* * *
“Compared to what you’ve been eating lately, this really is awful, isn’t it? Just imagining having to fill your stomach with this is depressing, right?”
Good thing there aren’t any temple kids around. If they heard this, they’d probably get sad.
“Why are you so happy about this?”
Batista snapped.
Given the context, his reaction was obviously negative, but since it was basically him complaining about food, I found it nothing short of adorable.
Wow, this is the first time I’ve ever heard Batista complain about food!
Back in the hero’s party, we had to eat whatever we could find, which sometimes meant butchering monster meat and washing it down with antidotes as dessert.
I remember everyone whining about whether we really had to go that far, but Batista?
He just silently ate his fill.
It was almost impressive.
“How could I not be happy when I’m the one who changed you?”
I was beyond proud.
“Thanks to me, you get to enjoy life a little more now. This might just be my greatest achievement.”
“…”
Batista lowered his head and stared at his soup.
Oh?
Did I hurt his pride?
His ears… they look a little red, don’t they?
But no matter how hard he glares at it, that soup isn’t going to evaporate.
“…Do you really have so little to be proud of in life?”
Why is he saying something so condescending in such a shy voice?!
Am I supposed to be offended or find him cute?!
Pick one already so I know how to react!
Either way, it’s obvious that Batista is struggling to come to terms with how his tastes have changed.
And since I’m the one responsible, I should do something about it.
“Don’t eat this. Just wait a little bit. Just a little!”
The place where Batista grew up was in much better shape than the forest village we visited last time.
It wasn’t a big city, but at least it had a proper marketplace.
There were even a few restaurants and bakeries certified by the guild.
I ended up spending a lot of money, but at least I could bring back some good food.
Watching Batista devour sandwich after sandwich filled me with pure satisfaction.
“Tastes good?”
Instead of answering, he folded the sandwich in half and shoved the entire thing into his mouth.
Whoa, that actually fits.
Even without words, his actions spoke volumes.
“Yeah, yeah, it’s good, right? They deep-fried the meat before putting it in! It’s just a sandwich, but they went all out with the oil—it’s downright luxurious.”
Still, he didn’t say a word.
But just watching him carefully lick the sauce off his fingers after folding the sandwich in half was enough of an answer.
Honestly, I’m the rude one for trying to talk to someone who’s busy eating.
Judging by how quickly he’s scarfing it down, he must have been starving.
Well, given the time, that makes sense.
I should feel bad for letting the hero go hungry like this.
Once Batista finished off all the sandwiches I packed, he pulled the next food basket closer.
He’s eating so well that bringing all this was definitely worth it.
“That looks good too, doesn’t it? And it’s not just any dish—it’s made with veal, which is already tender, but they slow-cooked it over low heat for ages, so—”
“Aren’t you going to eat?”
Huh? Is he finally starting to feel full?
Now he’s actually talking to me.
“I already ate everything they gave me at the temple, so I’m not hungry.”
Batista frowned.
Just thinking about food he didn’t enjoy must have put him in a bad mood.
Wow, when he decides to be picky, he really commits.
“It wasn’t good.”
Yeah, I figured.
“But at least it filled me up, right? There’s no need for me to waste food when there’s someone hungry sitting right in front of me.”
“Eat.”
“…Yes, sir.”
If it’s an order, then I guess I have to eat.
Maybe he just felt weird about eating all this by himself.
Since I felt a little guilty opening up a new food basket when Batista hadn’t even touched it yet, I reached for the veal stew instead.
A priest handed me a new bowl, and I started ladling some in.
But the entire time I was doing that, Batista kept staring at me—his gaze was burning.
“…What?”
It felt exactly like the wary eyes of a wild animal guarding its food.
But he’s the one who told me to eat?
I mean, I am eating, but does he not want me to eat the same dish as him?
Still, this food is literally meant for him, so it felt weird to stick my fork into something he hadn’t even tasted yet.
“…Should I eat something else?”
If that’s the case, then I might as well let Batista pick.
“Which one should I have?”
But Batista showed no interest in choosing something for me.
Instead, he was now glaring daggers at the veal stew as if it were his mortal enemy.
With how intensely he was staring, it wouldn’t have surprised me if the dish actually disintegrated.
At this point, I started wondering if there was something wrong with the food.
Was it spoiled?
“Is something off? If it’s bad, I can just order more—”
Mmgh?!
What the—?!
Lost in thought about the food, I didn’t even see it coming.
Before I could react, Batista had shoved a spoonful of veal stew into my mouth.
If I were to describe it objectively, that’s what happened.
To put it in simpler terms: Batista fed me.
He actually fed me.
‘It… it’s good.’
I already knew what it tasted like since I paid extra for a tasting sample before buying it, but eating it again confirmed that it was delicious.
The veal was so tender that it practically melted under the slightest pressure from my tongue, yet it still carried a rich, savory flavor.
A mysterious herb added a refreshing aftertaste, making it a dish truly worthy of serving a hero.
Wait—that’s not the point here!
I was so shocked that I couldn’t even speak.
Wide-eyed, I just stared at Batista.
Why… why did he feed me?
Batista averted his gaze.
“You kept talking and weren’t eating.”
…Okay, technically, I was hesitating about what to eat.
He even told me to eat, but I was too slow, and it must have frustrated him.
Still, it was strange for Batista, who usually kept his distance from people, to personally feed someone.
A sense of unease stirred in my chest.
The suffocating feeling made me place a hand near my heart.
The irregular rhythm pulsed against my palm.
“Why are you making such a fuss? You did the same thing, didn’t you?”
“Huh?”
Did I?
“Before leaving, at the market.”
Ah!
Now that he mentioned it, I remembered.
We had gone to a tart shop, but Batista seemed completely uninterested, lost in thought.
So, I had shoved a piece into his mouth, telling him to just eat already.
That’s something people do all the time on the streets, isn’t it?
And I’m naturally sociable, so it wasn’t that weird for me.
But Batista?
He’s not like that at all.
No wonder people would be surprised!
‘Wait, could this be… because of me?’
I wasn’t trying to look down on him, but objectively speaking, people who aren’t used to socializing often don’t understand personal boundaries well.
Maybe, since I was one of the few people he had gotten close to, he was just mimicking my behavior.
To him, feeding someone who was hesitating to eat might not seem like a big deal anymore.
Hmm…
That makes sense, right?
That’s a good thing, isn’t it? I should be patting myself on the back.
Normally, this is something only someone as shameless as me or a close friend would do.
If a reserved guy like Batista did it, people would definitely think he had ulterior motives.
But that’s fine by me!
Maybe, just maybe, the mood would naturally start shifting in a romantic direction!
Keep misunderstanding things, please!
Determined to reinforce Batista’s slightly off-kilter understanding of social norms, I scooped up a generous spoonful of veal stew.
“Yeah, yeah. No big deal at all! Eat up!”
* * *
🎇🎇🎇🎀❣❣❣❣❣❤🧡💚💙💛💖