Tell Me To Regret, Don’t Tempt Me - Chapter 13
Chapter 13
“Why are there so many people?”
Louis, who had been holding Vivian’s wrist, frowned as he pushed through the crowd. After a moment, Louis looked back at Vivian, then released her wrist.
Instead, he reached down further and firmly grasped Vivian’s hand.
“Hold on tight.”
Louis’s hand was firm and warm.
It was the same hand that had escorted her, but somehow, holding Louis’ hand felt more vivid and real than ever before.
Her heart, which had been beating in her chest, seemed to have shifted to her fingertips.
She wanted to pull her hand away from Louis’s tight grip, fearing that her trembling hand would be noticed, but she couldn’t.
She wanted to, but she didn’t.
From then on, Vivian couldn’t look around. She alternated between looking at Louis’s back, where his flowing black hair stood out, and at the hand that held her.
Until she suddenly bumped into Louis’ solid back.
“Ouch!”
Clutching her nose that had collided with Louis’ firm back, Vivian peeked out. The restaurant they arrived at was bustling, with no room to spare.
“Are we here for lunch?”
A cheerful-looking waitress approached and asked Louis. He nodded, and the sympathetic-looking waitress bent down.
“What should we do? There are no available seats right now…”
“Will there be any seats if we wait?”
Rayden, who was standing behind them, stepped forward. When the waitress saw him, her eyes immediately formed hearts.
“Oh my! You must be the uncle.”
As Rayden nodded, the smiling waitress gently grabbed his arm.
“Just wait a moment.”
Winking at Rayden, the server disappeared. Watching this, Louis commented.
“Uncle, you seem to be quite popular.”
“It’s not ‘seem to be,’ you brat. I’m openly popular.”
Vivian curiously watched the two casually speak informally to each other.
“If you’re so openly popular, why don’t you have a girlfriend?”
Rayden’s expression darkened at Louis’s words. It looked quite threatening, making Vivian stiffen. However, Louis, with a nonchalant expression, looked at Rayden as if unaffected.
“Well, I’m too, too, too, too, too, too busy with work because of a certain someone.”
“Ah, it seems you have a good boss.”
As Rayden’s temples bulged with frustration, the disappeared waitress reappeared, shaking her hips.
“There’s one table available, but it’s a private room, so you’ll have to pay extra. Is that okay?”
“That’s fine.”
“In that case, please come this way.”
The waitress led Louis and his party, babbling in a nasal voice as she guided them.
“This is the first time I’ve seen the capital so bustling since coming here. It’s so busy that I don’t even have a moment to rest.”
With a swaying motion of her large hips, the waitress opened the door wide.
“Ta-da! This is the best seat in our establishment with the most wonderful view.”
As she had claimed, the room she led them to was on the second floor, offering a panoramic view of the festival atmosphere. Winking at Rayden, she placed the menu she had brought on the table.
“It might take a while for the food to arrive. I hope you don’t mind.”
Scanning the menu the server had placed, Louis looked at Vivian.
“Is that okay?”
“Huh?”
“Are you hungry? If you can’t wait, we can go somewhere else.”
“Oh my, how sweet of you to think of your sister!”
“So, what do you want to do?”
Ignoring the waitress’s words, Louis asked again, and Vivian nodded.
“I’m okay.”
“Alright then…”
As Louis began ordering various items from the menu, the waitress, who was diligently jotting down his orders, smiled at Rayden before slipping out of the room.
“Th-that’s a lot of food, isn’t it?”
Louis had ordered quite a lot.
“I have a big appetite.”
Rayden, who brightly smiled at Vivian’s question, scratched his head.
“What about the circus tickets?”
“You’re quite impatient. I’ve asked my junior to check, so please wait a bit longer.”
Rayden, with laughter lines appearing on his face, looked out at the bustling street.
“With so many people, there could be gaps in the security perimeter, so absolutely no going off on your own. Understand?”
“I know.”
Responding nonchalantly to Rayden’s words, Louis also turned his gaze to the street.
“By the way, is this your first time at the capital’s festival, my lady?”
“Huh? Y-yes…”
Vivian, who was looking at the soap bubbles made by the children gathered on the street, straightened up in surprise.
“Ha-ha. It’s fun to watch the festival, but it’s even more enjoyable to experience it firsthand. There are street foods from other kingdoms that you don’t usually get to taste, and there are many fascinating toys.”
As Vivian listened with round eyes and an eager expression, Rayden enthusiastically started talking.
“They even have flower wreaths made of seasonal flowers. Women wearing these wreaths gather at the square on the night of the blessing day to dance. It’s a sight to behold.”
“Because there are many women?”
Louis’s question made Rayden raise an eyebrow, but he continued speaking without losing his smile.
“By any chance, do you also like flower wreaths, Lady Vivian?”
At Rayden’s words, Vivian nodded, her eyes sparkling.
“Then, as a token of my gratitude for rescuing me from the peril of spending the festival with my cold and aloof master, I must present you with a flower wreath.”
“You don’t have to do that!”
“Haha, no, I insist. I really want to give you one.”
Just as Vivian was about to insist that it was truly unnecessary, they heard a knocking sound at the door.
“Lord Rayden. I have come.”
“Come in.”
As Rayden’s permission was granted, a man entered, bowing his head in greeting to Louis and Rayden.
“I have obtained the circus tickets you requested.”
Handing three tickets to Rayden, the man politely greeted them again before leaving the room.
“It’s a good seat.”
Rayden murmured as he examined the tickets.
“Then, shall we eat heartily? To see the circus, you’ll need a full stomach, after all.”
Vivian nodded, though she couldn’t connect why she needed a full stomach to watch the circus.
A little later, the food started arriving. Soup and bread, a salad mixed with fruit, and a large steak. The dishes kept coming, and Rayden’s mouth kept pace, quickly devouring them.
The plates were soon emptied, revealing the bottom.
Vivian enjoyed the mealtime, watching the scene of this voracious eater.
As the three finished their meal and left the restaurant, leaving behind the disappointed waitress, they merged into the festival crowd.
“Come and have a look, it’s free, we don’t charge!”
“Silk from a distant land! Light as a cloud and soft as a feather!”
“Two for the price of one! Taste so good, you won’t notice if one of you dies while eating!”
The shouts of the street vendors trying to attract customers added even more liveliness to the atmosphere. Everything Vivian saw was new to her.
“Wait, let’s go check that out for a bit.”
Under Rayden’s protection, Vivian had been busy exploring here and there, but she followed Louis as he moved to another spot. Louis’ steps were drawn to the books.
“Welcome! From ancient imperial laws to heart-wrenching love stories, we have everything!”
The owner of the street bookstore warmly smiled as the three approached, his gold teeth glinting in place of his molars.
“What can I help the little guests with today?”
“Just browsing for a moment.”
“Of course. Take your time browsing.”
Leaving the boisterous bookstore owner behind, Louis slowly examined the displayed books, reaching for something.
“Ha-ha. The little guest has a discerning eye.”
The book Louis picked up was an encyclopedia of animals.
“It includes not only common animals from the empire but also rare animals from the southern, western, and northern kingdoms. The illustrations are very detailed, making it easy to understand.”
“I’ll take this one.”
After quickly flipping through the book, Louis handed over the money for it.
“Just a moment, your change…”
“Forget it.”
“Oh my! Thank you very much!”
As the bookstore owner laughed heartily, his gleaming gold teeth were even more noticeable. Louis then handed the book to Vivian.
“Here. Take it.”
“Huh?”
“There should be detailed descriptions of the animals that will be in the circus.”
Taken aback, Vivian accepted the book Louis handed her.
“Alright, let’s go.”
As Vivian followed Louis, the tips of her ears had turned red.
So this is what a festival is like.
With the book Louis gave her in her right hand and the sweet fruit candies given by Rayden in her left, Vivian continued to marvel at the new world around her.
The small flames magically created added to the excitement as they moved through the crowd.
“Come and see! Rings, necklaces, and bracelets made by craftsmen from the Kuzen region! We have everything.”
At the merchant’s words, Vivian’s head snapped around.
“Would you like to take a look?”
“Yes.”
When Rayden asked, looking around, Vivian shyly nodded her head. Louis muttered, “Women,” under his breath and silently followed her.
The table of the accessories merchant was crowded with women browsing.
“Darling, how about this?”
“Beautiful.”
“What about this one?”
“That’s also beautiful.”
The woman holding up accessories of various designs, asking her lover which one he liked, suddenly frowned and disappeared into the crowd.
“Darling, where are you going?”
The bewildered boyfriend hurriedly followed his girlfriend.
“Why did that woman get upset?”
Louis asked Rayden, but he shrugged, saying he couldn’t possibly know either.
“The man replied without even properly looking at the accessories.”
“What?”
“He answered the woman’s question about the accessories without really looking at them.”
“Ah, I see!”
Rayden nodded at Vivian’s words.
“Is that really something to be so upset about?”
Louis’ words made Vivian shake her head, saying it was better not to understand, and she began looking for a gift for her mother.
“This one! I’ll take this one!”
A pair of small earrings in the shape of green water droplets caught her eye. Though small, the finely crafted earrings had a somewhat unique design.
“You picked the right one, little lady! These earrings were designed by a famous craftsman from Kuzen, and I obtained them with great difficulty!”
At the merchant’s words, a woman nearby pointed to the earrings Vivian had chosen.
“Me too, I’d like one of those.”
“Haha. Oh, no. Those are the only earrings in the world.”
Hurriedly paying the price to avoid the woman’s gaze, Vivian carefully placed the earring in her bag.
“Are you going to give it as a gift to your mother?”
“Yes.”
Patting the bag slung on her side, Vivian replied. After that, the three of them spent time browsing music boxes, toy stores, and exotic fruit shops.
“Shall we sit for a moment?”
At Louis’s suggestion, both Rayden and Vivian vigorously nodded their heads. While the festival was enjoyable, navigating through the crowds was not easy.
The three of them took a seat by the fountain and looked out at the bustling square.
“We can go see the circus in a little while.”
Louis said, looking at the large clock on top of the clock tower next to the square. Following his gaze, Vivian was startled.
Has time passed by so quickly already?
It had been more than two hours since they had eaten, and now she understood why her legs ached.
“Let’s just see the circus and then go back. The crowds will only get bigger as night falls.”
At Rayden’s suggestion, Louis nodded and looked around the square once more. His gaze softened as it landed on a puppy being led out by someone.
“Sounds good.”
It was the first time Vivian had seen Louis look so relaxed.