Danielle was packing up the evening paper in preparation for leaving the palace.
Because she was so busy all the time, her office always looked like a bomb had gone off in it, with stuff and papers scattered everywhere.
Eli and the other children had already left the palace.
“I feel tired.”
Danielle gave a small yawn.
She was planning to go home early today, drink some beer, and then go to sleep.
She didn't think there was a better way to end the day.
Since she began serving her mistress, Miss P.J., at the Engelger Mansion, more than a decade has already passed that she has been working with Thérèse.
What a fast time!
Meanwhile, her mistress got engaged and married, while she remained alone.
Being immersed in work was a habit, and she often forgot appointments, so even when she did meet some gentlemen, it always ended in a breakup.
When she had an argument with the man she had last met, she said to him:
“I'm busy, so wouldn't you better adjust your time to my pace?”
When she said that, what did that man, whose name she did not even remember, respond to?
“Miss Danielle, I am looking for a woman who can raise the children at home and be a support to me.
You are very ambitious.”
Or something like that.
She laughed sarcastically.
A woman raising children and being a support?
It was an idea as far away from her as Luberne was from Nove Sable.
What is the benefit of resentment?
It's simply that she and this guy weren't compatible.
After placing the papers she needed to review tomorrow morning at the top, Danielle stood up.
Knock knock
After the sound of knocking, a familiar face, Silbang, appeared from the gap in the door.
“What's wrong?”
Danielle answered coldly.
“I came to check if you have left the palace, Lady Danielle.”
“And if you left, what would you do?”
“Well, that would be sad, but we'll look forward to another chance.
The weather's nice, so why don't we go to dinner?”
“Did you reserve a table in advance?”
“Oh, no, not exactly.
But what’s the point of going home at this time and eating dinner alone?
Let’s go get some drinks and talk about life.”
Danielle was swaying over Silbang's offer, an offer she would normally have declined.
However, perhaps because of the arrival of autumn, her mood was volatile at that moment.
"Good."
"Oh?
Really?"
Silbang replied with a surprised facial expression as if he did not expect her approval.
“You idiot, have you lived all these years to be deceived?
Let's go, where are we going?”
Danielle stood, throwing her bag over her shoulder.
“There's a new restaurant, the Inland seafood is amazing!
With sparkling wine, it would be great!”
“Lead the way.”
Silbang showed some enthusiasm and led the way.
The restaurant Silbang took her to was on Paleo Street, the up-and-coming area of Luberne.
It seemed like it was a really popular restaurant, as soon as I entered it was completely filled with crowds of customers.
The restaurant was generally decorated in an antique feel using log cabins and logs which gave a raw feel.
On the walls, there are paintings and photos of Inland.
On the right side of the restaurant, there were tables placed on wooden planks on top of barrels, giving it a pub feel, while on the left side, there were red tablecloths and chairs turning the place into something of a restaurant.
Right next to the tables were windows overlooking the outside, where ornamental plants were arranged harmoniously, while cheerful music filled the interior.
“He's very nice.”
“Shouldn’t we?
Let’s sit down.”
When Silbang pulled out the chair, Danielle sat down naturally.
When the waiter brought the menu, Silbang ordered raw fish fillets, fried shrimp, clam chowder, and wine.
“When did you try this place?”
“I visited once before, the taste was good and the weather was nice, so I remembered that I should come with you here later, Mrs.
Danielle.”
“With whom?
With an atmosphere like this, it looks like you came with a girl, right?”
Danielle asked casually.
"A girl?
Well, yes it was a girl."
The conversation stopped when the waiter brought the wine.
Silbang didn't answer any further.
“Well anyway, do you like it, Miss Danielle?”
Silbang said with a smile, tilting his glass towards Daniel as if he wanted to drink a toast, and Daniel's glass collided with his, making a pure sound.
Bustling atmosphere, delicious food, and a comfortable companion.
It was a sight in stark contrast to the uncomfortable atmosphere she'd encountered during her recent appointments.
Danielle began to absorb the relaxed atmosphere, and her mood began to improve more and more.
Second bottle of wine already.
Silbang was constantly talking about palace gossip and interesting stories, and Danielle would laugh and confirm what he said.
"And, and!
I heard another funny story!"
“What?
Again.”
Danielle was listening to Silbang's story as she rested her head on her hands, her inebriation suddenly rising.
“The story of an employee in the Ministry of Justice who submitted his resignation after leaving the palace ten times in three months.”
"Three months?
Wow, is he crazy?"
Even Danielle herself, once last year, when work suddenly piled up, she couldn't leave the palace for half a month.
That was something no human could bear.
Anyway, she had to sleep at home.
“Yes.
I think it was time for a new law to be passed.
They say his boss got him a folding bed to save time going back and forth from the palace and after he had put up with it, on the last day, he put a bowl full of horse droppings on his boss’s desk, so the story goes.”
"What?"
Danielle laughed as she hit the table with relief.
One by one, people started to leave, and the restaurant's business time was coming to an end.
“Ma’am, the restaurant’s business hours are over.”
It was almost midnight without her realizing it.
When a man who appeared to be the owner came and said that to Danielle, she stood up and said sorry.
“Ah.
I just remembered another funny thing.”
"What is it?"
“We have to go home.”
Silbang complained.
"Hey!
Tomorrow is my day off.
Let's go somewhere else."
Danielle excitedly led Silbang outside.
But contrary to her expectations, there were no bars open.
The open spaces were so full that it was impossible to sit in them.
Without any use for her excitedly tugging at Silbang's arm, Danielle and Silbang wandered through the streets of the capital.
The night was deepening.
"You."
“Yes, Miss Danielle.”
“Let's go to my house.”
"What?"
"I said, 'Let's go to my house.
I have a lot of beer.
I'll give you unlimited beer.
Let's go.'
“Can I come?
Won’t I be found dead the next day?”
“You fool, have you lived only to be deceived?”
“Yes.
My mother told me that in the capital, if you close your eyes, they will cut off your nose.”
“I will show you that they will not cut off your nose even if you close your eyes.
Follow me.”
She grabbed his arm and got into a carriage.
She stood in front of the outer door and inserted the key into the lock, then thought.
Oh, I haven't cleaned the house in over a week.
“You.
Wait a minute.”
She quickly opened the door, then asked Silbang to wait outside for ten minutes, and threw all the accumulated clothes and trash into a small room.
“Come in.”
“Oh.”
Silbang looked around Danielle's room.
“Contrary to expectations...”
“Contrary to expectations, what?”
When Danielle became angry, Silbang was quick to offer compliments.
“You really decorated it beautifully, and the room is really nice, Miss Danielle!”
“Okay.
Sit over there.
I’ll get you the beer I bought at the craft store.”
I took the beer and dried squid out of the cupboard.
“No, this.”
"Yes.
It's dried squid.
You have to eat this so we can really say you drank beer.
It's a fresh start."
“Looks like we're on to something, Ms.
Danielle.”
“You idiot, you know how to eat it.”
Danielle and Silbang talked all night until early dawn.
“Why…but why don’t you get married, Mrs.
Danielle?”
“There is... no one... for me to marry.”
They were both already very drunk, so their words were slow.
“Why...”
“If you were me...would you?”
“I do.”
“Huh?”
Danielle felt as if she had suddenly sobered up from drunkenness.
"You say you will?
How so?"
“You are attractive...
Big Sister, you are amazing.”
“You… are you flirting with me?”
Silbang replied “yes?” His face is red from sugar.
He looked cutely goofy today.
“If you continue... like this, I will attack you...”
“Do you have to put it into words?
You can just do it.”
“You idiot...”
Danielle raised her head with her hand and woke up on the bed.
Because of the sparkling wine, red wine, and then the beer they drank after returning home, she felt a headache splitting her head from the after-effects of drunkenness.
I looked at the clock and it was already noon.
"You."
She shook Daniel Silbang, who was sleeping next to her naked, awake.
"I wake up."
Silbang staggered up.
"What?
Where are we?"
"Huh?
Don't you remember?"
“What do you mean, Mrs.
Danielle?”
Since the night before, in the early hours, he had called her names like “big sister,” “noona,” “Danielle,” and now he was back to calling her “Ms.
Daniel,” it seemed like he didn’t really remember.
Danielle laughed sarcastically.
When Silbang woke up and saw her and his form, he suddenly got out of bed.
He seemed to realize the situation now.
“What is this?
Yesterday we… nothing happened, right?”
He asked cautiously, as if he already had a hunch.
Danielle stood up and quickly drank water from the jug.
Then she wiped the remaining water around her mouth with the back of her hand and answered.
"What is your opinion?"
“Ha…”
Silbang lowered his head and scanned his body from top to bottom.
“My mother was right.
She said that in the capital, if you close your eyes, they will cut off your nose...”
“Ha!”
Danielle looked at Silbang disapprovingly and laughed sarcastically.
“I closed my eyes... and instead of my nose, I lost my precious thing...”
"What nonsense?
You agreed too, didn't you?"
“I'm not... pure anymore.”
Silbang pretended to cry, lowering his head.
“You are noisy.
Get dressed quickly.
Let’s go eat something to recover from the effects of drunkenness.
I will never drink with you again.”
“Don't say that, Miss Danielle.
Please have a drink with me.”
“What is this logic?”
“You don't have to know.
It's the logic of someone who's confused because they've lost something precious.”
"Oh.
Okay.
Okay, okay.
I'm sorry.
What can I do for you?"
“Are you just saying that in words?
You have to bear my responsibility.”
“Ha.”
Danielle put her head on her hands.
She had a strong feeling that this would never end.