The Abandoned Heiress Gets Rich with Alchemy and Buys an Enemy General
Vol. 1 - Ch. 28 - The Unit to Destroy the Underworld Gate - 3

The Unit to Destroy the Underworld Gate - 3

After returning to the royal capital, we took a bath and changed into clean clothes, as our outfits were dirty from the battle against the Cerberus.

Although Julius’s wounds were healed with healing magic, his black robe had torn all over.

He resisted discarding it, so we made a promise to buy a new one. Apparently, it was quite dear to him. I wondered if it was really that comfortable.

I reconsidered throwing it away and decided to mend the torn parts instead.

Since it would be a shame to waste it, I thought of using it as my nightwear. It was purely because it would be a waste, not because I was curious about how comfortable Julius’s unremarkable black, free-size male robe was. I didn’t have any desire to wear it. I merely thought it was a waste.

Helios returned to the outskirts of the capital, back into the ring. Before turning back into the ring, he rubbed his large face against mine while whimpering softly.

After getting ready, we headed to a restaurant a bit beyond the central square. Since our work for the day was done, I had taken off my headkerchief and the apron from my apron dress.

Without them, it might look like an ordinary, albeit plain, blue dress. But I still had my usual fabric bag slung over my shoulder.

Julius, on the other hand, had replaced his torn black robe with everyday clothes he had bought from Robert’s shop, chosen by Robert himself.

He wore a black shirt, a vest, tight-fitting black pants, and boots. He also had a black leather belt, tightened around his waist, and carried a sword. Perhaps because he was wearing all black, his golden hair, eyes of different colors, and the small golden padlock around his neck along with a blue gemstone ring stood out beautifully. Julius had good natural features, and wearing all black didn’t give a heavy impression, probably due to his accessories.

Maybe because he had been eating properly lately, the luster of his hair and skin had improved since we first met, enhancing his overall attractiveness. Walking beside him, who looked so polished, made me feel a bit self-conscious due to my simple appearance.

However, ever since we defeated the Cerberus, Julius seemed to be in a bad mood. Although he willingly took a bath, changed his clothes, and didn’t resist going to the restaurant, he seemed to speak fewer words than usual.

Julius wasn’t a talkative person to begin with, but even so, he seemed a bit more displeased than usual today. Despite having a pleasant stroll in the sky with Helios, his mood didn’t lift up.

Maybe he’s hungry.

After all, we’ve been eating mostly bean soup lately.

Walking through the twilight streets of the central city of the royal capital, I pondered this while silently accompanying Julius I was feeling a bit hungry too, and riding Helios in the sky might have left me a bit tired. Riding a dragon might indeed require quite a bit of physical strength.

De Zanju, run by the renowned beauty Roxy, is a restaurant and bar that stayed open until around eleven at night. As a popular spot, it was crowded as usual. All five table seats were occupied, and so we decided to take seats at the counter in front of Roxy.

Since I usually came alone, I always sat at the counter. I’m used to sitting at the far end, quietly eating my meal, but today, bringing Julius along made Roxy widen her naturally large eyes as she looked at me.

“Well, well, Chloe-chan! This is the first time you’ve brought a boyfriend!”

“Good evening, Roxy-san.”

Roxy said loudly as she made drinks in the kitchen behind the counter.

Roxy was a woman in her late twenties, adorned with rich black hair tied in a bun, slightly droopy light purple eyes accentuated by long eyelashes, and an enchanting mole at the corner of her eye. She wore a navy blue dress with a white apron over it, always wearing a bright smile on her plump red lips.

Roxy had lost her husband early, and she considered herself a widow. She loved her late husband very much and declared that she would never marry again. Apparently, she didn’t have any children.

She was so beautiful that men throughout the royal capital had their eyes on her, yet she remained single.

I thought Julius, who was quite particular about beauty, would replace her appealing too. Thinking this, I glanced at Julius sitting next to me, but he still seemed as grumpy as ever.

“Chloe-chan, who is he, Chloe-chan?! Tell me, who on earth managed to capture the heart of Chloe-chan, who pretended not to notice all the love from men until now! Come on, tell your big sister!”

“…Roxy-san, your voice is too loud...”

Roxy’s voice echoed throughout the restaurant, and I could feel the customers buzzing while paying attention to us.

Since I was a regular at the restaurant and a well-known alchemist among the lively, battle-loving men who gathered at Roxy’s place, there were whispers like “Chloe-chan has a boyfriend?” The piercing stares made me feel embarrassed.

Julius and I didn’t have that kind of relationship. Still, it wasn’t easy to casually say, “He’s a slave.” Julius had warned me not to speak casually about his status, and it made me feel uncomfortable.

“...Um, This is Julius-san. Julius-san, meet Roxy-san. Isn’t she beautiful?”

“Are there really people daring enough to court you?”

While staring at my face, Julius made a mocking comment.

“No, there aren’t. The men who come to the restaurant are mostly here for Roxy-san. She’s beautiful, after all.”

Indeed, that was the case, and I had no memory of being courted for the past three years.

Roxy approached, leaning forward from the counter, and whispered to me in a low voice.

“Chloe-chan, is this the Julius I told you about the other day? The same Julius?”

“Yes, exactly. It’s the one you told me about. He’s very strong and reliable.”

Julius seemed to be maintaining discretion regarding the fact that he was the Julius from the slave arena, and Roxy was considerate in that regard.

If that was the case, I wished she hadn’t shouted loudly in the first place. I responded in a low voice, and Roxy smiled kindly.

“I see, that’s good. So, what would you like to order?”

Roxy seemed to have stopped asking about Julius, and her voice returned to its calm tone.

“Julius-san, what would you like to eat? Anything is fine, even the most expensive. Today, I got my hands on ingredients that I could never afford on my own, so you can drink plenty of alcohol too.”

I presented the menu, written on paper, to Julius.

Today’s recommendations included seafood pasta, braised beef cheeks, and for something a bit more affordable, the stewed tomato with offal was also delicious.

“...The same as what you’re having is fine,” Julius said, seemingly uninterested.

“Julius-san, let’s show more interest in the food. Every dish from Roxy-san is delicious. It’s so good that you might not be able to eat my cooking anymore. How about this grilled lamb? Or do you prefer fish? Julius-san, what do you like?”

“What you made... What was it? The one with thin bread and vegetables and meat inside, that was delicious,” Julius replied, thinking about it.

It was probably the one made by using thin wheat dough instead of bread to sandwich random vegetables and processed meat. It was rather embarrassing since it was a budget meal due to cost-saving measures.

“Um, well, th-thank you...”

It was the first time I’ve been praised for my cooking.

I blushed and stammered. My ears felt hot. Why is he praising my cooking now? He has never complimented it while eating it.

“Oh my…” Roxy covered her mouth and grinned.

_That’s not it. That’s not what it is, right? I was just surprised because Julius, for once, praised me. Yeah, that’s it. _

My certainty was gradually fading, but probably... yeah, that’s it.

“S-So, um, let’s go with... meat. Proper meat, the expensive kind, I don’t usually buy them... but since it’s a special occasion... Is that okay?”

“Yeah, that’s fine.”

“Roxy-san, please give us two braised beef cheeks. Also, I’ll have iced black tea, and for Julius-san, please serve him some alcohol.”

“Got it, leave it to me. To celebrate Chloe-chan getting a boyfriend, I’ll treat you both,” Roxy said, winking with one eye.

It was such a cute gesture that even a woman like me felt excited.