Just One Peek

“What are you doing?”

Ewan was staring blankly into the depths of his water glass, contemplating the very nature of his existence, when Elka’s voice suddenly sounded from right behind him. He jumped so violently he nearly launched the glass across the room like a projectile. Thankfully, he managed to stop himself just in time.

“Is something wrong?” she asked, her head tilted in genuine, innocent curiosity.

“No, it’s just… you don’t make any sound when you walk. You scared the life out of me.”

“Oh, that. I can’t help it,” she laughed, a light, musical sound. “In my house, if you drag your feet, you get a beating.”

“Same here. My family is the same way. It feels like every family in the world is obsessed with those things, like not chewing with your mouth open.”

“Tell me about it,” Elka shrugged, then turned and disappeared back into the kitchen. A short while later, she emerged, struggling slightly under the weight of a massive, gloriously golden-brown platter of roasted lamb.

“The roast lamb is ready.”

“That was fast!” Ewan quickly got up to help her. “It’s only been an hour. Is it even cooked through?”

“It’s been ready for a while,” she said with a playful, mischievous wink. “I put the lamb in the oven on low heat before I left this morning. When I got back, all I had to do was add the spices. The real reason I waited so long… was actually to make you a little hungrier.”

“How cruel!”

“Haha, I’m just kidding. You have to let it rest after adding the spices and then roast it a little longer, otherwise the flavor won’t soak in properly.” She handed him a heavy knife and fork. “You can cut it yourself. I’m not going to help with a small task like that.”

“Thank you.”

Ewan took the utensils, but just as he was about to dive in, he seemed to remember something and stared intently at Elka, his expression deadly serious.

“Um… you eat first.”

“Hm?” Elka’s brow furrowed. “Are you suspecting that I’ve poisoned it?”

“No, no! Of course not!” Ewan waved his hands frantically, a sheepish, unconvincing grin plastered on his face. “It’s just that I’m the one who’s freeloading here, and you’ve been working so hard. If I don’t let you have the first taste of this delicious meal, wouldn’t that be a bit rude of me as a guest?”

“Is that so?” Elka stared at him for a long, contemplative moment, then her eyebrow arched in a playful, knowing smile. “Well, I’ll just assume you mean that.”

She picked up a silver knife and deftly carved off a piece of crispy, fragrant, perfectly rendered skin, popping it into her cherry-red mouth. The sound of her teeth crunching on the skin was so exquisitely appetizing that it made his mouth water uncontrollably.

“Well then, I won’t hold back either!”

Seeing this, Ewan could no longer restrain himself. He picked up his knife and fork and, with the terrifying, surgical precision of his LV5 Dagger Combat, began to carve the lamb with an efficiency that was frankly disturbing. The firm, juicy meat melted in his mouth, the rich, complex aroma of spices filling his senses. There wasn’t a hint of gaminess; the flavor was good enough to rival the master chefs of the ducal estate.

“Well?”

“It’s sho good!” Ewan managed to say, his cheeks puffed out like a squirrel’s, as he gave her a big, enthusiastic thumbs-up.

“Is it? I’m glad.” Elka smiled, pleased.

But after her first bite, she didn’t continue eating. Instead, she carefully, almost lovingly, began to slice the tenderest parts of the lamb into thin, delicate pieces, arranging them neatly on a separate plate.

Is she preparing that for her husband? Ewan thought, once again feeling a sharp pang of envy at how loving and devoted this newlywed couple was. Then he thought of his own miserable, pathetic situation—homeless, hunted by a yandere—and a wave of profound sadness washed over him. He could only channel his grief into his appetite, lowering his head and stuffing his face with a vengeance.

…

“Woof!”

As he was feasting, Ewan suddenly heard a dog bark. He instinctively looked up in the direction of the sound. Huh? That sounded like it came from inside one of the rooms.

“That’s my dog,” Elka explained. “He’s usually very well-behaved. He must be hungry.”

“You have a dog?” Ewan’s eyes lit up. “Can I see him? I love dogs.” In his past life, he had always wanted a golden retriever, but he never had the time or the means. The closest he ever got was petting one at a pet store. He couldn’t possibly pass up this chance.

“Sorry, you can’t.” Elka’s refusal was firm and unwavering. “My dog is very shy around strangers. That’s why he’s been hiding in the room this whole time.”

“I see.” Ewan sighed in genuine disappointment. “That’s a shame.” It seemed he was destined to never have a pet. Instead, other people were always trying to keep him as a pet. It was a frustrating, and deeply ironic, twist of fate.

“Well, you continue eating. I’m going to go feed my dog now.”

Elka picked up the plate of neatly sliced, prime-cut lamb she had just prepared and, humming a little tune, disappeared down the corridor into the room at the far end, closing the door firmly behind her.

“Woof woof! Woof woof woof!”

“There, there, good boy. I’ve brought you some food.”

“Woof woof woof…”

The sound of the barking became muffled, but Ewan could still hear the raw, unadulterated excitement in it.

“It seems Elka and her dog are very close.”

How enviable.

He sighed again, then returned to his one-man battle with the roasted lamb.

“Huh?” Halfway through his meal, he suddenly looked up, a look of pure, dawning shock on his face. “Wait a minute. Was all that perfectly sliced, prime-cut lamb… for the dog?”

…

“Ah, I’m stuffed.”

After devouring nearly half the roasted lamb by himself, Ewan leaned back in his chair, rubbing his round, full stomach with a look of unprecedented satisfaction. Was there anything more blissful in the entire world than eating a delicious meal until you were about to burst after being starved for a whole day?

“I feel like I could die now and have no regrets.”

“Are you full?” Elka had come out of the room, an empty plate in her hand. “You look tired. Would you like to rest for a while? The guest room is empty.”

“Is… is that really okay?” Ewan hesitated. “I’ve already freeloaded a meal and a drink…”

“Think of it this way: you’ve already freeloaded a meal and a drink, so what’s one more night’s sleep?” she smiled, her logic inescapable.

“You’ve got a point.” Ewan wasn’t one to stand on ceremony. He nodded. “In that case, I’ll have to impose on you a little longer.”

“It’s no trouble. The guest room is the first on the left.”

“Thank you.”

Ewan went into the guest room. It was clear that it hadn’t been specially prepared for him. The furnishings were simple, and there wasn’t even a blanket on the bed. But for him, it was more than enough.

The moment he lay down, the accumulated fatigue of the past few chaotic, terrifying days washed over him like a tidal wave. He fell asleep almost instantly.

Outside, the moon was bright, its silvery light spilling through the window.

All was quiet.

…

“I love you.”

…

“It’s over!”

In the dead of night, Ewan’s eyes suddenly flew open, his expression one of grave, world-ending seriousness, as if he were facing a major, life-or-death crisis.

“I have to go to the bathroom.”

He had eaten far, far too much, and his stomach was now staging a violent protest.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have indulged so much.”

Ewan carefully got out of bed, quietly opened the door, and slipped into the silent, moonlit corridor.

“Crap. I forgot to ask where the bathroom is.”

“At this hour… Elka is probably asleep. It wouldn’t be right to wake her.”

He stood at the end of the corridor, faced with three identical, unfamiliar doors. “A one-in-three chance. The odds aren’t bad, right?”

He placed his hand on the handle of the rightmost door and slowly, carefully, pushed it open. A small, dark crack appeared.

“Woof,” a soft, sleepy bark came from within.

“This is…” Ewan froze. It seemed to be the room where Elka was keeping her dog. “Definitely not the bathroom.”

He sighed in disappointment and was about to quietly close the door.

“Wait.”

But then, a new, mischievous light appeared in his eyes.

“Since I’m already here, why not just take a quick, tiny peek?”

He really, truly did love dogs.

Just one look. It should be fine, right?

With that thought, Ewan had already crouched down, slowly, stealthily, bringing his eye to the crack in the door.