When Your Secret Crush Wizard Took a Love Potion - Chapter 28

Lake Martin, nearly fully explored, was now tranquil enough to accommodate cruise ships. Everyone on board seemed to think that the journey could be enjoyed worry-free until we reached the western continent.

“How can those guys not even break a sweat?”

Olio Bennett, who had erected a large canopy and was fanned by servants to avoid the sun, couldn’t understand the mercenaries’ indifference.

I agreed with him. Although the view from the deck was spectacular, the direct midday sunlight made it unbearably hot, making it difficult to stay outside for long.

“Hey, don’t just stand there like an idiot, sit down.”

Olio glanced at me and gestured towards the chair next to him. Even under the shade, his face was flushed with heat as he urged me to sit.

“Sit down, will you?”

Now he was getting irritable. Born into wealth and struggling to escape parental control, the young nobleman lacked the patience for polite requests, his pride seemingly on par with royalty.

Just as I was about to leave, a maid standing behind Olio stopped me.

“The young master really should speak more kindly. Who would want to sit with you if you talk like that?”

“How old do you think I am to still be called ‘young master’?”

The maid expertly ignored Olio’s grumbling. Although it might have been seen as disrespectful by a more solemn elder, Olio let it slide. They look like they have been together for a long time.

“My name is Angel Runfort, wizard.”

The maid introduced herself, lifting her skirt slightly on both sides.

“Please bear with our young master. It’s hot today, why not sit and have some cool tea? You too, mercenary.”

“Me?”

“Of course, Marca.”

Marca, who had been squinting in the glaring sun, finally joined us.

“Perfect timing, I was just getting thirsty, thank you.”

As Marca sat next to me, the three of us gathered around one table, and an impromptu tea time started. Watching the rippling surface of the lake in the breeze, the maid poured a crimson-colored tea.

“I will enjoy this.”

As soon as I took a sip, a sharp, refreshingly sweet taste burst forth, accompanied by a hint of lemon. Marca, who gulped her tea immediately, was impressed.

“I usually just drink alcohol, but this is my first time having proper tea, and it’s much better than I expected.”

“Well, it should be. Do you know how expensive these tea leaves are?”

Olio responded boastfully, his gaze expectantly shifting towards me.

“How about you? You’ve never had something like this before, have you?”

“Are these tea leaves hard to come by?”

In the past, Edgar preferred tea over alcohol. He often brewed it himself, skillfully, rather than leaving it to a golem, and we would enjoy tea time together in our secluded cabin.

I loved those moments when I could sneak glances at Edgar under the guise of watching the snowflakes fall outside. Truthfully, I wasn’t much interested in the flavor of the tea, so I never really knew what leaves I was drinking.

“Of course, it’s a rare tea leaf. It was enjoyed by the royalty of the ancient Barten Empire. A gram costs five gold coins.”

Olio, who had been acting like a child showing off a new toy, felt a poke in his side from the maid and glared at her. His lips puckered as he muttered,

“Well, I might give you such tea leaves if you behave to my liking…”

“I can’t hear you very well.”

I really mean it. My mind was elsewhere, and his muttering was too faint to catch. As I was about to ask Olio to repeat himself, the maid standing behind him caught my attention again, and I spoke to her instead.

“I didn’t realize before, but you are quite tall.”

Sitting down made it more apparent. The maid, with her long pink hair braided and full lashes that suited her well, looked like a character from a fairy tale. She was very tall, almost as much as Edgar, who was among the tallest people I knew.

“Indeed she is.”

Marca agreed, and the usually silent maid blushed at the acknowledgment.

“Oh no, Marca, you’re also quite tall.”

“Thanks for the compliment, but it’s different for me. I’m a warrior by profession. I had to be physically superior from a young age to succeed in this line of work. I never thought I’d meet a woman as tall as me.”