After a journey of about 40 minutes, they arrived at the parking lot of a restaurant. There, Claramond allowed her to sleep for a few more minutes before he finally decided to wake her up.
He gently moved her body while softly calling her name, so as not to startle her. Gradually, she began to wake up, and upon looking at him with slight confusion, he announced their arrival while she rubbed her eyes. It took her a few seconds to fully wake up and as soon as she did, they both exited the car.
They reached the restaurant where Claramond had a reservation, so they were immediately shown to a table on the balcony. From there, the view was rather beautiful, as it was a three-story building perched on high.
Rose was captivated by the view, so she stood by the railing, enjoying the fresh morning breeze. Claramond watched her with a smile, and when the menus were brought, he decided not to disturb her and ordered a white wine to peruse the menu with.
When Rose returned and sat down at the table, she took one of the menus to start reading.
"You can order whatever you like... I ordered white wine, not sure if you'll like it. Or you can choose another drink," Claramond said. She didn't reply and continued scanning the menu until she made her choice. She slid the menu across the table so that it was within his view and pointed to a dish. "Pancakes with strawberries and cream and hazelnut spread? A sweet selection," he remarked, and when the waiter arrived, he proceeded to order.
She glanced at the menu again, prompting him to wait until she chose something else to order everything together. Eventually, she slid the menu back toward him to show her final choice.
"Alright, please may I have pancakes with strawberries and cream and hazelnut spread, along with a strawberry and banana milkshake. And for myself, please bring an omelet with rice and ground meat paired with French bread and butter," Claramond told the waiter.
The waiter took note of their order and then collected the menus before departing. Claramond watched Rose notice her gaze fixed on the balcony view, and recalling this, he stood up.
"Rose, I have something for you. I left it in the car, I'll be back in a minute, okay?" he said. Rose gave him a sidelong glance and nodded once. Claramond smiled before leaving.
Rose continued to admire the landscape, wishing she could capture what her eyes saw. She felt relaxed and as if nothing could spoil that moment.
"Rosemary?" a voice came from behind her. Rose felt a jolt of fear, glanced sideways without making eye contact, and immediately recognized who it was. "Why are you here? It's odd to see you out. I thought you wouldn't be able to fend for yourself," said her sister Margaret, accompanied by a man.
"Who is she?" inquired the man who was staring at Rose.
"She's my sister... The one I told you can't do anything on her own," Margaret remarked. "But now that we're here, can we join you? I mean, it would prevent you from dining alone like a dog," Margaret added as she took a seat.
Rose felt nervous, her legs trembling, and she just kept her head down.
"What's her name?" the man asked. Rose recognized the man's voice from somewhere; she had a good memory.
"She's called Rosemary. Don't expect her to answer you. She's autistic in every sense of the word," Margaret explained.
"That's no way to treat her," the man said before turning to Rose with great kindness. "Pleased to meet you, Rosemary. My name is Leonarth Vi Desmont," he introduced himself, offering his hand to her. Rose kept her gaze down and did not respond. She knew him; Leonarth was a middleweight boxer, often advertised on television when he had a match.
"See? Pointless. She doesn't speak, the stupid girl," Margaret snapped, folding her arms.
"You're incomprehensible..." Leonarth sighed, addressing Margaret. At that moment, Claramond appeared and his expression registered surprise at the sight of them.
"I didn't expect to run into you here, Miss Margaret," Claramond said. "Good day to both. Young Leonarth, Miss Margaret," he greeted them.
"We were just passing by and I thought it might be nice to sit here. Plus, I saw her all alone; she surely would have been in trouble as usual," Margaret stated. Claramond wasn't sure what to say, noting Rose's nervousness. He was about to approach her when Rose did it first, hugging him tightly as if in desperation.
"Shh.. It's all okay..." he soothed her, gently stroking her head.
"Aren't you supposed to be doing something else, Miss?" Claramond asked Margaret.
"Are you asking me to leave?" Margaret asked, visibly furious.
"Precisely, I'm glad you understood," Claramond stated.
"Ah? How dare you?" Margaret exclaimed, standing up.
"I will not tolerate any further distress for Rose, so please leave," he said.
"Margaret, let's go. He's right," Leonarth said as he stood and took Margaret by the wrist to lead her away. Without another word, she left with a scowl.
As soon as they were gone, Rose burst into tears, burying them in Claramond who willingly served as her comfort. The waiter arrived with their dishes, but as he set them down, Claramond seated Rose in her chair and knelt in front of her.
"I regret leaving you alone... You shouldn't have had to endure this... Forgive me," he said as he wiped away her tears. She remained silent, wiped her tears, and glanced at him. He seized the moment to place a notebook and pencil in her small hands, a gift she took to heart, stopping her tears. "I knew you liked to draw, so I bought these thinking of you. Now you can capture anything you want," he told her. She dried her tears and opened the notebook, her crying ceasing.
He felt relieved and encouraged her to continue eating. Now happily indulging in her choice, she felt overjoyed to be savoring such a delightful meal.
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