Chapter 09
“Young Miss… did you happen to do something different halfway through?”
“…No. I should be asking you that. Why did only my cookies turn out like this?”
I was certain Rion and I had used the exact same cookie cutters.
So why was it that every single one of mine came out looking bizarre?
I’d carefully cut out adorable animal shapes…
Yet somehow, all I ended up with were monsters.
“…I’m sure they taste the same.”
“I-I suppose so…”
Dyria gave an awkward smile, unable to bring herself to pick up one of my cookies.
Rion quietly examined them before casually picking one up.
Crunch.
He took a bite.
“They’re good.”
“…Really?”
He’s not going to die from eating them, is he?
Even though I’d made them myself…
I wasn’t exactly eager to try one.
What did I even do wrong for them to look like this?
“Young Miss…”
“I don’t think you should ever consider opening a bakery in the future.”
“Yeah…”
“I’ve realized that now.”
Whether it was a tea shop or a bakery…
Neither suited me.
“Please sit here and rest for a while.”
“I’ll go throw these away.”
Looking around at the disaster that was now the kitchen…
Dyria sighed.
Even though we’d cleaned as we worked…
There was still a mountain of mess left behind.
As soon as she left…
I cautiously turned to Rion.
“But seriously…”
“Are they really good?”
“Mhm.”
“They look strange…”
“But they taste good.”
“I actually think yours are better than mine.”
“Liar.”
His words made me happy…
But I knew he was only saying them to comfort me.
I picked up one of Rion’s cookies and popped it into my mouth.
It practically melted on my tongue.
“Wow…”
“There’s really nothing you can’t do, Rion.”
“Yours taste better, Roselia.”
Without hesitation…
Rion placed one of my cookies into his mouth.
It was shaped like some poor animal screaming in agony beneath dripping chocolate.
I stared blankly at him.
Then…
Almost without thinking…
I walked over.
“You’ve got some chocolate here.”
Pointing to the corner of his mouth…
I watched Rion blink.
His crimson tongue lightly swept across his lips.
Then…
He licked the chocolate from his finger.
“Looks like I got some here too.”
His eyes never left mine.
“Then go wash—”
“Huh?”
Before I could finish speaking…
He brought his fingers back to his mouth.
Watching him slowly lick them clean…
I unconsciously swallowed.
…This is definitely not okay.
Smack!
“What are you doing?!”
“Do you know how many germs are on your hands?!”
I slapped his hand away and frowned.
He had absolutely no sense of hygiene.
At this rate…
I’d have to teach him basic manners all over again.
Rion stared at me blankly.
Still rubbing the back of his stinging hand…
He silently allowed me to drag him over to wash it.
The entire time…
He wore a dazed expression.
I carefully opened the study door.
Father had been asking to see me for days.
I’d done my best to avoid him…
But regardless of what he wanted…
I figured maybe I could use these cookies as a peace offering.
“Here.”
“I made these for you.”
“…I told you that if you have a complaint, you should say it.”
“You ignored me every time I called.”
“And now you finally decide to show yourself.”
Edgar’s gaze fell on the box of cookies in my hands.
Someone offers you a gift, and that’s the first thing you say?
I immediately pulled the box back against my chest.
“I made them myself.”
“If you don’t want them, then don’t eat them.”
“And what’s gotten into you lately?”
“Why do you keep looking for me?”
“Don’t tell me you’ve actually grown attached to me.”
Apparently…
He hadn’t heard a single word after that.
His eyes remained fixed on the cookies.
“…You made them yourself?”
No…
Actually…
He looked even more suspicious.
Sure, I wasn’t exactly the sweetest daughter.
But poisoning him had never crossed my mind.
I’d carefully picked out the least horrifying-looking cookies.
This was supposed to be a peace offering.
Without warning…
Edgar reached over and took the box from my arms.
He looked inside.
Then picked up one cookie.
Crunch.
For some reason…
I suddenly felt nervous.
Rion had said they tasted good…
“…You really don’t have a single talent.”
“Give it back!”
I knew it.
Edgar didn’t even bother hiding the way his face twisted.
After staring at the cookie…
He calmly pulled out a handkerchief and spat it into it.
“So…”
“Where exactly did you learn that it’s acceptable to take back a gift?”
“You literally spat it out right in front of me!”
“You hand someone something inedible.”
“Is that supposed to be making peace?”
“Or picking a fight?”
“Just give it back!”
“I’ve already accepted it.”
“Whether I throw it away or not is my decision.”
Ugh!
The longer we talked…
The more unlikeable he became.
Why had I even bothered bringing these?
“Rion said they were delicious!”
“Then I suppose that boy has terrible taste in everything.”
How could someone be so cold?
I glared at Edgar.
Even now…
He looked at the cookies as though they might be poisoned.
Well…
If he hadn’t made so many enemies…
He wouldn’t have to be suspicious of every little thing.
“Even if I think you’re the biggest nuisance in my life…”
“I wasn’t planning to poison my own father.”
“How reassuring.”
Could he at least pretend to sound sincere?
Speechless…
I shut my mouth.
Forget trying to improve our relationship.
There was absolutely no way I could ever get along with that man.
“Fine!”
“If they’re that awful…”
“Throw them away!”
“You’ve read my mind.”
The corner of Edgar’s lips lifted slightly.
He was definitely mocking me.
The moment I turned around…
Those cookies would be headed straight for the trash.
“Instead of wasting time on pointless things like this…”
“Why don’t you start learning the family intelligence business?”
“…Why would I?”
“The information you gave me before.”
“How exactly did you obtain it?”
“I assumed you were an ignorant child who knew nothing after being locked away here.”
“I got around quite a lot, you know.”
“And speaking of that…”
“Why are you suddenly so interested in me, Count?”
The moment I called him Count instead of Father…
He seemed oddly surprised.
Wait…
I thought he hated being called Father.
Guess not.
I looked at him with wide eyes.
Judging by his words…
The information I’d given him had been genuinely useful.
But trying to drag his own daughter into something as dangerous as the intelligence guild?
He really was insane.
“I’ll pay you ten times the normal salary.”
“No thanks.”
“You should shut down your drug business.”
“The casinos would make you far more money.”
Throwing those words over my shoulder…
I stormed out of the study.
I hope you choke on those cookies.
Rion had definitely lied to me.
He said they tasted good…
So I’d confidently brought them here.
I’d been completely fooled.
Edgar probably thought even less of me after today.
“I’m not going anywhere near him for a while.”
After one last glance at the tightly closed door…
I hurried back to my room.
Edgar quietly stared at the box of cookies.
The little girl who had stormed out moments earlier had looked genuinely hurt.
“You could’ve simply told her they tasted good.”
Herrington spoke carefully.
“Try one.”
Edgar handed him a cookie.
It was slightly burnt…
But it smelled surprisingly pleasant.
Without the slightest suspicion…
Herrington took a bite.
His expression froze instantly.
“…Could I have a handkerchief too?”
“Swallow it.”
“Did anyone force you to eat it?”
With no other choice…
Herrington painfully swallowed the mouthful.
Apparently…
She had mistaken salt for sugar.
All he could taste was overwhelming saltiness.
“What should we do with the rest?”
“Throw them away.”
“Did you think I was actually going to eat these?”
“…No.”
“But…”
“You’ve seemed… somewhat softer lately.”
“As if.”
Edgar had never once loved Roselia Natasia—
The daughter who looked exactly like her mother.
Every time he saw the girl…
He was reminded of the woman he had once loved.
No matter what others believed…
He and Celine had truly loved each other.
Even if their marriage had begun because of the soulmate crest…
Neither of them had ever regretted it.
“As if.”
“My lord…”
Edgar casually pushed the cookie box into the wastebasket.
Whatever reason Roselia had for trying to get closer to him…
It would do neither of them any good.
One day…
She would find her destined partner and leave this family behind anyway.
“She told me to give up the drug business.”
“What do you think?”
“I don’t believe there’s any reason to listen to the Young Miss.”
“And what about last time?”
“The parchment business.”
“How do you explain that?”
“It was probably just a coincidence.”
“Surely the Young Miss couldn’t possibly understand how the world truly works.”
Edgar’s gaze drifted toward the door Roselia had slammed behind her.
Then…
His eyes slowly shifted to the broken cookies lying in the wastebasket.
