Chapter 55: Hiira’s Happiness
Night.
Lala-san had some business in the capital, so it was just Synovidos and me at the Saint’s dining hall for dinner.
As I prepared the dishes for dinner, Synovidos, who had finished cleaning and tidying up the shop, came back.
“Oh, it looks delicious!”
He looked happily at the table with his mask still on.
“Soup pasta made with the vegetable soup we served for lunch. . .and gratin?”
“Yeah. Remember the chicken croquettes we made for lunch? I used the leftover minced meat, potatoes, and onions to make it.”
“I see. The ingredients are almost the same, but it’s amazing.”
“Thank you for the compliment. Let’s eat quickly.”
“Yes. I’ll go wash my hands.”
We set up one of the tables at the Saint’s dining hall and had dinner together.
Before we started eating, Synovidos casually took off his mask.
His long black hair spread out softly, and his beautiful face, illuminated by the lamp, was revealed――he became Shinobu Bitou.
I felt a little embarrassed and couldn’t look at him directly.
“It’s been a while since we’ve been alone together.”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“Your tone is all mixed up, Shinobu-san.”
“Hahaha. . .sorry. Hiira-dono, which one do you prefer?”
“Um. . .I don’t know. Whichever is more comfortable for Shinobu-san.”
“Okay.”
We were both awkward. We still weren’t used to talking to each other like this with our true faces revealed.
“By the way, what about Black Dragon-san?”
“He followed Lala-dono because he was worried about her. It was just a pretext, he simply wanted to look at the capital.”
“Freedom, huh.”
He, now known as Shinobu-san, narrowed his golden eyes and laughed. He must be thinking about Black Dragon-san.
“. . .He also wants to be free. Actually.”
“Is it difficult to be free?”
“If I break the contract with me now, the forgotten old gods will disappear from the people.”
“Eh. . .”
“Because the kingdom has replaced the worship of land gods with the worship of the first king.”
“I see. . .it’s difficult to be free.”
“I’m sorry. This wasn’t a conversation to have before dinner. The homemade food will get cold.”
As if cutting off the topic, Shinobu-san spoke in a bright voice.
“Hiira-dono. First, let’s fill our stomachs. Let’s eat quickly.”
“Y-Yes! Then, Itadakimasu, right!!”
From there, the two of us put our hands together and had dinner.
“Mmm. . .delicious. . .”
As Shinobu-san said, as soon as I tasted the hot soup pasta, I remembered my hunger and my dark feelings disappeared.
The vegetables in the soup pasta were cooked all day, so they were soft and had a gentle taste. Eating it with the noodles made my stomach warm up more and more.
As I was eating with enthusiasm, Shinobu-san was looking at me.
His smile as he brushed his long black hair behind his ear made him seem closer than usual in the lamp-lit space.
“Hiira-dono, you look happy eating.”
“Hahaha. . .I was hungry. I feel happy when I eat delicious food.”
“I’m happy too. . .to be able to have a meal with Hiira-dono like this.”
“. . .T-That makes me happy too. . .”
My cheeks grew hot, and I unconsciously looked away. My stomach, which had become warm, and my chest were pounding.
Just watching Shinobu-san chew his food carefully made me feel embarrassed and my face grew hot.
In Synovidos, Demon King-sama, and Shinobu-san.
The strange and uneasy feelings I had towards the two of them gathered and became overwhelming when I was alone with Shinobu-san.
I wonder if I’m eating weirdly. . .
❂❂❂
After finishing the meal, Shinobu-san brewed tea for us.
Then, with a serious expression, he began to speak.
“Hiira-dono, I want to apologize again. . .for not telling you that Synovidos and the Demon King are the same person and deceiving you.”
“I didn’t think you were deceiving me. Are you feeling better?”
With honest feelings, I shook my head.
“Rather, I was happy that you went that far to protect me. . .”
“Hiira-dono. . .”
He was surprised, and then hesitated before continuing to speak.
“As you know. . .I made a contract with the black dragon, who is the earth itself, and had the responsibility of protecting the Lucidia Kingdom. I couldn’t leave the demon king’s castle. . .and from now on, I intend to continue protecting the kingdom as the demon king in this land.”
There was a slight pressure in Shinobu-san’s fingers as he held the teacup.
“. . .I can’t be with you like a normal man. That’s why.”
“Well then.”
I deliberately spoke brightly, covering his words.
I smiled at his golden eyes as I raised my face.
“Well then, I’ll open a saint’s cafeteria here and be by your side forever. Even when I’m old and become a grandmother, let’s eat together as long as I live.”
“But then your life will be sacrificed for me.”
Shinobu-san raised his waist and widened his eyes as if to say it was not a joke.
“You. . .Hiira-dono, please cherish your happiness. Make a family, live peacefully. . .I don’t want to sacrifice not only the black dragon but also your life.”
“Eating together like this is the greatest happiness for me.”
“. . .Uh. . .”
“Hey, Shinobu-san.”
Shinobu-san opened his golden eyes wide and looked at me. It’s a little embarrassing to say the rest.
“I want to eat with the person I want to be with and while I’m alive. Being with the person I love is my happiness. That’s why I want to be with Shinobu-san.”
“Is it okay for me to be that person?”
His voice was trembling.
I also realized that my voice was trembling.
“Is it really okay for me to be by your side? I mean, I said I want to be by your side, but I’m a damaged person, not as beautiful as Lala-san, and I’m clumsy. Sorry for saying weird things. Besides,. . .”
I became more and more awkward and spoke faster.
“Ah. . .should I make tea again?”
Clatter. As I stood up, embarrassed, I was suddenly hugged tightly.
He hugged me tightly.
Shinobu-san’s hoarse voice whispered above my head.
“I won’t let you say that ‘I’m not good enough for you’ again.”
“Shinobu-san. . .”
“Call me Shinobu.”
Shinobu-san wrapped both hands around my cheeks and gently lifted my face.
“I love you, Hiira-dono.”
“. . .Such. . .me.”
My words were sealed with his lips.
When I opened my eyes, Shinobu-san’s eyes were so close that I couldn’t focus.
“I won’t let you say it again.”
Shinobu-san murmured in a hoarse voice.
“I don’t want to make you unhappy, but if being with me makes you happy. . .I won’t hold back.”
With gentle eyes, he looked at me with a painful expression, and his eyes narrowed. As his big hand touched me, I felt his body temperature. I wasn’t afraid of being touched. On the contrary, I felt happy being touched like this.
Ah, I felt it with my whole body that I liked this person. My heart was full, and I couldn’t say anything anymore.
The lamp, which had run out of oil, went out with a snap.
In its place, the halo softly shone, and Shinobu-san held me in his arms and murmured to himself.
“I’m glad I met you. . .Even as a long-lived demon king who has become immortal and has drifted away from my best friend. . .I can say that those days were not bad.”
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