Chapter : 23
The Bachelor Aristocrat and the Bachelor Musician Encounter
Today, I had decided to have a lavish dinner of fried chicken and highball, and I was cheerfully preparing the meal while singing to myself.
“Damn it… no ginger…”
I realized that the ginger, essential for marinating the fried chicken, was missing from the fridge.
What should I do? Should I just make the fried chicken without the ginger in the marinade?
“No, that won’t do. Ginger is essential for the marinade.”
The marinade, with its generous sauce and garlic, would be too strong on its own. It’s the refreshing aroma of ginger that completes the fried chicken.
Fried chicken without ginger is unthinkable.
It was still early evening. The markets and shops were open. Annoying as it was, I had no choice but to go out and buy some.
Reluctantly, I grabbed a light jacket and my wallet and stepped outside.
“Kyah!?”
As soon as I opened the door, I felt a sudden bump, accompanied by a short scream from a woman.
Peeking through the narrow gap of the door, I saw a blonde woman sitting on her rear in the hallway.
Her forehead was red from hitting the door, and her legs were splayed awkwardly.
She groaned while rubbing her forehead, but quickly assessed her situation and got to her feet.
Then, the moment she saw me, her expression froze in a daze.
I didn’t know her at all, but why did she seem so familiar?
I tried to recall, but couldn’t place her.
“Could you not open the door so suddenly?”
While I was lost in thought, the woman looked at me and said something dazed.
“Say that after behaving like a normal passerby. I don’t know who you are, but you were clearly glued to my door, weren’t you?”
I could understand and wouldn’t be surprised if a woman walking down the hallway had stumbled because I swung the door open too forcefully. I would have simply apologized and extended a hand to help her up.
But this woman had clearly been at a distance that one would only describe as “stuck to the door.”
I hadn’t even opened the door forcefully. The proximity when we collided made it clear she was practically adhering to the door—otherwise, I wouldn’t have believed it.
“Th-That’s not true!”
“If you’re lying, I’ll report you to the building manager or the guards. You stalker!”
“I-I’m not stalking you!”
I cast her a look of disdain, and she visibly flustered, denied it.
If this were a middle-aged man in his prime and a young woman, she might not have been believed. But the situation was different.
As Tristan and my family had said, I wasn’t unattractive. In fact, I’d appeared in noble social circles before and had even been pursued by young noblewomen at times.
Apartment managers and guards in the city were aware of such incidents. They wouldn’t dismiss me as being paranoid.
“Then what were you doing there? If you were just a passerby, you wouldn’t have collided with the door even if I had opened it gently.”
“W-Well…”
She faltered, unable to answer.
Whatever her intentions, she was a woman apparently sticking to someone else’s door. I wasn’t about to show mercy.
This was a sanctuary, completely cut off from outside social ties. Anyone disturbing it would be dealt with without hesitation.
“Ah, fine! I’m sorry! I’ll explain everything, so please don’t report me!”
I continued to stare at her with a gaze devoid of mercy. Eventually, she gave in.
Ah, so there’s a reason she was glued to my door.
I initially thought it would be another desperate excuse, but this seemed different.
There was none of the lustful gaze of a young noblewoman who had fallen for me.
There seemed to be a different situation altogether. I wanted to hear it properly to maintain my peaceful life.
“Alright. I’ll listen.”
“Um… where should we talk? My room is next door, but I can’t just invite you in… and I can’t go into your room either…”
“…You live next door?”
I was surprised that this so-called “stalker woman” lived next door.
“We won’t be entering each other’s rooms. Let’s move somewhere we can talk comfortably.”
“Y-Yes…”
Going into her room or having her in mine was out of the question. Talking in the entrance where other tenants could hear was also a problem.
I started walking with resolve, and she followed, seemingly relieved.
…What exactly is this woman?
●
“Fine. Let’s do it here…”
Since it was dinner time, the nearby cafés in the apartment area and central district were crowded, making it difficult to talk privately.
I ended up going to Rondel Café, a little distance from my apartment.
It was my recently discovered hidden gem, so I didn’t like bringing others here, but I couldn’t think of any better place to talk.
Peeking inside, I saw the owner grinding coffee beans. There seemed to be no other customers.
Not ideal for business, but perfect for our private conversation.
“Welcome. Please take any seat you like.”
The master, Rondel, spoke calmly as I entered. He seemed to refrain from saying too much since I brought a woman along—a courtesy I appreciated.
The café was lit by magical lamps, casting a warm glow over the antique furnishings.
The bright morning ambiance was replaced by a quiet nighttime scene.
This was quite nice. We headed to a table in the back.
“Wow, what a lovely café. I didn’t know a place like this existed.”
The woman, sitting across from me, looked around with curiosity.
Had it not been for her presence, I might have enjoyed the place fully. Next time, I’d definitely come alone.
“Have you decided on a drink?”
“Not yet. What should I have?”
She scanned the menu but didn’t seem close to deciding.
Whether it was curiosity about a new café or indecisiveness, she seemed bold enough to take her time.
“Master, one coffee please.”
“Understood.”
Since she hadn’t ordered yet, I decided to place my order first.
“Coffee? Is that even on the menu?”
“It’s not listed. It’s a special drink.”
“Oh, really? Then I’ll have that too.”
“Coffee has a strong, complex bitterness. I wouldn’t recommend ordering it blind on your first try.”
“It’s like tea, right? Don’t worry, I’m used to that sort of thing. I’ll have coffee too.”
She clearly didn’t understand.
Explaining in detail seemed unnecessary.
“Very well. Two coffees, then.”
I nodded at the master, who looked concerned, and the order went through.
She put down the menu with a satisfied look. Her movements carried a certain elegance, signaling she wasn’t just any woman.
Besides, the apartment’s high rent and strict safety measures meant only certain people could live there. She probably had a good income and a distinguished family.
“Before the drinks arrive, shall we introduce ourselves?”
“Ah, yes.”
“I’m Katarina Maclear. Second daughter of the Maclear family, and I play violin in the orchestra in the royal capital.”
“Hmm? Violinist in the orchestra?”
Her words unraveled a faint memory.
“So that’s it. I must have seen her at the opera hall, playing the violin.”
“Oh, you’ve been to our concert before? I’m glad to hear that!”
She seemed genuinely pleased that I recognized her. No wonder she looked familiar—she was part of that orchestra.
“And you are?”
“…You don’t know, even though you were stalking me?”
“I wasn’t stalking for no reason. There was a compelling cause.”
I said sharply, and Katarina looked distressed as she defended herself.
Indeed, the second daughter of the Maclear family wouldn’t just trail after a stranger. Though suspicious, I decided to leave it for now.
“I’m Jilk Luren. I’m a magical tools artisan in the royal capital.”
“You’re Jilk Luren!?”
When I introduced myself, Katarina leaned forward in her seat, surprised.
“You know me?”
“Yes! I’ve been sending requests to improve your magical tools, but you’re a stubborn craftsman who never makes the changes!”
“Ah, so you’re the Katarina who complains? You’ve gone from sending complaints to my workshop to coming to my home!”
Connecting her name with the requests, I realized it was definitely her.
That explained why she was glued to my door. She wasn’t a stalker—she was a persistent complainer.
“I’m not a complainer! I just didn’t know it was you, Jilk, until now! That’s different! Ah, it’s so complicated!”
