The Lunchbox Bomb Strikes Again
"Oh……."
Helena's confidently prepared lunchbox looked far more appetizing than I'd expected. It was almost suspicious how well it had been put together. Come to think of it, I remembered from Felice's memories that Helena was quite skilled at cooking. Even so, the care she'd put into it made the gesture feel a little overwhelming.
At my exclamation, Helena wore a strangely pleased smile.
"I figured you probably hadn't eaten dinner yet, so I brought this."
She gave a harmless little laugh, and I nodded quietly. Today, both Silvia and Helena had said they had evening plans, so I'd lost track of time while training. Naturally, I hadn't eaten dinner, and the moment I opened the lunchbox, my stomach let out a loud, protesting growl.
"Thanks. I'll enjoy it."
The lunchbox was packed with meat, vegetables, and even pasta—far too luxurious to be called a simple lunchbox. There was also quite a lot of it, but with my hunger at its peak, I was confident I could finish it all.
"Let's eat together."
"I'm fine."
Helena smiled brightly, as if just watching me eat would fill her up. I shrugged and started shoveling the food into my mouth. She feels like a mom. Maybe that's what it means when someone says they're full just from watching you eat.
The quality was high enough that even a gourmet would have been satisfied, and since neither Felice nor I were picky eaters, it tasted even better. Or rather, Helena probably knew Felice's tastes well enough to tailor the lunchbox specifically to them.
"……There's too much for one person."
The real problem was that no matter how delicious the food was, once it exceeded my limit, it became difficult to handle. Just moments ago, I'd been so hungry I'd thought I could finish it alone, but there was more than I'd expected. It almost seemed like she'd made it with the intention of sharing from the start.
"You can't finish it……?"
Even so, Helena's tone suggested she wanted me to eat it all by myself. When I admitted I might not manage it, she looked at me with teary, pale-blue eyes.
"Of course I can."
……I'll just eat it. The thought that it would be better to overeat than to refuse crossed my mind. They say a beautiful woman's tears are her greatest weapon, and it seemed that saying was true. I answered confidently and kept pushing food down my throat. I probably shouldn't say I can't eat anymore now. The thought crossed my mind once, but seeing Helena's contented smile, I simply kept eating in silence.
@
"……That was good."
Every time I opened my mouth—or even just exhaled—I felt the food packed in my stomach threatening to come back up, so I quickly shut my lips again. Helena, oblivious to my state, held the empty lunchbox and smiled proudly. Without thinking, I reached out and patted her head in thanks. Her cheeks flushed slightly as she asked,
"Did it suit your taste?"
"Yeah, it was exactly to my liking."
Of course it was. I swallowed the rest of my words along with the food and forced an awkward smile. Helena hadn't forced me to eat everything, and the food hadn't been bad, so I wasn't upset. If anything, I was grateful she'd thought to prepare a lunchbox for me when she knew I hadn't eaten dinner.
"I'm glad, hehe."
"Thanks. I really didn't expect this."
Though expecting it would've been the more impossible thing. At my thanks, Helena waved her hand lightly, as if it were nothing. I waved back as I saw her off, watching her retreating figure. She kept glancing back with a smile.
……I hope she doesn't trip.
Once her figure had grown small, I turned and stepped back into the training grounds, clutching my bloated stomach with a deep sigh. Even delicious food could make you feel stuffed if you ate too much. I exhaled for a long while before slowly walking over and picking up my sword again. I needed to move my body quickly to digest everything, or I felt like I'd end up throwing it all back up.
……Too much of a good thing, huh.
I should probably hint that she could prepare a little less next time. Of course, I had to phrase it carefully so she wouldn't feel hurt. As I let out a small breath and began swinging my sword downward, the heavy feeling in my stomach gradually started to settle. Still, having food in my previously empty stomach made me feel more grounded, and I found I could focus on training a little better than before. Complaining about being full was ridiculous anyway.
"Hoo……."
After several more rounds of intense training, a voice called out.
"Felice!"
A strange sense of déjà vu washed over me. When I turned toward the voice, it wasn't Helena standing there this time—it was Silvia. Both hands clasped behind her back. The sight of her looking exactly like Helena had just an hour ago sent a cold sweat trickling down my spine.
Surely not…… right?
Helena had been Felice's childhood friend and had feelings for him, so it made sense. But Silvia was different. The reason Silvia never showed kindness without reason was because people tended to misunderstand her intentions. There was no way she'd bring a lunchbox. Preparing one herself for a guy training alone? And for someone who'd confessed to her, no less?
Anyone would misunderstand.
Anyone who had feelings for Silvia would definitely get the wrong idea. Of course, I had no romantic interest in her and wouldn't misunderstand, but Silvia—who didn't know that—would never do something like this.
"……Silvia?"
Her answer felt exactly like Helena's earlier. I hoped it was just my imagination.
"What brings you here?"
I'd wondered if I'd been so absorbed in training that time had slipped away again, but the sky was still painted with the colors of sunset. That meant there was still plenty of time before curfew. When I looked at her questioningly, Silvia hesitated, just like Helena had. Why are you here? I stared at her, my gaze filled with both curiosity and a desperate hope that she wouldn't say what I feared.
"Have you eaten dinner?"
"……Huh?"
Whether by luck or misfortune, Silvia ignored my silent plea and spoke the words I'd dreaded. Seeing what she held behind her back, I moistened my dry lips and let out a small breath.
"Did you eat?"
"……No."
Even if I had no romantic feelings for Silvia, I couldn't easily refuse a lunchbox she'd clearly put so much effort into. After all, men were weak to beautiful women. Swallowing my reluctance, I answered, and Silvia's face lit up with a bright, joyful smile as she hurried toward me. The way she walked was identical to Helena's, and for a moment I had the absurd suspicion that she and Helena were the same person.
"I had a feeling, so I packed a lunchbox……!"
"Wow…… really?"
I'm screwed. Staring at the lunchbox Silvia proudly presented, I could only mutter inwardly. My stomach was already painfully full, and I'd briefly considered lying and saying I had no appetite, but—
"……What happened to your hand?"
Seeing the bandages wrapped around her fingers, I had no choice but to abandon that idea. Come to think of it, Silvia had never been particularly talented at cooking. I couldn't understand why she'd gone through the trouble of making a lunchbox. The only explanation I could think of was that she was worried about her friend skipping meals just to train.
If that was the case, she could've just eaten dinner with me…….
My stomach was about to burst, and the smell of food only made my discomfort worse. But I knew refusing was a luxury I couldn't afford. There was no way I could reject a lunchbox she'd prepared even at the cost of cutting her fingers. Forcing a smile, I accepted it.
"It's nothing……!"
"I-I see."
Swallowing a deep breath, I ignored the state of her hands and looked at the food she'd brought. At least it wasn't the same as Helena's—that was a small mercy. Silvia had prepared simple sandwiches.
Still, if she cut her fingers this badly just making sandwiches…….
Maybe she shouldn't be allowed near kitchen knives at all. I was once again grateful that Silvia's talent lay in healing rather than close combat or ranged support. If she'd been a knight, she'd probably have cut her own wrists instead of the enemy.
With that pointless thought, I forced the food down my already stuffed stomach.
"How is it……?"
"It's…… good!"
It wasn't a lie—the sandwiches really were delicious. The problem was that I was so full I couldn't properly taste them. I tried to convince myself I was hungry, but my bloated stomach refused to accept any more food.
"Really? I'm glad."
Faced with Silvia's bright smile, I couldn't bring myself to say I was done. I just kept swallowing bite after bite. At this point, I seriously wondered if Silvia and Helena had teamed up to torture me on purpose.