Chapter 53
“Ah.”
Johan opened his eyes wide, seeming flustered. It was the first time I had seen him drop his composure.
“Pfft. Like a mustache…”
Forgetting it was rude, I burst out laughing. Stifling my laughter, I placed a handkerchief in Johan’s hand.
But instead of wiping his mouth, Johan used the handkerchief elsewhere. His azure eyes were fixed on me.
“Oh dear. You should wipe it properly.”
He must still be fatigued after just returning from the dungeon. And he had that tussle with Cedric right after arriving here.
Unable to watch any longer, I took the handkerchief and carefully wiped the corner of Johan’s mouth.
“Ah, that’s right, Johan. It’s nice to enjoy your drink outside too.”
“But you won’t be there.”
“Huh? Even so, the scenery is lovely…”
I had the vague impression that deserts were desolate places, but the desert I saw with my own eyes was more beautiful than I expected. So I wanted to recommend it to Johan…
“If you keep insisting,”
Johan continued as he touched his now clean lips.
“I might end up troubling you, just like that guy earlier.”
“You, Johan?”
That was ridiculous.
Even if Cedric were reborn a hundred times, he could never be a gentleman like Johan. And even if Johan were reborn a hundred times, he could never be a lout like Cedric.
Anyway, since Johan had sorted out the commotion, I wanted to treat him to something.
‘Ah! I received some flowers just yesterday.’
Fairy customers had given me some red flowers for Flower Day. They had no scent but were very pretty.
‘I’ll make a melon cooler.’
I added crushed ice to a glass, then poured in melon liqueur, peach liqueur, and pineapple juice, mixing them together.
‘And top it off with soda water.’
It started as a deep green hue but lightened to an emerald shade as the ingredients blended.
I skewered a round melon slice and glossy cherry onto a cocktail pick and placed it atop the glass.
Finally, adding the lush flower blossom whole made the cocktail look vibrant and lively.
“Here’s one more, on the house.”
“A cocktail with a flower in it?”
Johan raised the colorful glass, examining it from various angles before taking a sip.
“It seems you chose the perfect flower to complement it. It pairs nicely with the refreshing flavors.”
“Hehe, doesn’t it?”
“By the way, Sena, do you know the flower language of this bloom?”
“Huh? No, I don’t.”
“So you didn’t know when you chose it? That’s a bit of a pity.”
Johan’s brows furrowed slightly, suggesting his statement of pity was genuine.
What flower language? Ignorant of such things, I tilted my head in puzzlement.
“Actually, I don’t know much about that flower since it was a gift.”
“From whom?”
Though Johan asked with a smile, there was an oddly chilly undercurrent to his tone.
“Oh, from fairy customers.”
“Fairies?”
“Yes! Truly tiny, adorable fairy customers. They often bring flower gifts, you see. Ah, do you dislike flowers by any chance?”
“Not at all. It’s really lovely.”
Johan quickly regained his usual composure, lightly tapping the flower with his fingertips.
“So, what does the flower mean?”
“Love.”
As expected from the fairies. They didn’t just bring any random flowers.
“May I keep this flower?”
“Of course.”
Johan took out a handkerchief from his pocket and carefully wrapped the flower.
‘What a good person.’
For some reason, my heart felt fluttery.
“Are there any more of these flowers left?”
“Yes.”
“Then please give me another glass.”
There was still plenty of cocktails remaining? Ah, did the melon cooler with the flower appeal to him? Delighted, I quickly prepared another glass.
“Here’s a ‘Melon Cooler’ for you.”
“This one is for you, Sena.”
The glass I had set before Johan slid back towards me, along with some silver coins.
<Notice> You received 500 coins!
<Notice> The reputation of the ‘Milky Way Lounge’ cocktail bar has increased by 300. (Total 5,800)
Ignoring the notification windows, I glanced between the flower and Johan, a smile forming on my lips.
“Since this is the first flower you’ve given me, I’ll cherish it too.”
I should dry and preserve it nicely. Maybe press it between the pages of a book? That way it will last a long time.
‘It feels like we’re each keeping a little treasure.’
Thanks to Johan, I completely forgot about the troublesome customer.
But contrary to my hopes, Cedric and I were destined to have quite a tenacious connection.
🫧
In pitch-black darkness, a door opened, allowing a sliver of light to seep through.
In the empty void, a lone mirror sat abandoned.
Click, clack.
The sound of heels echoed as a woman of exquisite beauty approached the mirror.
Undulating crimson hair cascading down, sharply upturned eyes. A black dress accentuated her decadent allure.
As she lowered her lids, her golden irises disappeared and reappeared beneath elegant lashes.
The woman’s name was Sylviette. But she was more widely known as the ‘Witch’.
Sylviette ran a hand along the mirror before her, an alluring smile on her lips.
“Mirror, mirror, on the wall. Who is the fairest of them all?”
“Of course, it’s you, the witch!”
The talking mirror answered without hesitation. Sylviette’s lips curved softly.
“Haha. Now, what is my handsome boyfriend doing?”
As soon as she finished her question, the talking mirror displayed a different scene. A pristine white world unfolded, and Sylviette blinked in surprise.
“What is this place?”
Was there such a place? She tilted her head in curiosity and leaned closer to examine the mirror.
“!”
Frost-bitten hands filled the mirror’s frame.
<S-Sylvie…. Please, save meeeee…>
It was Cedric, brows encased in ice, pleading piteously.
Flustered, Sylviet moved closer to the mirror. Her boyfriend, who she had been worried about for lack of contact, was in such a state.
“Mirror, just where is that place?”
“It seems to be another dimension? Even beyond my lady’s domain.”
“It doesn’t matter where. I must save Cedric.”
“But, even for you my lady, this may be impossible…”
“What nonsense are you saying? Cedric is calling out to me.”
In the mirror, Cedric was desperately calling out Sylviette’s name.
‘How cold and difficult it must be for him.’
Her usually cold, lifeless eyes brimmed with affection. Biting her lower lip in pity, Sylviette stroked the mirror’s surface.
“Wait for me. I’ll save you no matter what.”
🫧
A day later, Sylviette utilized every means to open a gateway to the strange dimension.
“Cedric!”
She then trudged through the deep snow until finding Cedric, who had taken shelter in a cave. Pitifully, he was halfway frozen solid.
“C-cold…”
“Stay with me. We need to go back quickly.”
Even as Sylviette shook his shoulders urging him to get up, Cedric merely repeated how cold he felt, like a broken record.
‘Mere cold can kill an ordinary human, they say.’
Her face drained of color, Sylviette swiftly carried Cedric back to their original dimension.
“Here’s a blanket. What should we do? Our Cedric…”
Sylviette tried to summon flames to thaw Cedric, but no sparks came after expending her magic to the limit in opening the dimensional gate.
“This won’t do. I’ll have to find some fuel.”
“But, Sylvie…”
A fading voice stopped Sylviet from rising.
“Yes?”
“Why did it…take so long? You’re a witch…”
“I’m sorry. It was difficult being in that cold place, wasn’t it? Passing into another dimension isn’t easy.”
She had practically risked her life to save Cedric, yet he was reacting this way. Sylviette’s pride was wounded, but she didn’t show it. Cedric must have suffered more after all.
Besides, it was natural that the one who loved more would be the weaker party.
As Sylviette tried to soothe him, Cedric whimpered more.
“I really thought I was going to die. D-damn him… Abandoning me in that frozen wasteland? If I hadn’t bravely stolen a horse to escape, I’d already be dead.”
“Just what happened?”
“Some jealous bastard targeted me. More importantly Sylvie, I’m freezing. Get something to warm me up right now.”
“Understood. I’ll find anything that can warm your body.”
As Cedric urged her, Sylviette hurried outside.
‘What could have happened to Cedric?’
Unaware that Cedric had escalated the situation by running away, Sylviette completely misunderstood the situation.
‘How much longer until the prince’s coronation…’
Perhaps he had been caught up in the struggle for the throne.
But figuring out the exact situation could wait. For now, she had to take care of Cedric.
🫧
Ding!
<Notice> Your assistants have finished the ‘Alex Investigation’. They wish to meet with the player ‘HangoverTomato’.
Had that much time already passed?
Has it already been that time? Since the business hours were likely over, I crossed over to the dimension of “Rose Mansion.”
<Warning> Caution! The deep night fills the area with an ominous presence.
The danger level increased.
A red warning flashed before my eyes. Not only was the dimension name ominous, but the night seemed particularly hazardous.
‘If anything happens, I’ll just shout return.’
To make matters worse, it was drizzling. It was not enough for an umbrella, but the added moisture made the gloomy atmosphere feel even heavier.
‘Kinda creepy.’
Feeling uneasy, I hurried my steps toward the location marked with an exclamation point.
Splash!
A strange sensation washed over me when I accidentally stepped into a puddle.
There was something there. Clenching my fists, I quickly turned my head and shouted.
“Who’s there?”
🥂
Thank you for reading! ♡
