Chapter 20
Sweetness
With my hands full, I knocked on Cedric’s lounge door with great difficulty.
“Your Highness.”
Cedric opened the door. I was holding an armful of snacks I bought in the city. Cedric stepped aside to let me in. I greeted him with Good afternoon as I entered, though I couldn’t see his face behind the pile of sweets.
“Good afternoon, Your Highness.”
I dumped everything I was holding onto the tea table. A small mountain of treats formed. I naturally sank onto the sofa. Cedric picked up a box of chocolates that had dropped near the door and placed it on the table.
“Did your magic call go well?”
“Yes. Apparently once a mage on this side establishes the connection, Yuria can maintain it herself. So we were able to talk comfortably from the prayer room.”
“Is that so.”
I’d been told that maintaining a two-way magical transmission alone was nearly impossible—something only the most skilled mages could do—but Cedric made no particular comment. Perhaps knights didn’t know much about magic.
Cedric stood and poured tea. It wasn’t ginger tea. As he brought the pot over, a refreshing scent filled the room.
“This isn’t ginger?”
“You said you don’t like ginger tea, Your Highness.”
“You remembered? How sweet of you. What kind of tea is this?”
I took a sip—fragrant and sweet. A pretty flower floated on the surface.
“I was told it’s made with plum blossoms that grow only in certain regions, along with dried apple-mango.”
“I’ve never heard of plum blossoms like these. They’re pretty. And sweet.”
Feeling cheerful, I smiled brightly.
“I’m glad you like it.”
“Now, look at the things I brought, Duke. There was a brand-new confectionery shop, and it was amazing.”
“Yes. It is amazing.”
Cedric’s emotionless gaze fell on the mountain of snacks.
“No, no—the shop was amazing! Right at the entrance, there was a chocolate fountain this big.”
I stretched out my arms to show the size. “This big,” I repeated. It wasn’t the first chocolate fountain I’d ever seen, but this one had been impressively large.
“And out of three floors, the second and third floors were filled entirely with different treats. Isn’t that great?”
“Astonishing.”
“The third floor was a café. You can eat the sweets you buy right there. Do you want to go together next time?”
“That sounds good.”
“Then we should check what tastes good in advance. That way we won’t hesitate when we get there.”
I picked up a small tin of candies first.
“Isn’t this candy case so pretty? The candy must taste great too. Want to try one?”
“Yes. Please give me one.”
I gently shook the tin so an unbroken candy would come out and handed it to Cedric. I popped another into my own mouth—a syrup candy dusted in powdered sugar.
“This is good! Right?”
“Not bad. People who like sweets will enjoy it.”
I giggled.
“Exactly. And since I’m one of those people, I love it. It passes!”
Digging through the pile, I found another box of candies—highly recommended by a shop clerk. Each piece was individually wrapped and came in different sizes.
“This is new to me. Duke, have you ever seen candy like this?”
I unwrapped one. A sticky-looking candy appeared—probably candied fruit. The sugar coating sparkled.
“I’ve seen it once before. It’s a traditional candy from the Kingdom of Roneis.”
“It is? Do you know its name?”
Cedric thought for a moment.
“It was a small village where I saw it… I believe they called it Kandierter Früchte.”
He pronounced it in a rough accent I had never heard from him before.
“Kang… Hrwihh-tter?”
“Yes. It means ‘sweet fruit.’”
I popped it into my mouth. Contrary to its appearance, it wasn’t mushy. The sugar shell cracked lightly, then melted smoothly. Inside, the fruit was chewy—apricot. Each bite released a delicate, tangy apricot aroma.
“Wow, it’s really good. Do you want one?”
“I’m fine.”
“Okay!”
I grabbed another—this time a tiny pear. A faint pear scent, deep sweetness, chewy texture… I loved it instantly.
“Can you tell me the name again?”
I wanted to pronounce it properly.
“Kahn-dierr-ter.”
“Kaan-diet-te.”
Cedric slowed his pronunciation for me.
“Yes. Kandierter Früchte.”
“Kan-diete… frih-hti-ri.”
“That’s close enough.”
Cedric smiled.
“You’re not teasing a lady, are you, Duke?”
“Absolutely not.”
“It’s a bit long anyway, so maybe I’ll shorten it. Fri… frihhti-ri?”
“It means ‘fruit,’ so it is an appropriate nickname.”
Cedric didn’t correct me. He organized the box of Frihhti-ri neatly. I thought to myself that I must eat more later. Seeing that, Cedric spoke.
“Since it’s made in a rustic style, the sugar coating may melt.”
“Oh? Really?”
I had taken a liking to this strangely named candy, so it would be a shame if it melted and lost its charm.
“If you don’t mind, I’ll store it in the magic freezer here.”
“That would be wonderful!”
One worry solved.
Then I continued opening every snack I had bought and tasting each one. Even for a country that loved sweets, halfway through I felt overwhelmed by sugar. Cedric suggested taking a break and trying the rest later, but I refused. Once I start something, I often feel compelled to finish it.
At some point, I stopped speaking and focused entirely on inspecting the snacks. Cedric read a book.
Time passed that way.
Drenched in sweetness… I couldn’t tell if I was the candy or the candy was me… Wait, no, I’m not candy… Am I falling asleep?
Eventually, after tasting each and every treat, exhaustion overtook me and I fell asleep on the sofa.
The lamp flickered softly. The room was dim.
I pushed myself halfway upright. The blanket that had been covering me slid to the floor.
My mind slowly cleared. Cedric’s familiar lounge. The still-untouched mountain of snack boxes. Right—the sweetness had put me to sleep…
“Your Highness, you’re awake?”
The maid who had been in the room approached and picked up the fallen blanket. She smoothed my hair and straightened my clothes.
I met Cedric’s eyes. He sat on the sofa, holding a book. It seemed to be a different one from earlier.
“Yon… you’re still here.”
My tongue was heavy with sleep, which muddled my pronunciation.
“Yes.”
Cedric answered. He told the maid to step aside. She fetched a fresh blanket, draped it over my shoulders, and left the room.
“I’ve never seen a maid waiting inside your lounge before.”
“I normally don’t allow them in here.”
“Is today not normal?”
“You were sleeping, so I asked her to wait inside.”
My pronunciation returned to normal as the last of my drowsiness faded. My mind cleared.
“Because I was sleeping?”
What did my nap have to do with the maid? Did I mumble about being cold or hot?
“If someone sees us alone in a room while you’re asleep, it could cause unwanted rumors.”
I hadn’t considered that. It struck me again how experienced and considerate Cedric was. Back in the Kingdom of Lundra, if I nodded off somewhere, it was always in my own rooms or my brothers’, so it had never become an issue.
“I didn’t think of that. Thank you for being so considerate.”
“As long as the ducal house is hosting Your Highness, it is our duty.”
There it was again. Cedric was always unfailingly polite and dutiful. I didn’t respond—just smiled.
“Is anything uncomfortable?”
“No. This sofa is so comfortable. One of the best I’ve ever napped on.”
“Is that so.”
It was already dark outside. Quite a bit of time had passed.
“Have you had dinner yet, Duke?”
“Not yet.”
“You didn’t leave because I was sleeping?”
“That is correct.”
“Then let’s hurry and have dinner. I don’t want to delay your meal any longer.”
Even though we lived in the same mansion, Cedric and I usually ate in our own spaces. Only when we specifically planned it did we dine together. But since it was already dinner time and we were together now, eating together felt natural.
“Your Highness, do you want to have dinner?”
“To be honest, I ate so many sweets earlier that everything tastes sweet. I think I’m hungry, but not terribly hungry. So… if I eat, good; if I don’t, that’s fine too.”
“In that case, how about having something light here? There’s a terrace connected to this lounge.”
“Oh, I love that!”
I pressed my hands together and clapped once—silently, so as not to disturb the peaceful mood.
