Amelie and Gabriel saw the restaurant from inside looked decent. An elderly couple were cleaning the tables, who welcomed them. The old man recognized Gabriel after a closer look and exclaimed in surprised.
"Your Highness!"
His wife and grandson were also surprised hearing that. "Your Highness? Prince Gabriel!" The young boy exclaimed.
Amelie gazed at Gabriel, wondering how he would react to it.
"I’m sorry for insisting on you to come inside," the young boy apologized for his mistake.
"Does the rooftop provide a good view as you were claiming earlier?" Gabriel asked, instead of answering the question.
"Yes-yes," the boy stuttered.
"Then, my mate and I would like to dine there," Gabriel ordered.
"Your Highness, the service of this place may not be upto your standard. I urged His Highness to check out another restaurant in the vicinity," the old man requested, wanting not to provide any discomfort to Gabriel while dining with Amelie.
"Since we have come here, we want to dine here," Gabriel declared. He glanced at the boy, asking him to show the way to them.
The young boy showed a bit of hesitation before he led their way to rooftop setting.
Arriving there, Amelie and Gabriel found it to be a cozy place, meant for only a few people. As the boy said, the view from the rooftop was marvelous. At a distance a small stream was flowing with a mountainous ridge present behind. Across the stream, small lanterns were hanging, making the place a picturesque scenery at night.
Gabriel held out the chair for Amelie and helped her sit first before taking his own seat.
"What’s your name?" Gabriel asked as he took the menu from the boy.
"Rooney, Your Highness," the young boy replied, holding the notepad in his hand.
"That’s a nice name," Gabriel said, swiping his eyes across the menu. "You should check the menu and decide for the dinner meals." He handed the menu to Amelie.
She carefully picked a few dishes and Rooney told them he would be back with the order soon.
Once disappeared, Amelie turned to look at Gabriel. "I thought you would leave this place," she said.
"You followed Rooney, so I thought we should give it a shot," Gabriel answered. "Moreover, the aroma of the food made me to taste their dishes once."
"I see." Amelie lowered her eyes. She thought Gabriel did that out of pity, but he genuinely found a reason to try their food.
"The stream over there... Can we go there later?" she asked, looking at her right.
"We can after having dinner," Gabriel replied.
"That’s great. I think they work hard for their restaurant. I followed Rooney because he’s a kid and I felt it’d not be nice to hurt him. He must be expecting a rich customer to come here," Amelie stated.
"Hmm. He’s a good salesman," Gabriel answered, leaning back on his chair.
’Amelie and I were separated in the past. But why did a witch curse her? Why two people told me the same thing? That I’ll suffer keeping Amelie by my side. What does my mother know? Why she treated me so badly all these years?’ As the questions swirled once again in his head, he didn’t hear a single word that came out of Amelie’s mouth.
"Gabriel!" Amelie called his name loudly this time.
"Yes?"
"You aren’t listening, are you?" She squinted her eyes at him.
Just then, Rooney arrived with their order. He was holding a big tray in his hand and apologized to them for the delay. Setting the dishes on the table, he asked them to enjoy.
"The water," he murmured and quickly poured fresh water in two glasses. He bowed his head and hurried downstairs, not wanting to disturb them.
"Mmm... This starter is actually delicious. I think I’ve never eaten something like this," Amelie said as she savored the creamy mushroom soup. It was rich in flavor, something both of them hadn’t expected. But then, the touch of elderly people had something to do with it.
Once they finished the soup, they moved to the main course. Juicy grilled steaks with herb butter and vegetables. Amelie took in a bite and it melted inside her mouth right away.
"The taste... It’s out of this world," Gabriel muttered this time. He never enjoyed any meal to this extent. "Turns out the reviews didn’t lie. The restaurant is actually good with their food," he remarked.
"Yes. Even the prices are not high," Amelie said. "I wonder if they are making good money." She hovered the fork above the plate. She decided to help them later with money in tip.
They finished their meals with a classic tiramisu. However, they didn’t leave the rooftop right away. Instead, they stayed there for a while, standing at its right end, gazing at a distance.
"Gabriel, I wanted to say this earlier in the day," Amelie began.
"Hmm?" His eyes found hers.
"I made a tough decision today. I asked my parents not to come to see ever again. I decided to choose my self-respect and peace of mind above everything else. I know I’ve hurt them, but I was tired of being an obedient daughter," Amelie stated. "And I must admit... I got that strength because of you and Noa." Her hand instinctively rested on her lower stomach.
"You got my back, so I’m not scared for some reason," Amelie replied, smiling at him.
’I don’t know what the Moon Goddess has written for me. But what I know is that Amelie is my salvation. Even if it meant to lose my life, I want to keep loving her... More and more.’
He noticed how lively she looked from the days when he found her in the beginning. She had put her faith in him. Tilting his head lower, he sealed their mouths with a kiss, startling Amelie.
He pulled away, giving her a moment before she wrapped her arms around his neck and his arms circled her waist. They shared a deeper kiss this time, full of trust and blooming love.