This House Has A Delicious Restaurant - Chapter 14 - Spy (3) - Part 1

14. Spy (3)

After my encounter with Terisier, I returned to Obella’s room.

Terisier seemed unsatisfied, but with dawn approaching, Obella would surely look for me if I wasn’t in bed.

It would be problematic if I got caught being with Terisier in that situation.

I returned to the room and lay down next to Obella. As I did, Obella’s large arm pulled me into his embrace.

“Did you have a good time out?”

“You were awake.”

I stayed still as he wrapped his arm around my waist and gently stroked my head.

I had considered the possibility that Obella might be awake. I just didn’t worry too much about it.

Obella’s hand touched my shoulder, right where Terisier had left a mark.

With no clothes to cover it, it must have been quite obvious.

“I find it hard to sleep without your warmth beside me.”

However, Obella didn’t ask where I had been or whom I had met. He was a mature man.

We weren’t lovers, just companions who shared a physical relationship, so he didn’t display unnecessary jealousy or suspicion. He simply pretended not to notice.

He might not know whom I met, but he must have figured out what kept me so late.

“Bella, do you still like me?”

In response to my question, Obella silently smiled.

The touch of his lips on my forehead was warm. Surprisingly, he seemed to enjoy kissing quite a lot.

I smiled, feeling cared for and cherished. Although he didn’t answer, I felt as if I already knew.

He could easily resent me for being in another man’s arms, but though he was jealous, he knew his place and didn’t let his desires get the better of him.

That was just like Obella.

When I kissed Obella, he sat up. Then, he covered me with the blanket up to my shoulders and spoke.

“You must be tired. Rest a bit more before you get up.”

“What about you, Bella?”

“I need to talk with Lazis. I need to understand how far he’s willing to go in helping us and why he’s suddenly had a change of heart.”

“Hmm.”

I nodded in agreement.

The reason for his change of heart was Anise, but he’d probably figure that out just by observing Lazis with her.

I watched Obella leave the room and then closed my eyes. I had been feeling good recently, but my body was exhausted from the strain.

* * *

I woke to the sound of the door being roughly opened and a child’s voice.

I frowned as I opened my eyes and saw a familiar child standing at the door. It was Ding, her hair tied into pigtails, her eyes wide with surprise.

“So this is your room! Are you still sleeping? It’s already afternoon!”

“…Time flies.”

Now that I noticed, the room was already filled with sunlight.

I had meant to take just a short nap, but it seemed more time had pa$sed than I realized.

As I stretched and sat up, Ding made a surprised face at my appearance.

It might still be a bit too shocking for a child.

So, without even washing up, I hastily rummaged through the wardrobe and threw on a shirt that I a$sumed belonged to Obella. Since he was so large, the shirt reached down to my thighs.

Though I was still not entirely presentable, I felt a bit better than before. I lazily collapsed back onto the bed, and Ding approached and lightly slapped my calves.

“Are you becoming like Sidon? Sidon lies down at the drop of a hat too!”

“Hmm… Somehow, when you say it like that, it sounds like an insult. I’m just still a bit sleepy. Just give me a moment to lie down. But how did you get in here with everyone else around?”

I asked, assuming that Phel or Anise, who usually took good care of Ding, wouldn’t leave her alone. Ding casually answered as she climbed onto the bed and sat next to me.

“They said they were doing some kind of training, so I said I’d get out of the way so I wouldn’t disturb them. When I said I was going to see you, they didn’t say much.”

“I see…”

If it was because of training, I guess it couldn’t be helped.

Dealing with kids is tiring, so I didn’t pay much attention when Ding came.

Ding seemed to feel some sort of closeness to me since I rescued her, approaching me without hesitation. Even now, she was massaging my shoulders while asking if I was tired.

“Ding, do you enjoy staying here?”

“Yeah! Sidon was always annoyed and just wanted to sleep, so it wasn’t fun.”

“I see. But, Ding, don’t you have a way to contact Khan? You said you missed him. With his ability, couldn’t he come quickly if you called him?”

I looked at the shadow cast behind Ding.

I wasn’t sure if Khan’s ability affected this shadow, but given what I had observed, it seemed likely since Khan was very fond of her.

If Khan has such ability, they should be able to meet often, so why does she say she misses him as if they don’t meet regularly?

Couldn’t Khan just live with Ding and help Zerdan with his tasks?

“Ability? What ability?”

But Ding seemed unfamiliar with the very concept of ability as if she were hearing about it for the first time. That struck me as odd, so I decided to probe further.

“Like Sidon, for example. Sidon heals you, doesn’t he? Have you ever seen someone with a special ability like that, something ordinary people can’t do?”

“No. Khan and Ding are just normal people. They told me that people with abilities are very rare!”

“But you said that when Sidon puts you to sleep while healing you, you feel refreshed afterward, even without taking any medicine.”

“That’s… But there’s no way someone like Sidon could have an ability…”

She seems quite certain that Sidon is a useless person.

Though she finds Sidon’s actions strange, it never occurred to her that he might have an ability.

So, are the people around her hiding the fact that they have abilities, or is there some reason they’re not revealing them?

“…I have an ability too. Want to see? It’s nothing special, but…”

“What kind of ability? Is it the one you used to scare away that strange man?”

It seemed she rem*mbered the ability I used when I rescued her. When I nodded, Ding’s expression showed a hint of fear.

I reached out and gently took Ding’s hand. Her hand, like a child’s, was covered in soft, downy hair. As I activated my ability, the fine hairs began to stand on end.

“Huh?”

“How does it feel?”

“Is this your ability? It feels like my hair suddenly stood up—am I imagining it?”

“No, you’re not. I can do this with hair on your head or any other body hair too.”

Ding, fascinated, lightly tapped the raised hairs with her fingers. But then, just as she started to smile at how harmless the ability seemed, her expression suddenly shifted. She inhaled deeply, like someone struggling to catch their breath.

As she collapsed forward, I was startled and quickly stood up, scooping her into my arms.

“Ding! What’s wrong all of a sudden? Are you hurt?”

“Sister… Sidon…”

Was she having some kind of seizure?

Hearing her small voice calling for Sidon, I hurriedly rushed to Terisier’s room, rem*mbering that she had said there was no way to contact Sidon. That must have been why Terisier had gone looking for him last time.

I burst into the room unexpectedly, catching Terisier, who had just come out of the bath, drying his w*t hair, off guard.

“What’s going on, suddenly?”

“Terisier! Find Sidon! Ding’s condition just took a sudden turn for the worse!”

“Ding?”

Terisier’s gaze fell on Ding, and he frowned, pressing a hand to his forehead as if experiencing a headache.

Watching Ding struggle to breathe properly, gasping for air, Terisier sighed and approached us.

“What’s happening all of a sudden?”

“I don’t know. She was fine just a moment ago… Oh, I did use my ability on her. I showed it to her.”

But could that be the cause?

My ability is insignificant. Besides, when I used it in front of Ding to fend off that man, nothing happened. The only difference this time was that I used it directly on her.

Terisier noticed my confusion and, after a brief pause, calmly told me to get a grip.

“Let’s go find him first. If I transform, I won’t be able to hold onto her, so you’ll have to carry her and climb onto my back. It’ll be safer that way.”

“Got it. We need to find him as soon as possible. Ding doesn’t look well at all.”

Terisier nodded. He opened the window, leaped out, and quickly transformed into a large bird, looking back at me.

As I climbed onto his back, holding Ding close, I noticed that the color was beginning to return to the child’s face, which had been visibly struggling just moments ago.

Though she was still having trouble breathing, she looked better than when I was simply holding her in my arms.

Could it be because she’s feeling a bit better now? Or is there some other reason for this sudden change…?

Holding Ding tightly, I wrapped my arms around Terisier’s neck. With a powerful flap of his wings, he soared high into the sky.

I wasn’t imagining it. Ding’s complexion had noticeably improved compared to just moments ago.

Could it be that Ding experiences side effects from certain abilities? If that’s the case, it would make sense for Khan to have kept his ability hidden from her. Perhaps he deliberately concealed his powers in front of Ding.

So, does the improvement in her condition now mean she’s no longer directly affected by an ability? Or could it be something else entirely…?

From my vantage point, I noticed the silver feathers of Terisier’s bird form. It must look quite magnificent from below—a rare, large silver bird cutting across the sky.

“I’ve found him.”

Terisier’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts. I quickly looked down and spotted Sidon’s fluffy head as he seemed to be greeting someone.

Terisier shifted direction towards Sidon, casting a large shadow, which prompted Sidon to look up. He didn’t seem particularly surprised, as if he was used to this sort of thing. Maybe he had resigned himself to it.

I glanced at Sidon and then turned to see who he had been greeting. A man with black hair briefly looked our way before turning and walking away.

Black hair… Could it be Zerdan? I regretted not being able to see his face.

As Terisier descended closer to the ground, he transformed back into his human form. The sudden change startled me, but Terisier held me securely as we gently landed on the ground.

“Something’s wrong with this one.”

Sidon, who seemed ready to back away as if expecting some task, hesitated as Terisier hurriedly explained.

Sidon’s gaze shifted to me, noticing the bundle in my arms. I shook my head slightly and revealed Ding’s face to him, causing his expression to harden.

“Did someone use an ability on her?”

“I showed her my ability, but her condition suddenly worsened. I didn’t expect this to happen… It’s my fault. I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault. I bet this little one asked to see it. Give her to me. I’ll take her inside.”

Sidon took Ding from me and carried her inside. As he was about to close the door, he noticed Terisier following him, with me still cradled in his arms like a princess.

“…Why are you coming in as if it’s the most natural thing?”

“I’m worried about Ding. I want to see her get better.”

“I’ll handle it. It’s my duty, after all. But more importantly, why are you still carrying her? Did you sprain your ankle or something?”

His innocent question made me chuckle despite the situation.

Unlike Terisier’s cat-like demeanor, this man reminded me of a puppy—innocent and eager to please. I found myself thinking that such a man would be fun to play with in bed. He’d probably believe anything I told him and follow my lead.

Terisier seemed to pick up on my thoughts.

Just as Sidon turned his back to us, Terisier bit my ear gently but firmly.

“Ouch!”

“Are we not enough for you, that you’re eyeing other men?”

His hand, which had been holding me, started to knead my b*ttocks.

Come to think of it, I had rushed over here wearing only Obella’s shirt. Since I wasn’t wearing any underwear, Terisier’s hand felt even hotter against my bare skin.

“It doesn’t seem like we have much time.”

One of Terisier’s fingers rubbed against my private part. It was a bold move, considering Sidon was walking just ahead of us.

I couldn’t help but make a bewildered face at how shameless he was, making me question whether last night was his first experience. In response, Terisier just flashed a mischievous grin.

“Terisier, are you in heat or something?”

“I’m holding back as much as I can… But if you want, I can do it here.”