RHFTY chapter 49

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“Anyway, Leo. I’m going to wash up first.”

“…Okay. Go ahead.”

Chaeyi chuckled as he saw Leonard slump onto the bed and headed to the bathroom.

He took a refreshing shower, dried his hair, and came out to find Leonard going in next.

As Chaeyi lay on the bed, listening to the sound of running water, he began to feel drowsy and soon drifted into a light sleep.

Somewhere in the back of his half-asleep mind, he heard the bathroom door click open.

When he opened his eyes, Leonard was sitting on the edge of the bed.

“Chaeyi. Are you just going to sleep?”

“Hmm?”

Feeling much more refreshed after his short nap, Chaeyi rubbed his eyes and sat up.

Leonard, who had been quietly watching her, spoke.

“How about we have a drink before bed?”

“…Huh?”

A memory flashed through Chaeyi’s mind.

The time when he drank with Leonard… and kissed him.

‘No! Don’t think about it!’

Chaeyi’s face flushed as he tried to push away the vivid memory with other thoughts.

Even though it had felt like a dream, he could still remember it clearly, and whenever it resurfaced, it made his feel awkward.

“Chaeyi?”

When Leonard sounded confused, Chaeyi turned away from him, facing the other direction.

His face was burning, and he felt like his brain was turning to mush.

“Not today… Let’s just sleep.”

“Really? Are you sure?”

“We have to travel again tomorrow.”

“But we have a coachman. It’s not like it matters.”

“…Anyway. I’m going to sleep.”

Chaeyi squeezed his eyes shut, trying to ignore the fact that his face must be as red as a tomato.

He felt embarrassed and somehow ashamed to face Leonard in that state.

Leonard, seemingly disappointed, fidgeted behind him, but when it became clear that Chaeyi was firm in his decision, he eventually gave up.

After some rustling sounds, the room’s lantern was extinguished.

Chaeyi, peeking through his eyelids, whispered.

“Goodnight.”

Leonard responded.

“Goodnight, Chaeyi.”

Though he initially worried he wouldn’t be able to sleep, Chaeyi soon drifted off into a deep slumber.

The next morning.

Chaeyi and Leonard, who had risen early, finished a quick breakfast and boarded the carriage, which was already prepared for departure.

The coachman had been up since dawn, tending to the horses.

“Good morning.”

“Please take care of us today as well.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

With a snort, the horses began to move in earnest. The carriage left the town of Sola, crossed a river, and entered another town across the bridge.

It was nearing noon.

As they approached the entrance to the city, Leonard glanced out the window and then turned to Chaeyi.

“That city is Sliviven, the center of Clancus. It’s also where the Coneller family resides.”

“Really? So we’re almost there.”

“Yes, it won’t take long now.”

They had arrived sooner than expected. Chaeyi looked out the window as well.

The city had a clean, bright atmosphere with a harmonious blend of white and blue, giving it a different charm from the capital of Combest, Blentz.

As he admired the new scenery, Leonard made a suggestion.

“Chaeyi, it looks like we have plenty of time. How about we stop by the plaza before heading over?”
In an instant, Chaeyi’s ears perked up.

Surely, the Sleewiven Plaza was as large and bustling as the Blentz Plaza, right?

It wasn’t easy to get out of the territory…

Maybe it would be okay to just take a quick look around.

Having convinced himself, Chaeyi turned to Leonard with lively eyes.

“Alright. Let’s get down for a bit.”

Leonard responded with a gentle smile, clearly pleased.

To him, Chaeyi’s enthusiasm seemed even more endearing than usual.

The coachman briefly turned the horses towards the plaza.

After tying up the horses, Chaeyi and Leonard got out of the carriage and decided to rejoin the coachman by the carriage before sunset.

Sleewiven Plaza was bustling with tourists.

“There are so many people.”

“Yeah. Chaeyi, can I hold your hand?”

“Huh? Oh, sure. Go ahead.”

Leonard’s warm, large hand reached out first and took Chaeyi’s relatively small hand.

Thinking back, Leonard had also held his hand when they were young, worried he might get lost….

Remembering those days, Chaeyi smiled nostalgically.

Leonard’s hand, now bigger and thicker than hers, felt surprisingly new.

“Why? Did something funny come to mind?”

“No. It’s just that thinking about this makes me remember the old days. You used to hold my hand a lot because you were afraid I’d get lost.”

“Ah.”

Leonard seemed to recall similar memories, letting out a soft exclamation.

His deep eyes, lost in reminiscence, soon focused back on Chaeyi.

“Back then, you were taller than me. Now I’ve grown more.”

His eyes, filled with amusement, made Chaeyi’s heart flutter, and he awkwardly looked away, trying to appear casual.

“Oh, but aren’t you a bit hungry?”

“Just a little. It’s been a while since breakfast.”

“Shall we get something to eat?”

“Sure. Let’s explore.”

Successfully shifting the topic, Chaeyi strolled along the bustling main street with Leonard.

Below them was a large fountain, similar to Blentz Plaza, where a musical performance was underway, filling the air with music and lively chatter.

“Chaeyi, is there anything specific you want to eat?”

At that moment, Leonard leaned in closer to Chaeyi, likely trying to be heard over the noise.

The problem was that Chaeyi’s heart raced with his warmth and breath so close, making his feel dizzy.

Trying to shake off the strange feeling, he pointed randomly and spoke.

“That… that looks good!”

“…That?”

Leonard looked up, though his reaction seemed lukewarm.

There was definitely a food smell coming from that direction…?

Confused, Chaeyi squinted and took another look.

‘What is that?’

Indeed, food was being sold there—skewered meat and vegetables grilled on the spot.

It looked like an ordinary skewered food stall at first glance.

But what made it suspicious was the greenish color of the meat, which was anything but normal.

Moreover….

“A rare magical beast meat stall?”

That was the name of the shop.

It was clear that the green meat was of a magical beast.

It seemed likely that it might have a strange taste or smell.

Surprisingly, there were quite a few people eating it.

“…Alright. Let’s give it a try.”

“Huh? Really?”

“Yeah. I’m curious.”

“……”

True, that was the case.

In the end, Chaeyi stood in front of the stall with a sense of challenge.

The sign read, “Don’t worry, this is edible Tanggu meat.”

“Oh, you two! Please come in!”

“Two skewers, please.”

“Sure thing. Please wait a moment!”

The smell of the meat grilling over an open flame was quite enticing.

Seeing the golden-brown exterior made the initial aversion from the green color seem to fade a bit.

“Here you go! They’re ready!”

Soon after, each of them had a skewer in hand.

The two had hesitated before taking a bite, but once they did, they changed their minds.

“It’s delicious. Right, Leonard?”

“Yeah. The meat is really tender.”

The juicy meat was aromatic and savory, with a moist, tender texture, and as Leonard said, it had a pleasantly springy quality.

Most importantly, there was no off-putting smell or taste, which made it clear why the locals enjoyed it so much.

“Chaeyi, should we try something else?”

“Sure. Let’s go for dessert next.”

Just as Chaeyi and Leonard’s successful food tour was in full swing, they spotted something.

“Oh, Leonard! Look at that.”

As they walked down the street, Chaeyi grabbed Leonard’s arm.

What had caught his eye was ice cream.

In Combest, where the weather was cool and sunny year-round, ice cream was a rare sight.

“Wow. They sell ice cream here.”

“Chaeyi, you know what ice cream is?”

“Of course. I love it.”

Chaeyi ordered ice cream for both himself and Leonard, and soon they received their cups filled with frozen treat.

The ice cream, made from milk and cream, was topped with fruit and honey.

Compared to what he had on Earth, it felt a bit lacking, but Chaeyi was just happy to enjoy a refreshing ice cream after a long time.

Leonard, watching Chaeyi’s face light up with happiness, muttered to himself.

“…You really liked ice cream, huh?”

“Yeah.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“Because it’s hard to get in Combest.”

Though Combest’s weather had warmed slightly recently, so the chef from Lancaster would occasionally make it, it was still quite rare.

Back when he lived in a village, he never saw ice cream at all.

Of course, with no demand, few people knew how to make it, and no one sold it.

The absence of ice cream makers made it a complex process.

“I see.”

Leonard nodded.

“You’ll be able to have it more often now.”

And then he left a meaningful comment.

“…Huh? Yeah.”

But Chaeyi took it as a mere suggestion that he might be able to enjoy ice cream more frequently, not realizing the full implication of his words at the time.

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