The Only Way to Break the Curse is Through Contact with You - Chapter 51
#51
Diart followed me obediently as I dragged him along. A few people joined us from behind. The sharp glares that were secretly directed towards us before now looked peaceful. Although the nobles’ privilege is prioritized in everything in the Empire with its strict social hierarchy, I didn’t feel good about cutting in line.
“Are we waiting for this?”
“Yes.”
Diart narrowed his eyes with a displeased look. He didn’t seem to understand why I would wait to eat something that could be bought right away.
“I should buy that stall instead.”
“That’s not a funny joke.”
I quickly stopped laughing because I knew he was serious. Don’t try to understand how rich people think.
The knights who had been watching us from behind came closer.
“You can wait and we’ll buy it for you.”
“You two can sit over there.”
Milto pointed to the fountain. But the fountain was already crowded with couples on dates, so there seemed to be no place left to sit. When I looked around, wondering where to sit, the knights said not to worry.
“We’ll clear it out soon.”
The faces of the knights who went to the fountain were unnecessarily fierce. I quickly stopped them before they could ruin the innocent couples’ beautiful memories.
“Just wait a minute. You’re not going to chase those people away, are you?”
“That’s right.”
They spoke proudly, as though they were the owner of the fountain. Well, I suppose that’s to be expected in this empire. I sighed and shook my head.
“Why are you bothering innocent people who are just sitting there?”
“Then I’ll buy the fountain.”
“We’ll just wait since they’ll leave soon.”
I cut off Diart’s words and spoke firmly. This man has been saying he’ll buy everything since earlier. I don’t know how he came up with the idea of buying a fountain in the middle of the capital.
Diart’s expression became somewhat sullen.
“Why?”
“Because. That’s obvious.”
“You must be tired.”
Ah, come to think of it, they think I’m terminally ill. When I pretended to be tired, to my surprise, Diart supported me with a worried look on his face.
“Are you in pain?”
“Are you okay?”
Not only Diart but also the knights were at a loss for words. Lily was already holding my hand.
“Let’s go back, my lady. You’ve been walking for too long today.”
“I think it’s because I’m hungry. I’ll be fine if I just buy those skewers.”
Although it pricked my conscience a bit, it was quite effective in silencing everyone. No more empty talk about chasing people away or buying a fountain. This is quite convenient. It feels like I have a cheat code in my hands.
“Then we’ll stand here, so please stay over there.”
“No, it’s also fun to wait and then eat like this. It’s fine, so just step back. People will feel uncomfortable.”
I didn’t want to draw any more attention to the knights surrounding us when there were already so many nobles in extravagant attire waiting in line. Lily and the knights who had reluctantly stepped back were looking at me with anxious expressions.
“Are you really okay?”
Diart scrutinized me closely as he asked.
“Yes, I’m perfectly fine. And I’m fine standing here alone.”
“I thought you said waiting was fun.”
I managed to calmly respond to his sarcastic remark. Since he said he would wait, I didn’t see any reason to send him away. Diart, who usually dislikes wasting time on inefficient matters, surprisingly waited patiently instead of trying to cut in line.
The line moved faster than I thought, and soon I had chicken skewers in both hands. Diart, who was looking at the skewers intently, narrowed his eyes.
“Did you really want to eat this so badly?”
I guess he couldn’t understand it at all. Well, the chef at the Whaeton residence boasted the highest skills in the empire and always served dishes made with top-quality ingredients. For someone who has only eaten neatly arranged dishes, it might be difficult for him to understand eating a somewhat confusing chicken skewer with red sauce dripping down on it.
But for me, it was a much-needed food. Swallowing my saliva, I cautiously took a bite of the chicken skewer.
‘!’
This is it. This is it! The stimulating and addictive seasoning fills my mouth and the spicy taste that swirls around my throat as if attacking it! This is what my body has been craving.
Of course, the skills of the Duke’s chef were exceptional, but as a Korean who dips chili pepper into chili paste and eats it, the plain dishes didn’t give me the satisfying feeling of having eaten enough. I can’t express how happy I was when I first found out that chili peppers existed in this world. But the Empire had a culture that looked down on spicy food, so it wasn’t easy to come across. It was an incomprehensible setting in a K-romance fantasy novel written by a Korean.
I must have eaten it without realizing it because I felt like all the stress I had was relieved in one go.
“Is it really that delicious?”
I lifted my head as Diart spoke in a low voice. Ahem, I coughed and put down the chicken skewer I was chewing on.
“Please try it, Duke. It’s delicious.”
Diart, who had been looking down at the chicken skewer, slowly took a bite. I smiled slyly at his reaction. I purposely recommended a milder flavor when we were choosing the chicken skewer, but Diart, who succumbed to my provocation, chose the same spicy flavor as I did. It must not be easy for someone with no tolerance to spicy food.
Sure enough, after only just a few bites, Diart’s expression hardened.
“Are you okay? Is it too spicy?”
“No, it’s delicious.”
Are you really okay? Your face looks pale. He was pretending to be tough, but it was obvious to anyone that he found it spicy. I smiled as the long-standing discomfort in my throat was relieved, and Diart snatched the chicken skewer from my hand. He looked at me with a bewildered expression and said firmly,
“It’s better if you don’t eat it.”
“Why are you taking someone else’s? Give it to me.”
“It’s not good for your body.”
As I reached out my hand, he raised his hand and held the chicken skewer high. Because of our significant height difference, I couldn’t reach it no matter how hard I struggled to take it back. I could feel the attention gathering around us.
While I was seriously considering whether to kick him in the shin, Diart let out a hiccup. It must be because he ate spicy food that he hadn’t tasted before. While Diart was taken aback, I quickly put the chicken skewer in my mouth before he could snatch it back. Diart frowned as his hiccups didn’t stop.
“Are you okay?”
It was both funny and a bit cute to see the usually perfect and cold man hiccuping… No, what’s cute about it? I quickly tapped his back. In response, Diart turned his gaze towards me.
“That’s why, why bother eating something you can’t even eat.”
Even though I tapped his back with some emotions and scolded him, Diart was still looking at me quietly. I took him to an empty fountain and sat down. When I asked the knights for some milk, they quickly brought it to me as they were eating mildly flavored chicken skewers.
Diart’s hiccups stopped only after he took the milk I offered him and drank it down. Finally, Diart returned to his usual cold face and asked.
“Do you like that kind of thing?”
“Yes, it’s delicious. But you don’t like it, do you, Duke?”
“No. It’s fine.”
It was a very firm and decisive response considering how he had just been hiccuping due to spiciness just a moment ago. Diart gave a firm and decisive answer. It was so absurd that I looked at him dumbfoundedly, and he looked at me strangely and said again.
“I think I’ll come to like it too.”
“R-really? W, that’s good then.”
I don’t understand why this man is saying that he might come to like the chicken skewers with such deep eyes. I stood up, and suddenly felt my mouth go dry for no reason. Diart, who had been following my movements, also stood up from his seat.
“You must have had the chicken skewers too. Shall we go and enjoy the festival in earnest?”
I said cheerfully. Upon hearing that, the corners of Diart’s mouth slightly curved upwards. It was a genuine smile, not the usual mocking smirk or cold laughter. Feeling a strange tingling sensation, I quickly turned my gaze towards the street.
“They were performing a street show over there earlier.”
As I took the lead, I could sense Diart following behind me.
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