Chapter 24

Chapter 24: I spent the night with the Lady Knight.

An afternoon when the sunset was just beginning to set.

A large wooden dining table on top of the grass lawn in the yard.

I neatly set forks, knives, and napkins on top of it.

In the center of the table, I placed a silver candlestick and lit the candle.

"Please have a seat, guest."

I spoke to Ria and Rin on her shoulder.

"Yes, Chef."

Ria sat down.

Ria placed Rin down on the seat next to her on the table.

Soon I took out the first dish from Acresia.

"The first dish is a food called black Truffle potato croquette. I diced potato purée and black Truffle slices and mixed them with the potato purée to make ball shapes, coated them in breadcrumbs, and fried them in avocado oil."

One of the dishes containing the essence of French cuisine.

"Thank you for the kind explanation, Chef. You are even more handsome when doing your main job!"

"Hmm! Thank you. The sauce is herb cream sauce which refreshes the mouth that could otherwise feel greasy."

After hearing the explanation, Ria cut a portion of the croquette with her knife, lightly dipped it in herb cream sauce, and brought it to her mouth.

After taking a bite, she closed her eyes.

Not because it was not tasty, but because of the feast of aromas.

"The outside is crispy and the inside is soft. And the rich aroma of Truffle harmonizes with the taste of potato to create a very luxurious flavor. The herb cream sauce also adds to the flavor."

"As expected, your understanding is high."

I also sat in my seat and took a bite of the croquette I had taken out.

The taste of potato purée and black Truffle made in traditional French style harmonized well.

'Purée is the pride of French cuisine.'

Only when one can make purée well can one be called a true French chef.

Soon I also took out alcohol to enjoy together.

The Homemade Fruit Wine I had fermented.

"This Fruit Wine is Homemade Fruit Wine made from Applecherry that Miss Rin over there personally grew."

Worth 3.5 million won per 200 milliliter bottle.

Ria sent applause to Rin.

"Wow! Rin, you are the best!"

Rin smiled contentedly.

Now she understands when she is being praised.

Soon I poured Fruit Wine into Ria's wine glass.

I poured some into my glass too.

I poured health juice into young Rin's glass.

"I also prepared food for Rin to eat with her health juice."

That was fresh vegetable tacos.

Very thin tacos baked with dough made only from corn flour and water.

Food made by julienning vegetables very thinly to miniature level and mixing them with sauce made from Applecherry, then wrapping them in tacos.

"It is mini food. So cute, Rin is lucky, is she not? Seon-u takes such good care of you."

It really was just like miniature food.

Food that truly needed to be made meticulously because it was small.

Rin saw that food and her eyes sparkled.

"Try eating it, Rin."

At my words, Rin nodded her head then picked up the food and brought it to her mouth.

Soon she took a bite.

Whether it suited her taste, her eyes widened greatly and she began eating quickly.

"Hehe! She must find it delicious."

"Tacos made with corn are indeed delicious."

While Rin was eating, Ria and I clinked glasses with Fruit Wine.

"To celebrate the completion of the house!"

"To celebrate!"

I tried drinking the Fruit Wine for the first time after making it.

The taste was……

"Delicious!"

"Delicious!"

Ria and I exclaimed simultaneously.

It was that sweet yet refreshing and clean in taste.

"How can alcohol go down the throat so cleanly like this?"

There was not a single thing that bothered me.

It truly felt like drinking top-grade wine.

"Really, it is strange. I do not normally like alcohol much, but with this I could drink as much as I want."

Ria usually did not enjoy alcohol so she did not normally drink more than one glass, but she was showing the will to drink a lot.

After finishing the black Truffle potato croquette like that.

The next dish was tuna tataki caviar that achieved harmony between East and West.

For people who do not like the strong ocean scent it could be a dislike, but Ria likes Seafood.

"Mm, delicious!"

And it was even more delicious when eaten together with vegetables seasoned with soy sauce lemon sauce.

Ria and I continuously sipped Fruit Wine while eating the food.

'The aroma of Applecherry also has the effect of refreshing the mouth, so that is good.'

The alcohol went down smoothly.

We quickly emptied one bottle and opened the next bottle.

Next was the soup, Tuscan ribollita.

Then the main dishes, miso glazed grilled Chilean sea bass and tenderloin steak.

Among them, the one that captured Ria's heart the most was the miso glazed grilled Chilean sea bass.

"This is really fish?"

"That is right, is it not delicious?"

"Yes, it is a taste I cannot believe is fish. How can it taste like this?"

Grilled Chilean sea bass, the best drinking snack that comes out at Japanese restaurants.

It is very oily yet also delicious, so it is fraudulent food that makes alcohol keep going in.

Ria and I were also experiencing the same phenomenon.

Fruit Wine kept going in.

When I exceeded one bottle worth like that.

A Buff occurred.

30% resistance to all attributes, 60% injury pain reduction, and even an exaltation effect.

[Exaltation effect: An effect that occurs when combined with alcohol and pain reduction Buff is 50% or more. Does not become intimidated during combat. Gains partial resistance to powerful Monsters' fear attacks or Awakened's lion's roar skills.]

A kind of sedative pill, or like a courage potion that timid Hunters drink.

It seemed like a fairly useful effect if going hunting.

And perhaps because I too received the exaltation effect, I felt my tension rise slightly.

Soon Rin, who had finished eating, began dozing off on top of the table.

"Rin must be sleepy. I will go lay her down in the room."

"Alright. Since it is getting dark soon, I will clean up the outdoor table and move to the living room. Let us eat dessert there."

"Understood!"

Like that, Ria went to lay Rin down in the room.

I also cleaned up the outdoor table then headed to the house living room.

I placed the candlestick back and lit the candle.

I set up the after-meal dessert.

Shortly after, Ria entered the living room.

"Ria, you are not full yet, right? Shall I make more food?"

That is what fine dining is originally like.

Most fine dining does not provide food to the point of being full.

Because if you feel like you want to taste more, you eat the next food more deliciously.

When you are full, your appetite decreases.

Ria nodded her head.

"Yes, my stomach is ample. Today I want to eat and drink more. Perhaps because Seon-u showed fine dining high-class foods which are your specialty, my appetite is especially stimulated today. Both the alcohol and food seem especially more delicious today. Could it be because I am in a good mood since it is the day the house was completed?"

"Me too. Then wait while eating dessert. I will make more food."

Like that I started cooking food.

This time cream gnocchi and chicken skewers, and even Caprese salad.

After setting the food on the table in front of the sofa, I sat down next to Ria.

"Seon-u is truly amazing."

"What is?"

"You whip up such delicious food like this."

"Because it is my profession."

"Even so, you are amazing. Mm! It smells good. My mood is good too! Then let us drink!"

"Alright, cheers."

Like that we continued drinking Fruit Wine along with the food.

One bottle, two bottles, three bottles, four bottles.

Twenty bottles.

3.5 million won per 200 milliliter bottle.

We drank a total of 70 million won worth of alcohol.

However, perhaps because it was a good day, I did not feel it was wasteful much.

I did not even know how much time had passed.

'I have never drunk excessively like this even when I was young……'

Ria and I were drinking excessively with a feeling like young friends drinking until we die today.

That much, today was a day when the house was completed so I did not want to sleep and it was a pleasant day.

Perhaps because I was drinking 20% alcohol Fruit Wine, my mind was hazy and tipsy.

It seemed Ria was the same.

"Seon-u…… Why did I come back after leaving……?"

"Mm, well…… Because you wanted to eat the food I make?"

"No, that too exists, but it is because Seon-u is here."

It is a similar saying to the legendary mountaineer George Mallory's because the mountain is there.

But because she said it was because of me, I felt strange.

It must just be something she is saying, since Ria was also very drunk.

Having nothing to say for no reason, I poured alcohol for Ria.

"Let us drink……!"

"Yes, let us drink!"

Like that the two of us exceeded 30 bottles late into the night.

Whether Ria was very drunk on alcohol, she leaned on my shoulder.

I turned my head and looked at Ria leaning on my shoulder.

Then Ria also lifted her head slightly and looked at me.

Our eyes met.

Only one candlelight was illuminating us.

In that moment, I let go of the thread of reason I had barely been holding onto despite the alcohol.

I committed the outrageous act of kissing Ria.

* * *

Perhaps because I did not draw the curtain, light came in and my eyes hurt so I woke from sleep.

'Ugh, my head……'

My head was also heavy and my stomach did not feel good.

Soon I raised my upper body from the bed.

'Why does my head hurt? Ah…… I drank Fruit Wine yesterday.'

Until when did I drink?

The moment I was about to search my memory.

"Mmm!"

I heard a sound from the side.

What is it……?

My head turned to the side.

My gaze went down.

She was covering her body with a blanket, but a woman's jade-white shoulders and legs that seemed to be wearing nothing were revealed.

"……"

Then the memories of yesterday began returning.

Swept up by the alcohol and atmosphere, I let go of the thread of reason and kissed Ria.

Only briefly. Realizing I had made a big mistake, I apologized to Ria.

Then Ria said 'If it is Seon-u, I am fine with anything.'

After that, coming to my room……

'An Seon-u, you crazy bastard! What were you going to do doing that?'

I caused trouble.

And to Ria, who is a friend and also a comrade.

Soon Ria opened her eyes.

"Mmm……"

Our eyes met.

"……"

"……"

Soon Ria, without a word, with her face turning red, picked up her clothes and underwear to cover her body then went outside the room.

I am ruined, ruined.

How do I properly look at Ria's face now?

Soon what happened in bed yesterday kept coming to mind.

I knew she had a good figure, but I did not know it was to that extent.

Smack!

I hit my cheeks hard with both palms to forcibly blow away the memory.

"Phew, I am really going crazy."

I want to turn back time to yesterday.

Then I would not have drunk more than one bottle.

I was too excited so I drank excessively.

Not just the excessive drinking, but the 'exaltation effect' Buff raising my tension must also have had some influence.

'But I know Ria does not have a Status Window so Buffs do not work on her……'

Not just Ria, but Rin also does not get Buffs.

The same is true for ordinary people who are not Hunters.

Buffs only work on Hunters who have Status Windows.

Then did Ria's judgment simply become clouded because of the alcohol?

What she said about being fine with anything if it was me must also have been because of the alcohol.

'Anyway, alcohol is the problem……'

Because alcohol occupies a large proportion among the causes of various incidents and accidents.

* * *

I wondered how I could look at Ria's face now out of embarrassment.

However, Ria herself acted as if nothing had happened.

As usual, she still trained, farmed, and learned cooking from me.

"So…… uh, one spoon of salt and one spoon of Sesame Oil……"

Only I was stuttering.

"Seon-u, you are not sick somewhere, are you? You seem to be in bad condition recently."

"No, I am fine."

Then one day.

Ria called me aside.

Then with a serious face she said.

"We cannot go on like this. Seon-u."

"Huh?"

"About that day, you do not need to worry about it."

Words that suddenly dug into my heart.

Ria continued speaking.

"Seon-u is a person from a different world than me. You do not have nowhere to return to like me, and Seon-u must live a proper life in Seon-u's world. So do not worry too much about that day. I am also not worrying much. Seon-u is still an irreplaceable very good friend to me, and that will not change going forward either."

Was it my imagination that Ria's expression saying that looked lonely?

In fact, her words are correct if considered coldly.

However, I did not like it.

Because it seemed like words she was saying to consider only me without thinking about herself.

So I said to Ria.

"I will think about it properly once."

"Think, about what……?"

"About our relationship."

"Our relationship, you do not need to do that because of me……!"

I cut off Ria's words.

"No, even if that incident had not happened, from some point Ria and Rin were like my family. Regardless of what happens between men and women, we would have continued together going forward."

From some point, Ria and Rin had become my precious family beyond friends and comrades.

I could not just pass over spending a night with such a person without responsibility.

First, I needed time to calmly think about the feelings Ria and I each had.

"I will think seriously once about a relationship beyond that, so Ria, you think seriously too about what feelings you have toward me."

"……"

"After organizing our thoughts like that, let us talk again. Until then, let us spend time ordinarily like before."

Ria could not answer easily.

Then she nodded her head with difficulty.

"I will do that."