“It looked like some sort of macabre artifact straight out of a horror story! I didn’t know who brought it, and I was afraid I’d be cursed to death if I didn’t eat the burdock!”
“Oh, so you did eat it. Thank you, that makes me very happy.” Yuffie bowed repeatedly. Catherine nearly fell from shock.
“Ugh… Whatever. I’m starting to feel like an idiot for getting so angry.”
“I-I’m sorry for upsetting you?”
“Anyway! Next time you give me burdock, just do it like a normal person. And…” After scratching her cheek, Catherine continued under her breath, “…the burdock salad this morning was delicious too. Please make it again when you have time.”
Yuffie’s face brightened at her words. “Yes! Of course!”
She looked so happy that Catherine sighed as if the anger had been sucked out of her. “All right, ladies, we’re leaving.”
“R-Right behind you!”
Taking her entourage with her, Catherine walked away.
She was sort of terrifying, but she ate the burdock and the burdock salad… So Lady Catherine must be a good person… Yuffie wiggled her fingers in relief.
Lyle piped up then. “I might be missing something here, but do you actually know each other?”
“Not exactly. We’re just two souls bound by burdock.”
“Huh… I’m definitely missing something, but I’m glad things didn’t escalate.”
“Ack! I’m so, so, so sorry for all the trouble I caused.”
“Don’t worry about it. That was just Lady Catherine being jealous, so there’s nothing you need to apologize for.”
Ugh… His kindness is dazzling…! Yuffie almost covered her eyes, afraid of being blinded.
“If we’re done here, Lyle, let’s hop to it. I need meat in me stat, or my sore muscles won’t recover from my morning training.”
“You never get tired of torturing yourself, hm, Jack? Oh, I just had a brilliant idea.” Lyle looked at her and asked, “How about we have lunch together, Yuffie?”
“Huh…?”
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“OH, dear, so that’s what happened,” Erina remarked, her tone comforting after Yuffie told her what happened with Catherine. Her eyes shone with sympathy and affection. “What a disaster. You poor thing.”
Erina’s soft hand stroked her head gently and had a mother’s soothing warmth. Even as she relished the touch, she couldn’t help her awkwardness as she replied.
“Ha ha ha… It was a very bad time…”
The reason for her stiff expression had to do with where they were: the school’s special dining hall. Only high-ranking nobles were allowed to enter. The ceiling was, of course, decorated with a magnificent chandelier, and the tables and chairs were so luxurious that just one piece would sell for a fortune if someone had a mind to help themself to it. The garden looked lush and dazzling from the windows lining one entire wall, making the location feel both open and opulent at the same time.
If Lyle hadn’t invited her to lunch, Yuffie would never have been here. It was a stark contrast to the courtyard she usually sat in for lunch, so the glittering and gorgeous atmosphere was something she could…not enjoy.
Imagine getting expelled over burdock… Keep it together, girl.
Yuffie ate her burdock salad with the same care an archaeologist dedicated to an ancient ruin. As a commoner, she worried that she might spill sauce on the table and be charged an insane amount for cleaning fees.
“I wish Edward and Noah could have eaten with us too, but they couldn’t get away from the mountain of student council duties.” Lyle was eating his lunch with a calm expression.
Yuffie was more interested in his food than his words. What in the world have I been eating up until now…
It was so fancy that it made her question her own dietary choices. The first thing that caught her eye was the golden, sparkling seafood paella. A medley of shrimp, scallops, and squid was beautifully arranged on top of the rice, cooked to perfection, with the sweet and fragrant aroma of saffron wafting through the air. Other dishes included tender roast duck breast, a colorful salad of fresh vegetables, and chocolate mousse sprinkled with gold leaf. The special course designed by a top chef hardly looked like a typical school lunch.
Yuffie’s stomach growled at the delicious scents rising to tickle her nostrils.
So this is what rich people eat for lunch…! She found herself feeling overwhelmed and astonished by how extraordinary everything was. But she also felt another kind of tension. Ugh… My nerves are getting to me…
This was the first time in her life that she shared a meal with someone other than her family and teachers. Eating alone had been the norm until now, so Yuffie didn’t know if there was a right way to eat with others.
I’m so worried I might do something rude by accident… Gah! Maybe I’m eating too fast?! Her hands shook as anxiety tightened her chest.
“By the way, Yuffie, is that all you’re eating?” Erina asked, looking at the burdock salad.
“Oh, yes, that’s right.”
“Are you on a diet?”
“No?”
“No way that’s enough food,” Jack observed while stuffing his mouth with gobs of thickly sliced steak. The meat, carefully grilled over charcoal, was lean and looked like just the thing for building muscle.
“This was all I had, so…” Because I overslept this morning.
Her words startled Erina, and her expression was of someone who had just realized something.
“Don’t tell me that’s all you eat in your dorm too…?”
“That’s right. This is what I’ve been eating for the past few days.” Because I still have a ton of burdock I brought from home.
The other three froze at her nonchalant response. Then they glanced between their sumptuous meals and her lunch, looking uneasy.
Ummm… Did I say something weird…?
When Erina started crying, that only deepened her confusion.
“Yuffie, you’re a growing girl who needs to eat a lot, yet here you are… Goodness, I can’t even imagine how much your family had to scrimp and save in order for you to enroll in the Academy…” she spoke as she wiped her eyes with a handkerchief.
“It’s the duty of royalty to make sure the people have enough to eat… I can’t believe we have citizens in such dire straits… I’m sorry I didn’t realize until now, Yuffie.” Lyle looked at her like she was an abandoned child.
“Huh? What? Why are you apologizing to me?”
Jack thrusting a mountain of meat at her didn’t help alleviate her confusion either.
“Um, Jack…?”
“Eat it. I’d feel like an actual loser if the person who kicked my ass had to eat like a pauper.”
“N-N-N-No, I can’t do that to you!”
SWISH!
Next came paella and roast duck.
“It’s not much, but here’s some from me too.”
“L-Lord Lyle…?!”
SWISH!
“I’ll share with you, too.”
“Erina, not you too!”
Yuffie stared wide-eyed at the growing pile of food in front of her.
“My food should be served to people like this…” Even the chef standing behind her said the same thing in a tearful voice.
I-I’m pretty sure this is a huge misunderstanding…
But it wasn’t the right time to say that out loud. Normally, she would have felt terrible about accepting everyone’s lunch. However, the opportunity to eat such sumptuous dishes was a rare one, and above all, she couldn’t ignore their kindness.
“Then… I gratefully accept…” Half-surrendering to her appetite, Yuffie put a thick slice of meat from Jack into her mouth.
Her eyes popped wide in an instant—the delicious flavor of the red meat spread throughout her mouth. The spiciness of the black pepper used in the seasoning brought out the richness of the cut, and the sweetness of the onion sauce left an amazing aftertaste. As she chewed, she felt like the combination of the meat and sauce was enveloping all five of her senses. Then she swallowed and said with a bright smile, “It’s… delicious…”
“Damn right it is! The chefs here are amazing at cooking meat.” Jack crossed his arms in satisfaction.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve had meat…” Since I love vegetables more. As Yuffie reached for another piece, Erina couldn’t help but hug her. “E-Erina…?”
“Oh, don’t mind me. Just take your time and savor your meal.”
“A-All right…?”
I have a feeling this is only making the misunderstanding worse…
Still, Yuffie didn’t resist her friend’s irresistible aura of kindness as she stuffed more meat into her mouth with gusto.
Next time, I’ll have to thank them all with a burdock salad.
Such were the thoughts running through her head while she enjoyed a lunch beyond her means.
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