~Chapter 70~
“I came today as a customer.”
Only then did the shop girl seem to notice me and gasp.
“Oh my, I didn’t recognize such a beautiful lady. Please, let me guide you to a table.”
We were shown to one of many tables. It seemed there were no private rooms here.
I flipped through the menu. Each page showed colorful desserts—cakes decorated like toys, bright cupcakes in strange colors. I couldn’t even guess their flavors.
A chiffon cake with a sugar doll decoration was one thing, but what taste could a deep red cupcake have?
“Do you want this one?”
Armin pointed at the cupcake.
“I wasn’t really looking because I wanted it…”
“Then let’s say I want it. How about this one too? It doesn’t look bad.”
Like that, Armin ordered every dessert my eyes lingered on.
“Enjoy your meal, both of you.”
Soon, our table was overflowing with baskets of sweets.
I wondered how much it all cost, but the thought vanished as the sweet smell filled my nose.
‘If I can’t stop this, I might as well eat to make it less wasteful.’
As I stabbed into a cake with my fork, I met Armin’s gaze.
“Aren’t you eating?”
“…I’ll pass.”
“Oh, right. You don’t like sweets.”
It was just a casual remark. But Armin’s eyes narrowed.
“You knew?”
Only then did I realize he had never actually told me that before. Still—
“I noticed when I brought cookies to you.”
“…I see.”
Armin let out a sigh.
“Yes, I’m terrible at pretending.”
I held back a nod. Anyone could see it—the way he twisted his face at one bite of a sweet cookie.
“Should I buy more if it’s not enough?”
“Wouldn’t it be smarter to think about packing leftovers first?”
Looking at the table, I was sure there would be plenty.
So I cut another piece and popped it into my mouth.
‘Oh… this is delicious.’
The sweetness tingled up to my scalp, making me smile before I realized it.
“…Your Highness?”
Armin was staring at me, looking stunned.
“Why are you looking like that?”
“If I’d known, I would’ve brought you here much earlier.”
“??”
I tilted my head, not understanding.
Just then, a knight with the Grand Duke’s crest entered, whispered something to Armin.
Armin frowned, then looked at me.
“I need to step outside for a moment… will you wait?”
Since it only meant waiting with desserts, I nodded.
Alone, I lifted my fork again when a sharp voice reached my ears.
“So he suddenly brought home some woman of unknown birth as his fiancée?”
“I heard she has some unusual talent. That’s the only reason.”
“Even worms have some tricks, don’t they?”
The laughter was clearly fake, yet loud enough for me to hear.
I turned. In a corner, several noble ladies sat.
And among them—one face I recognized.
‘Dora Kessimian?’
Yes. The same woman who had sided with the Countess before.
‘Why is an eastern noble here in the capital?’
Dora raised her fan, covering her chin, then whispered.
“Did you see her glare just now?”
They knew I could hear.
“Oh my, such sharp ears.”
“Of course. A girl who lived off scraps in that house—how could the servants respect her?”
So they were insulting me again. Just like back in the East. And they had chosen the perfect moment, while Armin was away.
‘They planned this.’
“…Bella.”
Unfortunately for them, Armin returned far sooner than expected.
“I’ll be quick.”
He glared at Dora. I noticed his hand was on his sword.
…I hadn’t even realized he carried one here.
“No… please don’t. If you make a scene, we’ll look worse.”
If he confronted her directly, Dora would just deny it, saying we were overreacting. Better to deal with it later, in another way.
“…Why are you standing?”
“I can’t stay still.”
This was dangerous.
“What are you going to do?”
“Don’t worry. I won’t do anything Bella dislikes. There will be no blood.”
That wasn’t exactly comforting.
Armin called a waiter, asked for pen and paper, quickly wrote something, then handed it over.
“Deliver this.”
“Yes, sir.”
The waiter respectfully gave the note to Dora.
When she unfolded it, her face crumpled instantly.
“?!”
She shot to her feet.
“Ha!”
She sneered, but when she looked at Armin, her shoulders trembled.
She hurriedly gathered her things and left the shop without a word.
The other noble ladies, panicked, followed her.
Now the shop was quiet, Armin’s voice loud and clear.
“I resolved it politely, just as Bella wanted.”
Well… not exactly. But since no blood was shed and the trouble was cut off at the root, I couldn’t argue much.
“Yes, I see.”
“Truly, it was hard. Resisting my usual methods took everything.”
He sighed heavily, then lay his head down on the table.
“So now… Bella, will you pat my head?”
“…Your head?”
Did he mean… like petting a dog?
“Yes. Though you don’t remember, you used to pat my head whenever I was troubled.”
“……”
Once again, I had no choice but to go along.
I gently brushed his black hair with my hand.
It was softer than I expected.
Armin closed his eyes and even purred, like a big cat.
“Does it feel good?”
“It cools me down… don’t stop.”
This strange act continued—
“…You’re not troubled at all, are you?”
“Not true. I’m so troubled I can’t even open my eyes. And you kept stroking my hair until I got up.”
Lies!
“…I’m not doing this anymore.”
By the time I realized I’d been tricked, it was too late.
“At least I feel better.”
And without knowing it, I had completely forgotten my worries about regression.
At that time elsewhere—
“Don’t you think it was ridiculous?”
Dora complained to Marquis Blansia.
“Yes, I provoked her a little, but that’s normal! Yet he insulted me like this!”
She crumpled the paper in her hand. Armin’s words had been short but sharp:
「Get lost.」
Dora Kessimian.
More often called Baroness Kessimian.
The reason she was in the capital was simple: she had been isolated from the eastern social circle.
The Kessimian family was never prominent. To even join eastern society, she had clung to the Countess of Rohilton.
That Countess liked flattery like Charlotte, and if pleased, she would grant introductions or expensive gifts.
So Dora had chosen her side. But when the Countess fell, Dora fell too.
No invitations. No parties.
She was stuck—until Marquis Blansia extended a hand.
He gave her a way into the capital’s social scene, introduced noble ladies she could sway, and even secured her husband a government post.
Her ruined life had found a second act.
But that miracle could vanish with one word from the Marquis.
So when he “asked” her:
[We’ll send a regent to the Grand Duke’s house, so he goes out. He might bring his fiancée.
If you meet her in public, give a subtle insult and observe her reaction. Just enough to know what kind of person she is.]
…Dora could not refuse.
