READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 25
Chapter: 25
“Karen unni, why were you waiting outside?”
“J-just… I saw you coming…”
I had planned to go all the way to the mansion to play with Karen. Contrary to my expectations, Karen was waiting for me right at the mansion’s front gate, looking quite pretty, actually.
At least it didn’t seem like she was unwilling to hang out today.
“Unni, your outfit looks amazing today.”
“R-really…?”
“Yeah. It looks comfortable to walk around in, and it really suits you.”
“Then… I’m glad…”
It was just a simple dress, but it did look good on her. Plus, she was the type to get really happy when complimented.
So I praised her.
Even though she was older than me, there was something youthful about Karen.
Her joy over every compliment reminded me of a puppy.
Of course, she might not like it if I said that outright.
“Unni, shall we head out now?”
“Yes…!”
Anyway, this was the start of what felt like a date with Karen.
It was something that just happened, but judging by Karen’s reaction, it seemed like it would be fun.
In various ways, I felt lighter and more at ease than usual as we set off.
Usually, Karen, who lived in Melnick, would know less than I did… but hey, I’m a shut-in, right?
“Unni, have you been to the theater recently?”
“Theater? I probably haven’t been since I was a child…”
“Then that’s good!”
“Huh?”
“I’m planning to go to the theater a bit later. I’ve already bought the tickets.”
“Oh…? I can get them ready, though…”
Of course, it would be more convenient for Karen from the Roseaki family to take care of it, but in this situation, it felt right for me to prepare things first.
After all, I was the one who suggested going out.
“Hehe, just follow my lead today. I’ve got everything prepared.”
Saying that, I took Karen’s hand and we started to walk.
I noticed there were quite a few people on the street.
To be honest, I probably didn’t need to hold hands, but since Karen walked a bit slowly, this was more convenient for both of us.
“Camelia…? Are we going to eat lunch?”
“Lunch? You haven’t eaten yet, have you?”
“Well, that’s true…”
“Then we need to sort out lunch first. You’ll get too hungry if we walk around without eating, right?”
“I won’t be that hungry if I skip just one meal…”
“Hehe… but if we eat well first, it’ll be more fun to walk around afterward.”
People who usually live holed up in their rooms often forget to eat.
Even if there are side dishes in the fridge, they can’t be bothered to take them out, or they skip meals because the timing is awkward, eating just once a day.
Knowing that, I deliberately suggested we have lunch.
“What do you like to eat, unni?”
“I like… simple things…?”
“Like soup?”
“Yeah…”
How unexpectedly simple and convenient, considering she was a noble.
But I definitely wasn’t going to settle for just soup for lunch.
“Oh, do you handle spicy food well?”
“Eh? Spicy food… um… maybe?”
That was an uncertain answer, but at least it meant she could handle the moderate stuff.
That was enough for me.
“Hehe…”
“Why are you laughing like that?”
“Just because. It seems like it’d be good if you like it?”
Karen looked confused by my words, but she still smiled.
Even though she was older than me, she felt younger for some reason. I couldn’t be sure, but maybe that was it.
*
“Ugh… ugh…”
“Is it too spicy?”
“Not really… Ugh… haha…”
“…You should drink some water.”
…She was handling the spice worse than I thought.
It wasn’t that spicy, but she seemed to be struggling with it, which made me worried.
She hadn’t even finished her pasta yet and was only halfway through.
“Glug… glug… ugh…”
“You can’t eat spicy food well, can you?”
“I guess not…”
I purposely chose a place that sold spicy pasta because I wanted something a little different rather than the usual bland food.
According to Rize, the girls living in Melnick really love it, so I thought it’d be good…
But seeing her struggle this much was unexpected.
In reality, it wasn’t that spicy for my taste, but it seemed to hit Karen a lot harder.
…Was it really that spicy?
“Ugh…”
“I’m sorry, unni… I didn’t know it would be this spicy for you…”
“N-no! It’s just… I can’t handle spicy stuff… but you’re eating well…”
“Still…”
I felt bad seeing her struggle so much.
And if I didn’t offer her some water soon, she might end up crying or something.
“At least… drinking a soda might help a bit…”
“Then I’m glad…”
It didn’t seem like her mood was too bad overall.
Even though it was spicy, she hadn’t completely lost her smile, and honestly, I found it entertaining to see her struggle with the spice.
Of course, halfway through, the worry did increase as it seemed to get hotter for her.
“You really can’t handle spicy food well, can you?”
“Yeah… I’m just learning that now. I usually just eat soup or cream pasta…”
Still, sipping on a drink and eating slowly, I managed to finish the spicier pasta in the end.
It seemed like Karen enjoyed it in her own way.
The laughter during our meal didn’t seem to stop either, so that should be good enough.
“But… it was yummy.”
“Then I’m glad… but honestly, I didn’t expect you to find it this spicy.”
“Hehe…”
It felt different hanging out with Karen than it did with Rosalyn or Rize, but in its own way, it was nice.
*
Karen and I continued to have fun together.
After lunch, we went to the theater to watch a fun play, and afterward, we wandered around the market.
Since Karen lived in Melnick, she didn’t know as much about it as I did… She was happy to check out everything.
Maybe it was because she spent all her time in her room at the mansion?
“Did you enjoy the play?”
“Y-yeah! It was super fun! Unlike reading a book, there are props, and the stage setup and magic made it visually so enjoyable!”
She genuinely seemed to love it.
I watched the play while glancing at Karen next to me, who was completely immersed and not even looking at me.
“Every single line from the characters felt like something the writer really thought out. The stage design was so impressive. You don’t see such vividness in books. They used it so well even in more lyrical scenes. The rain used in the slightly gloomy scene was just perfect.”
“Haha…”
“And I heard it was very famous from the articles, so I wanted to see it… I owe it all to you, Camelia…?”
“Haha…”
Karen, who usually was quite quiet, was suddenly very talkative now.
Maybe it was because she was doing something she really liked. She was definitely more chatty than usual.
I had only known Karen for two days, but of those two days, this was the most talkative I’d seen her… I could understand why.
“You like books and plays, don’t you, unni?”
“Y-yeah! I really like them! Honestly, I wanted to go to a play for a long time, but I didn’t have anyone to go with…”
“Oh.”
Hmm. That sounded a little sad.
She surely had her older sister Grace, and in many ways, she didn’t seem like someone who should go alone.
Well… being introverted probably made her reluctant to speak up, regardless of that.
“Shall we check out a bookstore? I heard there’s one nearby.”
“A bookstore…?”
“Yeah. I’m not sure what kind of books they have, but since you like reading, it might be good to check it out now that we’re out.”
“Sure… I’ve almost read all the books in the mansion lately… so it sounds good.”
…When I suggested heading for lunch, or even earlier while walking around before the play, she seemed less proactive.
But now, she was nodding her head eagerly, just at the suggestion of a bookstore.
That made it all the more interesting to me.
It didn’t seem like she was just shy all the time.
Maybe she was just usually less assertive?
“So, what kind of books do you like to read, unni? Novels?”
“I usually read novels. Of course, I read other things too, like philosophy books and magic-related texts… I’ve been reading a lot since I’m about to enter the Academy.”
“Oh…”
She seemed to read a surprisingly diverse range of books.
I thought she might just be stuck in a weird novel habit because of her shut-in nature.
But instead, she started by reading philosophy and magic-related books, which was honestly surprising.
We walked slowly to the bookstore, chatting about the contents of the books Karen enjoyed.
I found it quite enjoyable to listen, and seeing Karen smile while talking about her hobbies was fun too.
Even though she didn’t dress up overly fancy, the sight of a pretty girl cheerfully talking about her interests was honestly nice.
“We’re here.”
As we talked, we arrived without even noticing.
It really felt like we got here faster than I expected.
“Hehe…”
“…….”
One thing was for sure: Karen truly seemed to love the bookstore. Even before stepping inside, she was already smiling brightly… that was undeniable.
Honestly, even though I hadn’t prepared all that much for this outing with her, I was glad that she appeared to be enjoying it so much.
Truth is, I was more preoccupied yesterday with being in Rosalyn’s embrace in the bathroom… and even afterward, the memory was too much on my mind, making it tough on all fronts.