Chapter 30
Unexpectedly, he laughed.
“Yes, we all heard it clearly, your stomach singing.”
“Singing? You don’t have to say it like that!”
“Anyway, officially, I made the sound. So it’s okay, isn’t it?”
“Officially or unofficially, what does it matter?”
“If it’s rumored that I brought you here and starved you, I’m in trouble. It’s a matter of my reputation.”
“I didn’t know a kidnapper cared so much about his reputation.”
Listening to Rosetta’s sarcasm, Rashid brought a towel and a bowl of water. He dampened the towel and began to wipe Rosetta’s face.
Rosetta realized that the soot from the fireplace earlier had gotten on her face as well. With soot smeared on her face, the sight of her walking around barefoot would have made her look like a beggar.
After wiping her face a few times, Rashid stepped back. Rosetta thought that was the end of it, but he placed a bucket of water at the foot of the bed and sat down in front of her, then grabbed her ankles and began washing her feet.
“What are you doing…”
Rosetta tried to pull away, but the strong grip on her ankles prevented her from moving an inch.
As he poured water over the top of her foot, he said, “You got hurt because of me. This is my way of thanking you for saving my mother’s keepsake.”
His tone was serious, not the playful one from earlier. Rosetta quickly realized it was something similar to what she’d said the last time she’d tended to his wound.
Rosetta’s expression quickly darkened again.
“I didn’t even save it entirely, it was already almost burnt out…”
“I told you, it’s not as precious as you think it is.”
Rashid rubbed Rosetta’s soft feet with his callused hands.
“I only carry it with me because it’s been with me since the beginning. If it were truly precious, I’d keep it out of reach. For only me to see and only me to touch.”
But it’s the only thing her mother left behind, and it can’t be as insignificant as he just said, Rosetta thought.
“You were so angry in the kitchen earlier that you drew your sword.”
Rashid looked at Rosetta a little puzzled, and he quickly realized that she had misunderstood. She didn’t speak Ardennes, so she didn’t know what he had said.
“That’s not what made me angry. I had no idea what was going on until you showed me the cloth you were holding. I just thought the people in the castle were harassing you.”
“Harassing me? No, they weren’t. Thelma and Benny were all nice to me.”
“Because of the incident with Krell, seeing you in a place like that, dressed like that, anyone would have thought the same thing.”
“……”
Rosetta ducked her head again and stared blankly at his head as he wiped her feet.
After all, according to his words, it was because of me that he was so angry.
How could this man be so angry at them for my sake? He has seen the people in this castle all his life. Unlike me, they will be with him for years to come. So it must have been difficult for him to point his sword at them, even if he saw me suffering an injustice.
“Never do that again.”
His voice rang out suddenly, and she met his blue eyes. There was a sincere warning in his eyes.
“Remember, this isn’t your hometown. There are people out there who hate you, and you could get yourself killed. I’ll protect you as long as I’m around, but when I’m not, you’re on your own.”
“You’ll protect me?”
Last time, he said he would never save me even if my life was in danger. He said he wouldn’t risk his life for a woman like his father did, even if it was for his real wife.
So, it was surprising to hear those words come out of his mouth.
Rashid hesitated for a moment, but then he said, “Yes, when I am with you, I will protect you. But when I’m not, you’re on your own. Don’t do anything dangerous like you did today, but if you find yourself in a dangerous situation, escape it somehow. Learn to ride and escape on horseback, or learn to fight with a sword.”
Rosetta looked at him, and a slight smile crossed her face. Then she smiled brightly and nodded.
“Okay, thank you, Rashid.”
Rashid smiled back at her, and as they stared at each other, there was a sudden awkwardness in the air.
“……”
“……”
Rashid lowered his head again and began washing Rosetta’s feet. Rosetta rolled her eyes and wiggled her toes in amusement. He stopped abruptly as her toes wiggled in his hands.
“……”
“……”
For some reason, they both froze in place. Rosetta stuttered and apologized hastily.
“I- I’m sorry, I’ll be still now.”
Rashid began to wash her feet again, but the atmosphere remained awkward. Every time his hand brushed against her stiff toes, Rosetta felt a strangely persistent tickling sensation, a tingling that traveled further and further up her legs.
In the eerie silence, except for the splashing of water, her breathing sounded unusually loud. To avoid him hearing her breathing, Rosetta inhaled as little as possible and exhaled as quickly as possible.
As she continued to do so, her breathing became increasingly difficult. Just as she was about to pass out from shortness of breath, there was a knock on the door, fortunately.
“I brought you dinner…”
Thelma held a tray full of assorted food in her hands, as did Benny, who stood behind her. As they walked through the door, they stopped dead in their tracks when they saw Rashid down on one knee, washing Rosetta’s feet. Their eyes widened rapidly.
“…Master Rashid.”
After a moment, Thelma said in a calm voice.
Unlike Thelma, who had regained her composure, Benny’s jaw was still hanging open.
Meanwhile, Rashid had finished cleaning Rosetta’s feet. He wrapped her feet in a clean towel and stood up.
“Leave it there.”
Thelma placed the tray’s food on the table. Benny closed her mouth and followed suit, hastily setting the food down.
“If you need anything later, just call me.”
And with that, the two quickly disappeared from the room. When it was just the two of them again, Rosetta spoke up brightly.
“Wow, this looks really good. Come to think of it, this is the first time I’ve ever eaten a real meal with you.”
Rosetta slid off the bed and walked toward the table. She was still barefoot, but the carpet on the floor kept her feet warm.
Rashid immediately pulled out a chair for her. After he helped her into the chair, Rosetta looked at the food on the table.
The plates were filled with everything from bread to meat, vegetables, and seafood. But there was one dish she had never seen before: a creature with a bent back and many legs.
“What is this?”
As she was about to stab it with her fork to show it to him, she realized she had bandages on both hands.
“Ah…”
Rosetta felt like crying. With her hands like this, it was impossible to feed herself.
Food is here and I can’t eat it, how can this be?
While Rosetta was in the midst of the biggest predicament of her life, Rashid sat down in front of her.
“You’ve never seen a shrimp before?”
“Shrimp? You mean these are shrimp?”
Originally, in the Lisa Kingdom, seafood was not enjoyed very much. Only some fish were eaten, and other types of seafood were considered to be eaten only by those of low social status.
It was partly because the location of Terra, the capital, was far from the sea, but it was also because there were always plenty of things to eat besides seafood.
But here, by the sea, it shouldn’t be so strange to be surrounded by seafood.
Rosetta stuttered, not wanting him to think it was strange. “Well, it’s just that I don’t usually eat it because of my family’s diet…”
Rashid had just started slicing with his knife and fork what Rosetta had pointed out. In an instant, the thin skin covering the meat was peeled off.
He forked the white, plump meat of the shrimp and held it out to Rosetta.
“…you want me to eat like this?” Rosetta’s eyes widened.
“You can’t eat with your own hands, can you?”
“I can’t, but…”
Still, she couldn’t bring herself to take a bite, so Rosetta tried to hold the fork with her bandaged hand somehow, and that’s when Rashid narrowed his eyes.
“Shall I call the people who just left to come back in?”
Rosetta nodded, looking very pleased. “Yes. I’d rather have Thelma or Benny feed me…”
“No, I mean do you want to eat like this in front of them?”
“……”
Rosetta looked at him with a despairing expression.
“You must be very hungry.”
Eventually, Rosetta cautiously opened her mouth to take the food he offered her. Chewing the shrimp very carefully at first, she soon exclaimed to Rashid with stars sparkling all over her face.
“It’s delicious. I honestly thought it looked like a bug at first!”
Contrary to her expectations, the shrimp tasted light and fresh. And the chewy texture was unlike anything she’d ever had before.
Rosetta pointed to a large clam.
“That one, I want to eat that.”