I hadn’t stopped by the tavern in a long while.

To give myself a gift for working hard, I strode to the establishment filled with brief memories.

A tavern on the outskirts of the capital.
‘The Grapevine Tavern.’

Known for its draft beer and dried snacks, ‘The Grapevine Tavern,’ run by a young female proprietor, had appeared in the novel as a favorite haunt of Yuria.

-Ding-a-ling-

“Welcome~ to The Grapevine Tavern. Oh my!”

The lady proprietor, coming out of the kitchen, uttered a cry of surprise upon seeing a regular’s face after such a long time. She greeted me warmly, saying how long it had been. I waved back at her with a small gesture and a nod.

“It’s been a while, ma’am.”
“Such a long time I thought you were dead.”
“That’s harsh to say to a young man with a bright future. Apologize.”
“Ho ho ho, that just means I’m really glad to see you.”

I received the proprietor’s jest with a light laugh.

“I had business in the capital and thought to stop by. Is there a seat available?”
“Of course~ If not, I’d make one for you.”

The proprietor replied with a bright smile. She had been especially kind to me ever since she threw out a troublesome customer who had been giving her grief.

While we exchanged updates with bright smiles, the proprietor glanced towards a corner of the dining area and asked me.

“But, didn’t you come with a friend?”
“A friend?”
“Yes. You two used to come here occasionally. Someone’s already seated and waiting.”

A friend… who could that be?

Pained by the question, since I had endured a friendless and hard time at the Academy, I turned my head following the proprietor’s gaze. There, in a corner of the tavern, I saw a woman with pink hair sipping beer alone.

After taking a sip, she cringed and muttered, ‘Ugh… bitter.’ I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh at the familiar sight.

Noticing my ambiguous expression, the proprietor cautiously asked.

“Shall I prepare a separate  table for you?”

I politely declined the proprietor’s kind offer with a shake of my head.

“No, thank you. I’ll sit over there.”

I walked over to where Yuria sat in the corner of the dining area with a light step.

It was funny that Yuria, who had many good spots to choose from, had picked a secluded corner. And it was amusing to see someone who disliked alcohol behaving like this. I couldn’t help but smile.

*

“Why are you drinking alone like a tragic heroine?”

Yuria looked at me with startled eyes. In her half-intoxicated gaze, a sense of bewilderment lingered.

“Ricka… Ricardo? How did you come here?!”
“Why wouldn’t the most handsome and perfect man in the world come to a tavern? To  drink, of course.”
“What are you talking about…”

Yuria laughed off my words, seemingly embarrassed. Though my words were sincere, she took them as a joke, and I joined in with a smile.

I carefully pulled out a  chair and sat down opposite Yuria.

I had felt lonely thinking I would have to  drink by myself, but now I was glad to have a companion.

I asked Yuria, who wore a bittersweet smile.

“Is it okay if I sit down?”
“You’re already sitting.”
“I was going to run away if you said no.”

Yuria chuckled again and gave her consent.

“Please, have a seat.”
“Thank you. I was almost about to drink alone; luckily I didn’t have to.”
“What about the young lady…?”

Yuria glanced behind me and asked, but I shrugged and answered, ‘The lady is sleeping,’ satisfying her curiosity.

After ordering beer and dried squid, I gazed intently at Yuria’s eyes.

Her eyes were moist.
Her expression looked depressed.
It seemed like Yuria had just been crying, and I thought to myself, ‘The heroine seems to be crying all the time.’

Although sad depictions often appeared in the novel, it felt disheartening to see them in person.

It was supposed to be a bright and hopeful romantic fantasy novel beloved by female readers, but that only seemed to apply to the male lead.

The male leads were physically strong but each had their own flaws.
Yuria was physically weak but filled the emotional void for others.

This dynamic sparked interest in the novel, but it was hardly a pleasant matter for Yuria herself.

Not that Yuria was weak. She possessed an unparalleled talent for healing magic and had an extensive knowledge of holy magic compared to her peers.

Michail, Ruin, and the other secondary male leads were outstanding in all aspects, but that didn’t mean Yuria was lacking.

They simply excelled in different fields.

Thinking of Hans’s situation as well, I speculated Yuria must be feeling cynical about her reality, always receiving help but never being able to give.

She had received praise from those around her, but in truth, she felt she could do nothing herself.

The novel had described Yuria’s current emotional state, her confusion about her worth amidst complicated social relationships.

She had been ostracized since her first year.
Hans had fallen from grace.
And now, she was in a period where she felt disillusioned with her own incompetence, always having to rely on the male leads in times of crisis.

That’s why I was able to guess at some of the worries Yuria harbored.

Though I could be wrong.

I cautiously broached the subject to the sullen Yuria.

“It’s tough, isn’t it?”
“What? What do you mean…?”
“Just seems like you might be struggling with your studies and life at the Academy. You haven’t flunked out like I have, after all.”
“It’s manageable.”

Yuria responded with a bittersweet expression.

Her voice sounded resolute as if telling me not to worry, but her gloomy expression betrayed the stress she felt about her academics.

Hoping to see her smile, I made a slightly annoying face and said.

“Live confidently like me. It’s thrilling.”

Yuria snorted with laughter.

“You know you’re really annoying, right?”
“That’s the point.”

Yuria burst into laughter at my response.

I had thought I was easing Yuria’s troubles somewhat, but it seemed I wasn’t much help.

With Yuria still wearing a gloomy expression, I decided to avoid heavy topics and asked about her day instead.

“Did you enjoy the tteokbokki today? It was a special order, so I put a lot of effort into it.”

Yuria answered while gulping down her beer.

“It was really delicious.”

Yuria, who was a lightweight drinker, frowned and murmured, ‘Ugh… bitter,’ in a candid response.

‘I should make sure she doesn’t drink too much.’

Considering the novel described her as getting drunk after three beers, I smiled softly, worried about Yuria’s excessive drinking.

“Glad it was delicious. I worked hard on it. Not used to the kitchen, I accidentally used salt instead of sugar, but hey, if it tasted good, that’s all that matters.”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying I made it deliciously.”
“…”

Yuria bowed her head at my straightforward, plain-spoken response.

With a tremble in her voice, she softly asked me.

“Do you do this for just anyone?”

Yuria’s ears turned red as she looked down, possibly from drinking too much beer. Seeing her ears glowing red, I shook my head.

“I don’t give my all-out tteokbokki to just anyone.”
“Then why give it to me?”
“Because you’re a precious friend?”
“…”

Yuria’s ears reddened even more.

‘I shouldn’t let her drink any more.’

I had hoped for a lively drinking session, but it seemed I was heading towards the tragedy of becoming the caretaker of an intoxicated Yuria.

Seizing the moment Yuria looked down, I discreetly moved the beer glass beside her towards the corner of the table.

-Stealthily.

Yuria caught me hiding the beer glass and looked at me with a dazed expression, her cheeks puffed out, before she spoke.

“Why are you hiding it?”
“…I did nothing.”
“Lies.”

I awkwardly smiled and placed the beer back beside Yuria.

Yuria, who had previously puffed up her cheeks, now beamed with laughter upon recovering her beer and took hearty gulps of what remained.

After wiping the foam from her lips, she cringed again and said, ‘Ugh… bitter.’

I shook my head and commented.

“It’s admirable to see someone who’s weak with alcohol do a shot.”
“Why?”
“Just because.”

-Stealthily.

Yuria, with her dignity slightly bruised by the alcohol, stared at me again.

“Why am I doing this… because of someone…”

Yuria ended her words with a cheeky tone, to which I replied with a small laugh.

“By the way… did you know you were overcharged today? They took an extra 10 gold from you.”
“?”

Yuria looked at me, puzzled.

“…Really?”
“Yes.”
“Oh…”

Accidentally confessing, I scratched my head and grinned brightly.

“Looks like I’ll be caught by the imperial guards.”
“…”
“I’ll tell the owner to give you some service.”

Faced with Yuria’s cold expression, I was at a loss for words.

An awkward silence lingered.

As more people gathered in the busy tavern, Yuria and I continued to drink.

One glass.
Two glasses.
Feeling anxious as Yuria’s gaze started to lose focus.

“Sigh…”

Yuria, releasing a heavy sigh, spoke up.

“Ricardo.”

Dropping formalities.
Speaking informally, Yuria.

I responded with a smile to her vulnerable state.

“Why do you call?”

She hesitated for a long time before speaking.

“Do you hate me?”