The Chase Ends in Etle
Ronan had been sighing a lot more than usual ever since they arrived in Etle. He was generally someone with very little emotional fluctuation. In other words, he rarely got swept up in the moods of those around him. Thanks to that, he was often praised for maintaining a rational attitude without being influenced by his surroundings. The problem, however, was that there was no situation more agonizing for him than when the people around him started making a fuss all by themselves.
The two of them followed behind Edgar and Ariel into a restaurant. For reference, this was one of the places Shuri had recommended to her mistress in advance. It was also the same spot she had visited with Ronan before.
Worried that sitting somewhere too noticeable might get them caught by Ariel, they chose a spot partially hidden by a large potted plant. While Ronan quietly scanned the menu with his eyes—since they would need to eat something—Shuri’s gaze remained fixed on only one place.
Eventually, Ronan decided to use shock therapy. He lifted one of the hands holding the menu and brought it down squarely on her head.
Thump!
Shuri was usually quite well-behaved, but once she became absorbed in something, she would fall so deeply into her own world that she couldn’t see anything around her. Ronan knew better than anyone that if he didn’t apply the brakes like this from time to time, it would cause problems.
Shuri chose the exact same dishes she had eaten the last time they came. After she even picked a drink to go with them, Ronan called over a nearby server and placed their order.
Once the server had written everything down and disappeared with a polite bow, Shuri took a sip from the water glass in front of her and suddenly broke into a silly smile.
Ronan let out a helpless chuckle, but he couldn’t deny there was truth in what she said. They had both been busy lately, and especially since Shuri had her own mistress to attend to, it had become difficult for them to spend time together like this. That was probably why—even though they had come all the way to Etle for a different reason—simply spending quiet time together like this felt rather enjoyable.
In fact, aside from the times they were tailing the couple over there, the two of them had also enjoyed a warm, ordinary sightseeing trip together.
Ronan repeated the word as if he thought he had misheard. In response, Shuri gave a small nod and showed another silly smile. Then she muttered, ‘Ah, maybe not…?’ and averted her gaze, looking exactly like a small animal that had just been scolded by its owner.
Well, I suppose it could count as a memory.
There were people who rationalized even nightmares as memories of a sort, so it wasn’t entirely wrong. Ronan nodded. Seeing his affirmation, Shuri beamed and began gulping down the fruit drink that had just arrived. Ronan idly thought that she looked like a squirrel that hadn’t had water for a month.
Not long after their conversation, the food arrived. Since Ronan was quite the big eater and Shuri also ate a lot when she had the chance, the table was soon filled to the brim with dishes.
Shuri began eating right away with a bright smile, and Ronan followed suit, rolling up his sleeves and wielding his fork and knife with surprising vigor. His speed and form were so combative that the people who had already finished their meals began glancing over one after another.
Of course, this was a familiar sight to Shuri. She continued eating at her own pace and would occasionally look at Ronan—who was eating with such hearty enthusiasm—with a gentle smile on her face.
The meal was just as satisfying as it had been the last time they came. Especially for Shuri, who surprisingly loved meat, the juicy steak paired with the accompanying sauce was the perfect choice.
Meanwhile, Ronan, who had already cleanly finished the food in front of him, picked up the napkin on the table and wiped Shuri’s messy mouth for her. He couldn’t understand how someone so clumsy could possibly serve and stay by someone else’s side. It probably meant that she drew a very clear line between work and personal life and was extremely thorough when performing her duties. Still, every time he saw her like this, he couldn’t help but find it fascinating.
After Ronan finished eating first and helped Shuri finish hers bit by bit, a little more time passed. Then, beyond the potted plant that hid their view, their targets stood up from their seats.
Shuri, who had been chewing on her steak, hurriedly called out with her mouth still full. Ronan wondered how she had even noticed while so focused on her food, but he didn’t bother pointing it out and simply nodded in resignation.
And so, after a peaceful meal, an unexpected chase began once again.
Ariel had realized that Shuri was following them shortly after arriving in Etle, but as time passed, her attitude toward the situation gradually changed. To be precise, she was actually enjoying it quite a bit.
Originally, Ariel wasn’t very fond of drawing attention. She disliked the feeling of being watched and the sense that she had to mind her behavior because of it. However, for some reason, this game of cat and mouse had its own charm. If she had to describe it, she would say it felt refreshing.
The most entertaining part was that Ariel could see right through what Shuri was thinking. Although Shuri knew Ariel well, she didn’t fully understand the extent of her mistress’s magical abilities or martial prowess. Therefore, she hadn’t even considered the possibility that Ariel might have already noticed her presence.
That was why Shuri was carefully hiding behind buildings and structures as she tracked them. The problem was that Ariel could see her perfectly with both her eyes and her senses. In other words, while Shuri believed she was successfully tailing her mistress without being detected, the reality was quite different. The gap between perception and truth greatly amused Ariel.
So it’s Ronan beside her.
The only person who would go along with such a ridiculous plan was him. Although Ariel didn’t know much about the man named Ronan, she was well aware of how close he and Shuri were. It was much like her own relationship with Edgar.
She had planned to tell Edgar eventually, but whispering it to him now felt like it would ruin the fun. Besides, she wanted to savor this amusement a little longer. Just thinking about how she was going to tease Shuri was already incredibly enjoyable.
When Ariel deliberately dragged it out while even making a nasal sound as if teasing him, Edgar shrugged and turned his head away as if he didn’t care. The correct response in moments like this was not to show deeper interest but to act as if it was none of his business. That way, the other person would reach out first.
And just as he expected, Ariel quietly circled back in front of him, looked up at him with wide eyes, and poked his forearm with her finger.
Who’s calling who a child?
Just as Edgar was about to retort in disbelief, something familiar entered his field of vision. He paused mid-sentence and followed the object with his eyes as a passerby carried it past them. He hadn’t expected to see it here, so it felt strangely moving.
The problem was that the person holding the item happened to be a woman. Ariel’s voice had grown noticeably colder as she questioned Edgar, who had blatantly been staring at another woman. In that instant, the supposedly mild weather of Etle felt as if it had turned into the dead of winter.
Ariel crossed her arms and looked up at him with a bored expression, as if daring him to describe just how amazing the object was. Her gaze was so cold it almost seemed to carry a sharp edge. Edgar flinched for a moment.
But hesitating here would only lead to disaster, so he quickly pointed at the item in the other person’s hand and shouted with feigned delight.
What Edgar pointed at was something Ariel had never seen before. It was a pure white, twisted object that looked suspiciously like it could be either liquid or solid. Seeing other people putting it in their mouths, it was clearly some kind of food.
It was a food similar to the soft-serve ice cream Edgar remembered. Since it was the kind of sweet dessert that women who liked sugary things usually enjoyed, he immediately took Ariel’s hand and began searching for the shop that sold it.
Sure enough, quite a few people were coming out of a nearby alley holding ice cream, so he guessed the shop was in that direction.
Just as Edgar was about to lead Ariel into the alley, she suddenly pulled her hand free and stopped him.
She suddenly hid behind a street stall and beckoned to him. Though puzzled, Edgar obediently walked over. The position was so cleverly chosen that from the outside, it would look as if they had gone into the alley.
When Edgar moved closer to Ariel’s side and stood right beside her, her cheeks flushed slightly for a moment before quickly returning to normal. A few minutes passed like that.
Just as Edgar was starting to question this seemingly pointless behavior, Ariel whispered ‘They’re coming’ under her breath and suddenly darted forward.
Bam!
A woman who had been about to enter the alley collided with Ariel and fell backward. The man standing beside her turned deathly pale the moment he saw Ariel’s face. However, the woman who had fallen didn’t notice any of that and hurriedly apologized to the person she had bumped into.
As her gaze slowly traveled upward, it passed over a somehow familiar outfit. When their eyes finally met, the woman—who was still on the ground—blinked rapidly. It was Shuri.
Ariel looked down at her maid with a deep smile on her lips.
And so, the chase that had seemed like it would last forever came to an unexpectedly quick end with the culprit being caught.