This House Has A Delicious Restaurant - Chapter 22 - A Place to Stay (2) - Part 1

22. A Place to Stay (2)

“…What happened with Liffree?”

Zerdan gave a quiet smile. As I waited silently for an answer, he paused for a moment before speaking.

“Liffree won’t be showing up again. He won’t be able to do anything futile with that man, Terisier.”

“Did you kill him?”

“Oh dear. It seems that my image in Miss Ablon’s eyes is that of a scary man. No, I didn’t kill him. I didn’t even put him under surveillance. I just listened to him and talked about each other.”

Zerdan paused as if reminiscing, before continuing.

“He did have his ambitions, but the main reason was his fear of returning to a life like the past. It was fortunate that even though Terisier recalled the past, he didn’t long for it.”

“…You were worried he might go back to the past or try to resurrect your parents, weren’t you? Both you and Liffree.”

Zerdan nodded.

There might be those who wonder why there was such worry over something that was merely in the past, or why there was concern about parents who, even if brought back to life, would now be adults capable of retaliating.

But since I had briefly shared that situation, I understood Zerdan’s feelings.

The abuse and experiments that were difficult to witness and endure even as an adult must have left an even greater trauma for the children they were.

I didn’t think the actions taken by Zerdan and Liffree were right. Although they didn’t directly involve themselves, they had neglected to prevent the criminal acts of their followers.

Perhaps they thought that such disturbances would increase the likelihood of finding Terisier. Or perhaps they had become desensitized to their own and others’ suffering.

Now that I think about it, I recall something Liffree once said. At least they had prevented the lower-level criminals from engaging in crimes like human trafficking or preying on the weak.

Was that because of their memories?

“…Terisier probably didn’t particularly like your mother. Of course, he might have been grateful. After all, she took good care of him as a young orphan. But even to his young eyes, he must have recognized that what was happening in front of him was wrong.”

“That’s true. Yet, it seems he was continually searching out of anxiety, worried that the past might repeat itself or that we might unknowingly return to it. But now, thinking that it won’t happen, he lost his strength. So, after Liffree left, I spent some time alone to sort things out. I needed time to organize everything.”

Zerdan brushed his bangs back. His father’s face, which I had seen when I was younger, seemed to appear in him.

His father had seemed indifferent to the suffering of his son and other children, but Zerdan was different.

Despite his words, his expression showed the pain of being betrayed by someone he had trusted, like Liffree.

There was no longer a reason for Khan, whom he threatened with the existence of Ding, to stay by his side, and Sidon, who had lost his memory, had now reunited with his original family. Zerdan had no one left who was his.

“What do you plan to do now?”

“Well, I’m not sure.”

“…How about meeting Obella? He’s been looking for you.”

“I don’t particularly intend to meet him. Even if he understands the situation and feels guilty, it doesn’t change what I’ve done. So, I don’t want to play the role of a sibling now.”

“I see.”

I wondered if Obella would have been disappointed if he had heard that.

Since I couldn’t persuade Zerdan any further after he expressed his unwillingness, I remained silent.

Zerdan looked at me and, after a moment of hesitation, spoke.

“What about Miss Moa Ablon?”

“That?”

“I understand you don’t have any family or a proper place to stay. I’ve heard that you’ve been with me out of revenge.”

“Well, it’s true that I don’t have a proper place to go. I think Obella or Anise would gladly take me in if I asked, but it feels awkward to receive such consideration without giving anything in return… Is this what you wanted to tell me, Zerdan?”

Seeing me catch on before he even spoke, Zerdan smiled as if he had no other choice.

“I feel like I’ve wronged you as well. I’m not asking for you to accept my apology. But if you have nowhere else to stay, I’d like to arrange something for you.”

“It feels a bit strange to hear this from you. I’ll think about it. It’s not a bad offer. It’s certainly better than just an apology. But since I’ve also sought revenge, you don’t need to worry about me.”

I had seen the surprised expression when Khan was planted as a spy and had made a hole in Zerdan’s waist like being stabbed with a knife.

Of course, Sidon healed it quickly, but since I recovered quickly too, our positions were similar.

I had already developed some affection for Zerdan and didn’t like dragging out past issues.

Zerdan seemed momentarily confused by my attitude but then let his eyes droop and gave a relaxed smile. It was an uncharacteristically ordinary smile.

Ordinary, yet the relaxed smile from Zerdan carried more meaning.

As I stared at him for a moment, Zerdan scratched his cheek.

“I’ll think about the house and let you know. In the meantime, where do you plan to stay? You won’t be coming here often because of Obella, right?”

“Yes. I heard from Khan that they’re away in the afternoons, so I came by briefly. From now on, I’ll contact you through Khan, so it’s better to meet outside…”

Before Zerdan could finish his sentence, an unfamiliar aura was felt.

Our gazes instinctively shifted toward the front door, where two figures were slowly revealing themselves. One was a strikingly handsome man with golden hair and eyes, and the other was a mysterious man with silver hair and black eyes.

It was Obella and Terisier.

Recently, they had always disappeared early in the morning and returned late at night, so what was going on today?

They must not have expected anyone to be in the living room—specifically, they probably didn’t expect Zerdan and me to be there. Their expressions were quite surprising, especially when Obella saw Zerdan.

Obella’s eyes widened in shock, and Zerdan frowned, his face showing a hint of dismay.

Obella’s gaze met mine as well, and Terisier, standing behind Obella, took a step back involuntarily when he made eye contact with me.

Zerdan moved towards the window, while Terisier, trying to retreat, was heading towards the exit. Observing the two trying to escape was obvious to everyone, and Obella’s expression hardened while I smiled brightly.

Lightning struck the window where Zerdan was heading. Zerdan looked back with a grimace, seeing Obella approaching slowly with a menacing look as if he was blocking Zerdan’s way.

As Zerdan tried to move in another direction, lightning struck fearsomely in front of him, seemingly blocking his path.

“Zerdan, stay where you are.”

Obella called out to Zerdan in a low, calm voice.

On the other side, Terisier, who was trying to retreat, was suddenly disoriented as his vision turned pitch black.

He couldn’t clearly distinguish where the door was, nor could he feel where his steps were leading. He was so flustered that he couldn’t even think about using his abilities.

In that moment of panic, Terisier heard someone approaching with light footsteps, as if only his hearing had been left intact.

“Isn’t it time to stop running away like a scared cat, Terisier?”

I smiled as if unaware of the situation, pulling Terisier’s chin to face me.

As Terisier’s vision returned, he saw a woman with silver hair and a navy sleeveless outfit, looking strikingly similar to me.

Zerdan and Terisier both emitted reflexive groans of pain.

* * *

Before long, the living room was occupied by Obella and Terisier. Of course, they were here because they had failed to escape.

Obella and I sat side by side, with Terisier opposite me and Zerdan in front of Obella.

Zerdan tried to ignore Obella’s murderous glare as he put his arms on his knees and propped his chin on them, pretending not to notice.

It seemed that Zerdan’s occasional glances towards me hinted at discomfort, but I just smiled in response.

I then turned my attention to Terisier, who was sitting opposite me. It felt strange to see him seated.

His height had surpassed mine now, though he still had that cat-like demeanor.

Before, Terisier had the sharpness of a kitten, but now it seemed like the aloofness of an adult cat was showing.

“Terisier.”

At my call, Terisier visibly stiffened. Unable to meet my gaze, he looked anxious, and I warned him to avoid doing something unnecessary.

“If you try to escape using your abilities again, I’m not going to discuss it further, so you better decide on your own.”

Seeing my smile, he looked pale, as if he was considering escaping.

He remained still, clearly not wanting to face the situation. It seemed that he didn’t want to be ignored and was hoping that I wouldn’t abandon him.

“I understand that you’re shocked, Terisier, but I think we’ve given you enough time. How long are you going to keep avoiding us?”

“…I don’t deserve to show myself in front of my comrades.”

“Why not?”

“Well…”

Terisier began to speak but then tightly shut his mouth.

What was he imagining? Perhaps, even though it was due to brainwashing, he was haunted by the fact that Anise and Sidon nearly died because of his abilities. I had been in the same situation.

If the outcome had been worse, everyone present might have been killed.

Terisier surely understood that. He knew well that his abilities had the power to cause such destruction.

Was he afraid?

“Terisier, you seem to be mistaken. Even if someone like Phel doesn’t seem mature, she still understands the situation well. At least, she knows that the situation wasn’t entirely your fault.”

“…Are you subtly criticizing Phel?”

“Of course not. I’m just providing a good example.”

Terisier, Obella, and Zerdan all turned their gazes toward me as I remained indifferent to their stares.

Ignoring their attention, I continued to look at Terisier, who spoke with a still-downcast expression.

“Even if it wasn’t my will, it doesn’t erase my fault.”

“That’s true. Moreover, if it hadn’t been for my plan, Anise and Sidon would have been dead.”

“…Are you trying to comfort me?”

“Perhaps. In any case, you should be grateful to me. And Terisier, if you’ve made a mistake, rather than pretending it didn’t happen, you should try to make it right.”

“I don’t even dare to step forward. I’d rather…”

Terisier, who had always appeared confident, turned out to be more of a lone digger than expected. I hadn’t realized this because he always seemed so assured. Or perhaps his resurfacing memories were contributing to this.

It was oddly noticeable that Terisier cast a fleeting glance at Zerdan, indicating he might also feel sorry for him.

Although it wasn’t Terisier’s fault, many children had been sacrificed due to his abilities.

Yet, since similar things had happened because of his abilities, I couldn’t completely disregard Terisier’s perspective.

But leaving things as they were wasn’t an option.

“Do you want to die or something? Why? Even Zerdan, who has done worse things, is still alive.”

“……”

Zerdan gave a tight-lipped smile at my words, his eyes narrowing with a peculiar expression.

Seeing that Terisier didn’t deny his wrongdoing, it seemed he was aware of his mistakes. Although he seemed to want to say something, he held back, understanding the intent behind my words.

“It’s all over now. We’ve all been through a lot. Let’s just relax and enjoy our time together. It’s been dull without Terisier around. Both for me and for everyone else.”

Terisier pushed his bangs back and muttered, ‘Damn it.’ His eyes looked slightly red, just before he transformed into a cat.

Transforming into a silver-white cat, Terisier lightly hopped onto my lap and curled up, settling in as naturally as before. He didn’t speak, but his actions seemed typical of him, and I stroked his fur, relishing the familiar sensation.

Observing this, Obella let out a sigh of relief. It must have been quite difficult for him, too, as a leader during this time.

Obella looked at Terisier for a moment before shifting his gaze to Zerdan. By now, Zerdan was the only one sitting across from me. His gaze remained fixed elsewhere.

“Zerdan.”

“…It’s new to hear Bella call my name so normally.”