Chapter 84 Date (1)
Date (1)
I wasn't sure what had happened to Adel. I had only stumbled upon her by chance while passing by.
Her pitiful face—her expression, which looked somewhat exhausted—caught my attention. It weighed on my conscience to simply walk past her like that, so I approached.
"...Adel?"
When I called her name, Adel slowly lifted her head. She seemed to mull over my words for a moment before finally speaking.
"Abel."
Honestly, it was surprising that she recognized my identity through the recognition-inhibiting cloak with just my voice.
From what I remembered, this cloak was supposed to somewhat obscure even vocal recognition. I hadn't expected her to identify me from a single word.
Seeing how worn out she looked, I gently wrapped an arm around her. Adel then asked me in a tired voice:
"Can I... lean on you for a bit?"
"...Sure. I don't know what happened, but—"
Before I could finish, Adel leaned into me. The familiar scent of jasmine brushed past my nose. Maybe it was from the diffuser I'd gifted her before.
Setting aside my wandering thoughts, I quietly held her and patted her back.
Her trembling hands and shoulders gradually calmed. Whether it was because she found some comfort in my embrace, Adel's ragged breathing also slowly steadied.
When I was young, I used to be held like this by my mother. Memories of falling asleep peacefully in her arms resurfaced.
Who would've thought I'd be on the opposite end of this one day? Life really was full of surprises. With that thought, I carefully asked her:
"Feeling a little better now?"
"...Yes. Thank you."
"Don't mention it."
Only after calming down did she seem to realize the situation she was in, hastily pulling away.
Perhaps embarrassed at having leaned into me like that, Adel's cheeks flushed slightly. Seeing her like that, I took another step toward her.
As she retreated again, she ended up pressed against the wall.
Even then, when I moved closer, she let out a flustered, "H-huh?!"—a strange noise escaping her.
For some reason, a mischievous impulse took over, and I placed a hand on the wall beside her face. When our eyes met, hers began to waver slightly.
Now in a classic romance-novel wall slam pose, Adel's pupils trembled like aspen leaves.
"U-uh, A-Abel?"
Unable to form any more words, she just kept making broken, incoherent sounds—uhh, uhh—like a malfunctioning machine.
Her darting, lost gaze and her face, red as a persimmon, were just bonuses.
Amused by how adorable she looked, I chuckled and stepped back.
"Did that make your heart race?"
"Huh? W-what are you...?"
Even as she denied it, she couldn't help but avert her eyes.
Originally, I had planned to comfort Adel and then resume my rounds of inspection. But now, I was reconsidering.
Leaving her like this didn't sit right with me. It wasn't like she was some kitten abandoned in the rain.
How could I just walk away when Adel looked so pitiful? The knights were handling the inspections anyway, so there wasn't much to worry about.
Besides, I'd only come out today for a casual stroll.
"Adel."
"Yes?"
"Would you like to go on a date with me?"
"Wha—?!"
Once again, she seemed to short-circuit, sputtering incoherently.
Seeing her usually sharp, ice-queen face like this made me think, Somehow, she's really cute.
Maybe I'd been with her so long that I was seeing her through rose-tinted glasses. But objectively speaking, she was adorable, so it wasn't really a problem.
"U-uh, y-yes! I'd love to go on a date with you!"
Her sudden outburst drew the attention of passersby. Who would've thought she'd raise her voice like that, as if she'd been waiting in the alley just for this?
I couldn't help but chuckle at her reaction.
"I didn't expect you to be so enthusiastic."
"Ah, well..."
Only then did Adel seem to notice the stares directed our way, and she lowered her head.
Embarrassed by her own outburst, she kept her eyes glued to the ground. Not that I expected her to stay like that forever.
Leaving her like this would be strange too. With that thought, I approached her again.
I wall-slammed her once more, and Adel jolted in surprise, lifting her head.
"Can you see me?"
"Y-yes... I can see you clearly..."
Unlike usual, she was so flustered that she kept stumbling over her words.
I had only meant to check if the recognition-inhibiting magic had properly lifted, but I hadn't expected her to panic this much.
Of course, for everyone except Adel, the inhibition was still in effect.
The reason I favored this cloak was precisely because it allowed selective lifting of the recognition block.
When I bought it at the Imperial Auction House, I'd regretted spending such an exorbitant amount. But seeing how things turned out, it wasn't such a waste after all.
"Then I'll take the lead. Will you follow me?"
I offered my hand, and Adel hesitated for a moment. After what seemed like an internal struggle, she firmly grasped it.
"Yes. Let's go together."
Her hand, cold as ice, touched my skin. Had she really been walking around in this weather without warmth magic?
No wonder she'd been shivering so pitifully in that alley.
Mmm...
"Huh?"
Adel made a puzzled sound, likely because her hand had suddenly warmed. It seemed the warmth magic had properly taken effect on her.
"Did it get a bit warmer?"
"Yes, definitely..."
Adel turned her hands this way and that, as if fascinated. Had she not even realized how cold she was?
Honestly, she was strangely oblivious in the oddest ways.
"Autumn nights are cold. At least wear gloves next time."
"Ah, you're right. Thank you."
"Don't mention it."
Taking her hand again, we stepped into the night market. Adel, following behind me, kept fanning her face with her hand as if she were too warm.
Had I overdone the warmth magic on her face? Or was she just blushing?
Well, I'd set aside such trivial thoughts for now. Focusing on our date took priority.
'A date...'
Though I'd called it that, I had no real idea what to do.
Come to think of it, I'd been perpetually single in my past life, and in this one, I'd never actually taken the lead in a date before.
The realization made me tense up slightly.
"Abel? Is something wrong?"
"Nothing. Just wondering how best to spend time with someone as captivating as you."
"...Could you refrain from empty flattery?"
It wasn't empty flattery—just the truth.
Still, Adel's lips curled slightly as she said it, as if she was secretly pleased.
Catching my breath at the sight, I pondered what to do next.
'Damn it, all I've ever read were romance fantasies.'
Swallowing that thought, I asked her instead:
"Is there anything you'd like to eat?"
"Hmm..."
After a brief hum, her eyes suddenly sparkled as we walked. Her expression turned incredulous, widening in surprise.
Following her gaze, I spotted a street vendor selling tanghulu.
'Ah, of course.'
From a modern perspective, it must have been startling.
Who'd expect to see tanghulu in a medieval European setting?
Though, historically, tanghulu had existed since at least 900 AD—earlier than the Middle Ages.
It was just that magic and alchemy had accelerated trade, spreading Eastern sweets like this far and wide.
Adel stared at the tanghulu for a long moment, utterly fascinated.
Her repeated gasps of "Wow" made me chuckle.
"How much for one?"
"Two silver."
'Expensive.'
A typical noble wouldn't bat an eye at the price.
But in my past life, I'd been infamous among friends for being frugal.
Artifacts and magical devices were worth their weight in gold, so I didn't mind splurging on them.
But snacks were different.
Two silver for tanghulu was like paying 20,000 won in modern terms—hard to swallow.
Not that I regretted it, of course.
Adel glanced at me, surprised by the price. She must have known it was steep.
Being from the modern era like me, she'd understand.
Smirking, I addressed the vendor.
"Two, please."
"Right away."
He handed over two pre-made skewers.
I retrieved four silver from my subspace and passed them to him. He counted the coins and nodded.
"Enjoy."
With a curt nod, I turned back to Adel, handing her a tanghulu. She took it, examining the skewer with fascination.
"Thank you for buying this."
"Don't mention it. I'm the one who suggested the date."
"Still."
She looked apologetic, so I ruffled her hair with a laugh.
"Just say 'thank you' and leave it at that. No need to overthink it."
"Alright..."
Her reply was hesitant. Maybe she still felt awkward accepting kindness without strings attached.
I just wanted her to feel at ease.
'More than anything...'
She was the protagonist I'd rooted for so deeply.
At first, I'd even doubted if this fragile, wary, rabbit-like Adel was really the same person.
The one I knew from the story had been unbreakable.
Then I remembered the countless deaths and tragedies she'd endured to become that way.
Maybe it would've been better to spare her that pain.
But I was wrong.
Unlike my expectation that she'd remain a sheltered noble flower, Adel grew stronger—both in mind and body.
Who'd have thought the young lady who once relied on Evan's protection would one day rescue a Saintess Candidate from a calamity-class monster?
"Right. You're my fiancée, after all."
So, don't refuse my kindness so much.
This was just a small gift for the protagonist I'd once cheered for.
Adel studied me with an unreadable expression, as if unsure what to make of my thoughts.
"For now, just enjoy the date."
That alone would make this festival worthwhile.