Chapter 280

I have no appetite.

The food I usually enjoy is sitting right in front of me, and it’s lunchtime, so I’m hungry. The delicious aroma from the food tickles my nose.

However, I can’t seem to muster any appetite. Even with the food in front of me, the thought of lifting my fork doesn’t cross my mind.

Sometimes, there are moments like this.

And unfortunately, this is one of those times.

The sizzling lobster with butter and citrus-grilled sea bass in front of me would have been devoured in an instant under normal circumstances.

But now, I can’t even think about it.

“Are you not eating?”

“…Sorry. I’m fine for now.”

It seems that Meijhem, who is sitting across from me, feels the same way.

When he adamantly refused the grilled sea bass placed in front of him, Mrs. Melissa tilted her head slightly and casually took it to her mouth. The sparkle in her eyes as she tasted it suggested that it was indeed incredible.

“Head Priest…! This is seriously delicious?!”

“Take your time. If it’s not enough, I’ll order more…”

Sub-priest Sofia, too, became lost in the food in front of her and began to hurriedly move her hands. One of the two trout fillets was already stripped to the bones, so that said it all.

“Ahem…”

Meijhem let out an awkward cough and started to scratch his beard while looking out the window. He seemed dissatisfied with his spot by the window.

That made sense. I casually poured a glass of water and placed it in front of him. Meijhem glanced at my hand and mumbled.

“Where have you been? The hospital?”

“Yes. I was with Sub-priest Sofia at the hospital.”

“Wasn’t it okay now?”

“The shoulder is still the same, isn’t it?”

“…Hmm.”

He was properly fitted with a prosthetic arm. If he went out with one arm, people would surely talk.

“What brings you here, Meijhem?”

“As you can see, I intended to have a meal with Melissa… but I didn’t expect to run into you.”

“Are you not pleased?”

“……It’s not that I’m displeased.”

I could hear Sub-priest Sofia’s cheerful laughter. She was chatting noisily with Mrs. Melissa.

“By the way, we’ve met before, haven’t we? Sub-priest.”

“Yes. We ran into each other at the… cemetery.”

“Uh… the situation wasn’t exactly pleasant then, was it? Did you say you were working at the Academy?”

“Yes. At the Caldera Imperial Academy…”

“Oh my! Our first child was supposed to enroll there but failed the final interview!”

“Really? That’s strange…! If it’s Mrs. Melissa’s child, they should have passed for sure!”

“Oh ho ho…! Sub-priest, you’re quite the joker!”

They were getting along unexpectedly well.

The two of them seemed to match up perfectly. I turned my gaze away from their lively conversation. There was a brooding middle-aged man with a mustache and one arm sitting there with a sullen expression.

“Uh, Melissa. Do they not serve salad here?”

“Why would you come all the way here to eat salad?”

“No, I just…”

“Never mind. Try this. The lobster is really delicious. You like seafood, right?”

On Meijhem’s plate was a tempting lobster with butter. With a slightly pained expression, he stared at it blankly, then squeezed his eyes shut and shuddered.

“…It’s strange. Definitely strange.”

“…….”

“I didn’t use to be like this. I want to enjoy seafood like I used to….”

Melissa and Sub-priest Sofia were now engrossed in their conversation. Meijhem and I talked without restraint.

“Doesn’t Melissa seem to be doing better than expected?”

“…It seems so.”

Losing a child is not something to be taken lightly, yet the Melissa I see appears composed as if she has never experienced such a thing. Of course, whether she is slowly harboring a growing wound is a different matter.

Meijhem, glancing at Melissa like I was, continued speaking.

“Melissa is a strong woman. She’s even someone I want to look up to.”

“But….”

“I know, I know. Just because she’s a strong woman doesn’t mean she can easily overcome losing a third child.”

“…….”

“However, Melissa has overcome it. That’s really….”

Meijhem’s words trailed off. He wet his throat with some water, and after a moment of silence gazing out the window, he forced himself to continue.

“Really, that’s an incredible feat, isn’t it?”

“…….”

“However, at the same time, I feel somewhat envious. I don’t know about Melissa… but how is it that she can recover so quickly?”

A child conceived in love grows nurtured by maternal affection and hope.

Yet, betrayingly, a child that does not complete ten months pays with their life.

Has Melissa really come to terms with the rejection of all her maternal love and countless expectations?

Or perhaps….

“Meijhem.”

“Speak.”

“It might not be that simple.”

“…What do you mean?”

Meijhem narrowed his eyes. I continued to explain in the softest voice I could muster.

“I want to express that just because Mrs. Melissa says she is okay now, you shouldn’t take her words at face value.”

“…Are you saying she’s hiding something? Melissa?”

“Meijhem, no one in this world has no secrets. After all, even a five-year-old has things they hide from their parents.”

Mrs. Melissa appears somewhat composed. Even now, she is preoccupied with her conversation with Sub-priest Sofia.

The way she is concentrating on something to the extent that she doesn’t hear our conversation feels slightly frightening. As if she is trying to turn a blind eye to some unwanted truth.

She isn’t some superhuman who completely overcame all hardships. She is merely in the process of enduring.

And above all, for the husband who is despairing over the loss of their child… she only wants to show a strong front.

She must know that her beloved husband is crumbling helplessly. The person who spends the most time with Meijhem is none other than Mrs. Melissa. There is no way she wouldn’t know about her husband’s state.

While Meijhem struggles, she must have thought she couldn’t afford to be sorrowful herself. As Meijhem said, she is undoubtedly a strong woman.

“So, Colonel.”

“…….”

“Please endure together with Mrs. Melissa.”

You have someone to lean on, don’t you?

Even if you get tired while walking, you have a pillar you can comfortably lean against and rest.

It may be difficult for me to speak as if I know everything since I am not in a married position, but in a marriage, one supports and reinforces the other.

“As much as Mrs. Melissa believes in you, please also believe in and rely on her, Colonel. Isn’t that all that is needed?”

“…Priest Antorelli, you really….”

Meijhem’s voice trembled momentarily. Was it because something I said struck a chord? Or was it some emotion rising within him?

I couldn’t tell, but one thing was certain.

“Thank you.”

“It’s nothing.”

The fact that my words could be of help, even a little. That was indeed certain.

And that’s all that mattered from the beginning.

Meijhem turned his gaze. At the end of his line of sight was Mrs. Melissa, who was happily engrossed in her meal.

He slightly bit his lip. Just as he had begun to shun seafood and meat, Mrs. Melissa likely felt similarly.

However, Mrs. Melissa started to eat the grilled trout.

And Meijhem was only toying with a plate of citrus salad.

Mrs. Melissa began eating sautéed scallops.

Meijhem’s hand moved.

On Meijhem’s plate lay the tail of a lobster.

Mrs. Melissa looked at him with slightly surprised eyes. She must have known from the beginning. Why Meijhem was avoiding seafood and only seeking out things that didn’t include meat, like salad.

Meijhem, without seeming to care, cracked the shell and began to taste the flesh inside. The rich buttery aroma of the lobster wafted through the air.

“Delicious.”

Meijhem muttered flatly while slightly getting butter on his beard, vigorously tearing into the flesh.

“Really tasty. Really.”

He acted as if he had returned to his former self, reminiscent of the Meijhem who would jump up at the mere thought of seafood.

“…Eat more, Anton.”

“You too, hurry and have some.”

“Uh… I’m feeling a bit full now. Maybe because I ate so much?”

Mrs. Melissa served food onto Meijhem’s plate. He hesitated for a moment but soon began to eat the food that was served without complaint.

The sense of aversion felt faint. However, the movements to accept it still didn’t show.

“Suddenly, you’re eating so well… Head Priest, you should eat too! You haven’t eaten since earlier…”

Sub-priest Sofia spoke with grease on her lips. Even her slightly chubby cheeks looked cute.

I gently wiped her lips and nodded.

I immediately picked up my cutlery, transferring the trout that Sub-priest Sofia had been praising into my plate. As I took a piece of the flesh with my fork and put it in my mouth, the umami combined with the rich oiliness and citrus scent of the sea bass was overwhelming.

“…It’s delicious.”

Just as Meijhem had said, and as Sub-priest Sofia had said.

The food was indeed delicious.

* * * *

After finishing our meal, it was late afternoon.

Those who had finished lunch began to take their afternoon naps or opened beer bottles to enjoy this leisurely time.

Even after the sun goes down, there are times when one longs to drink and relax during this time when the sun is still up.

“Come to think of it, you’ve always been calm since back in the day.”

“Where is this sudden comment coming from?”

As I replied, Meijhem looked at me in a slightly incredulous manner.

“Isn’t it thanks to you?”

“I didn’t do anything.”

“…Right, you are that kind of person. Incorrigible priest.”

“Better than a foul-tempered former defense force officer.”

“Damn it.”

After a while, he fixed his gaze on two people walking ahead of us. Specifically, Sub-priest Sofia, talking animatedly with Mrs. Melissa.

“Is that girl alright now?”

“Yes. She’s fine now.”

“She is not doing reckless things like before, right? Like thinking of someone as a substitute….”

“Not anymore.”

“Then that’s a relief. Take good care of her. From the looks of it, she seems to have already gone beyond just affectionate feelings.”

As a married man, Meijhem noticed a lot. I was slightly surprised that he noticed such things.

After walking for a while, a large intersection appeared on the main street. Sub-priest Sofia and I had to turn left to return to the Academy.

Meanwhile, Meijhem turned his body to the right.

“Well then, it’s about time to….”

“Meijhem.”

Meijhem turned back to look at me with a puzzled expression. To him, I slowly smiled and spoke.

“Princes ride horses, while the knights walk like commoners.”

“…What does that mean?”

“It’s a verse from the Bible. Do you know the next part?”

Meijhem shook his head. He was not someone well-versed in the Bible.

To him, I playfully added.

“It’s a secret. You’ll have to find out for yourself.”

“…….”

“But, Meijhem. I want you to know this one thing.”

Looking at Sub-priest Sofia approaching us, I took a step forward.

“We are not murderers.”