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I entered the Red Bear Inn after sending Gwen off.

I expected the door to be locked or for no one to be around, but as before, the old hinges creaked and the door opened. At the empty inn’s counter sat a blonde employee alone.

As soon as she saw me enter, she got up from the counter and greeted me with a warm smile.

“Welcome back!”

I silently nodded and hesitated to head towards the corner table where I had sat in the morning. The only empty seat was at that very spot.

The employee tapped the counter in front of her.

“Someone bumped their head on the chair this morning, so it broke. There are plenty of seats over here, though.”

I shrugged lightly. Although her intention was clear, there was no reason to refuse, so I plopped down into the chair across from her. I then looked around and said, “Looks like there are no guests at the inn.”

“Well, that happened this morning. I guess everyone is scared and ran away.”

“I thought you might run away too. Or at least close the inn’s doors.”

“My name is Daisy.”

“…?”

The blonde employee rested her arms on the table, propped her chin on her palm, and gazed at me intently.

“I’m talking about you, Daisy. You didn’t forget my name, did you? I told you yesterday.”

That was right. I had mistakenly called her Ella after only seeing her back. I quickly realized my error.

“…Yes. Daisy. I’m Ion Graham. So, why didn’t you close the shop?”

“I was hoping the guest who saved me would come back and protect me. Well, it was actually some passing boy who kept me safe, but still.”

She seemed to be referring to Gwen. I thought he’d be too busy fighting in the alley to notice, but it appears he had seen the commotion outside the inn.

By the way, I wondered if she had contacted the gendarmerie. In areas like this, there are usually unwritten rules among the locals that don’t align with laws. I had heard that sometimes people avoid calling the security forces to not get on the bad side of local gangs, as it would be impossible for them to patrol here 24/7.

“Aren’t you resentful that your inn almost got attacked because of me?”

“Resent you? Of course not. If you hadn’t stepped up then, that pig would have groped me all over or, in the worst case, I would have been humiliated right there. You stopped it before it got ugly, so why would I complain?”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

If the inn had been closed, I would have had to hastily pack my things and search for another place to stay for the night, so it was fortunate for me. Running an inn alone as a woman in such a remote area must take a certain level of guts.

“Anyway, I would have had work to do even if you weren’t a guest. The atmosphere in Area 21 has been really bad lately. Supposedly, a bunch of racists calling themselves ‘The Future of the Empire’ have been seen around here a lot. With the Imperial Intelligence Bureau offering bounties, the thugs might have been looking for their members during the day.”

“Hmm.”

The mention of racists reminded me of what happened yesterday. The coachman who seemed to harbor a lot of hostility towards other races. Could it be that such types are increasing in the capital? Now that the war is over, it seems like all sorts of weirdos are popping up.

Daisy chuckled softly as she spoke.

“I’ve just been talking about boring stuff. Are you going to eat something? I’ll make you something.”

With that, she didn’t wait for my response and headed to the kitchen. After a while, the sounds of frying and boiling filled the air, and Daisy set an impressive spread of dishes on the table.

It was way too much for just one person. When I looked at her, seemingly questioning why so much food, she just smiled brightly.

“I’ll be eating too, you know?”

“…….”

In that case, I had nothing to say. I wondered if it was appropriate for a guest and an employee to share the same plate, but looking at the enticing smells and the number of dishes made it hard to complain about the effort she put in.

Daisy’s cooking was quite exotic, unlike the typical imperial dishes that used sausages, beer, and potatoes. The grilled fish that maintained the characteristics of the raw ingredients using only oil, salt, and herbs, and the pasta loaded with cheese were surprisingly delicious to my palate, which could eat anything as long as it was food.

I briefly racked my brain about where such cooking methods might have originated. I remembered how soldiers from the Ionia Kingdom often cooked like this when they were in the kitchen. Of course, it tasted much better now.

From that experience, I could guess Daisy’s background. The Ionia Kingdom was a land that had only its undead citizens left after the last war. I was slightly curious about how she ended up in the Empire, but it was clearly not a good past.

While I was silently emptying my plate, I felt a steady gaze boring into me. Daisy was hardly touching her food, just staring at my face intently.

I set down my utensils and asked, “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Because you’re handsome.”

“…….”

I felt a complex mix of emotions that was hard to describe.

For the past 20 years, I had been rolling around on battlefields filled with men and had never once cared about my appearance. I had heard plenty of nasty remarks, like calling me unfortunate or saying I looked like some kind of parasite, but a pure compliment about being handsome was very unfamiliar. In fact, while it wasn’t the first time I’d heard it, each time it was hard to accept it as a compliment.

If I were really handsome, why then had Ella and Charlotte left my side? It made me think that no matter how good-looking someone might be, it wouldn’t help keep the person I liked around. Ultimately, this led me to obsess over inner strength instead.

But no matter how strong I became, nothing ever returned to me; I only continued to lose more.

Just then, lost in my thoughts, Daisy suddenly jumped up from her seat.

“Wait a moment! I’ll get something to drink.”

“No, it’s fine—”

“Just wait a little. I’ll make it quickly.”

Thinking she might just be bringing me some ordinary beer, I was taken aback when instead she mixed distilled spirit and lime juice with orange liqueur and ice. Each time she shook the small shaker, her blonde waves swayed like waves.

Eventually, she poured the orange-hued, clear drink into a salt-rimmed glass and handed it to me.

“I didn’t order any alcohol.”

“It’s on the house.”

She laughed lightly, and the conversation felt oddly familiar.

“Is this a cocktail?”

“You know it? How interesting. It’s a drink for nobles… Were you perhaps of much higher status than I think?”

I shook my head. I had only heard a bit. The idea first came from the famously drunken Philion Grand Empire, and because it was made with expensive spirits and other ingredients, it was hard for commoners to even taste it. I never expected to see something like that in such a shabby inn.

I lifted the glass and took a sip of the cocktail. There was no trace of alcohol, just a sweet and tangy flavor that felt refreshing. I had thought she was just good at brewing coffee, but her skills with drinks were excellent too.

“What do you think?”

“It’s delicious.”

“That’s a relief! That drink has quite an interesting story. Would you like to hear it?”

Having received free drinks, I nodded eagerly.

Daisy smiled gently and continued, “There was a man. He had a beloved partner. One day, while they were out hunting together, she was struck by a stray arrow and lost her life. The man, grieving over the tragic accident, decided to create a cocktail using the drink and lime that his partner loved in her lifetime. He named it ‘Margarita’ after her.”

“…….”

It wasn’t hard for me to guess the name of the drink I had just sipped was ‘Margarita’. After a brief silence, I spoke up.

“Why did you give me this drink?”

“Because it’s a drink that a man drank to reminisce about his departed love.”

“What was I supposed to say?”

“You didn’t say anything, but your eyes spoke. Weren’t you thinking of someone else? I noticed it from the first time we met. You had that same look just now… I apologize if I’m mistaken.”

It wasn’t a misunderstanding. I definitely remembered Ella when I first saw Daisy. That fact was undeniable.

Daisy cautiously asked, “Do I resemble her a lot?”

I hesitated before replying, “Maybe.”

No, maybe it was quite a lot. Their hair and facial features were similar, though the eye color was different. Since I only remembered Ella from her childhood, there might be differences in the actual Ella, but if she had grown up, I imagined she might look somewhat like Daisy.

I thought for a moment if she could possibly be my daughter, but Daisy only seemed to be a bit younger than me, certainly not within the age range to be Ella’s daughter. Above all, Daisy was not Ella. To keep looking for Ella in Daisy was a considerable disrespect to her.

“Is it a wound that still lingers from the woman’s departure?”

“I’ve already forgotten her.”

“A wound that can be forgotten wouldn’t even leave a scar.”

Daisy placed her hand over mine.

“Can I help heal your wounds, Ion?”

I stayed silent, my mouth tightly closed. The conversation that had been flowing smoothly was now filled with silence. In the tension that felt like it could stop my breath and our locked gazes, it wasn’t hard to read what she wanted from me. Daisy leaned slightly closer to me.

I set the glass down on the table.

“Ah….”

Ignoring her gaze that looked at me blankly, I stood up.

I could have pretended not to notice and kissed her right then. But staying beside someone who resembled Ella would likely make me unconsciously think of Ella in my mind.

That wouldn’t be good for me, trying to finally break free from Ella’s shadow, nor would it be a respectful act toward Daisy.

“I enjoyed the drink.”

I offered that brief greeting and left her alone as I made my way out of the first floor.

 

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