The Witch, Who Once Was Called A Saint Chapter 4

“I thought that, ‘as a man, had I perhaps lacked in conveying my grat.i.tude after all?’“

At the young man that declared so, Astreya greatly dropped her shoulders.

“Have you not thought of respecting the other person opinion?”

“I did think about it, and I am really sorry.”

“...... If you were going to apologize, then you shouldn't have come.”

To Astreya that glared at him with a ‘why did you come’ expression, the young man cast his eyes downward, looking apologetic.

“No, in reality, I wanted to come earlier.”

“......hey, I say, have you even been listening to what I’ve said?”

“But I had to take another post at the fortress, and asking my superior for a leave was difficult…...only now had I finally got a day off.”

“A superior in a fortress…..wait, are you a soldier!?”

Perhaps the fort he is talking about is the one from the town near here.
This neighborhood has a town in its own way, even though it's a rural place compared to the capital city and isn't an area that interferes in any way, it was once a state border. However there's only one town, with the rest being mostly villages.

But within that, a question arose inside Astreya's head.

(Even though he is a soldier, he has such a lax atmosphere!?)

It may be because of this peaceful era's air, but the soldiers in Astreya's memory were quite different.

And at the same time, she thought.

Why did I save this young man?

I can see myself helping him again even if time rewound, but then, why did I happen to pa.s.s by that place? She ended up questioning herself.
If this youth was at least someone that would listen――if he didn't appear a second time I wouldn’t be thinking about such things though.

“Now that I think about it, I still haven't named myself. I'm Eos――”

“I didn't ask you!!”

Eos, the young man, wide eyed at his speech being interrupted, smiled wryly.

“So, this is a present to thank you.”

From the slightly inclined basket presented to Astreya, bread, cheese, and what looked to be raw ham, could be seen. What lined the basket, she presumed, was a high grade cloth. However, Astreya's expression warped.

“I don't need it.”

Astreya, that didn't need food to maintain herself, almost never opened her mouth to eat since coming to the forest. It wasn't like she couldn’t eat, but simply that there was no need to.
That was why even if he said it was to thank her, she didn’t have the stimulus to eat. Her wish was only one, and that was him going away.

However, it appeared like that was a reaction within Eos expectation.
He wasn’t very surprised and looked for the next thing without any bad feelings. What he took out was a container that looked to be made of stone.

With his brows tightly furrowed as he put force in it, Eos opened it in front of Astreya.
After that, a gentle smell hang in the air.

“Do you dislike bean soup?”

“......”

Astreya didn’t say a word of negation.
With such a scent floating, her throat felt dry.
However, if she ate that here, the youth would be encouraged to overstay, and she can't let it happen.

While Astreya was in a conflicting state, a sudden sound dominated that place.

That was, the loud cry of an hungry stomach.

Naturally, that sound didn't come out from Eos.
It was from Astreya's stomach.

“……”

“……”

After her stomach’s cry, only the chirping sound of the little birds could be heard.

(I mean, wait! That was the sound of my stomach!?)

For a while the two of them stiffened like statues, but then Eos slowly took out a long wooden spoon from the basket.
And presented the container as well to Astreya.

“Here.”

“……”

How can I make him believe me my claim of not being hungry? No, it's not like he'll believe me.
If it's like this, then isn't it fine to be lured by this delicious smell? …...such thought crossed her mind.
Regrettably, in the forest there's nothing to sniff in the first place, and this delicious smell ticked her nostril even more.
Iya, but, I really should avoid the action of eating. However if I don't eat, Eos won't go back, right?…...as I was thinking this, my stomach made its second prompt decision.

“......I will eat.”

“I brought many just in case, so you can eat without holding back.”

While thinking ‘who will hold back in this situation?’ Astreya sipped a mouthful of soup first. Like Eos said, the soup that gradually introduced warmth from the tip of my tongue had a strong flavor of beans, that however turned into a mild flavor. And thanks to the small pieces of the smoked meat, you can feel the sweetness on one side. From the sweetness of the vegetable simmered together.

“......delicious.”

Astreya that mumbled unconsciously that word. Hearing her voice, she threw the bread in her mouth in a panic.
What did I end up saying?

“Adding the bread to the soup is tasty. And if you mix the raw ham in, it would become even better.”

While feeling vexed towards Eos’ words, once she opened her mouth to eat, Astreya couldn't go against the attraction of the food. While continuing to think, ‘vexing, so vexing’, she earnestly continued to eat until she noticed Eos saying “Has this already finished?”

“Sorry, I haven't prepared an after meal dessert but…...do you feel satisfied?”

Even though I said ‘I won't eat, I don't need it’, this is the result…...Astreya, that thought so, was tormented by regret, however she couldn't deny the fact that it was delicious.

“......thanks for the meal.”

Towards Astreya's reply Eos smiled with half opened eyes.

“Your welcome.”

However Astreya wanted to protest. ‘Isn't saying the prayer after the meal surprising?’ Although, it wasn't like she didn't have consciousness of her harsh att.i.tude…..
That was why she felt unnecessarily mortified.

“......so, with this you should've finished expressing your grat.i.tude. Hurry up and leave now.”

And then don't come back, transmitted Astreya's eyes to Eos.

“Right, it will take quite some time as the distance is more than I expected.”

“Not resting on your day off, if you are a soldier than you should get a hold of yourself.”

Eos, at Astreya's words, smiled wryly and responded “Well, it's regrettable though,” and got on Razur and left. What's the thing he felt regrettable?

Astreya ended up harbouring complex emotions towards the flavor of the soup that remained in her mouth, even after Eos's figure couldn’t be seen anymore. And thought that the soup was really, really delicious.
Recalling that, I won't die even if I don't eat……since she thought so, she came to put a distance to food.

(But, there will be no next time. In this forest I can't prepare this kind of thing.)

However, few days later.

“......that's why I'm saying, why did you come?”

“Today, I came to deliver you the dessert.”

“No, that's not the problem here.”

Eos appeared once again, making Astreya hold her head.

Tn: Naoriel 

Ed: Aeternatrix 

Nao's lil corner○■●

h.e.l.lo! 

I wanted to tell you all that I am officially picking 

Hope someone else pick this....cause I can't translate two novel at the samd time....(Too busy)