Chapter 219: Lonely People
“Ughh…”
I’m tired. I’m so tired.
My previous plan had somehow come to a decent conclusion. The downside was that I was exhausted from the complicated situation. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
At that moment, there was a knock on the door.
“Come in.”
The person who entered was Carl. He gave a short laugh at my cabbage worm-like appearance.
“Did the plan go well?”
“It went well… though the unexpected situations made it quite exhausting. What about you Carl?”
His task was to seduce Kane Erez.
Carl answered with a leisurely smile. “I made an appointment for a date.”
“….” That made me speechless. W-wow… Okay, let’s calm down.
“H-how?” I stammered, asking Carl how he managed to seduce Kane Erez.
Carl gave a mysterious smile. “Well, I have some ways. But I don’t think you need to know them, Miss.”
“Are you saying that knowing those methods would be useless for me?”
“No, I mean you’re perfectly fine without needing such methods.”
“….” I gave him a light sidelong scowl. He was good at flattery. This skill was exactly what differentiated Sigren and Carl. “All alright, I won’t pry.”
It was awkward to keep asking about his date. So I changed the subject. “Let’s have lunch first.”
“Yes, shall we go to the dining hall?”
“No, let’s eat outside.”
The chef was out on urgent business, and there was no point in going to the dining hall. Since Abel was also away, I could just eat with Carl. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
Carl looked puzzled. “Out…side? If it’s a high-end restaurant, we should make a reservation in advance—”
I waved my hand dismissively. Going to such places would only mean running into familiar nobles, which would be a hassle. “No, we’re not going to a palace like that. We’re just going to eat something simple.”
Besides, I’ve had my fill of expensive food and became sick of it.
I looked up at Carl while resting my chin on my hand. I’ve been thinking about this for a while, but he did look a bit pale. It must be because of losing weight for his current disguise. After some thought, I made a decision.
“Carl, let’s go eat something you like today.”
***
Eating alone is, of course, enjoyable. However, eating with a close friend is even better. And if your favorite food is on the table, that is icing on the cake.
The reason I suddenly thought of this was because I was trying to figure out how to maximize Carl’s enjoyment of his meal. He would eat more if he enjoyed the food, so I took him outside.
“What kind of food do you like?”
Carl looked flustered as if he had been asked an unexpected question. “I don’t know.”
“Um, meat or fish? Bread?”
He looked like a man who heard the world’s hardest question. “I don’t know.”
I paused for a moment seeing Carl’s response. Wait. Something felt off. “Carl, is there a place you particularly like?”
“I don’t have one.” Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
“What’s your favorite colour?”
“Nothing in particular.”
“Then, what is your favorite number?”
“I don’t…have one.” Carl added the last part quietly. He stared blankly at my gradually changing expression.
put the back of my hand on my cheek and sighed faintly. “Carl, you have more issues than I thought.”
“I’m aware of that.”
“No, not those kind of issues…” I was referring to basic human desires. No wonder he seemed so calm even during a tough diet. “Have you ever thought about your likes and dislikes related to your personal happiness?”
“….” His face looked like he was asking why.
So he didn’t think about that kind of thing. I barely managed to swallow a sigh. In fact, there’s one more person I know who showed a similar reaction to Carl: Sigren. He used to be like this when he was younger too. In Sigren’s case, whenever I showed him kindness, he would always ask why. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
So, I have a rough idea why Carl was like that. He had lived a harsh life that he never had the luxury to think about something as natural as his preferences. One year, five years, ten years… living such a tough life, eventually, a part of his heart must have broken. It became a habit to ignore and not to think about his own basic emotions that in the end, he lost touch completely.
I wonder if it’s pointless to worry. But I can’t just ignore it.
The image of young Sigren briefly flashed through my mind.
“….”
Well, I guess I couldn’t really pretend not to know. “Okay, let’s eat.”
“Are you deciding to eat what you want to eat?”
I shook my head in denial. “No, we’ll try a bit of everything until we find what you like.”
I pulled him towards the bustling market where voices clamored.
Carl was somewhat taken aback.
Looking at him, I said, “Let’s go.” Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
***
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