This House Has A Delicious Restaurant - Chapter 23 - A Place to Stay (3) - Part 1

23. A Place to Stay (3)

It wasn’t the first time I had tried using Terisier’s abilities.

I had described objects or foods from the original world that didn’t exist here. Afterward, we tested whether it was possible to transfer or create them, but all attempts failed.

It seemed that Terisier didn’t know exactly what those things were since he hadn’t seen them firsthand.

‘If he can’t even bring things over, he probably doesn’t know about the original world. I’m not even sure if he can send me back properly.’

The game world had become a reality, and I had accepted that reality.

But now, a small glimmer of hope had come to me.

If it were Terisier’s abilities, I thought it might be possible to return to my original world. But looking at the results of the tests so far, I felt incredibly uncertain.

What if I ended up in a completely unfamiliar place instead of my original world?

No, worse yet, I might disappear altogether, unable to arrive anywhere.

Even if I were lucky enough to return, I probably wouldn’t be able to come back. I’d be back to my original form.

Since Terisier doesn’t know my original form, he wouldn’t be able to summon me again, even if he wanted to.

It seemed his abilities were only effective within the scope of things or people he was certain of.

“Sister Moa, what are you doing?”

Luke, who hadn’t visited in a while, approached me as I sat on the outer steps, looking curious. Considering everything he had been through, Luke appeared as cheerful as ever.

He seemed more mature than Anise, maybe even more composed.

He still helped his mother with the shop, and while he continued to study his ability, he also followed Obella closely, suggesting he had a strange admiration for him.

It would be good if he used his ability for the right cause by helping Obella with noble deeds.

“Nothing. I was thinking about taking a gamble.”

“A gamble? …With your calm demeanor, you’d probably be good at betting games.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at how serious Luke sounded.

I gently patted his head as he sat down beside me, smiling brightly.

“But you’re not going to gamble, right? What are you thinking about?”

“You’re surprisingly perceptive for your age.”

“I learned from people like you.”

“You’re learning some good things. I was just thinking about whether I should go back to the place I originally lived.”

“Huh?”

Luke stared at me in surprise.

He seemed shocked, not expecting such an answer.

“Wasn’t this the place you lived? Since you know so many people, I thought you were living here.”

“No. I just came for a casual visit, but somehow I ended up far from home… due to certain circumstances, I no longer know the exact way back.”

I couldn’t tell him that this world was inside a game, so I explained it in a way Luke could understand. He nodded with a face that said he got it.

Then, after rolling his eyes a bit, he asked.

“So, are you going to ask Brother Terisier for help?”

“I was thinking about it, but it seems the ability I thought was all-powerful is somewhat unreliable, so I’m still considering it. It looks like the person with the ability has to know things precisely for it to work properly.”

Luke looked a bit confused, so I explained more clearly.

“For example, let’s say you wanted to summon your mother here using Terisier’s ability. No matter how much you describe her appearance or features, Terisier hasn’t seen her himself, right? So, just knowing her name and looks wouldn’t be enough to bring her here perfectly with his ability.”

Luke seemed to understand, so I continued.

“On the other hand, if Terisier tried to take you home, he wouldn’t be able to do it properly either because he’s never been to your house. Even if he managed to drop you somewhere nearby, it would be pure luck. But there’s always a chance it could go wrong, which is why I’m hesitant to try.”

“Is that so? So, the key point is that Brother Terisier just needs to know the details, right?”

Luke replied casually as if wondering why I was overthinking something so simple.

“Brother Terisier’s ability is about controlling space, right? Then wouldn’t it be fine if he read your memories, saw your hometown, and used his ability after that?”

“…Luke, I’m starting to think you might be smarter than most people around here.”

“I’m smarter than Brother Sidon.”

It seemed Luke didn’t think much of Sidon, who was living as if he was barely hanging on.

I patted Luke’s head again as a compliment, marveling at his insight. He was right.

If Terisier didn’t know the exact image, he could simply read my memories. I had been too focused on one approach.

“But if you go back to your hometown, Anise and the others will probably feel lonely. You have to visit your family and come back quickly, okay?”

Luke said, then immediately ran off toward Obella, who had just stepped out of the front door. He didn’t even wait for my answer, fully confident that I’d return.

But I wondered—would I be able to come back after going home? Once I return, my reality will no longer be the life I shared with them here.

“Moa Ablon?”

Obella approached me, holding Luke in his arms.

He told me it wasn’t good to sit in the cold for too long and gently draped the coat he was holding over my shoulders.

He must have brought it out of concern for how long I had been sitting outside.

So kind, as always.

“Bella, have you talked to Zerdan yet?”

“Not at all. Thanks to you, he’s not leaving just yet, but he still doesn’t seem interested in having a conversation. Terisier explained things to me, but I’d still like to hear it from him directly.”

“Don’t be too anxious. Even though I told you all that, I think he didn’t want to make you see your parents in a bad light.”

“Maybe so. …It seems your attitude toward Zerdan has changed.”

As Obella showed interest in continuing our conversation, Luke, noticing the atmosphere, slipped inside the building.

“Honestly, for a kid, he’s got sharp instincts.”

This time, Obella sat beside me. When a man as large as him sat down next to me, a shadow was cast over me. His golden eyes looked down at me.

Though his face was expressionless, I could tell how much he had changed from the first time we met.

Now, I knew that the way he looked at me was different from how he looked at others. The once cold golden eyes were now filled with warmth.

When I didn’t respond, Obella changed the subject, though to something a bit unexpected.

“…Are you planning to return to your hometown?”

“It seems you overheard my conversation with Luke.”

“Yes, I heard it unintentionally. Sorry.”

“It’s fine. I wasn’t trying to hide it.”

Obella asked if my hometown was far away, and I replied that I wasn’t sure. I added, ‘Maybe,’ and he didn’t ask further.

After some hesitation, he carefully asked me.

“If you return to your hometown, do you plan not to come back?”

I wonder—could I come back, even if I wanted to?

I wasn’t the type to answer when I wasn’t sure of something. I just smiled and replied, ‘I’m not sure,’ which made Obella reach out and gently cradle my cheek. His large hand touched my face, and I felt the warmth of his body.

I had felt it when he held me before—he was always warm. That warmth now spread across my cheek.

“It would be difficult if I asked you not to go, wouldn’t it?”

His words, like a quiet monologue, were followed by the soft brush of his lips against my forehead. His eyes, slightly distorted, forced a smile.

Obella was kind. If he were in love with someone, he would devote himself fully to them, without even glancing at anyone else.

That was the kind of man he was.

If he didn’t want me to go, I wished he would just say it—it would at least ease my mind. But being the foolishly kind person he was, he wouldn’t say anything that might make me feel conflicted.

He smiled as if to say he would respect whatever decision I made. Yet the way he looked at me was filled with overwhelming sadness.

* * *

The fact that I wanted to return to my hometown wasn’t exactly a secret, but the rumor spread faster than I expected. The culprit was Luke, who had entered the house first.

As soon as Obella and I walked inside, I was met with Anise sobbing uncontrollably. Startled, I rushed toward her, only for her to pull me into a tight embrace.

She hugged me so forcefully that I was pushed back, almost crashing into Obella’s chest behind me.

If Obella hadn’t been there, I probably would have fallen over.

Luckily, his hand supported my back, allowing me to regain my balance.

“Moa! I heard you’re going back to your hometown! Is that true?! I finally wanted to get closer to you now that everything’s over…!”

“Calm down, Anise.”

If Lazis were to see Anise crying like this, he’d probably threaten to kill me. I guess it’s fortunate that Lazis isn’t here right now.

I gently patted Anise on the shoulder and looked around. The timing was just perfect—how had the word spread so quickly, right when everyone happened to be gathered together?

Except for Lazis, who rarely comes here, almost everyone in the group had heard it.

Although everyone looked surprised, the most astonished seemed to be Anise and Terisier.

“I thought you had some other reason for putting me through that strange test, but it was because you wanted to go home? If you’d been honest, I would’ve made more of an effort.”

Along with his surprise, Terisier also showed some regret. I shook my head, indicating it was fine.

Well, I’ve unintentionally become the center of attention.

I sighed and spoke.

“Like I told Luke, I don’t know exactly where my hometown is. That’s why I never even considered going back. But with Terisier’s ability, I thought it might be possible. I hadn’t made any definite plans, so I didn’t mention it.”

When I smiled at Luke, he awkwardly averted his gaze, looking a bit guilty. Typical.

“Well, with Terisier’s ability, even if you don’t know the exact location, it’s not impossible. Wouldn’t it be nice? Moa Ablon has been through a lot, so it’d be good to go home and see your family.”

“I agree. It must’ve been hard to keep in touch with them.”

Phel’s words were met with agreement from Diswen.

Most of the group encouraged Terisier to help, and although Terisier seemed slightly displeased, he eventually agreed, perhaps because it involved me.

At this rate, I might be on my way back to my original world soon. As I quietly observed, my eyes met Zerdan’s, who was standing next to Khan.

“…”

“…?”

I had expected him to react first, but surprisingly, he remained silent.

After briefly looking at me, his golden eyes turned away, and he started talking to Khan. They were speaking too quietly for me to hear.

Thanks to Luke, it seemed like the ‘Safely Send Moa Ablon Back Home’ project was in full swing.

The plan was to first test the control of Terisier’s ability.

Terisier began practicing his ability with Phel, whom he found relatively easy to handle, moving her back and forth between rooms. Phel’s curses echoed throughout the building as a result.

With the strangely excited atmosphere, I said nothing and headed upstairs. I figured part of their motivation was a desire to repay me, while another part was likely pity, wanting to help me out.

But from my perspective, it all felt a bit odd.

Should I just pretend I don’t know anything and leave quietly?

Even if I did go back, life would still be the same dull routine of work, but at least I’d finally be able to finish the game I’d been playing.

Zerdan and Lazis are still a bit ambiguous, but I might be able to conquer Obella, Terisier, and Sidon for sure.

As I lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, I heard the door open. I lifted my head slightly to see Obella.

“Everyone’s being super cooperative. It’s too noisy, so I came up here.”

“The fact that I can hear their voices up here means Terisier and Phel are still arguing, huh? Anise and Diswen must be caught in the middle and having a hard time.”

“Diswen doesn’t seem like the kind of woman who would be too bothered. Unless someone provokes her. Khan got dragged into helping too, didn’t he?”

Obella’s face had a tired look. Still, there was a sense of relief that Terisier was starting to fit in naturally again.

“They’re all working so hard to send me home. How sweet of them.”

“They probably just want to repay you for all the help you’ve given them.”

“I don’t remember helping anyone, though. I feel like I’ve just done whatever I wanted and probably caused more trouble for you and the others.”

“No. Thanks to you, we were able to resolve things. If it were just us, we wouldn’t have managed it. And there was no guarantee we could have gotten through the final battle without any sacrifices.”

Obella approached me. As I sat up to look at him, he bent one knee, meeting my gaze.

“Moa Ablon, I’m sincerely grateful to you.”

If anyone should be grateful, it’s me, not him.

Obella had accepted me, even though he was wary when I first arrived after fleeing from Zerdan with nowhere else to go.

He gave me a place to stay, supported me, and accepted me as a companion. I owed him a lot, and there was much to admire in how he led others.

“I’m always grateful to you, too, Obella.”

Though we both felt gratitude, it was clear that our emotions were a little different.

Obella must have sensed that in my reply.

He wouldn’t confess his feelings to me. He knew that I didn’t share them.

We had a casual, physical relationship built on mutual trust. I wondered if Obella was truly okay with things as they were.

I knew Terisier and Sidon were also interested in me, but my feelings for Obella were heavier, making it slightly awkward to deal with him.

He knew I was deliberately pretending not to notice. Even though he felt jealous of Zerdan and Terisier, he never expressed his feelings.

“Obella.”

Honestly, I wouldn’t have minded if he confessed. I was just concerned about the hurt he might feel.

When I gently stroked his cheek, he kissed my hand softly and smiled at me.

That reassuring smile made me smile back. Obella stared at me briefly before standing up, seeming to notice someone else’s presence.

When I followed his gaze toward the window, I saw a familiar face.