Chapter 88 I'M Grateful
"......Are you okay?"
"...Ah, yeah... I'm fine."
Fiona asks me, still frozen with a fork in my hand.
I nod, trying to hold back my trembling voice, and carefully pick up the fork that had fallen on the table.
Then, I glance at Fiona's expression, and she's already back to her usual self, eating her meal without a care.
It's as if what she said earlier was just my imagination.
But it wasn't. I clearly heard her say, "I'll make dinner today."
(What's going on?)
I recall our conversation.
We were talking about how today's bread was especially delicious, and then Fiona said, "If it's delicious, then..." and suddenly brought up making dinner.
(What's going on!?)
The connection between saying something is delicious and Fiona making dinner is just too far-fetched. It's like Lady Eva using teleportation magic to randomly transport us to the bottom of the ocean, 1000 meters deep (≈3280 feet deep), or something.
Why? Because the last time Fiona made dinner, I had a bad reaction to it, and even Fiona herself was affected by the taste (by the way, she didn't even taste it while cooking).
In other words, Fiona should be well aware of the taste of her own cooking.
But still――the connection between the bread being delicious and making dinner is just too ridiculous. It's like there's a huge gap, like the [Four-Square Boundary Disruption], between the two.
(In other words, she was planning this from the start...)
On our way back from defeating the Nord, Fiona got unreasonably angry at me for performing proper medical treatment, and I ended up accepting her promise to "make dinner and eat everything."
I'm planning to make good on that promise soon.
I won't deny that I might have unintentionally done something bad, like touching her butt or legs while she was naked. Yeah, I admit it. Maybe I did something a little wrong.
But, is the punishment for that really death?!
As I was seriously thinking about how to get out of this situation, Fiona said to me.
"Well, that's how it is, so I'll go buy some ingredients and stuff today."
"――――Wait, Fiona."
I stopped Fiona, who was calmly preparing for the execution.
"What's up?"
Fiona's face, tilted to the side, didn't show any signs of guilt or remorse for taking a life.
It seems that when humans believe in their own justice, they can become extremely cruel....
"You, your Storage Ring still isn't fixed, right?"
First, let's stall. I'll use the valid reason that we can't cook today to put off the execution date.
Fiona looked at her empty right arm, remembering my words. Her ring was currently under repair.
"Come to think of it, yeah. Without the Storage Ring, it'd be tough to carry everything..."
"......!!"
I was shocked.
So she was planning to buy that much food in one go.
I kept pushing, not letting up.
"And you're not fully recovered yet, either. Why don't you take it easy and rest for now?"
"I'm fine with cooking, though?"
"Don't underestimate cooking!!"
Seriously, don't underestimate cooking!!
"Besides, there's no need to rush. You can cook whenever you want, once you've recovered."
"It's just...that's true, but..."
Fiona, who had been looking down, raised her face.
For some reason, her cheeks seemed to be slightly flushed.
"You helped me, didn't you?"
"Helped?"
I was asked, and I thought about it.
The answer was clear. If I said I helped Fiona, it would only refer to what happened in the labyrinth.
"...Ah, yeah. You finally understand. That's right. I rubbed your entire body, applied potions to your skin, and massaged your hips and legs! All of that was to help you!!"
It seemed like she finally understood. So, I'm innocent!
As I was rejoicing with a clear conscience, Fiona shouted.
"That's not it at all!!...Well, that's true too, but it's not just that! Like how you blocked the spear for me, and helped me when my magical energy ran out and I fell... there are so many things, you know?"
"Hmm? Ah, yeah, that's true."
I nodded, but inside, I was tilting my head in confusion.
I didn't get where the conversation was going. If she's grateful, shouldn't she stop talking about punishing me?
But Fiona continued, looking embarrassed and fidgety.
"There are many other things... like how you took care of me, and trained me... I owe you so much... so, that's why... I'm grateful."
"Hmm..."
I still didn't get it.
How did Fiona's gratitude and punishment connect?
Fiona looked up at me with an upward glance, her face turning bright red as she spoke.
"S-so...! As a token of gratitude, I want to... make dinner for you... it's better to do it quickly, right? If we take too long, you'll get tired of it too, won't you...?"
(――That's what it is, after all...!!)
I finally understood.
Fiona's actions of making dinner for me. I had always thought it was her anger, punishment, and execution towards me.
But that was wrong.
Listening to Fiona's tone and words, I could tell it was genuine.
In other words, Fiona wanted to make a homemade meal as a token of gratitude towards me.
If it's an action coming from gratitude, not anger... then, there's no problem. I can eat Fiona's cooking without worrying... no, that can't be right!!
(Such a stupid...!!)
I was terrified.
It wasn't just any ordinary fear. It was a desperate fear that would definitely rank in the top ten of my life.
Just because it's a token of gratitude, the taste wouldn't suddenly become good. It would probably stay the same.
But the problem wasn't that. It was that Fiona, who knew her own cooking skills, was still willing to make a homemade meal out of gratitude.
(What the...!? What's going on...!? What just happened...!?)
I don't get it.
I can't understand Fiona's thought pattern at all.
Or is it something else? Is my memory of eating Fiona's cooking wrong? Is it an illusion? A fabricated memory? Is Fiona actually a good cook?
――I can't trust my own memories...!!
The only truth is that my body starts shaking at the mere concept of "Fiona's cooking".
As I desperately try to suppress my body's shaking, Fiona lets out a small cough, looks embarrassed, and continues.
"So, don't worry about it, okay?"
――It's not about worrying about it, okay!!
I force myself to calm down and speak in a strong tone.
"No, it's no good."
"――What do you mean, no good? ...Could it be that you don't want to eat my cooking?"
The light in Fiona's eyes disappears. Her expression also disappears. Her tone becomes flat.
――What's going on?
Am I being intimidated...?
"No, no! Don't get it wrong! It's not that!"
I explain while sweating coldly.
I think hard and open my mouth.
"I'm happy about your gratitude...but!! I don't want you to overexert yourself!!"
"So, I'm saying it's okay to cook, right?"
"――I'm worried about your body!!"
It's no use trying to reason with her.
I have no choice but to appeal to her emotions.
In my fear, I don't even know what I'm saying, but I look at Fiona with a fierce expression and say.
"What if you push yourself too hard and get sick?! I understand your gratitude! I'll accept it But it's not the time to overdo it yet!"
"Uh...um...so, I said it's okay, right? You're...worrying too much, aren't you...?"
I pounce on Fiona, who's turned bright red again.
"Have you forgotten how bad the backlash was after using [God's Descent]!? Your body is the most important thing, so don't worry me!! Please, I'm begging you!!"
"...Huh? Wh-what's going on? The most important thing...huh? Wh-what does that even mean...?"
"What's with the meaning?! I'm worried about you!! If something were to happen to you, I'd be devastated!! Can't you understand that?!"
"F-feh? Wh-what's going on? I-I don't get it...wh-what's the point...?"
Fiona's face turned bright red up to her ears, her hands flailing about aimlessly, her gaze wandering around as if producing question marks.
Fiona was in a state of confusion.
This was the perfect chance to take advantage of her lack of thinking ability.
I stood up from my seat, walked around the table, and stood beside Fiona.
"What? What? What? ――What?!"
As Fiona turned to face me, still confused, I placed my hands on her shoulders and looked her straight in the eye, speaking in a strong, unwavering tone.
"Fiona, do you understand?"
"A...u, yeah...I-I get it."
Fiona nodded stiffly.
It seemed like she finally understood. I let out a deep sigh of relief.
Humans can do anything if they're serious about it. Wasn't this perfect communication?
* * *
After breakfast.
In my home's atelier.
Fiona wasn't in a state to resume work, so I was the only one in the atelier.
"I wonder if I can somehow...make this work..."
I held Black Radiance, which was almost complete, and thought vaguely.
For some reason, I couldn't get into the zone for work.
I managed to deceive myself this time, but I didn't think I could keep it up even after Fiona's health recovered.
So, I needed a reason.
A reason that wouldn't happen even if Fiona was cooking...
"Maybe something big will happen..."
As I thought about such pointless things, I was about to start working on Black Radiance's finishing touches.
――KNOCK, KNOCK!!
A loud noise echoed.
"――Huh?"
I wasn't in the middle of work, so I heard it――the sound of the door knocker at the entrance.
In other words, it seems we have a visitor.
"Who is it?"
I thought to myself, feeling a bit suspicious, as I left the atelier and headed towards the entrance.
"Yes, who might you be?"
I said, opening the door.
And then, there they were ――
"Good morning, Mr. Aaron. I apologize for visiting so early, but may I have a moment of your time?"
"Lady Eva..."
Lady Eva, with an unusually stiff expression, was there――but she wasn't the only visitor.
There were 4 people, including Io Suleiman, Garon Gasterk, and Glenda von Lorentz.
"This is quite an unusual combination. ...Has something happened?"
It was quite unexpected for these 4 to visit my home together. What kind of gathering is this?
Well, considering the members, I think it might have something to do with the clan...
I couldn't help but ask, my eyes wide with surprise, and Lady Eva nodded with a stiff expression, saying.
"Something terrible has happened."
――and that's it.
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