Magic Gems Gourmet

Chapter 283

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ED: LonelyMatter

Chapter 283 – After Returning to the Demon Lord’s Castle Part 2

Ain ended up holding Chris’ hand. Suddenly feeling bad, he let go apologetically.

This seemed to annoy Chris slightly, and she puckered her lips to express her feelings.

“Ah-ahaha… Well, shall we go, Ain-sama?”

“Um, where exactly are we going?”

Chris had somehow regained a bit of her composure.

She still looked tense, but she stood beside Ain and started walking.

Was it her clothes? Or her demeanor?

The atmosphere felt different than before. Ain gauged the distance between them as they walked side by side.

(How should I put it? Closer than usual… maybe?)

Not quite shoulder to shoulder.

Just a subtle distance where the backs of their hands might brush.

Perhaps only a few centimeters, yet the difference felt immense.

This slight change made her scent and breath seem almost tangible, making her presence feel closer than ever.

“This is the room prepared for you last night. Your meal has been brought in. Shall we eat while it’s still warm?”

“Huh? Did you know we were coming back?”

“Not exactly, but I had a feeling that Ain-sama might return.”

“…Impressive intuition. Thank you.”

The sound of footsteps—thud, thud—echoed across the pitch-black carpet.

The ticking of the clock seemed louder.

Perhaps because it was cold outside, the voices of the two echo clearly down the Demon Lord’s castle corridor.

Cain and Sylvia should have been here just moments ago. Not even their presence could be felt now.

“Changing the subject… How are the people of Strohm doing?”

“Hmm, how… I wonder.”

Nearly a week had already passed.

Once he returned, his schedule would be packed with preparations for the festival and meetings about Ist.

Given that, wouldn’t Strohm be swamped with these matters?

“I think word has reached the old men in the capital, too. About the red dragon, you know. They said they’d come to Strohm for my birthday at the end of the year, so they might be discussing that, too.”

“Yeah, hah… Before long, things just kept getting busier and busier.”

“Compared to the Heim War or Anon, though, it’s easier. I guess I never imagined it would turn out like this either.”

It was supposed to be his chance to gain governance experience as a lord.

It was a sneaky use of power, but they were thinking about specialty products. Growth as an emerging city had just begun when these recent meddlers came along.

“Probably, but won’t the Red Dragon issue be impossible to resolve quickly?”

“I feel the same way. We’ll send pursuers everywhere. Honestly, once this is over, I probably won’t be able to move around much for a while.”

In other words, his duties as a lord would likely take precedence.

As both Crown Prince and Lord, he couldn’t move about freely anyway.

(Well, it’s not like I’ve ever been given much freedom to begin with.)

Eventually, the two arrived at the prepared room.

The door had its usual distinctive feel: a deep brown panel intricately carved with elaborate patterns.

Chris stepped forward, opened the door, and let Ain pass inside.

“Thank you.”

The room was spacious—too spacious, really, for just the two of them.

It followed the standard layout of master and servant quarters, with the salon typically separating their bedrooms.

Food was laid out on the table in the center of the room, its aroma tantalizing their senses.

They sat facing each other and reached for the food placed before them.

“Ah, speaking of which. How was the dungeon you visited with Cain-sama?”

“…It was quite an incredible place in many ways.”

“In many ways?”

What should he do?

Could he mention that it was the dungeon associated with divine abductions?

(No, no, no… I couldn’t possibly say that.)

It was the place where Chris’ sister, Celestina, had vanished.

Could he tell her that? Thinking about it, it seemed nearly impossible.

It felt ungrateful, but more than that, he didn’t want to worry her.

(…I’ll phrase it differently.)

After a few seconds’ pause, he replied…

“It seems it was there even when Cain was a skeleton. It felt incredibly ancient yet strangely mystical inside.”

“So it has that long of a history. It might be a new discovery.”

“There were monsters I’d never seen before, and they combined, too. It was pretty lively. Oh, come to think of it, I picked up this thing, too.”

He pulled out a fragment of stone pavement from his pocket.

It was made of the same material Chris had seen just the other day at the Ancient Biological Research Institute.

“Why would the same material be used in that lab?”

“I don’t know. But I still think the Red Dragon is involved.”

“…Huh? Ain-sama, you said it’s related to the Red Dragon?”

“I did… Is there a problem with that?”

At that moment, Ain hadn’t realized he had slipped up.

He’d answered only to share information, but he shouldn’t have mentioned the Red Dragon.

Chris stood up without saying anything and sat down beside Ain.

“I’d appreciate it if you could answer honestly. What’s the name of the dungeon you went to today?”

(That was a slip.)

A smile lit up her entire face.

Could there be any man she couldn’t charm? Her gem-like smile made you think just that.

However, her hands had shifted positions unnoticed and were now resting on Ain’s upper thigh and the hem of his clothes.

(Th-though, from the outside, it might look passionate…)

Of course, the reality was different.

She was pressuring him to ensure that Ain didn’t overlook it and that things didn’t become muddled up.

Ain slowly set down his dishes and tried to quietly avert his gaze, but—

“Ain-sama? You can hear me, right?”

He mustn’t underestimate the gravity of the situation.

With the dungeon’s legends and her own experience, she has absolutely no intention of overlooking this.

Her arm was tugged firmly, and Ain finally met her gaze.

“The name is the Spirited Away Dungeon. But hey! I only heard about it after I went in, okay!?”

“Is that true? You’re not lying, are you?”

“I’m so unlucky! I heard about it from Cain-san after I got there. I even tried to go home once…”

In the end, she pressed on through the dungeon because his words felt credible.

After carefully explaining each step of the sequence, Chris reluctantly let go of her hand.

“What are you going to tell His Majesty and Her Majesty? And what about Krone-san and the others?”

Chris, head bowed, took a deep breath and addressed the source of her worry.

“I think I have to tell them exactly what happened, but what should I do?”

“Seriously, then why did you try to cover it up earlier? I understand how you feel, but…”

Cain and Sylvia.

They had explored the dungeon for several days and still turned out fine.

This settled Chris’ mind considerably.

Despite the unsettling conversation, the two slowly ate their late dinner.

Sometimes they chatted aimlessly. Sometimes they reminisced about the past. Suddenly, the door to the room was knocked on.

The timing was perfect; it happened just as they finished eating.

“Is it Sylvia-sama…? I’ll check.”

When Chris stood up and opened the door, Sylvia stood there alone, just as she expected.

“Hello. Both of you.”

Sylvia approached the sofa where they had been sitting.

She had Chris sit down and then took a seat beside her.

“How was the meal?”

“It was delicious. But who cooked it?”

“Chris-san and I did. Right, Chris-san?”

Chris nodded shyly.

The way she tugged at her skirt hem was undeniably endearing.

Sylvia smiled at her bashful expression, then cleared her throat and composed herself.

“Well, then. I’ll tell you everything I know about the legend of the Black Dragon.”

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