Chapter 273: A Date (Yuri’s Perspective) ②
“Alright, Rest! We’ve arrived at our destination!”
“Oh…”
Yuri had brought Rest to a hill located a short distance from the Royal Capital. The gently sloping hill was covered in lush greenery, and the sky above was high and clear, offering a refreshing view.
“Isn’t it amazing? I found this place while I was out running the other day!”
Yuri said this with a proud puff of her chest. Finally freed from the princess carry, Rest let out a sigh.
“Indeed, it’s a beautiful view… But I must say, you really came all the way out here just for a run?”
There was quite a distance from the Royal Capital to the hill. Even though Yuri was a sports prodigy and in excellent health, this was more than just a casual jog.
“Well, it was a coincidence. I usually run through the streets of the Royal Capital every morning, but I decided to take a different route this time and ended up here.”
“Just by changing one corner? You found this place?”
No matter how he looked at it, it didn’t seem like a spot one would stumble upon so easily. Besides, how did she manage to get outside the city walls without noticing?
“Well, it is a nice view… though it’s a bit chilly for the season.”
“Yeah, I should have come here in a warmer season. The weather is nice, but the wind is cold.”
“That’s true… then, let’s activate the Barrier.”
Rest cast a spell, and a transparent dome enveloped the two of them, blocking out the cold air from outside. He made sure not to completely halt the airflow, as that would lead to suffocation; he only suppressed the cold air from entering.
“Oh? It’s not cold anymore?”
“That should do the trick. Let’s relax for a bit.”
“Yeah, sounds good! I brought a lunch, so let’s eat!”
Yuri pulled out a lunchbox from the bag she had been carrying. She opened a rather large box in front of Rest.
“I woke up early this morning to make this! Believe it or not, I’m quite good at cooking!”
“Is that so…? I must say, that’s unexpected…”
He had no image of her being skilled in the kitchen. In fact, he could only recall various mishaps she had caused in the past.
(After all, I was fed worm meat, and there were times I almost had to eat bugs… Is this lunch safe?)
“Now, dig in! This is my pride and joy!”
“Oh… it looks rather brown…”
As Yuri opened the large lunchbox, a variety of brown dishes were revealed. There were no colorful vegetables like parsley or cherry tomatoes in sight. The contents were all meat: grilled meat, hamburgers, fried chicken, tonkatsu, yakitori… it was a feast of meat. Moreover, the quantity was excessive. Even for two people, there was more than enough packed inside, threatening to burst the lunchbox at the seams.
“Well, it certainly looks like it would provide a lot of stamina…”
“I thought you looked tired, Rest! So I packed in plenty of nutritious food!”
“True, it’s definitely nutritious… though it seems a bit unbalanced.”
“Don’t worry, I also brought sandwiches! Make sure to eat those too.”
From another lunchbox, she produced sandwiches: egg salad and a BLT. The sight of the vegetables nestled between the bread brought him a bit of relief.
“Alright, there’s plenty, so don’t hold back!”
“…Thank you for the meal.”
Regardless of the contents and quantity… at least this time, there were no bugs or monsters included. The meat appeared to be chicken, beef, and pork. It should be safe to eat.
“……Delicious.”
The richly seasoned meat was tender and surprisingly well-prepared. Rest had trusted Yuri’s palate, knowing she had a discerning taste, but it seemed her cooking had improved as well.
“I’ve been learning from Primula and the chefs of the Rosemary Marquis House. They say I have a good aptitude for it!”
“Is that so…? Now that you mention it, you do have a good memory.”
Even at the academy, despite her free-spirited nature, she had shown a knack for studying and a desire to learn. It seemed she was progressing quickly in her culinary skills too. The quantity might have seemed excessive, but Rest was a teenage boy, and Yuri, despite being a girl, had quite the appetite, so they polished off the contents of the lunchbox in no time.
“Ah, that was delicious… thank you for the meal.”
“You’re welcome! I’m so glad you enjoyed it.”
“I’m already full… and I’m starting to feel sleepy.”
The sky was blue, and the surrounding hills and plains were lush with greenery. Lying down here for a nap would surely be incredibly pleasant.
“Ah, that was part of the plan.”
Yuri smiled as she patted her lap. With a mischievous grin, she beckoned Rest with her other hand, saying, “Come here, come here!”
“I even prepared a pillow for you. Feel free to use it!”
“……Seriously?”
It was undoubtedly an exquisite pillow. After all, it was the lap of the daughter of the Cattleya Marquis House. Rest hesitated, wondering if he should refuse… but honestly, they had shared a bed before, so feeling shy about it now seemed pointless.
“……Well then, I’ll take you up on that offer.”
Rest lay down as invited, resting his head on Yuri’s thigh.