This House Has A Delicious Restaurant - Chapter 13 - Spy (2) - Part 1
13. Spy (2)
“Do you know that person?”
“Yeah… but I think I must have seen him wrong. He wasn’t that scary.”
Maybe it was just a confusion.
Ding came over to me, clinging to my legs tightly and making it hard for me to move. I naturally picked her up and sat back down on the sofa.
“Was the person you know also silver-haired? But from what I saw, he didn’t seem confused by seeing you.”
“He had gray hair. And he looked like that scary person earlier. Their personalities are completely different, though.”
“I see. Do you know his name?”
“No.”
A nice person with gray hair. I didn’t think there was anyone like that around Zerdan.
He seemed like someone who wouldn’t be worth much attention.
Ding’s mood seemed to have soured because he wasn’t the person she thought he was, so I lightly patted her back.
Phel, observing the scene, spoke.
“That Terisier, we should give him a good talking-to when he comes back later. Now that he’s about to become an adult, he’s taking his frustration out on a kid. He’s still immature.”
“Come to think of it, Terisier is becoming an adult soon, right?”
“Yeah. In two days, I think. But he still can’t control his emotions, and he’s acting like a kid.”
That didn’t seem like something to criticize others about.
From my perspective, there didn’t seem to be much difference between Terisier and Phel, but apparently, it was different from her standpoint.
As Phel clicked her tongue and settled nearby, I asked a question I had been wondering about.
“How is Diswen? Is she feeling any better?”
“Yeah. She’s much more stable now. I got a general idea of the current situation. She seemed frustrated not being able to avenge her brother and feeling used. She needed some alone time, so I came down here.”
“Has Phel ever met Diswen’s brother?”
“No. I’ve heard about him a few times from Diswen, but I haven’t met him. It seems he had some trouble with Zerdan before coming here.”
“Diswen must be upset. Is Obella comforting her?”
“Obella is keeping his distance for now. He should be resting in his room.”
I was concerned whether Obella was offering her any kind words, but it was a relief to hear he was not.
Phel chuckled at my question. She must have thought I was feeling jealous or something.
“Don’t worry! Obella has no romantic feelings towards either me or Diswen! We’re just comrades. The same goes for us. Obella is handsome, but I don’t feel any romantic charm from him.”
“Why? Doesn’t that sound attractive? He’s good-looking, fit, and considerate.”
“Obella is considerate? Where do you see that? He takes care of us as comrades, but nothing more. Sometimes, he’s even cold and distant.”
Is that so? Then again, Obella had that kind of image when I first met him.
Wondering if I had misunderstood, I remained silent. I then saw Obella coming down. It seemed like he was checking the commotion downstairs.
“I heard you were going outside, but you brought a guest.”
“She’s a lost child, and she seemed to know Sidon, so I brought her.”
“I see.”
Obella approached and gently stroked my cheek. Then he mentioned bringing some warm tea, perhaps sensing that there was still some coldness.
From that, it seemed like he was indeed kind. But now that I had become a comrade, it might not be the same as showing courtesy to a guest.
When I looked at Phel, she covered her mouth with her hand, making a face as if she was about to cry. It was like a clueless mother witnessing her grown son in a romantic moment.
“Wow, I thought Obella was just a wooden block with no interest in women… So it was just that he hadn’t noticed me and Diswen all this time. He’s just a man after all. I’ve never seen him so affectionate before. For a moment, I thought it might be someone disguised as Obella.”
“…I think you’re exaggerating, Phel.”
“You haven’t seen how he treats me and Diswen with such formality. It’s the same with Anise. Even though a person with such tremendous abilities has come, he’s still as blunt as ever. What if he misses something? But now, for a brief outing, he’s bringing warm tea because he thinks you’re cold.”
Phel whispered, wondering if Obella might be a spy from Zerdan disguised as Obella.
Seeing this, I just smiled, and soon Obella approached, placing the cup of tea on top of Phel’s head.
“I can hear everything, Phel.”
“Ah, it’s hot! Damn Obella, it’s burning! Look at the temperature difference! It’s not just hot but enough to kill me!”
“Be quiet.”
Ignoring Phel’s complaints, Obella handed me the tea. I set Ding down to make sure I wouldn’t spill it on her and took the cup.
“Thank you, Bella.”
Obella smiled slightly, saying it was no big deal, and then handed the cup with the drink to Ding.
Seeing Ding’s bright smile as she took the cup, Obella asked me.
“What about Anise? Wasn’t she supposed to be with us?”
“I need to go pick her up. I told her to wait at a nearby restaurant, but I left her behind while bringing Ding here.”
“Should I go get her?”
“I’ll go since I need to head back anyway. It’s not far from here.”
I shook my head lightly at Phel’s comment.
I wanted to meet Sidon if possible, but I was worried Anise might get anxious if he waited too long.
Taking a sip of the tea, I looked at Ding. She seemed to have adapted to the place quickly, showing smiles that matched Phel’s playful behavior.
It would take some time to bring Sidon back.
“Then I’ll go get Anise. It shouldn’t take too long, so could you take care of Ding for a bit?”
“That’s fine, but are you sure you’ll be okay alone?”
“I’m fine. It’s not a very long distance.”
I answered lightly with a smile, confident in handling general situations.
However, Obella, looking concerned, stood up. Seeing him intending to follow, I smiled lightly and asked as a formality.
“Bella, are you planning to follow me?”
“Yes. It’s dangerous for a woman to go alone.”
“Wow, you never said anything when Diswen and I were out alone.”
“Phel.”
“Yes, yes, I’ll stay here and take good care of Ding.”
Phel stopped her teasing and responded to Obella’s quiet call. As Phel said, Obella seemed to be acting differently around me.
I watched the handsome blond following me. Noticing my gaze, Obella looked down at me. Then, with a cute reaction of averting his eyes, I became sure.
It seemed that Obella had developed some affection for me.
Without asking where I was going as a courtesy, Obella silently followed me. Watching him, I broke the silence between us.
“By the way, Bella, you mentioned Terisier is becoming an adult soon, right? Are you planning any kind of celebration?”
“Terisier would probably dislike anything like that and prefer to let it pa$s quietly. Phel might want to do something more since he dislikes it, but knowing the current situation, I don’t think we’ll make a big deal out of it.”
“Still, I feel uneasy. I teased Terisier quite a bit earlier.”
“…Diswen was even worse. Terisier had a hard time. Of course, the friction was worse because he wasn’t exactly calm.”
It felt like having two playful older sisters and a younger brother.
It made sense that having a younger sibling like Terisier would make one want to tease him.
His reactions were immediate, and his fiery demeanor was kind of cute.
“Still, it seems Terisier has somewhat accepted you.”
“Phel says something similar, but is it because of the way you address him?”
“It’s not just the t*tle; his attitude toward you has changed. He’s just naturally cautious, but he’s not a bad person.”
“I know that. He was a bit prickly at first, which was annoying.”
Obella seemed momentarily speechless by my honest statement. It seemed he also acknowledged Terisier’s rudeness to some extent.
Still, it was admirable that he defended his comrade…
I smiled slightly and looked at him.
“You take good care of your comrades, Bella. Like with Terisier and others. Even with Diswen, you made an effort to bring her back when she was kidnapped.”
“Well, even if they share the same intention, they are people who trust and follow my judgment.”
“And what about me? Is it because I’m also Bella’s comrade that you treat me well?”
Obella paused for a moment. Then he stopped walking and looked down at me. I also halted and looked up at him.
His golden eyes, meeting mine, didn’t show any confusion. After a brief silence, Bella lowered his head. Then he lightly kissed me and replied.
“I can’t help but treat you well because I have different feelings for you.”
“…Bella, is that a confession?”
“What do you think these different feelings are?”
“Answering a question with another question, how sly. From what I see, Bella seems to like me. Am I wrong? I like a straightforward man.”
Including the body, of course.
Obella chuckled softly at my comment. He then smiled lightly and took my hand.
He pressed and rubbed the palm of my hand with his thumb. It seemed like he was trying to subtly express his feelings, whether they were affection or desire was unclear.
“I like you.”
“What exactly do you like about me?”
“I like your boldness, your confidence, your quick wit in crises, and how you manage to be both sharp and s*xy, especially in bed.”
“Ah, you’re quite taken, aren’t you?”
I slowly withdrew my hand from his grasp. His hands then moved to my wrist and wrapped around my waist.
I liked an assertive man, whether it was Zerdan or Obella, who was open about his feelings towards women he liked.
Though they seemed different, they were quite similar.
I chuckled softly at Obella’s actions as he caressed my waist and nuzzled my neck.
Obella’s affection was not bad.
In this unfamiliar world, a capable, handsome, and considerate man like Obella would be an excellent choice.
But…
“Calm down, Bella. We’re outside.”
I gently eased his arms away from my waist and slowly pushed him back. He didn’t resist or use force, stepping back a foot as I guided him. Even in this, Obella was true to himself.
Obella’s expression subtly changed. He seemed a bit disappointed or deflated.
So cute.
But I continued as if I didn’t notice.
“Let’s go get Anise. Sidon will be coming soon.”