The Guardian Chef

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(?????'s POV)

The Lifeless Vault. This is the name given to the tomb located outside the palisade of the town of Ila Serine. This ancient noble tomb has always been considered the most important ruin within the Kingdom of Yedal since it is the only testimony of the civilization that once ruled these lands. The frescoes that adorn that tomb are historical treasures, as they represent scenes of daily life as well as those that look like rites of various kinds. Due to the goblin settlement, many of these frescoes have been defaced and vandalized, but hope is still high as the Lifeless Vault is not yet fully explored. According to many, the depth of the tomb is still immaculate as many explorers stumbled upon still active traps, and some even lost their lives. The fact is, that everyone is wondering what treasures are hidden beyond those unexplored floors...

****(Arryn's POV)***

“...this concludes the introduction of the tomb that we will visit tomorrow. For the rest of the day you are free to do what you want."

"""""Thanks for the lesson!""""" We answered in chorus

During the morning of the day following our arrival, we were taught the history and especially the importance of the Lifeless Vault. Even though some had their attention clearly on other things, most of us listened to the lesson.

Our 5-day school trip included: arrival and preparation on the first day, the second day a general lesson on the Lifeless Vault, while the third and fourth days would be dedicated to visiting the tomb.

"*Yawm* It's finally over." Ishgat yawned

"Fufufu. You are not suited for study, are you?"

"I'm not inclined to sit for too long doing nothing." she stated "And to be honest, I don't find anything interesting about visiting a tomb."

"Oh, dear!" Bassilla exclaimed amused

"Fufu." I chuckled amused at that exchange "What are you going to do this afternoon?"

"I was hoping to take a nap." Ishgat stated, yawning again

"So you will stay up all night?" Bassilla asked sarcastically "I was hoping you could take me to town to look for some souvenirs."

"Ugh. Is this how you relieve stress?"

"What are you implying?"

"The fact that your father has not yet answered about the situation of Graeval."

When we entered the room yesterday, the first thing Bassilla did was write to her father using the Traveler's Diary, but, naturally, she has not yet received an answer. Maybe, his Majesty learned of it at the same time that Bassilla wrote to him. Hopefully, it will take another couple of days to get news. But as much as she tries to hide it, Bassilla is worried and she also slept a little last night. Well, not that I’m any less.

“Arryn? Hellooooo?"

"Huh?!" I exclaimed returning to reality “I apologize I was lost in thought. What were you saying?"

"I just wanted to know if you would like to join us this afternoon..."

"Sure. I'm very willing-"

"Arryn!"

When I turned around, I saw Ehrendil approaching our little group. He was alone.

"Your Majesty." I greeted him with a bow "How can I help you?"

I noticed that his expression was slightly saddened. Unfortunately, I am no longer able to address him as informally as I once did and this seems to sadden him deeply.

"*Sigh*... I wanted to know if you had plans for this afternoon."

"Oh! How come you want to know?" I asked surprise

"Well, I wanted to invite you to take a tour of the city..." he began and then set his eyes on Bassilla and Ishgat for a moment "alone if possible."

In other words, you're inviting me on a date... I'm surprised. Until now he had never had such an initiative. We had a few moments when I came back where we stayed together, but never us alone since he was often accompanied by Lord Filverel, or other people were added who had to discuss some business with me or Ehrendil, finally, there was also Dessielle who somehow always managed to find us. However... this is the first time he has invited me to date on his initiative.

I turned to look at Bassilla and Ishgat with a troubled expression.

This was a chance to figure out if it was worth giving him another chance despite everything, but I couldn't take back my claim to join Ishgat and Bassilla for shopping... it wouldn't be very polite.

"Unfortunately, I have already accepted the invitation-"

"Don't worry and go ahead." Bassilla said, interrupting me "I think it's right that you spend some time alone with your fiancé. Have a nice date~"

She did not give me time to answer her, that Bassilla headed towards the exit of the hall followed by Ishgat. When I turned back to Ehrendil, I noticed that his expression was grateful and at the same time his face was slightly red, probably from what Bassilla said.

"*Sigh*" I sighed "I accept your invitation with gratitude."

*****

Students have always been allowed a certain freedom of exploration when it comes to educational trips. In the end, the real goal of these trips was not only to introduce students to the historical, artistic, and architectural wonders of the destination but also to allow young nobles to understand what life was like in the smaller and rural cities that have a lifestyle different from that of the big cities they are used to, in the hope that they can understand and try to improve the lives of the people of their territory when they inherit their title. Unfortunately, few students understand the real purpose of these trips. After all, students see these opportunities for freedom as an opportunity to go shopping for souvenirs, shop in general... or go on a date with their lover.

In order not to attract attention, simple clothes were prepared in the hotel which is usually worn by ordinary people. For my date, I opted for a brick-colored skirt and white shirt, after tying my hair in a long braid, I covered them with a bandana.

As indicated, in order not to arouse suspicion about my origin as a noble, I went out from the back of the hotel and headed towards the fountain that is in the center of the square. The clear water reflected my image and seeing me in those clothes, memories of the time I spent in Fago resurfaced. The two beastmen Yumi and Dia came to mind with their cheerfulness, the faces of the parents of the Saint who hosted me came to mind... I remembered the moonlight, with Lilith welcoming customers with a beautiful smile and Graeval moving smoothly preparing the ordered dishes. I miss those days. When I had that thought, I instinctively smiled.

"Oh hi~ What is a beautiful girl like you doing here alone?" an elf asked me

"I'm waiting for my boyfriend." I said looking at him with regret "By now he should be here-"

"Arryn!" Ehrendil called me as he ran towards me

"Oh! Here it is!" I said getting up and passing the elf who intended to hit on me "Have a nice day~"

When I greeted him, I saw that he was looking more sorry than surprised and I can swear I even heard him sigh... of relief. He had gathered a lot of courage to try to talk to me.

"You are late." I said once I was close to Ehrendil and leaning towards him "You know it's not nice to make a girl wait?"

“F-forgive me. I got held Sh."

"Hmm~ I understand." Well, it doesn't matter in the end

"Anyway Arryn..." Ehrendil began scratching his cheek and moving his gaze slightly to the side "You look good in those clothes... you are very pretty."

"Thank you..." I answered with a half-smile "you're not bad too."

Ehrendil wears brown breeches with a beige cotton shirt and a dark green sleeveless jacket. To hide his identity, he has put on glasses without lenses and he wears a hat.

"So..." I began taking his hand "where do you want to take me today for our date?"

"O-oh... I was thinking of starting with a tour of the stalls." he said taken aback by my sudden action, which tinged his face with surprise

"Then let’s go."

Pulling it, we headed towards the stalls that stood on the edge of the square.

***(Ehrendil's POV)***

She kept her distance.

Ever since my mother showed me... she told me what Arryn was going through at the academy because of certain rumors......... no... maybe even earlier... her attitude towards me was no longer the same. She wasn't looking for me... she didn't come to tell me what she was going through during the day... we were never alone..... she no longer called me by name. She treated me like a member of the royal family and nothing more.

But when I saw it... when I saw her beautiful smile, which was not for me, it was as if my heart had stopped... Why is it not for me? Why isn't that beautiful smile for me? Why is it not like it used to be?

It's my fault... and I knew that. I knew it, yet why didn't I do anything to try and restore our relationship to what it used to be? Why do I keep allowing Dessiele to keep interrupting our moments? What am I doing?

I'm trying... trying to get our relationship back to what it was before her kidnapping. But her detached and formal attitude towards me has not been scratched even once. Even her smiles... were courtesy.

Today, we had the opportunity to be alone together. Here in Ila Serine, this afternoon, I could try to rebuild our relationship. But when I invited her on the date, at first she seemed to refuse, then Lady Belmont met me urging Arryn to accept my invitation... for that, I am grateful. Although she was... almost forced to accept, it still made me happy and as I chose the clothes, my heart was pounding. Originally, she was supposed to be waiting for me just outside the hotel, but when I got there, there was a servant who gave me a message from her.

"My lord, Lady Lianelis is waiting for you in front of the fountain in the central square."

"Thank you."

I ran out and headed for the place where she said she would wait for me. When I saw her in the distance, I couldn't take my eyes off her. She sat on the edge of the fountain as she watched the water flow, with a nostalgic but affectionate smile. Usually, the sumptuous dresses of the nobility are aimed at demonstrating the elegance and wealth of the house. But those simple dresses in dull colors, combined with the hair gathered in a braid and the dark blue bandana she wore, enhanced her young and feminine features of her... enhanced her being a cheerful, fresh and young girl.

When I saw that one of the commoners was trying to hit on her, I immediately activated and called her, and seeing me she came to meet me

"You are late." she scolded me when I was near "You know it's not nice to keep a girl waiting?"

“F-forgive me. I got herd up." I lied since I had wasted a lot of time deciding what clothes to wear

"Hmm~ I understand."

"Anyway Arryn..." I started scratching her cheek "You look good in those clothes... you are very pretty."

"Thank you..." she replied with a small smile "you're not bad too."

I don't know why, but that smile was strangely charming. Suddenly, she took my hand.

"So, where do you want to take me today for our date?"

"O-oh... I was thinking of starting with a tour of the stalls."

"Then let’s go."

With that statement, she pulled me to the stalls that were nearby. I didn't know what to think anymore... my mind was empty. Compared to Arryn who until recently was formal and detached, this one was completely different. She was as if she had transformed.

Curious, she walked around the stalls with me, asking questions and buying some things to take home as souvenirs.

As we moved towards another street, we heard some music and, intrigued, we headed towards its origin. There was an elf playing a cheerful tune with the lyre while a little dog did some simple acrobatics, making everyone present smile and cheer. Arryn also clapped when the music stopped and then she put a silver coin in the musician's hat.

Continuing our tour, we suddenly ran into a baby crying by the side of the road

“Poor child. What happened?" Arryn asked

"*Sigh* * Sob* I can't find my mom anywhere *Sob*"

"Would you like to look for her with us?" she proposed, holding out her hand

The child accepted Arryn's help and from there began our search for the child's mother and along the way, we stopped occasionally to ask for information about the mother or to buy a snack for the child. There were also times when I carried him on my shoulder because tired of walking and now and then, I could see the people around us looking at us with sweet and amused expressions. We looked like a family.

Eventually, we found the mother desperately looking for her son. After hugging him again, to thank us, she invited us to visit the clothes shop that she owns. There Arryn tried many clothes that were typical for ordinary people but gave her a new and refreshing beauty every time she tried one. In particular, I was fascinated when she tried one with floral motifs and the hair had been untied and collected in a net decorated with many lilies... she looked like a queen of flowers.

In the end, she didn't buy any of the clothes she tried on and instead bought some accessories, such as hair clips, necklaces, or bracelets. However, I noticed that for a necklace with the word "protection" inscribed on it, she had smiled sweetly while her expression was worried.

*****

"Here you go." I said, giving Arryn a glass of juice

"Thank you." she replied to take a sip "Haa~ it was needed." she said ecstatically

"It has started to get hot... now we are towards the beginning of the sixth month of the year" I said sitting next to her

"You’re right. I can’t wait to retire to the family home in the south."

"Are you talking about the villa you own in Yllaluma?"

“That's right. After all, it has a beautiful landscape, the beach is white and the sea is crystal clear. But above all, during the summer season, a pleasant breeze always blows."

"I remember..." I also said, "I remember you getting lost in the labyrinth in the garden and I found you in tears when I got there."

"Don't remind me of that..." she stated, blushing with embarrassment

From there the step was short and we began to talk and recall memories of a past that seemed to me as distant as it was recent.

It was so enjoyable. We were talking like we once did and it was just the two of us, without anyone interrupting us. And today's date was no different: we walked side by side... we held hands... we laughed... we got excited... a classic date. Still, there was something I couldn't get out of my head... a single thought haunted me.

"Arryn..." I called her and she turned to me "what went wrong between us?"

Until recently... her face was relaxed and smiling. But immediately... her smile was replaced by a serious... and disappointed expression. The cheerful atmosphere froze

"Are you asking me that?" her voice was cold

"I know that since you came back I haven't given you the same attention as before what happened to you, but-"

"Do you think it's just that, Your Highness?"

"?!!!" I was stunned "For what else-?"

"Since I got back, you have never visited me." she began by interrupting me. “When I thought I might see you again I was over the moon, but you never showed up. I was convinced you weren't coming because maybe you wanted to wait for me to fully recover... but I was wrong. When at the dinner with your father you showed all that familiarity with Lady Torkian despite my presence, what do you think I thought?
When I returned to the academy, you would say hello to me now and then, and when you invited me to lunch most of the time you blow me off at the last minute, just to have lunch with Lady Torkian. Worst of all, you reported this change of plans to me through Lord Filverel. Never once did you come to say it in person."

Her words were as sharp as the edge of a knife. She was rubbing me for my numbness, my selfishness, and my blindness. Her stern eyes... her harsh expression... seemed like she’d be crying any minute.

“When the rumors about me spread you did nothing to belittle them, you never stood by my side when I corrected the rudeness of Lady Torkian. Your attitude led me to believe that you felt nothing for me anymore. I have continually strengthened myself. I deluded myself that you still felt something for me."

"Arryn, but I-" I began taking her hand

"Do you still love Me?" she asked me looking at me with an expression that was beginning to show signs of anger “How can you say that with such confidence? Even if it were true, I cannot believe you... not after I learned that it was her Majesty the queen who made you aware of my social situation."

“?! How-"

"Does it matter?" she interrupted me again "Does it matter how I found out?!"

I didn't know how to answer. Or rather, I knew the answer perfectly well, but I could not help but keep quiet. I didn't look away for a moment, taking on all the resentment that Arryn's eyes were sending me.

"When I found out, I felt pity for myself." she said shaking off my hand “Do you realize that? I felt like a fool for every moment I thought you cared about me. I felt disgusted that I still had feelings for you. Do you now can you understand how I feel? Can you understand why I wanted to get away from you?"

I felt hurt. My heart was beating wildly with the anger I felt towards myself. I deserve all her sharp words. How could I think that nothing had changed? How could I have been so...... insensitive? My mother was right...

"Arryn... I......... I'm sorry..."

""I'm sorry"? Is that all you have to say in your defense?!" After that question, she looked away, and then I heard her sigh heavily "*Sigh* To be completely honest, I have my share of guilt too."

"Guilt? What guilt?"

She got up and after taking a few steps turned to me. In her eyes, I could see some tears piling up. She was close to crying and yet she was holding them back.

“I used you… no, I used these feelings of mine that I still had for you just to forget. To push me to do the right thing, but after all this, all you've done is push me toward something I can never achieve."

When she said that... at first I didn't understand. Suddenly, I remembered her happy face after that cook wiped her cheek. That beautiful smile that I thought would be mine alone. That unpleasant feeling, came back to visit me and in the heat of the moment, I jumped up and took her by the shoulders.

"Why?!" I asked in the heat of the moment “What does he have that I don't have?! How can a cook-"

"Then you found out..." when she said that, a tear was already running down her cheek "He listened to me, he gave me the affection of a family, he allowed me to do what I was forbidden to do... taught me what it means to live and what it means to love sincerely."

As the tears ran down her cheeks, her smile was splendid... to the point that the sadness in those drops could be interpreted as joy.

“Even when we met at the academy, he listened to me and was always there when I wanted to be comforted, never refusing me regardless of the situation.
If he hadn't been married... if his wife wasn't pregnant... if he didn't love his wife so sincerely that he refused other suitors despite polygamy being allowed... I would not back away for a moment and give all of myself so that he would notice my love." having said that she laughed “Hahaha! To give you one last chance, I acted as that tragedy had never happened. I did it, giving up the last bit of hope that I had left. And when it seemed like it was well spent, you ask me that question forcing me to tell you all this. Hahahaha. What kind of comedy is this?!"

I felt desperation assault me. I felt as if all the people who were present in that park were looking at me with disgust and disappointment. The strength in my hands failed. Feeling my grip loosen, Arryn broke free from my grip, and with her face still streaked she asserted

"Maybe it's true that I'm cursed... my first love is just an insensitive who doesn’t realize the feelings of others... while my second love will never come true."

She looked like she was about to leave when she turned and with eyes still tingled with disappointment and were red for the tears, she made a splendid bow

“Thank you, your Highness, for the appointment. I found it very pleasant and I will be happy to be able to go out with you again."

Having said that, she left without ever turning, and gradually I saw her pace accelerate until she disappeared into the crowd.

With that statement, along with everything she said before, she stated that she would continue to play her role as a fiancé, but that nothing could bring our relationship back to what it once was. I do not want to. I didn't want any of this! I wanted... I wanted...

With my eyes suddenly beginning to blur, my thinking too stopped abruptly. I couldn't make excuses… because I didn't have any. I'm suffering... the consequences of my actions.