got drunk.
Not long after that, the waitress who had been there earlier returned to her seat with wine this time.
A man who skillfully opens a cork after checking the label for two people.
“It’s a wine recommended by our boss, but I don’t know if it will suit your taste.”
“I’m not the type to know the taste, so it’s okay to just give it to me.”
Anyway, Edgar wasn’t very picky about his taste.
To be precise, I have a rather sensitive sense of taste, but I’m the type to enjoy anything regardless.
It wasn’t much of a difference when it came to alcohol.
Soon after, the waitress opened the stopper and poured an appropriate amount of red liquid into the two wine glasses.
From here, the contrast between the two was revealed.
As soon as the glass was filled to a certain extent, Edgar took it straight to his mouth.
On the other hand, Ariel first enjoys the wine with her eyes as she lightly rotates the wine glass, smells the fragrance with her nose, and carefully puts it in her mouth.
The universal way to enjoy it would be closer to the latter, but Ariel did not bother to point out this point of Edgar.
In the first place, whether it be alcohol or food, as long as it doesn’t go against etiquette, everyone has their own way to eat it.
Rather, I thought that trying to change it by touching it would diminish the pleasure of the place.
“Oh, I didn’t even toast.”
“Come now?”
Belatedly, Edgar scratched his cheek cheekily, and Ariel, who hadn’t been surprised, held her chin in one hand and slipped her glass forward.
Edgar gently bumps his glass on him.
The refreshing sound unique to wine glasses resonated and the two drank wine in their mouths again.
Certainly, compared to what I drank in the castle, there was a feeling that the scent was a bit lacking, but it was still very satisfying.
I don’t know how much food will come next, but this will be a very satisfying meal.
Ariel thought that and looked at the man sitting across from her.
Somehow, I feel like my face is getting hot.
After only two sips, he felt a little pathetic.
“What are you looking at? Did you put anything on your face?”
“It’s mine, but can’t you see it the way you want?”
“… I’m already drunk.”
As he shook his head, Ariel gave a deep smile as if he had won.
It was a very satisfying result because there weren’t that many days when she defeated Edgar.
The prospect is that today will be a good day.
‘Anyway, how should I deal with it?’
If only to solve the strange feeling of deja vu that kept giving her a little while ago.
I felt two magical powers that I must have felt somewhere, but I couldn’t remember who they belonged to.
No, to be precise, one person.
The other one belonged to someone she was quite familiar with.
The problem is that we will have to investigate later on why he is here.
A smile formed on Ariel’s lips as she emptied her wine glass.
However, rather than the happy feeling he had when watching Edgar a moment ago, it was a colder, tyrannical smile.