TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 235
The empty streets of Hamel.
-Plod.
Walking through Hamel’s dark streets, I looked at the signboard of a certain restaurant located at the road’s end.
[Youlam]
“A Wandering Restaurant, huh….”
What a peculiar name.
The current time is 11 PM.
Except for a few taverns in Hamel, there were no restaurants with their lights on, yet the restaurant named ‘Youlam’ emitted a subtle light on this street.
It wasn’t the light signifying business hours.
Since all the exterior lights of the restaurant were turned off, it was probably in the middle of closing.
‘I must be an unwelcome guest….’
Customers arriving right at closing time wouldn’t be welcomed, and honestly, I didn’t feel great about it. I wouldn’t like it either if it were me.
The reason I came to ‘Youlam’ at this late hour was solely to uncover the identity of a woman named ‘Ella.’
[Ella Lv.13]
Job: Former Empire’s Greatest Dancer
Favorability: 10
Favorite conversation topics: Cooking. Guests. Money. Misa. News. Success. Honorable Mother. Unashamed Mother. Hope. Miracle.
Disliked conversation topics: Past. Nobles. Lost Child. Nightmares. Ashamed Mother. Resentment. Hatred. Betrayal.
The Affinity Window I saw at lunch contained many stories.
Lost Child.
Ashamed Mother.
And ‘Misa.’
While her sincere love for cooking was admirable, the keyword that caught my eye the most was the desperation of a Mother searching for something lost.
Especially the name ‘Misa,’ which raised many questions.
Let me say in advance, this wasn’t my first meeting with the Lady named ‘Ella.’
I remembered encountering her in the slum a long time ago, drawn there by old memories, where she’d been dressed in shabby clothes.
I couldn’t forget the expression of a woman on the verge of collapse as she searched for a girl named ‘Misa.’ It was a memory that refused to fade, no matter how much I might want to. Forgetting it would be nonsensical.
Back then, I didn’t attach much significance to the person named Ella. Many adults came to the slum burdened with regret. I thought she was just one among the many.
That was back then.
“…”
Now, it was different.
Should I call it a hunch, or perhaps the instinct of a Reader? I felt an inexplicable unease.
It was the intuition that the Lady named ‘Ella’ might be deeply connected to Mikhail.
Mikhail’s Mother.
Or perhaps Mikhail’s relative.
The name ‘Misa’ didn’t even appear in the novel, yet I was crafting my own story.
Letting out an empty laugh, I took a step toward the restaurant. I had to confirm my suspicions.
Through the glass window, I could see a Middle-Aged Man wrapping up for the day. All the other staff seemed to have gone home, leaving him alone to tidy up—a sight that left an impression.
At a glance, he didn’t seem to resemble Mikhail in any way, but the moment I looked at his appearance, Mikhail immediately came to mind, which made me chuckle.
“…”
It’s not easy.
Gripping the door handle, I paused to think about a certain part of the novel.
A scene that had stirred anger and explosive reactions from many Readers.
-I don’t know someone like you.
-Take this. Mother wanted you to have it….
-Don’t call me Mother. I don’t have a Mother.
A bitter smile formed on my lips.
As a Reader who already knew the ending of this story, I couldn’t view this situation optimistically.
Their reunion, sadly, was a bad ending.
“…”
Unable to take anyone’s side, I sighed.
I couldn’t side with Mikhail because her past, briefly revealed in the novel, was too tragic for me to do so.
And I couldn’t side with Mikhail’s Mother either, knowing that what she had done was unforgivable.
‘It’s not even certain. Why am I overthinking this….’
How foolish.
The question lingering in my mind was just one.
-Have you seen a girl named Misa?
A girl named ‘Misa.’
If the woman named Ella was Mikhail’s Mother. If the person Ella was searching for was Mikhail.
“…”
Reaching a new hypothesis made me cautious in my thoughts.
“Have I been reading too much into the novel?”
Letting out an empty laugh, I carefully pulled on the restaurant’s lit door.
‘Click.’ As expected, the door was locked.
With an awkward smile, I let a faint aura seep through the gap in the door. I felt guilty, but I had come at this late hour hoping for a chance encounter.
The faint aura quietly released the lock latch without making a sound that Ella could notice. Once the resistance on the doorknob disappeared, I cautiously opened the door and stepped inside the restaurant.
“Excuse me.”
As the door creaked open, Ella, who had been resting under the Single Lit Lantern, met my eyes.
Startled, Ella stood up and lowered her head to greet me.
“I’m sorry. Business hours are over.”
“Ah… Is that so?”
Feigning disappointment, I bowed my head. Then, softly muttering, “How about just a simple bowl of soup?” I looked at Ella. Trying to appear as hungry as possible so she couldn’t refuse, I spoke.
“I’ll eat quickly and leave. I’ll even pay double… no, five times the price. Could you perhaps make an exception?”
“…Ah… Well.”
Flustered, Ella hesitated. The offer of five times the payment was tempting, but she didn’t have any suitable food to serve. Yet, sending away a Young Man who looked so hungry tugged at her conscience, leaving her standing there, deep in thought.
Seeing Ella like that, I deliberately turned my back. I couldn’t appear as though I had an ulterior motive. To leave a natural impression, I turned away.
“I made an unreasonable request. I’m sorry.”
“Wait!”
“Yes?”
“Could you please have a seat? I’ll prepare something quickly.”
Fortunately, Ella called me back.
About 10 minutes later.
Looking at the food placed on the Table, I bowed my head. Stale bread and heated soup. Perhaps as a gesture of goodwill, there was even a quickly prepared stir-fried meat dish. The Dining Table set for an unwelcome guest at this late hour felt warm and generous.
“…”
Having placed the food on the Dining Table, Ella stood still, gazing at me.
Her eyes, filled with what seemed like earnest emotions, looked at me as she held a Tray in her hands, standing motionless.
Raising my head slightly, I asked.
Wondering if something was wrong, I asked, “I’ll finish quickly and leave, is that alright?” Ella wiped the blank expression from her face and waved her hands, saying.
“No, it’s nothing. Take your time. I was just reminded of my Daughter.”
“…”
I caught a clue.
Lightly gripping the Fork, I asked Ella in a curious tone.
“Your Daughter?”
“Yes, I have a Daughter.”
“You don’t look like it, but you have a Daughter, huh.”
“Haha… Not at all.”
“She must be incredibly beautiful, just like you, Proprietress.”
“…”
Ella didn’t reply, only showing a wistful smile.
The conversation continued with small compliments.
Who I am.
Where I live. If I provide information, Ella shares a bit of her own and talks about her past within the limits she can.
And.
If I throw out bait that aligns with her empathy.
“I once got beaten half to death just for trying to eat this Rye Bread…”
“You got beaten over bread?”
“Ah… Actually, when I was young, I lived in the Slum. Back then, if you didn’t steal, you couldn’t eat.”
“You lived in the Slum?”
The other person takes the bait.
“Ah, I’m sorry. I brought up such an abrupt topic. I should eat quickly, my apologies.”
“By any chance, where did you live?”
I answered Ella’s question.
The questions continued back and forth.
About my past.
About Misa’s mistakes.
While maintaining boundaries, the conversation continued, and as the topic of questions shifted to the main subject, Ella’s eyes began to widen at the mention of Hope.
And.
I found the correct answer.
*
The footsteps on my way back were heavy.
“…”
I didn’t know what to say.
I didn’t know how to accept it, so I kept letting out meaningless sighs.
-Do you know a child named Misa?
-I think I’ve heard of her.
I deliberately answered with a Lie.
-By any chance, is she a child with Silver Hair who carries around a Teddy Bear?
-Wha… How did you know?
-…
-That’s right. Yes…! She carries a White Teddy Bear, and that… that..! Ah! She has a mole under her right eye.
I saw Ella’s tears.
My thoughts deepened.
Although I couldn’t completely erase my doubts, the image of Mikhail I remembered and the girl named ‘Misa’ she remembered were the same, leaving it as nothing more than stubbornness on my part.
Looking up at the brightly lit Night Sky, I let out a sigh.
‘Was it wrong from the start?’
Somehow. It felt strange.
The Apostle described in the novel.
The secrecy of never once undressing in the novel.
And the unusually small physique—I only now realized how odd it was.
Honestly, I couldn’t believe it.
Even if it were true, I didn’t think it would change much.
How should I put it….
“Haah…”
All I could say was that it was complicated.
“Damn.”
I thought of a Cigarette I’d never even smoked before.
*
Inside the dark, pitch-black Estate.
“Hngya.”
Waiting for Ricardo, Olivia leaned against the Window, picking her nose.
“There’s no Chocolate.”
Olivia wanted to eat Chocolate.