This House Has A Delicious Restaurant - Chapter 11 - Operation To Recapture Diswen (2) - Part 1

11. Operation To Recapture Diswen (2)

It felt like I had lost consciousness and dreamt something.

I wasn’t sure if it was a dream or a brief glimpse into the afterlife, but when I opened my eyes again, I was back in the company where I worked in reality.

The computer monitor no longer showed Moa Ablon with silver hair and green eyes, but only the smiling character of Zerdan.

“What’s up, So-Yeon? Are you watching another strategy video?”

“Pardon?”

“Are you watching strategy videos? I’ve seen you studying even at home lately. The game you’re in charge of is pretty difficult, isn’t it?”

“Oh, the game… Yes, it’s a bit challenging.”

So, it was about the game. Right, that was a game.

The face of Zerdan, looking blankly at the screen, was 2D.

Compared to other games, it was extremely difficult, and the strategy compilation I was looking at was created by the only person who had cleared it.

Yes, I was watching it out of frustration since I kept dying to Zerdan in the early stages and couldn’t progress.

But why did Zerdan’s appearance on the screen feel so awkward?

“I struggled to clear that one too. I stayed up all night. Normally, I’d spend more time on a game and tackle other characters or even aim for a reverse harem ending, but I just couldn’t manage that. I barely saw the Obella ending.”

The woman next to me, who was my boss, was the only one who had seen the ending of that game. She was also the one who compiled the strategy video I was watching.

She seemed quite pleased to have seen the ending of a game no one else had succeeded in and willingly shared strategy compilations and tips with me.

“From my experience, Obella seems unexpectedly weak if you push hard. And he tends to focus solely on one person if he falls for them? He might seem indifferent, but it feels like a pure love story.”

“…That’s right. Bella seems weak against proactive women.”

“Really? Do you call game characters by nicknames? Or are you imitating Zerdan?”

Come to think of it, why was I calling him Bella?

Feeling a bit embarrassed, I made an excuse that it was just a habit, and she didn’t seem to mind much and shifted to another topic.

She soon started talking about other characters.

“I couldn’t get a grasp on the other characters. Terisier is good-looking but prickly… But it seemed like he showed some trust if you cooperated or helped with his work.”

Nodding in agreement as I recalled Terisier’s recent friendly attitude, it was the case.

“I only focused on strategy and didn’t progress the story properly, so my favorability was minimal. I was trying to target Zerdan along with Obella… Wow, Zerdan is no ordinary character. It was tough even from the start, and don’t think you’re safe even if you build up some favor. If you make a wrong choice during conversations, the game ends in an instant.”

She frowned as she recalled the stress from that time.

“Even so, he’s so handsome that I kept trying, but I could never figure out what style he likes. When my favorability with Obella was high, helping him would lower it, but sometimes, if I defended Obella and acted aggressively toward Zerdan, my favorability would go up a bit again… It’s quite satisfying, though. You’re aiming for Zerdan this time, right? If you succeed, be sure to share some tips with me!”

“Okay. But I’m not sure if I’ll succeed. I couldn’t even get past the escape room at the beginning and kept dying. I barely managed to escape and build up some favor, but when I didn’t hand over Anise as promised, I died again.”

“Anise? Who’s that? A new character?”

“She’s the opera queen… But she was kidnapped by Zerdan early on. Don’t you know?”

“Well, it seems like Zerdan’s story progression is different from Obella’s. But since she’s not listed among the game’s characters, she must be an extra.”

She nonchalantly mentioned as she looked at the game introduction.

An extra? Anise had quite impressive abilities and was a character sought after by both sides.

“Lazis was also charming,  the curly-haired character that appears in the later stages is so cute! He doesn’t speak, but his cotton-candy-like hair is so appealing. Even his expressionless face is cute. Once I finish what I’m doing, I might try again. Oh, and So-Yeon, do you know? I haven’t properly progressed through the story, so I don’t know, but according to the game developers, something shocking will happen if you proceed with the story properly.”

“Shocking?”

“There seems to be another hidden plot besides Zerdan. It’s likely something that can only be revealed through Zerdan’s, and they talked about it as if it were a major twist. Let me know if you find out later.”

“Hidden plot…”

“Yes. Or you could try to find it yourself. You can intervene directly now, not just play the game.”

She wiped the smile from her face and looked directly at me.

What was she talking about?

Her finger tapped the center of my chest. Suddenly, the spot her finger touched became painful, and I clutched at my chest.

She moved away. Her smiling face blurred, like the faces of characters when you end a game.

My reality ended, and another reality emerged.

* * *

I must have been clutching my chest, as a warm hand was placed on top of it. A gentle, comforting touch.

The soothing feeling was so kind that I finally woke up to another reality.

I was lying in bed. A man was sitting beside me, looking down.

Seeing me awake, the man tilted his head, and his blonde hair fell gently.

“You’re awake.”

“Obella…?”

No wonder the touch was so gentle.

The hand of Obella, which was still gently holding mine, was large and warm.

His large hand, which enveloped my entire hand, slowly and carefully removed my hand that had been clenched tightly.

“Is it still painful?”

“I thought… I was dead, but it seems like my life wasn’t that short after all.”

I cleared my throat and asked him with a slightly hoarse voice.

Looking out the window, the bright sunlight suggested that a day had passed.

Did Bella save me?

My chest wasn’t as painful as I’d expected. It seemed I had reflexively clutched it due to the shock I received at that time.

“Yeah, it seems your life wasn’t that short. I’m glad you’re still alive.”

He brushed his damp bangs to the side and gently wiped his sweat. Noticing my gaze, he seemed to sense I had something to ask.

“I sent Phel up to the roof first. When Anise suddenly stopped using her abilities, I sensed something was wrong. The only person Phel found was you, Moa Ablon, who collapsed on the floor.”

“Anise… is safe thanks to Lazis.”

“Yes. When we got home, Anise and a man were together, and Anise was crying. She was very worried about you. She last saw you being stabbed by Zerdan.”

“That’s right. I think I bled quite a lot.”

I slowly propped myself up. The pain wasn’t as severe as I had anticipated.

Even if I had been treated, I should have felt pain with even small movements given the extent of the injuries.

It seemed Anise or Phel had changed my clothes. I was now wearing a light dress that came down to my thighs.

I unbuttoned the collar to check the wound on my chest. It was as if the stabbing had been a lie; there was no wound.

“When Phel found you, you were collapsed and the floor was covered in blood. So, she hurried to check your body, but strangely, there were no visible wounds. There was a knife on the floor, though.”

“The pain was so vivid… It’s strange. Zerdan wouldn’t have treated me after stabbing me if he wasn’t insane.”

“We don’t understand it either, but what’s important is that you’re alive.”

Obella fastened the buttons that I had previously undone. His actions were so tender, like dealing with a child. I watched him quietly and then spoke out.

“Does it matter if I die? I’m not as necessary as Anise.”

“…Why would you say that?”

Obella, having finished fastening all the buttons, looked directly at me. His golden eyes, like Zerdan’s, made me avert my gaze involuntarily.

“I’m just stating the facts.”

“You provided us with information and greatly helped in planning. Even though we didn’t inflict significant damage, we succeeded in bringing Diswen.”

“Others could have done it just as well.”

“Moa Ablon, you initially acted like a frightened woman, but then you showed a bold side by speaking up to the rude Terisier. Now you’re showing a new side.”

“I must seem like a very strange woman even to myself.”

“I found it intriguing.”

Obella draped a blanket over my shoulders. The open window let in a breeze, and he seemed to think it would be cold.

“If you had died, I would have been sad. It seems I had started to see you as a colleague at some point. I was very worried when I saw you being carried by Phel while unconscious.”

“…It feels strange, Bella.”

“I was just speaking the truth. Besides, don’t I still owe you something?”

“Owe me something?”