71 – Scene 071# Student Cafeteria

*

“… … .”

Across from me sat Bella humming a song.

Eating alone with her was not awkward.

only… .

“This is my first time… .”

“Whoops… . It seemed so. I came here with Blanche the other day, and it’s absolutely delicious. here.”

Bella replied as if she had been waiting.

The place where she came to the office and offered to buy a meal was the student cafeteria of Meikahel University.

A place for students who are light on their pockets at an affordable price.

Most of the students are children of aristocrats, so you might wonder what kind of restaurant this is, but there are also nobles and commoners who are in trouble.

There must be an inexpensive restaurant in the school.

Befitting its reputation as the most prestigious university in the empire, it boasted a high level of satisfaction for its price.

Because of this, it was now the most visited place in the school, regardless of the rich or poor.

Of course, all the money to run this student cafeteria comes from Ruelberta.

No wonder it is popular with students.

Even though it was past lunchtime, there were quite a few students who came to eat here.

There was no law saying that the chairman of the board or faculty members could not dine here.

However, the eyes of the students were somewhat stingy.

That’s how the two of us stood out.

One is the head of the notorious Ruelberta family and the school’s board president.

Another is the princess of the prestigious Isakhel family and the most beautiful woman in the story.

Even ex-fiancée.

It’s not often that you see a combination of two people like that eating side by side.

Especially if it’s a student cafeteria.

“It must have been time to come out soon.”

Either way, Bella was humming as if she was enjoying the situation.

And then it was. A huge shadow appeared between the two of us.

“Excuse me… !”

“oh?”

A muscular man wearing an apron, he was the chef here.

The food he ordered was served to the table with a stiff attitude.

“Ugh, Colonel Food! This is the food we take pride in making at our restaurant. I hope the food will suit the two of you… !”

“Yes… ? I don’t think he even served himself last time… ? Besides, there is too much food… .”

“This is my service! Don’t be afraid to eat… !”

There was a lot of spirit on the chef’s shoulders.

maybe it’s because of me

He must have heard of my notoriety along with the title of chairman.

Come to think of it, Tristan, who couldn’t have appeared here, suddenly appeared.

A situation where the operation of this restaurant could be influenced by my mood.

It was as if the crisis of a lifetime had come to the chef.

He was looking at me with anxious eyes that did not match his size.

I opened my mouth.

“I will eat well.”

“Yes, yes! thank you!”

“However.”

“… Deposit!?”

The cook, who was about to turn around, stopped.

At first glance, his back was wet from work or from nervousness.

“… When I checked, the restaurant was in the red.”

“… Huh?! uh, that’s… .”

The chef had an expression that said something was coming.

“Since last year, the unit price of materials has risen a lot… . I can’t even raise the price… .”

“I know that.”

“Yes?”

I asked the cook with an expressionless face.

“What I want to ask is why didn’t you tell me about it?”

Then the cook’s face turned pale.

“Sorry, sorry… ! I can’t talk about the budget carelessly… .”

“Not only that, they cut the salaries of you and the cooks working there starting this month. How long did you think you could last with such a shallow method?”

“… … .”

It was a fact that I found out yesterday while checking the school’s financial status.

The chef couldn’t say anything with a look on his face asking if he knew that.

“I am not blind.”

“I am really sorry… . It’s entirely my fault… .”

I looked at the food on the table.

Each dish was prepared with sincerity.

It must have been that they consistently maintained the quality of their dishes despite difficult financial difficulties.

I muttered quietly.

“This restaurant is not originally run in hopes of making a profit. Nevertheless, the fact that it was operating in the black not too long ago must mean that the chef and cooks are excellent.”

I said to the cook, who awaited his fate with his head bowed.

“Let’s increase the budget.”

“Yes… ?”

“Apply for the amount of budget needed by the foundation today.”

I recognized their efforts.

I was thinking of paying enough for that effort. in the best way I can.

“Then I’ll give you a budget twice as much as that.”

“… … Two, twice as much?!”

“yes. With that budget, run it as you please. So that more students can find this place.”

I could have heard Arthur say it, but it didn’t matter.

Because this place was well worth it.

“thank you… . thank you… .”

The muscular chef knelt down in awe.

Not paying attention to the eyes of the people around him, he lowered his head and cried while shaking his big shoulders.

It seems that the hardships of the past have been greater than I thought.

In the end, the chef bowed his head several times and withdrew.

By the time the indescribable gratitude was fully conveyed to me.

“Huh… .”

A familiar chirping sound was heard.

When I turned around, my eyes met Bella’s.

His eyes, which had been watching all this, were bent like crescent moons.

“It has changed too.”

“… Just eat.”

“Whoop whoop… . Are you ashamed?”

“It cools down.”

“Yes.”

Bella smiled cutely and picked up the food with a fork.

Could it be the influence of the original?

The food on the table was all familiar to me.

“I really like this tteokbokki. I ate here for the first time, and the sweet and spicy taste was really… . I guess it’s amazing.”

that’s me too

A silver-haired foreigner shouting ‘I like it’ over and over again while eating tteokbokki.

Not only tteokbokki, but also ramen, gimbap, sundae, and dumplings, all of which you would find at a Korean snack bar.

“Oops… . Wouldn’t the Count not like this?”

“no. Does not matter.”

Rather miss it.

I never thought I would be able to eat Korean food here.

“Whoops… . You are more frugal than you think. Perhaps I have misunderstood you all this time.”

Bella started examining my face, licking the seasoned fork lightly.

“Huh… . Even just that face right now. After a while, I think I might be able to return to my old self.”

“is it.”

Like she said, she lost a lot of weight.

Because of steady exercise and life-and-death situations, the weight was reduced in an instant.

Now the stigma of being a pig count has become a strange thing.

“What… . Either way I don’t care… .”

“What did you say… ?”

“it’s nothing. whooping… . I just miss it. It reminds me of the old days of you.”

Bella leaned on her chin and looked at me.

Transparent eyes were staring at me through silver eyelashes.

It was a deep look that seemed to see right through me.

I quietly opened my mouth.

“… Is there anything you want to say to me?”

“uh? How did you know?”

“You talked a lot, not like you.”

I figured she must have a reason for inviting me to dinner.

“So if you have something to say, say it now.”

“tooth… . It wasn’t because of that… . big… . Anyway, I’ll tell you what to say. Could you take responsibility for me?”

“responsibility?”

“Yes. As a former fiancé, it is my responsibility.”

I’m going to make some kind of nonsense again… .

As my gaze hardened coldly, Bella sighed.

“These days, since the engagement with the count broke off, marriage talks have been going on here and there. I am tired to death.”

“… Isn’t that a good thing?”

“huh. It’s good. It’s just guys I don’t like. Don’t you know I have high eyes?”

Oh, you did.

Bella’s princess-like personality was still the same.

“anyway! Now that this has happened, I think the only way is for the count to take responsibility.”

“… How do you come to that conclusion?”

Bella cleared her throat.

“Hmmm… . Maybe the explanation wasn’t enough. As I said before, there are a lot of men who are courting these days. But actually, what I don’t like the most is… . The thing is, when I was engaged, no one would have thought of approaching me. So I have no intention of marrying them.”

indeed… . Only then did I understand what was going on.

When Tristan was a fiancé, men who could not touch Bella now rush at her like bees.

“I knew what you meant. But I have no reason to take responsibility.”

“Why? Don’t you feel sorry for me in the count’s eyes?”

Bella leaned over and glared at me.

Under the table, her thin legs touched my lap.

“You are not pitiful.”

“huh. Like a heartless man.”

Then, I frowned.

“… … You have no eating manners.”

“… Did you know that now?”

Bella’s toes were bewitchingly running through the hem of my trousers.

“Whoops… .”

Mischievous eyes were staring at me.

She wants my agitation.

But… .

‘There’s no way.’

My reason, forged by ‘patience’, was very calm.

Her feet touched her skin, but I just looked at her with a ‘arrogant’ attitude.

When this happened, it was Bella who started to blush.

“Huh… . How come you don’t change your expression?”

“Why should I?”

“The Count… . Aren’t you ashamed? Such a pretty woman… . doing things.”

“I would rather ask. Aren’t you ashamed of doing this?”

“huh… .”

In the end, Bella, who couldn’t stand it, took her feet.

“If it was like the old days, I would have crossed over.”

“I’ve never been like that before.”

“That’s Okay. Then listen to my one request.”

“ask?”

After confirming that no one was listening around her, Bella cautiously opened her mouth.

“count. Would you like to go to the Seven Stars Festival with me?”

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