Kays Translations

[SS] Enjoying Tea Again After a Year

As with the other side stories, its exact place in the chronology should not be taken too strictly. This episode occurs before the bandit incident.

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One day, Ren was visiting the Imperial Capital.

A row of stalls surrounding a square with a large fountain caught his attention. Just as he was about to approach one that sold warm drinks, he noticed Fiona and Edgar nearby.

They had just emerged from a large building beside the fountain.

“R-Ren-kun?”

Fiona’s lustrous black hair stood out beautifully against her white coat. Her surprise made the beret tilted over her head and the necklace at her chest sway slightly.

She hurried toward him.

“I am sorry. I did not expect to meet you here, so you startled me.”

“Actually, I was surprised too.”

“Really? You look completely calm, Ren-kun.”

“That is only because I am desperately hiding it.”

Fiona smiled at his feigned solemnity.

“What brings you here, Fiona-sama? I saw you and Edgar-san leaving that building.”

“I had some work to do for House Ignat. The institution in that building is connected to my father’s duties, so I went in his place today.”

Edgar, who stood beside her, bowed and exchanged greetings with Ren.

“Were you shopping, Ren-dono?”

“Yes. I came to buy reference books for the entrance examinations. I was just about to return home.”

Meeting here was a coincidence, but if Fiona was returning to her dormitory, Ren could escort her part of the way.

“Unless you are traveling by carriage, may I walk you back to the dormitory?”

“I am very happy you offered, but I still have some work remaining.”

Apparently, she had stepped outside only to take a short break and breathe the fresh air.

Edgar interjected.

“Fiona-sama has completed everything assigned to her. She may return to the dormitory without concern.”

“But—”

“The remaining tasks are minor and belong to the duties the marquis entrusted to me. Fiona-sama must also prepare for the examination that concludes her first year, so please give that priority.”

Ren remembered that Fiona would soon advance to the academy’s next year and had one final examination ahead of her.

“If Ren-dono remains at your side, there is also no concern regarding your escort,” Edgar added.

“Then I will accompany her to the dormitory,” Ren said.

Fiona did not burden the moment with excessive hesitation. She accepted honestly and looked pleased.

Edgar returned to the building, leaving Ren and Fiona alone.

Before they began walking, Fiona’s gaze drifted toward the drinks stall Ren had noticed earlier. Perhaps the scent of tea had drawn her attention.

“You look tired,” Ren said. “Shall we have some tea first?”

“May we?”

Her eyes brightened with expectation.

“No one will punish you for enjoying tea after work. Out of curiosity, what time did you begin this morning?”

“I rose before sunrise and spent about two hours preparing before I started.”

“…Then we are definitely having tea before you go back.”

He had not expected her working day to begin so early.

“There is a small park nearby. We can drink there and then continue to the dormitory.”

“Ren-kun, you really do know the Imperial Capital well.”

They approached the stall and greeted its owner. A simple menu on the counter listed the tea leaves and their regions of origin.

Ren chose without hesitation. The same tea had been available as a consumable item in The Legend of the Seven Heroes, where it restored a small amount of stamina.

“Which one will you have, Ren-kun?” Fiona asked.

“I think I will try this.”

“Then I will have the same one.”

Ren thought she could have taken more time to choose, but said nothing and ordered two servings.

The steaming drinks were soon handed over.

“Careful. They are hot,” the stallkeeper warned.

“Thank you. I will leave the money on the counter.”

Ren paid before Fiona could reach for her purse.

“W-Wait! You are already escorting me. I should pay.”

“I wanted to treat you. Please do not worry about it.”

He said it with his usual calm smile. Continuing to argue would have made the matter awkward, so Fiona accepted the cup in both hands.

“Thank you for the tea.”

She looked up at Ren with a shy, graceful smile.

The cups were not made of pottery, wood, or paper. They were simply the two halves of a large nut shell.

A common building tree in Leomel had a cultivated variety that produced these fruits. Once completely dried, the inside became hollow. Stallkeepers could split them in two, and the natural oils repelled liquid for a short time. Because the shells were inexpensive, they were commonly used as disposable containers.

Their only drawback was the rounded bottom, which had to be shaved flat if one wanted to set the cup on a table.

Remembering this trivia, Ren led Fiona through the streets.

In less than ten minutes they reached a small park in a back alley. It had a roofed terrace where people could sit in winter without being covered in snow. Apart from Ren and Fiona, only a few small children were playing nearby.

“Oh… This tea is delicious.”

Fiona blew gently across its surface before each sip. Steam mingled with the winter air around the cup held between her hands.

Ren sat opposite her and tasted his own drink.

The restorative effect was surprisingly noticeable. He had been visiting the Lion’s Holy Office whenever he had time since the beginning of the year, and some part of his body was almost always sore. The ache eased slightly.

“You could have chosen your own tea more slowly,” he said with a wry smile.

“I only wanted to try the same one as you.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Really.”

Fiona answered cheerfully. She clearly liked the tea, so Ren decided there was no need to think further about her choice.

After a short silence, Fiona seemed to remember something. Still holding the nut-shell cup in both hands, she looked up at Ren uncertainly.

“May I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“Do you still remember what happened in the Baldor Mountains?”

“I even remember the climb before I met you. What about it?”

Fiona cleared her throat.

“Do you remember the tea I made?”

Ren recalled the night after the suspension bridge collapsed, while they were searching for another route down the mountain. Fiona had brewed tea during their camp.

He also remembered that it had been extraordinarily astringent.

“It was wonderfully fragrant. I can still remember it clearly.”

“And the taste?”

“It was delicious. Remarkably so.”

“Truly? It was not difficult to drink?”

“Not at all.”

His immediate, overly forceful reply made it obvious that he was trying to spare her feelings.

Still, Ren did not believe he was lying. He had genuinely enjoyed the tea at the time. It had simply been very astringent.

“I have practiced many times since then,” Fiona said. “I hoped that someday I could make tea for you again—and make it properly delicious this time.”

Naturally, she meant that she wanted to prepare it for Ren.

“I studied so it would not be as bitter and astringent as before.”

“It was certainly a little astringent, but that does not mean it tasted bad—ah.”

“So you did notice! I knew it myself, but it really was too astringent, was it not?”

“It was still delicious.”

“But it was difficult to drink.”

“…I liked the taste.”

After revealing the truth, Ren’s gentle attempt to reassure her could not deceive Fiona. Even so, his kindness warmed her. The way he quietly looked aside while defending the tea was unexpectedly endearing, and her expression softened.

“You truly are kind, Ren-kun.”

A faint blush colored Fiona’s cheeks.

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