CH 71

“What, what did you say? I can’t believe it…”

Dennis exclaimed in surprise at my words. Paolo nodded as if it was expected and said,

“It’s true. I was also surprised at first, but I never thought that such a person would exist in this country, so I was happy.”

As he said, Paolo looked happy.

Actually, I couldn’t believe it just from his words. But after eating that ohagi, I became convinced. If it weren’t for that, I would still be skeptical. But…

“But how did you know that I’m [that]?”

I asked, and Paolo answered with a smile.

“It’s simple. It’s the [Supporters Group]… The philosophy of that club is just like an idol fan club or a fanatical group, right? I thought that only people who [retain memories] would start something like that.”

“Well, but you don’t know for sure. There might be someone who came up with such an idea.”

“Well, yeah, so I investigated.”

“But, investigating is not that easy.”

Why is it so easy for Dennis and Paolo to obtain people’s information? Come to think of it, Jeremiah said he had investigated me too. Is there so much information leaking out? If so, it might be better to manage it more carefully.

This is practically no privacy at all.

As I inwardly turned blue or became indignant, Paolo continued.

“I originally had a different job, not as a servant, but I couldn’t stand it anymore. Since many noble ladies were running the [Support Group], I thought that the person who created it was probably also a noble lady. So, I became a servant and investigated. That’s how I found you.”

I see.

It’s very easy to understand and completely correct. Is his head smart or am I just stupid? I feel empty thinking that it’s probably the latter.

“So…”

“That’s right. Well, I was planning to tell you someday, but I didn’t expect you to come to me first. Did you want to talk about your hometown? Oh yeah, do you remember my question?”

Of course, I remember. The shock from that dinner cannot be forgotten. What happened after with Jeremiah is even more unforgettable.

“Of course, there are things I want to eat. But since I was born and raised in this country, I don’t have that much desire for it. Above all, it can’t be reproduced.”

I do remember the taste to some extent, enough to recognize it when eating ohagi. There were some favorite foods, but my body doesn’t remember them well, so the desire for them is not strong.

“At first, I had given up too, but I wanted to remember it after all. I tried a little harder… I asked a friend who is a cook to research it, but I want you to try it too.”

“Is there such a thing?”

The completion level of the ohagi served at that banquet was quite high. If that’s the case, something quite similar might be available to eat. Out of curiosity and expectation, I leaned forward without thinking.

“Oh, if you’re interested, I’ll take you there next time… Oh, and the guard over there can come too. They’ve added it to the menu of that restaurant and it’s quite popular.”

“I definitely want to go. That ohagi from that night was your prototype, wasn’t it?”

When I asked, Paolo nodded proudly.

“Yeah. I think I did pretty well myself. There are quite a few materials in this world that are similar to over there, so I thought maybe… How was it? Was it good?”

“It was really good. If only there was some tea to go with it…”

As I was about to say that, I realized that I had completely forgotten the main topic. The reason why I asked him to come here was not to talk about Japanese food.

——No, I did want to talk about it someday, but right now, Lucia has a higher priority.

“Oh, I understand. But even though there are teas similar to black tea, they’re too bitter to drink without processing. There might be something in another place rather than this country though.”

“Y-yes, well… um…”

“Actually, aren’t you more knowledgeable about that kind of thing? As a noble, you must have tasted various luxury items.”

Asked in a questioning tone, I lose the opportunity to start the conversation. That’s because there was a change in his demeanor, which had been cheerful until then. Especially the weight of the word “noble” was a dark one that didn’t match his image at all.

“…Unfortunately, I rarely eat foreign things. My father doesn’t like luxury.”

“Oh, he’s a good person.”

Paolo said so and looked complicated for a moment, then fell silent. It was an awkward atmosphere, and it was difficult to speak up, but I decided to bring up the main topic here because if I didn’t say it now, I might not be able to say it again.

“…You know, I called you today because I had a request. You were followed by a girl who came with me yesterday, weren’t you?”

“Oh, yeah. I was surprised when some gorgeous girl looked over here, but it’s common, so I ignored or dealt with it casually. What about it? Was she your companion?”

His words made me feel indescribable.

As expected, it seems to be a common occurrence. Well, Jeremiah said something similar, so maybe people who look good have similar experiences to some extent.

Above all, he is such a handsome man that even I, who is superficial, give him my seal of approval, so it’s only natural.

“That girl seems to have feelings for you. I’m a little troubled about it…”

“Oh, I see.”

Paolo nodded and smiled, but for some reason, my spine began to chill. When I looked into his eyes, he wasn’t smiling at all. On the contrary, he seemed angry.

“So you’re a noble after all. When you say you’re troubled, it means you’re worried about what will happen if your companion lady gets involved with a man of a different status, right?”

I somehow understood what he was trying to say.

There is a class system in this country. However, the country we were previously in did not have such a system.

With his memories intact and being born into the working class, he may have had many unpleasant experiences that were different from me, who was born into the nobility.

I sighed and said.