TLVGAJ 14

Chapter 14

“This dish is pasta infused with olive oil pressed from Lata’s finest local olives,” the waiter announced with an air of pride as he placed the dish before me.

“Our unique technique extracts the oil to its richest essence, so the flavor will be particularly deep.”

“Thank you.”

I regarded the dish with interest.

This time, I recognized it. Vongole pasta. A dish I had tasted in my previous life.

It was the first time on this journey that I had come across a food I was familiar with. The sensation was strangely comforting yet refreshing.

I wonder how vongole pasta will taste in this world…

With my heart fluttering in anticipation, I watched as the waiter set the plate carefully on the table.

Come to think of it—the temple, the abundance of olives… Lata must have been inspired by Greece, perhaps Athens in particular.

Even if this was a fictional world, it was clear the author had drawn heavily from various European nations.

The herring I had tasted before, the olive oil, and the temple were all evidence of that.

“Please enjoy your meal. Should you need anything, simply call for me,” the waiter said with a polite bow before stepping away.

I twirled the pasta around my fork and brought it to my lips.

Oh my… this is insane.

Clap!

The sound of my hands clapping startled even me, and Albert’s brow furrowed instantly.

“What are you doing?”

“…Ah, nothing. My apologies.”

I had acted on sheer instinct, overwhelmed by excitement.

But this is truly divine.

It felt as though the unexpected richness of flavor was overwhelming my senses.

The garlic, olive oil, and the delicate taste of the clams blended perfectly in a harmonious trio that danced across my tongue.

Was vongole pasta always like this?

The dish I remembered from Korea could not compare.

I feel betrayed by every vongole pasta I’ve ever eaten before…

Although the flavors were familiar, the experience felt completely new.

“Does it suit your taste?”

“Yes! It’s absolutely delicious,” I replied with unrestrained sincerity when Eric, watching me closely, asked the question.

I looked at him and smiled brightly, unable to hide my delight.

This is pure happiness.

Eric, you… You brought us to such an incredible restaurant. I like you!

As expected of my favorite male lead.

I gazed at him with sparkling eyes without even realizing it.

In truth, Eric had always been my favorite male lead back when I was just a reader. He carried himself with a charming, easy confidence, yet he was unfailingly respectful to the heroine. Playful on the surface, he was, in reality, warmhearted and deeply serious.

I’ve always been weak for supporting male leads, anyway…

It was almost funny.

To the dismay of readers, Eric would eventually become a secondary male lead.

Of course, aside from Albert, the other three male leads were all destined to be secondary, but Eric was the one who inspired readers to invest every bit of their emotional stock into him.

<I’m sorry, but I’m officially switching from Team Albert to Team Eric. Long live Eric.>
<As of today, I’m leaving Harry for Eric. Friends, forgive me.>
<Please, author, let Eric be happy… please…>

Eric hadn’t been particularly popular at the beginning of the novel, but as the story progressed, his steadfast love for the heroine, Emilie, and his quiet depth had captured readers’ hearts in an instant.

And the most tantalizing part was that Albert and Eric were childhood friends.

The author had truly been a sadist.

The two, who had once been inseparable companions, would later find themselves at odds, fighting over the woman they both loved. Reading those scenes had been utterly addictive.

Yes… even now, seeing it firsthand, you’re far more appealing than the official male lead. Supporting male leads really are the best. Gentlemen like you are the best.

I was smiling foolishly at Eric when—

“Your tastes have changed,” Albert said suddenly, breaking the silence as he ate.

“You never used to enjoy dishes with clams.”

“…”

Oh, for heaven’s sake.

“I have always liked clams! You really don’t know me at all.”

“I distinctly remember you disliking them when we were younger.”

“People’s tastes can change as they grow up, can they not…?”

Although I spoke with confidence, I put my fork down, feeling strangely guilty.

How could I have known that Irene disliked clams?

Am I really expected to memorize even her eating habits? For the record, I actually like clams.

With a sulky expression, I looked down at the vongole pasta.

I considered eating it anyway with shameless abandon, but somehow my appetite had been dampened.

“Why are you so moody today, Albert? Lady Hartmann, please don’t mind him and enjoy your meal,” Eric said with an easy smile.

“Why are you even here, Eric?” Albert shot back.

“Oh, that’s actually because…”

Eric hesitated, trailing off mid-sentence.

“Lady Hartmann?”

Huh?

I turned at the familiar voice beside me.

There stood two figures I knew all too well—brown-haired, one in suspenders and a beret.

“Finn! Harry!”

It was Finn and Harry, who had now become my proper travel companions.

Albert stared at the empty seat Irene had left behind.

…Just moments ago, she had been engrossed in her meal.

But as soon as she spotted her friends, she had vanished.

[I’ll just go talk with my friends for a bit. The food was truly wonderful! Now that I think about it, I don’t really like clams after all. Ahaha, silly me.]

The words she had thrown out in haste still echoed in his mind as he realized she had no intention of returning. It felt as though she had run away.

Albert knew exactly who those friends were.

They were clearly the third-class passengers Irene had invited into her cabin the previous day.

To think they’ve grown so close already…

The sound of laughter from the neighboring cabin the previous night echoed faintly in his memory.

“…So, to commemorate the Year of Rest, I thought I’d get some fresh air and ended up here,” Eric continued between bites, savoring the next dishes as they arrived.

“You know I love exploring new places anyway… Albert? Albert?”

“…Huh?”

Albert, still staring at Irene’s vacant seat, looked up.

Eric tilted his head, setting down his knife.

“You’re acting strangely today, Your Highness.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You can’t seem to take your eyes off Lady Hartmann. Even now, you’re just staring at her empty chair.”

“…”

“Maybe the conversation with her friends is simply taking a while. Or perhaps she was uncomfortable with this meal? She did seem eager to leave, you know?”

Though Eric spoke teasingly, Albert didn’t answer.

Eric waved a hand in front of his face.

“Hey, don’t make me misunderstand. Are you suddenly interested now that the engagement talks have been called off, Albert?”

“Are you insane?”

Albert immediately denied it.

“…I don’t know. She’s just… changed too much. It feels like she’s not the same person I once knew.”

Nothing about her was as he remembered.

From the moment he had first encountered her aboard the Ramier Express, to when she had saved the child at Risman Harbor…

Even inviting third-class passengers into her cabin and spending time with them.

Truthfully, Albert had never liked the way Irene treated servants and commoners in the past. He didn’t think her newfound kindness was a bad thing.

But for some reason, seeing her like this made him inexplicably irritable.

Especially from the moment she had invited those two into her cabin yesterday.

From the moment he had overheard her laughter spilling from the neighboring room.

“Irene would never have invited mere commoners into her cabin. And she certainly wouldn’t have called them ‘friends’ and run from me like that.”

“…”

“That’s all it is. She just feels… unfamiliar. And that unsettles me.”

That was why his eyes kept wandering toward her.

Because he couldn’t help but wonder if she was still the Irene he had known. Because the more he looked, the more she felt like a stranger.

Albert scowled and abruptly turned away, resuming his meal in silence.

“…Hmm.”

Eric’s eyes glimmered with intrigue as he watched his closest friend.