Chapter 18 : Chapter 18

The meals served at the mansion were always different, but there were a few common features.

First, meat was served more often than fish.

Whether it was because Ye Sara didn't particularly like fish or not, the main ingredients on the menu were usually pork or beef.

Also, Western food was the main choice.

There was a much higher chance of getting dishes like steak, stew, or pasta than Asian cuisine, including Korean dishes.

In fact, the dish I had eaten the most during my two months here was steak.

I wasn't sure if it was a characteristic of rich people or just Ye Sara's personal preference.

Breakfast was simple, often consisting of bread or soup that was easy to snack on.

For lunch and dinner, appetizers, main dishes, and desserts were served in sequence.

Since I ate alone, there weren't any strict rules of table manners to follow.

Unlike in movies, where knives and forks come in multiples, here they simply provided the necessary utensils.

Even if I made some noise by clinking the utensils together, neither Yang Hye-in nor the other employees criticized me for it.

Naturally, I thought the others wouldn't care about table manners either… but it seemed like they thought differently.

Did they believe they had to follow proper etiquette in such a place?

Yoo Ha-neul kept watching me as I picked up my fork and knife, even when the main dish was right in front of her.

Shin So-hee glanced around cautiously when she sat down, then buttoned up her shirt that had been slightly open.

At least Lee Soo-ah wasn't overwhelmed by the atmosphere and ate naturally.

Honestly, Lee Soo-ah handled her knife and fork much more skillfully than I did.

Of course, that was only natural.

I had only been in this body for about two months, still carrying the mindset of a commoner, while Lee Soo-ah had grown up as a noble lady in a good family.

The other two, Shin So-hee and Yoo Ha-neul, who were also commoners, looked at me for cues before hesitantly picking up their forks and knives after I began eating.

It wasn't like they hadn't just eaten appetizers moments before… but then again, it was only soup, which you could just scoop up and eat.

Watching the two awkwardly cutting their steaks, mimicking me and Lee Soo-ah, I felt a little worried.

When you're too nervous, even the most delicious food can lose its flavor.

But once I saw the two take their first bite of steak, my worries instantly vanished.

As soon as both Yoo Ha-neul and Shin So-hee put a piece of steak in their mouths, their expressions melted in delight.

Yeah, it's amazing, isn't it?

Honestly, I couldn't completely trust the staff here, and they didn't seem like particularly nice people either, but they were undeniably skilled at what they did.

Well… except for the security team, who couldn't even catch me when I escaped over the wall.

I meant the people who cooked the food.

Even when we ate the same dishes, the subtle differences in flavor kept the meals from getting boring.

I couldn't help but wonder where these people had cooked before.

It wouldn't be surprising if they had worked at some prestigious hotel as chefs.

The two, whose faces were melting with satisfaction, became silent after that, but for different reasons.

It seemed they were completely engrossed in the generous portions of steak in front of them.

I focused on observing Shin So-hee's expression.

At first, Shin So-hee followed Lee Soo-ah's example, cutting her steak into small pieces that fit her mouth.

But gradually, she started cutting larger and larger pieces until she was stuffing big chunks into her mouth, chewing happily.

It didn't look bad at all.

In fact, it was charming, seeing someone her age eat so heartily.

However, it seemed she found her behavior embarrassing.

As Shin So-hee chewed her steak energetically, our eyes suddenly met.

She froze with a piece of steak halfway to her mouth.

It was twice as big as the pieces she had first cut.

Looking back and forth between the steak she was holding and the piece in my mouth, she slowly lowered the meat back onto her plate.

"Ahem."

With a small cough, Shin So-hee resumed cutting her steak into small pieces and put them into her mouth.

Of course, her face was flushed red.

…It's not like you need to worry about it.

Honestly, I'd love to eat as freely as Shin So-hee.

But if I did that, I wouldn't be able to enjoy the meal for long.

I'd get full before I even ate a few bites.

To savor this delicious food for as long as possible, I had to eat slowly, cutting it into small pieces and chewing it thoroughly.

This time, I glanced over at Yoo Ha-neul.

Just like in the game, Yoo Ha-neul was quick to learn by watching others.

Unlike Shin So-hee, she cut her steak into small, bite-sized pieces and ate at a reasonable pace, following mine and Lee Soo-ah's example.

However, her eating speed was about twice as fast as mine or Lee Soo-ah's.

She ate quickly, chewed, swallowed, and immediately cut the next piece.

It was like she was focused on eating with maximum efficiency… Well, it was charming in its own way.

Luckily, the chef had prepared enough food.

If not, Yoo Ha-neul and Shin So-hee might have finished their meal before I even ate half of mine.

After all, I didn't bring them here just to sit awkwardly while I finished eating.

When I glanced at Shin So-hee again, she had gone back to eating with great enthusiasm, just like before our eyes met.

…If you were going to eat like that, why did you worry about my reaction in the first place?

*

"Ah, that was really good."

Shin So-hee, who had looked tense and rigid when entering the mansion, was now smiling happily as we left.

She even rubbed her full belly, clearly satisfied.

"Yeah, it was really delicious."

Yoo Ha-neul had a similar reaction.

In truth, we ate in silence the whole time.

But it wasn't an awkward or uncomfortable silence.

Even Lee Soo-ah, who had maintained a certain dignity throughout the meal, seemed to enjoy the dinner.

All thanks to the delicious food.

We were too absorbed in eating to talk.

Of course, that was exactly what I had intended.

Yoo Ha-neul and Lee Soo-ah, although they had gotten quite close, had only known each other for about a week.

To be honest, I didn't even know what their hobbies were.

We had talked about various things, but most of it revolved around my stamina.

And this was the first time meeting Shin So-hee today.

Could I hold an hour-long conversation with these kids?

It would probably be awkward, and might even backfire.

While it might not be a problem with Yoo Ha-neul and Lee Soo-ah, who I'd see every day, Shin So-hee, who was invited on a whim, might not appreciate it.

That's why I decided on a meal.

A meal that required no words.

When you're enjoying delicious food, conversations become unnecessary.

Eating by itself is enough to lift everyone's spirits.

And if it's not your money but someone else's treating you, naturally, your opinion of them improves.

Even if you don't have a deep conversation, just eating together helps form a bond.

It's why students naturally gather for lunch, and why eating alone seems strange.

The number of people you eat with shows how many relationships you maintain.

As we walked, commenting on how good the dinner was, we stopped at the open gate.

I stood just inside the gate, while the other three stood a step outside.

The boundary between us, a single line.

For a brief moment, things felt awkward.

We all knew we'd have to part ways here.

The one who broke the silence was Lee Soo-ah.

"Sara, thank you for the meal today. Next time, I'll treat you."

Standing at the open gate, she slightly bowed toward me and spoke politely.

"Sure, I'll look forward to it."

The bodyguard glanced at me, but when I returned his gaze, he quickly looked away.

Yes, I had openly declared, 'I'll go out for a meal next time.'

"Oh, me too!"

Yoo Ha-neul raised his hand and shouted.

"I know lots of good places to eat!"

"Alright, let's go together next time."

I nodded at Yoo Ha-neul with a smile.

Then I looked over at Shin So-hee.

"Um…"

Shin So-hee seemed a bit flustered and glanced around.

Well, in her case, I had invited her out of guilt for earlier in the day.

But I wasn't about to say, "Oh, you don't have to."

I wasn't that insensitive.

Once kindness is exchanged, it bounces back and forth like a game of ping-pong.

When it comes to friendship, logic and calculations aren't that important.

So, what Shin So-hee and I needed to confirm wasn't whether either of us owed the other something.

It was whether she wanted to hang out with us again in the future.

"…Well."

Shin So-hee scratched her blushing cheek and spoke.

"Since I got treated today, despite what happened earlier… I could buy you a meal next time."

It was a typical tsundere response.

And exactly the answer I was hoping for.

"Good."

I nodded toward Shin So-hee.

And with a wide smile, I responded.

"I'll be waiting."

*

"…"

"What are you thinking about?"

On the way back home.

Shin So-hee had already gone in a different direction, and Lee Soo-ah and Yoo Ha-neul walked together for a bit.

They both knew roughly where the other's house was since they had walked together after school once.

Their houses were located in opposite directions; Lee Soo-ah's in an affluent neighborhood with luxury homes, and Yoo Ha-neul's near a cluster of apartments.

"Just thinking about Sara's face when we said goodbye."

"I see…"

Lee Soo-ah nodded at Yoo Ha-neul's answer.

Sara had watched them for a while as they left, and then turned to go back into the house.

As soon as she turned around, the waiting bodyguard began closing the large, heavy gate.

In no time, the massive iron gate completely cut off the only path between Sara and the outside world.

"…"

"…"

Neither said anything more.

But it seemed like they knew what the other was thinking.

They both wanted Sara to be free from that cage.

…At least, that's what they guessed the other was thinking.

Although they didn't know everything about each other yet and hadn't spent enough time together to be called close friends, they now shared a common concern: "Ye Sara."

But for now, they weren't ready to bring that thought up in conversation.

They had only just seen for themselves what kind of situation Sara was in.

There weren't enough clues yet for two teenage girls to do anything about it.

So, they walked silently, lost in their own thoughts, until they eventually came to the parting point where their paths diverged.

*

As soon as Shin So-hee got home, she threw herself onto her bed.

"Crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy!"

She kicked and flailed on the bed, shouting.

What was she thinking?

After eating such high-end meat, what confidence did she have to say, "I could buy you a meal next time"?

The steak she had eaten today was probably worth what she earned in a whole day of part-time work.

No, considering the small course meal they were served, it could have been even more expensive.

She might have to work for several days just to cover it.

Yet she had said, "I'll buy you a meal."

What could she possibly treat Sara to?

Even if she took Sara on a tour of the best local eateries, it might not seem worth it to Sara.

"…"

Shin So-hee stopped her flailing for a moment and thought about Sara's response.

'I'll be waiting.'

…That wasn't fair.

Smiling brightly, under the soft lighting, with a face like that—it was totally unfair.

"Sigh… damn it."

Shin So-hee let out a heavy sigh.

She angrily pulled out her phone and began searching for local restaurants.

"Fine, that's how you want to play? Then I'll introduce you to all the unhealthy, addictive junk food that I can't even afford to eat regularly."

Soon enough, Sara would be unable to resist going out for snacks.

She was a lady trapped in a cage.

If Shin So-hee showed her an escape that money alone couldn't buy, she'd be satisfied.

…At least, that's what the theory in romance comics and dramas said.

After browsing local food spots for a while, Shin So-hee finally realized she didn't even have Sara's phone number and slapped her forehead.