Chapter 43
“D-Duke, when did you arrive?”
Seeing Frezen Decart standing squarely in front of me, I was so startled that I instinctively stepped back.
I knew he was usually the type who made little sound, but this time I hadn’t noticed him at all.
“A while ago.”
Frezen answered shortly and naturally took the towel from my hand.
Like the other knights, he was dressed comfortably in training clothes, and perhaps he had just washed up, because his hair was damp with sweat.
That must have been why, when the towel had covered my face earlier, I’d caught a fresh, cool scent.
Maybe because his face and hair were damp unlike usual, he looked strangely pure and clean.
What am I thinking, am I crazy?
I quickly shook off the thought and cleared my throat loudly before continuing.
“…I see. If I called for you, I’m sorry. I had something on my mind.”
“You weren’t just distracted looking somewhere else?”
“Yes?”
For some reason, the question felt oddly sharp.
He smiled and explained that it was a joke, but his eyes weren’t smiling at all.
“So what brings you here? It’s not like you came to watch the knights train. You’re not that idle.”
What was with those crooked, unpleasant words?
Anyone could see he was snapping irritably, full of dissatisfaction.
“Oh my, Duke, really. Of course I came to watch the knights train. Why else would I come to the training grounds? With nothing to do?”
Unable to hold back at Frezen’s curt attitude, I snapped back.
“Is that so?”
Apparently displeased with my answer, Frezen’s lips twisted sharply upward.
With his eyes blazing red and hostility shimmering in them, he looked more like a monster than a man.
“…I didn’t know this, but it seems madam has quite unusual tastes. Other noble ladies don’t even think of coming to a dreary place like this, full of men.”
“Hah! I guess other noble ladies are like that. But what can I do? I’m not. Dreary? Just look at those young men training. Aren’t they dazzling?”
Frezen’s pupils widened.
He looked genuinely shocked.
“Dazzling? Those filthy, half-naked bastards? …Don’t tell me you came here on purpose just to look at their bodies.”
No, seriously, does this man think I’m a pervert?
I replied confidently.
“I mean their youth. Their youth is dazzling. Who said their bodies were dazzling?”
“Same difference.”
“Ugh!”
That’s it. I’m done talking.
At this rate, this childish argument didn’t seem like it would end at all, so I decided to leave.
What was I thinking? He grumbles and picks fights every time he sees me. What’s so nice about him that I’d bring him dessert? I should just eat it myself.
“That’s enough. I’m leaving. Let’s go, Loren.”
“Huh? Y-Yes, Madam…!”
Thinking that, I sharply turned my back on Frezen.
Just as I was about to walk away, Frezen grabbed my wrist.
“What do you think you’re—!”
“Wait a moment, Madam. Did you really come only to watch the knights?”
“……”
“Not to see me.”
At those words, I grew flustered and my face flushed.
I had come to give him honey pie, so technically I had come to see him.
Yet for some reason, my mouth wouldn’t open to answer.
Perhaps because the look in Frezen’s eyes as he gazed down at me had softened compared to earlier.
I hesitated, then carefully parted my lips.
“Of course—.”
Who does he think is a real pervert?
I immediately corrected myself.
“…O-Of course not! Are you crazy? Why would I come here to see you, Duke?”
Honestly, it was enough to drive someone insane.
Was there no wooden practice sword lying around nearby?
At that moment, Frezen’s face hardened once more, and he spoke bluntly.
“No, I wouldn’t go so far as to call it crazy… Then do you have some knight you contact separately?”
“What are you even talking about now?”
Just as the childish bickering was on the verge of turning into a real marital fight, Loren suddenly stepped between Frezen and me and fired off her words like a machine gun.
“I’m terribly sorry for overstepping, but actually, Madam put her heart into making a love honey pie just for you, Duke! It’ll be delicious, so please make sure to try it!”
“……”
Thanks to that, both Frezen and I were left speechless, staring blankly.
She rattled it all off without even stopping to breathe, and her pronunciation was flawless.
It was like a magic incantation.
Was Loren always this good at talking?
But wait a second.
A love honey pie?
“When did I ever say that—!”
I belatedly flared up and hurriedly tried to protest.
“A love honey pie.”
At that moment, Frezen calmly accepted the box containing the honey pie.
“You came all this way to give it to me.”
As if nothing had happened before, he lifted the corners of his lips into a gentle smile.
Perhaps because his cheeks looked oddly flushed compared to earlier, I was struck speechless by the unfamiliar sight.
“Thank you, Madam.”
“……”
At his incredibly warm voice, my face burned.
When he smiles like that…
He’s really handsome, all over again.
“…I-It’s just something left over from cooking practice. Enjoy it.”
At the same time as that thought, I couldn’t endure the rising embarrassment and quickly turned my body away.
My cheeks were burning so much I couldn’t meet his eyes.
I hadn’t even eaten the honey pie, yet my heart felt strangely sweet.
“It’s a shame Mela didn’t come with us to eat together.”
Unable to refuse Frezen as he insisted we eat together, I ended up sitting beside him.
Since going to the greenhouse was impractical, we headed to the training grounds’ lounge instead.
“I already set aside a portion for Mela, so it’s fine. We’re going to eat it together later.”
I took a sip of warm black tea to calm myself.
Really, there’s nothing better than this in cold weather.
“……”
For some reason, Frezen didn’t respond.
When I turned to look at him, he had a dissatisfied expression.
“…What now?”
“Come to think of it, Mela said she wanted to have a picnic together.”
Why such a long preface?
I tilted my head briefly at Frezen, who was needlessly beating around the bush.
“So? Ah—. I get it.”
Realizing his point, I nodded in understanding.
At that, Frezen’s eyes sparkled so brightly it was almost burdensome.
They’re so transparent you can practically see exactly what he’s thinking.
He’d said my eyes were so clear you could read my thoughts, but Frezen was no different.
Anyone could tell he wanted to eat together.
“Then do you want to eat with Mela another time? The taste will be the same.”
At my words, Frezen seemed to ponder for a moment before nodding obediently.
Wait, when did I—?
But his expression looked so pleased that I couldn’t bring myself to question it.
With a satisfied smile, Frezen took a bite of the honey pie.
I watched him, curious about his reaction.
“How does it taste? I used slightly different ingredients this time while practicing. Is it too unusual?”
“……”
Instead of answering, Frezen tilted his head in a way that was hard to read.
So is it good or not?
Honestly, I can’t read his expression at all.
“…The texture is unique. What ingredient did you add? Honey alone couldn’t give it this mouthfeel.”
“Oh, that?”
Expecting the question, I pulled out something I’d brought with me and held it out.
“Andra fruit. I removed the toxins this time and set it aside specifically for cooking. I made it as a test to see if it was edible. Ah, of course, I completely removed the poisonous components, so it’s fine. So, does it taste good?”
“……”
For dessert, taste and the harmony of ingredients were everything.
I hadn’t planned to use Andra fruit from the start, but I added it thinking it would be nice if it could be used in food as well.
If so, it might even be possible to commercialize it.
Yet even when I asked again, Frezen still didn’t answer, as if lost in thought.
“Say something, at least—.”
Just as frustration welled up and I was about to question him, his large hand gently stroked the top of my head.
“Yeah. It’s incredibly good.”
“……”
“So good I want to keep eating it.”
As Frezen looked at me with an expression full of approval, I was left momentarily speechless.
I quickly averted my gaze and, feeling like I needed to do something, took a bite of the pie myself.
At that moment, Frezen’s hand suddenly reached toward me.
“You’ve got some on you, right here.”
