This House Has A Delicious Restaurant - Chapter 7 - Helper (1) - Part 3

Anise spoke about her past calmly.

It was surprising to learn that someone who seemed like they were born loved and cared for, like Anise, had been an orphan. But hadn’t she said earlier that she lived apart from her parents?

Perhaps understanding my confusion, Anise smiled.

“I was lucky to be adopted by kind people. They supported me generously in my interest in music. I’ve never been sad about being abandoned. After all, I don’t even remember the actions of those people. Instead, I’m grateful for the days I was loved and able to pursue what I wanted. I hope children like me can grow up in even better conditions than I did.”

Anise handed me the clothes. I could tell from the texture that they were of good quality.

Her old orphanage…

Still, giving something to others isn’t an easy thing. Many people take kindness for granted, and some arrogantly believe everything is due to their abilities.

But Anise seemed sincere. Her kindness was offered purely without expecting anything in return.

She’s a good person.

It’s endearing to see someone show genuine kindness without ulterior motives.

Somehow, I wanted to get closer to Anise. She had shown kindness to me and readily extended a helping hand when I needed it.

“Can I come along with you tomorrow as well?”

“Of course. I’d be honored to have you with me.”

“Don’t use the word ‘honored’. I just want to get closer to you, so feel free to treat me casually.”

“Really? In that case… can I call you Moa?”

Anise asked with a shy expression. Her genuine smile was the first I had seen from her.

I truly thought that I should help Anise when she needed it next time, but I hoped that she would stay as carefree and happy as she was now.

However, my thoughts were mocked when we visited the orphanage the next day, only to find it engulfed in flames.

* * *

“Moa, how does the size seem?”

I looked at myself in the mirror while wearing the clothes Anise had lent me.

Unlike her feminine appearance, Anise had a lot of simple outfits. I had expected her to wear a cloak because she was a famous person, but it seemed she didn’t like flashy things and preferred a modest style.

“It’s fine. The sleeves are a bit long, but I can just roll them up.”

The outfit she lent me was a white skirt that reached my ankles and a brown blouse. It didn’t have any flashy accessories or bright colors, but it had a refined feel that I liked. Although it didn’t quite fit in length due to my taller stature and longer limbs.

“I’m glad. Shall we head out now?”

“You said it’s not too far from here, right?”

“Yes. It’s a bit of a walk, but not too far.”

Anise walked ahead and glanced back with a smile.

As before, Anise was wearing a black cloak. Because of that, her pretty hair and face were not visible.

“…Anise, you said you liked music. Why did you stop? I don’t know the details, but it seems like many people are disappointed.”

As I recalled the conversation while passing through the alley, Anise scratched her cheek. She seemed a bit embarrassed.

“I know that many people appreciate my singing. I used to enjoy singing too. But at some point, it felt less like singing because I liked it and more like singing for money, to meet fans’ demands and satisfaction. When I thought of it that way, singing started to feel increasingly frustrating.”

Perhaps it was a matter of having a full stomach. Since she was aware of that, she must have felt embarrassed.

“I stopped because I didn’t want to do it anymore under those circumstances. I didn’t want to feel so oppressed, and I wanted to find something else I enjoy. People might think it’s silly, right? There’s probably no one who only does what they want.”

“So what? It’s your life, Anise. You should do what you want. That way, you won’t have regrets.”

“Do you also do what you want, without holding back?”

Anise’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.

I thought about her question for a moment. Although in reality, it might be different, as Moa Ablon, I don’t think I’ve ever done something out of sheer desire.

On the contrary, I’ve abandoned Diswen for my safety and acted as a spy on Obella’s side.

But when I think about it, I’ve never really done anything just because I wanted to.

So far, I’ve been running from Zerdan for my life, meeting Lazis’ conditions, and relying on Obella for safety…

“I don’t hold back, but… I haven’t thought about wanting to find something I’d like to do, like you.”

“Don’t you have anything you want to do?”

“I have things I need to do, but nothing I particularly want to do.”

In reality, what I want to do is to see the ending of this game quickly and take a vacation to rest. I’m not sure if I’ll see the ending before that, though.

As I sighed quietly, feeling a bit gloomy, Anise misunderstood something and carefully took my hand.

“It’s okay. You can find something you want to do. Don’t be too anxious.”

I should have denied it, but it seemed too troublesome, so I just nodded.

Anise pointed out the building visible at the end of the street, explaining that it was our destination. A large building was faintly visible. Just as I nodded and walked alongside Anise, everything happened in an instant.

With a loud bang and an explosion, our intended destination erupted in flames.

Small debris flew towards us and brushed against our clothes as two consecutive explosions occurred. The building, caught on fire due to the explosions, began to blaze.

Everything happened so quickly. We were left speechless as we watched the building covered in a large flame.

Anise seemed shocked and covered her mouth with her hand.

“Oh my God… The children… The children might be inside!”

Then, realizing that people inside might not have had a chance to escape, she hurriedly ran towards the building.

“Anise! Wait! It’s reckless to go in without any preparation. There might be more explosions!”

I hurriedly grabbed Anise’s wrist and urgently spoke.

With our abilities, we couldn’t protect ourselves from the raging fire or rescue the children safely. Even so, diving in would be like committing suicide, and she must know that, but she seemed too agitated.

I tightened my grip on Anise’s arm, preventing her from running toward the burning building.

“Calm down. There’s nothing we can do by going in there. It’s better to bring someone who can help.”

“But we won’t know if we can do anything until we try! We might be able to save at least one person! Please, let go, Moa!”

She was too agitated to think rationally. I watched as Anise wrenched free from my grasp and ran toward the inferno. The continuous explosions and the fierce blaze made it a reckless move.

However, I couldn’t think of an alternative. I couldn’t make a call, and I had no idea if there was anyone nearby who could offer assistance.

“…”

Should I just go back?

Moa Ablon’s expression momentarily turned cold.

I didn’t want to die in such a meaningless way or get hurt. Besides, I didn’t know anyone here and didn’t see any particular benefit in acting out of a sense of justice alone.

Yet, the reason I couldn’t move my feet was probably because of Anise.

I sighed and turned away, heading in the opposite direction from where Anise had run.

But after taking only a couple of steps, I stopped. My skirt, reaching my ankles, fluttered in the wind.

‘I don’t usually like characters who rationalize their way into helping the protagonist, but I should at least pretend to repay the favor.’

Ultimately, I turned back around and began walking faster. Just as I picked up speed, a large shadow cast over me.

Startled, I looked up to see an enormous bird.