He asked back.
“…Home?”
“Yes. Home. The home I live in.”
Rudbeckia seemed embarrassed even after saying it herself, glancing away and smiling awkwardly. Her cheeks were subtly flushed.
An invitation to her home.
There was no one who wouldn’t understand the meaning of those words.
‘I knew something was different about her today.’
It seemed she was determined to end this ambiguous and subtle relationship today.
Of course, it was about time. They were practically lovers as it was.
“Sounds like there’s an ulterior motive mixed in.”
Yohan chuckled lightly.
His steady gaze fixed on Rudbeckia.
“Hmm, ahem. What ulterior motive? I just, well… I just wanted to treat you to a meal I made myself—?”
Rudbeckia raised her voice at the end, smiling awkwardly. But her gaze still avoided his. The desire not to be found out, her true feelings were clearly showing in her attitude.
Since she’s embarrassed, I should pretend not to notice until the end.
“Rudbeckia’s personally made dish, I’m looking forward to it.”
“Hehe, you can look forward to it? I’m surprisingly good, you know?”
Rudbeckia puffed out her chest proudly and shrugged her shoulders. Yohan chuckled.
“But I didn’t know you could cook.”
“Yes. I used to do it often as a hobby.”
Rudbeckia smiled bitterly.
The hobby part was actually a lie.
The world before the regression was as good as destroyed. Not only were there no chefs to set the table, but even getting a meal was a luxury. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the aristocratic society itself had collapsed.
Cooking started as a means of survival.
And naturally, her skills improved.
Of course, she couldn’t show off fancy dishes that required a lot of work like chefs did. But she was confident in the taste and practicality. It was food for ‘survival’ after all.
She even caught fish herself.
She went hunting and knew how to farm.
She had to learn to survive…
“Hmm, cooking. A valuable hobby. Not common either.”
Yohan stroked his chin and nodded.
Those born as nobles from the beginning usually don’t cook. They don’t even know how. There’s no reason to do it when there are people who do it from birth.
And because there was a perception that it was something that subordinates did, something that commoners did, the hobby of ‘cooking’ was not common. At most, they would make desserts like cookies.
In that respect, Rudbeckia was unique and special. But that aspect was also appealing.
“I’m learning a new side of Rudbeckia today.”
Rudbeckia smiled contentedly at Yohan’s reaction. Her chest warmed. As expected, she believed he would say something like that.
“I’ll show you even newer sides.”
* * *
The imperial capital of the largest nation, the Empire, has an east, west, north, and south.
Each is responsible for different roles, and because it was built as a planned city, the districts are neatly divided.
The mansion where Rudbeckia stayed was located in the eastern part of the imperial capital, in the residential area for nobles.
It wasn’t as affluent as the neighborhood where Rudella’s mansion was located—but it was an area where nobles who came up to the imperial capital mainly resided or frequented, so it was well-equipped with amenities, and the streets were also well-maintained.
Thus, the place where Yohan and Rudbeckia stopped was a cozy two-story house in the residential area. It was a structure that emphasized neatness and practicality rather than the splendor of a mansion.
Not too big, not too small.
It was a house that was just right for a woman to live in alone.
“Were you living alone?”
“I do have a maid.”
“One person? Seems like security would be unstable.”
“Oh, who would commit a crime here—?”
Rudbeckia chuckled. This was the best residential area in the imperial capital. It was the first place the security patrol scouted and paid attention to. There was no need to worry about security.
“Let’s go in!”
She opened the door.
As they entered through the entrance, a living room with bright stone floors was revealed. There was a sofa and a fireplace. And underneath it was a thick carpet with delicate patterns.
The windows were arched, and thin white lace curtains were draped to allow soft light to enter.
Meanwhile, next to the fireplace, there was a low sofa and a small table, making it a good place to read a book or have a light conversation.
“Neat.”
“Right? I like this kind of feeling.”
Yohan nodded.
“When we go down to Rahardt territory, it would be good to decorate Rudbeckia’s room like this.”
And he smiled softly.
“Ahem, isn’t that moving a little too fast?”
“Why, you seem full of thoughts of going together.”
Yohan gently wrapped his hand around Rudbeckia’s slender waist. What he felt inside the soft skin was a surprisingly firm body.
“Heup?!”
Rudbeckia’s body stiffened at the sudden contact. She straightened her entire body, shivering like a cat caught by the tail.
“It’s not time yet…!”
Rudbeckia wriggled and escaped from Yohan’s arms. It was Yohan’s embrace that she had longed for so much, but she wanted to save it for the night she would be in his arms.
“Hmm, I guess we’re not at that stage yet.”
“We are that kind of relationship…! But for tonight—”
“Tonight?”
“…”
She hurriedly turned her gaze away, as if regretting saying it herself. He couldn’t help but laugh. She came knowing everything from the start, so what was she trying to hide so much?
But he decided to let it go because it felt cute. It seemed like she had prepared something separately.
“But do you exercise?”
“Exercise?”
As Rudbeckia tilted her head, Yohan pointed to her waist.
“You seem to have more muscles than I thought.”
“Ah…!”
Only then did Rudbeckia seem to understand what he was saying, covering her stomach with both hands.
“How can you figure that out…!”
“What can I do when I can feel it?”
“Ugh…”
Rudbeckia looked at Yohan with tearful eyes. Her plan had fallen apart. She was planning to show him a twist tonight and surprise him!
“Really…”
Rudbeckia sighed in disappointment and said quietly.
“I’ve always worked out hard. It’s also for body management and health purposes, but I knew how important one’s physical abilities are in an emergency.”
Of course, the biggest reason for working out was for Yohan. She had been married for five years, even if she was an empty shell of a wife. She knew most of his preferences.
However, that wasn’t the only reason.
“When it’s difficult to ask for someone’s help, when you’re in a crisis that can be called desperate. I realized that if your body is strong at that time, you can survive.”
The world when the end came was chaos itself. You couldn’t survive if you couldn’t protect yourself. The world before the regression was such a world.
Of course, Rudbeckia was a first-class magician who could even enter the public service, so there was no problem in protecting herself-but the physical strength that was the basis of everything was separate.
“Is that from that experience then?”
“When you say that time?”
“When you met the magic practitioners.”
Rudbeckia smiled softly and nodded.
“You could say that.”
“Hmm.”
Yohan narrowed his eyes.
“I should try harder.”
“Yes? Suddenly?”
“I can’t let you feel that way.”
And he smiled slowly. For a moment, Rudbeckia’s body flinched. That refreshing smile that suddenly came in gave her heart a big blow.
“Ahem, ahem.”
She cleared her throat for no reason and turned her gaze away. She was fine until just now, but after hearing those words and seeing Yohan’s smile, her face felt itchy.
“But didn’t you say you had a maid?”
“Ah, she’s away today. I gave her a vacation.”
“A vacation.”
Yohan chuckled.
“What reason would there be to give a maid a vacation?”
“Well, she hasn’t been able to return to her family lately… and since she came to the imperial capital with me, she hasn’t been able to go to her hometown either…?”
“Really for that reason?”
Dark blue eyes stared intently at Rudbeckia. She felt her breath catch. The best thing to do in this situation was one thing.
Change the subject.
“Ah…! Are you hungry?! I’ll serve you the meal now!”
Rudbeckia, who had moved away with a strange excuse, narrowed her eyes as she entered the kitchen.
“Really… Yohan is mischievous.”
“Sorry. It’s like that when I see only Rudbeckia.”
“Well, I’ll understand. Because I have a cute side.”
Rudbeckia puffed out her chest and raised her head. She looked triumphant.
“You know well.”
As Yohan smiled softly and answered plainly, Rudbeckia blinked with a dumbfounded face.
“…I didn’t expect you to admit it so readily?”
“What can I do when it’s the truth?”
“Ugh…”
Why did she feel like she was losing every time? Was Yohan’s personality originally like that? In fact, that feeling existed
to some extent even before the regression. A sly, straightforward appearance.
Of course, he hadn’t shown that side of himself to Rudbeckia often.
Then suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind. Her eyes, which had been drawing curves all along, narrowed. The reason why Yohan’s personality became so free, unlike before the regression, was probably Francia Ferbache, it must be because of that woman.
She didn’t want to resent Francia Ferbache anymore, but she was disappointed that Yohan had been completely dyed by that woman.
‘No.’
But Rudbeckia shook her head. She had to remember, but now was the time to forget most of the past. What was important now was the ‘present’.
“Anyway… I’ll serve you the meal now. Please sit at the table over there and wait.”
“I’ll be looking forward to it.”
Yohan stared intently at her and waited for the meal to come out.
Rudbeckia felt that the gaze was somewhat burdensome, but she didn’t dislike it at all. Rather, she liked it. It meant he was focusing on her.
* * *
After the meal, the two leisurely enjoyed the afterglow while drinking tea. The subtle scent of tea enveloped the space, and the sound of small teacups clinking softly broke the silence.
“How was it? Was it delicious?”
“Quite. Rudbeckia has good skills. I don’t think I could taste this kind of dish anywhere else?”
Rudbeckia lifted her head stiffly at the plain compliment and smiled brightly.
“Hehe, I practiced a lot, you know?”
“For this day?”
“W-Well, right…?”
Yohan smiled gently.
“You must have been looking forward to it a lot.”
“W-Well, right…?”
“That’s the same answer as before?”
“Ahem, it’s true though…?”
Rudbeckia covered her mouth with her hand as if embarrassed and coughed dryly. Her gaze was fixed on the innocent wall, not looking at Yohan.
“Ah, anyway! Is your stomach comfortable?”
“Hmm, it’s all gone down, but why?”
“Because there’s one last thing I want to serve you.”
“Last?”
Yohan tilted his head.
Was there something else here?
“Now it’s time for the real main dish to come out. It’s a specialty of my family, the Pritze County.”
Rudbeckia smiled sweetly and slowly stroked Yohan’s hand. Her touch was soft. The scent of fragrant oil and her body odor mixed together, making her head spin.
“…What is it?”
Yohan blinked.
Rudbeckia’s smile deepened even more.
“It’s me.”
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