…Disappear?

Those three words pierced Lumiere’s heart like a thorn. Though she had pushed him away, she hadn’t meant for him to vanish entirely, never to be seen again…

But thinking about it, what reason would there be to meet a man who was no longer her lover? To him, she would just be an ex.

‘So disappearing is the right word…’

Why did her palms tingle?

She didn’t even remember loving this man.

So there was no reason to feel regret or sadness. No memories meant no nostalgia, and no nostalgia meant no regret…

Lumiere was confused, unable to explain her feelings.

At this point, she almost wished she could remember everything to understand clearly.

If she had loved him, why had she broken up with him?

Why had she told herself not to love this man?

And why was her heart tightening so uncontrollably?

‘…Losing my memory is so inconvenient.’

No, this was more than inconvenient.

She was starting to get angry. It wasn’t her fault she lost her memory, but the uncontrollable situations were igniting a wildfire in her heart.

A wildfire?

Was she really that upset? Why? Because he said he would disappear?

While Lumiere was lost for words and deep in thought, Karl, who had been looking out the window, suddenly spoke.

“Shall we get some waffles?”

“…What?”

Waffles, all of a sudden?

“It’s a place I like. And you like it too.”

“…Really? I do?”

Looking at the place he pointed to, she saw a familiar shop entrance.

Yes, the waffles there were good. She vaguely remembered that, but couldn’t recall the exact taste.

“Since we’re hungry, shall we eat?”

Without hesitation, he knocked on the front window to call Chris. The coachman, Chris, promptly turned the carriage around.

The most bewildered person was Lumiere.

“…Suddenly? Like this?”

He lazily smiled and opened the carriage door.

“Yes, suddenly. Like this.”

And suddenly, they arrived at the waffle shop.

* * *

“……!”

Delicious. Truly, incredibly delicious.

The waffles were crispy and warm, with a rich buttery flavor that was simply exquisite.

The accompanying cheese and honey syrup were a heavenly combination.

Just one bite could send a person to paradise.

Lumiere swallowed her admiration as she popped another piece of waffle into her mouth.

Ah, indeed. Delicious. So delicious!

It was a taste that made her want to scream.

“See, I told you you’d like it.”

Karl, already on his second waffle, smiled triumphantly.

As much as she hated to admit it, she couldn’t deny it.

But these waffles were a taste anyone would love.

Even if it wasn’t her.

“And if you pair it with coffee, the flavor doubles. Here, try it. This place makes excellent coffee too.”

Lumiere, almost entranced, lifted the coffee cup and sniffed the aroma.

Ah, it was heavenly even without tasting.

The rich, heavy scent, like chocolate, balanced the sweetness that had overwhelmed her taste buds.

A piece of waffle with a sip of coffee.

What more could life offer?

She felt her heart warm and relaxed.

Karl, watching her with the gaze of a parent watching a child eat well, cut a piece of almond waffle he had just ordered and placed it on her plate.

“Try this too.”

“No, I’m fine…”

“No matter how delicious, you can’t order another one. You hate wasting food, so you won’t order another one. It’s a fresh piece I haven’t touched yet. Try it.”

Annoyingly, he was right.

Lumiere never knew what to do in such moments.

This man knew her too well.

As he had once said, he might know her better than she knew herself.

Reluctantly, she picked up the fork, pretending to be aloof.

“I’m only trying it because you insist, just so you know.”

Karl chuckled and pushed the plate closer to her.

The nutty aroma of the almond waffle, freshly baked in the oven, made her mouth water.

As soon as she took a small bite, a different flavor and sensation overwhelmed her.

…How can something taste this delightful?

Lumiere was not particularly fond of desserts.

She preferred savory foods and usually opted for fruits.

But the waffles from this place tasted like happiness.

“Looks like you’re enjoying it.”

Lumiere couldn’t see her own expression, but judging by Karl’s face, she could guess.

Feeling her mouth burn, she quickly took a sip of coffee.

Her mouth felt overly sweet.

But even after rinsing her mouth with the bitter coffee, her tongue remained oddly sweet.

Karl watched as Lumiere finished her coffee and called for the attendant to refill her cup.

He then ordered another waffle, and Lumiere was inwardly impressed.

Despite eating so many waffles, he did so with such elegance and cleanliness that it was hard not to stare, even though she knew it was impolite.

As she watched him finish his fifth waffle with just three cuts of his knife, she asked in surprise,

“You don’t look it, but you’re quite a big eater?”

“It’s just a few pieces of bread.”

Isn’t eating five pieces of that bread a lot?

He wiped his mouth nonchalantly and stared at her.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“That hairstyle suits you.”

“Oh… Cindy spent an hour on it; she’ll be pleased to hear that.”

Lumiere smiled as if it was nothing, touching the loose strands of hair falling around her neck.

Karl’s gaze lingered on her fingertips before moving up, and he muttered absentmindedly,

“The person who spent an hour choosing that hairpin is quite pleased too.”

Lumiere’s startled eyes met Karl’s golden ones.

The hair accessory she wore today was a pin set with green jewels that matched her light yellow two-piece dress.

The white feathered jewel pin went well with her dress and her red hair.

She had put it on without much thought, as Cindy had given it to her, but to think it was a gift from Karl…

The weight of the hairpin, which she hadn’t been conscious of, suddenly felt heavy on her head.

For a moment, they exchanged glances without saying a word.

Karl was the first to break the silence with a smile.

“It seems to go well with the performance tonight.”

“You mean ? I like that one. It feels like it clears my mind when I listen to it.”

was about a fairy who fell into a human forest.

With the help of an old woman hiding in the forest, the young fairy could return to her own forest.

The old woman, cursed and abandoned by her family, awaited her death in the forest. Traveling with the fairy, she regained her will to live.

Thus, she reclaimed the wealth she had accumulated over her lifetime from her family and lived well.

At first glance, it seemed like the fairy was the protagonist, but the true protagonist of the opera was the old woman.

The old woman, waiting for her death, was cursed to become more hideous the more she despaired.

Being abandoned by her family was her greatest heartbreak, and she hid in the forest, unable to venture outside due to her hideous appearance.

The young fairy, unaffected by the curse, could see her true form, and they encouraged each other through many conversations.

The old woman courageously returned home.

It turned out that a bad mage, disguised as her husband, had plotted to take her treasure, and upon learning this, the old woman pushed him off a cliff.

The interesting part was her children.

The children, who had abandoned their mother, thinking the bad mage was their father, clung to her when she returned, claiming they had been misled.

But she did not accept her children and lived well alone.

was a story about seeing the truth with open eyes.

“Just when everyone thinks the play is over, the young fairy appears quietly. Then, looking at the cliff where the bad mage fell, she says, ‘Serves you right, Retio.’ That scene gives me chills every time.”

There was another hidden truth that one couldn’t see without open eyes!

To think it was all the young fairy’s scheme.

The writer of was undoubtedly a genius!

Karl, watching her excitement, smiled quietly.

“Yes, you loved that opera the most. Especially when Elina Buick played the old woman. Your second favorite was .”

He spoke again about something he knew well about Lumiere.

“…Yes.”

Lumiere looked at him with an unsettled gaze.