When Ina tried the beef strew, there was some uneasiness on Qualia’s face.
From Ina’s point of view, he was the same Qualia as before. Unbeknownst to him, his feelings as he watched her and wondered if she liked it were another spice added to the food.
And of course, there was only one thing Ina could say in response.
“It’s tasty.”
“…”
“So you can cook like this… I-it’s more professional than what I make…”
For a moment, Qualia’s eyes opened wide, looking like an innocent boy whose heart was content.
But immediately after, he asked a boorish question like an artificial intelligence.
“…Request explanation. Since this is perceived to be subpar, why do you call it tasty?”
There was nothing wrong with the freshness of the ingredients, and he followed the blueprint with less than a millimeter of a margin of error as he cut them.
And he cooked them with less than a second or a joule of a margin of error.
And yet, it resulted in something that did not hit Qualia’s tasty standards. It paled in comparison to Ina’s tasty bread roll he had when he first woke up in that world.
That was why he did not want her to eat it.
And Ina tried to put the reason into words.
“I’m sure it’s because you put your heart into it, and it made it tastier for me.”
“Heart.”
What was heart?
Qualia’s calculations stopped for a moment.
That question became even more complicated.
“Error. Qualia did not use heart as an ingredient. Request explanation. Can heart be an ingredient?”
Ina’s face turned red, and she hesitated for a moment, but mustered up her courage to speak one more time.
“Yes… Mister Qualia’s heart and feelings came through very clearly through the stew.”
“…Error. Qualia did not put his heart in this food. Error, error, the definition of heart…”
“It’s all right. I’m sure you’ll remember what it is one day.”
“Request explanation. Did Qualia from before the reincarnation put heart into food?”
Ina smiled slightly and looked down, remembering what happened.
“…You might not remember it, but… When we first met, you healed my heart just like this.”
She raised her eyes, and looked at Qualia.
Ina saw two of the same face. Fifteen year old Qualia, the former artificial intelligence who seemed disinterested at a glance, but thought more than any person, and twelve year old Qualia, the former personality who felt unsure and thought only about whether Ina would like the food.
“You brought me beef stew back then too.”
Maybe he really did reincarnate from another world. Maybe his personality really was the completely opposite.
Twelve year old Qualia’s was crude, perhaps because he was not used to cooking.
Fifteen year old Qualia’s felt somewhat not human, as he followed his optimized solution to the letter.
These two were too different, and yet, they felt the same to Ina. At their basis, they were both Qualia, who saved and protected a beast person like her.
And that kind heart showed in the beef stew.
“I’ll say it again… It was very tasty… Thank you.”
“…”
“Come on Qualia, we won’t be mad, so tell the truth. Does it look like Ina’s lying?”
“Qualia, this is tasty. Ina is not lying.”
Lobelia, who had been watching the whole time, lightly tapped Qualia’s stiff back as she interjected.
Meanwhile, Ace served beef stew on her plate, and had it as it clung around her mouth.
After seeing them, Qualia awkwardly spoke things characteristic of people to Ina, who seemed on the verge of tears but still had a smile on her face.
“Thank, you. Happy.”
“Me too… I’m very happy.”
Ina spoke in such a way that even Qualia could not doubt she meant it, and turned to Lobelia and Ace as well.
“How about we all eat here?”
“…Are you feeling all right? And about your brother…”
“Yes. Rather than being alone… I would rather cry in front of everyone.”
“…All right! Count me in.”
Lobelia saw the tears and dimples on Ina’s face, and encouraged her with a big smile on hers.
“Ah, but… We need a table. I’ll go get one…”
“There is no need for that. Qualia, Lobelia, and Ace will sit on the floor and eat.”
“No, I can’t leave Mister Qualia and Princess Lobelia there and stay here on the bed…”
“Ina, you’re making your big sister sad. You’re still leaving so much distance between us?”
And so, Qualia was carried by Lobelia’s pace, as both sat on the floor.
Ace was already eating ahead of the others, but also sat down after Lobelia pulled her sleeve.
“Ah, let’s call Spirito too.”
“There is no need. Detecting Spirito’s arrival.”
When Qualia looked at the door, he saw Spirito dragging her wounded leg as she made her way inside.
She was startled when she saw everyone there, but understood what was going on just by looking.
“Princess Spirito, is your leg all right…?”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. It’ll be fine if I give it half a day. I need to train more too.”
“Spirito, it is recommended that you also eat this beef stew here.”
“…Is there enough for me?”
“Qualia calculated the amount with you in mind.”
“…I feel like it’s shameful for a master to keep relying on her pupil, but… I’ll have some… Wait it so good!!”
Spirito yelled, surprised by how tasty it was.
And from there, they started talking. With utensils in both hands and while enjoying rich aroma in the air, there was a lively, quirky word flying around.
‘Tasty’ went around the room and permeated in it.
“…”
The topic was steered towards Liebe and Ina.
She spoke without reserve about what happened, including the torture and the beheading.
But also about her brother’s kindness, and the ten years they spent living together as brother and sister.
For just a moment, Ina felt lonely.
She felt her brother next to her, but when she looked, there was nothing there.
But then she realized something.
“But… I’m all right.”
Ina was not alone anymore. The beef stew in her hand was proof of it.
Those lonely nights were nowhere to be seen, and the world stretched vastly before her.
And she was led by Qualia’s hand.
“Mister Qualia.”
When she said that, she felt she heard something else.
It seemed distant in the past, but also right beside her.
It was as though the Ina from when she first met Qualia was also there.
She also had beef stew, there on the bed with her.
She finished it while feeling a little nostalgic, and tears of happiness flowed down her face, as she held back the urge to jump into his arms, and thanked him instead.
“Thank you so much.”
She felt that echo of herself again.
Qualia did not display his emotions as plentiful as before. But still, perhaps out of embarrassment, he had a smile on his rigid face, even if he did not realize it.
“You’re, wel, come.”
There was another echo from the past, but this time not Ina’s.
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