TOYLCG 26 🍒

Chapter — 26

Daniel was in high spirits after Rosebell asked him to show her around the plaza.

“Is this a bit too much?”

Someone who usually didn’t care much about his appearance was now standing in front of his closet, pulling out clothes and holding them up to himself.

“What am I even doing right now?”

He hugged the clothes and plopped down on the floor. It was just a simple outing—to introduce her to the plaza.

She must have asked him simply for sightseeing.

And yet, he had other feelings toward her. She was the woman who had changed him—and who felt like she could continue changing him in the future.

The way he was acting, as if something terrible would happen without her, felt pathetic.

“I couldn’t even think of standing on my own… and now I’m leaning on a woman I just met. Who would ever like someone like this?”

The gloom he had kept buried for a long time began to rise again. It all came from the anxiety of knowing she would soon leave.

He knew she wouldn’t like seeing this side of him. But once his emotions began to stir, they rushed in like a rising tide.

Round and cozy. Small and charming.

That was Rosebell’s first impression of the Demetra Plaza.

It felt completely different from the Duchy of Efrian. The fountain was large, but the plaza used many curves, giving it a soft and exotic feeling.

“It feels like I’ve stepped into a Greek or Roman mythology book.”

Rosebell murmured as she followed behind Daniel. Unlike the count’s estate, once she stepped outside, it truly felt like a different place.

It felt like traveling to another country. In her past life, travel had been nothing more than a dream, so she thought this must be what it felt like.

Unlike Rosebell, Daniel was tense. Even though this was a place he visited often, his steps felt awkward.

Still, because the three of them looked like they were enjoying themselves, his expression remained bright.

“Is Demetra known for anything besides wheat?”

“As you know, we produce a lot of bread. But since it’s only sold within the territory, it’s something only we’re famous for.”

“That’s such a shame. The bread was really delicious. Ever since I came to Demetra, I’ve been eating bread to my heart’s content.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. And lately, I’ve gotten into the habit of baking garlic bread every night, so Maria has been having a hard time.”

“Garlic bread?”

“We eat it as a late-night snack… haha.”

Rosebell wasn’t doing anything wrong, but she still looked away in embarrassment. Daniel, however, was thinking about something else.

“Could I try it sometime?”

“Of course! It’s delicious even when it’s cold!”

Rosebell sincerely thought it might be a good idea to make it in large quantities and sell it. Adding different ingredients could work too.

Of course, that would require manpower—but that was the count’s problem. If he truly wanted to change how people viewed farming, she believed he would make that level of investment himself.

“Bread that tastes good even when it’s cold…”

Daniel had always thought bread was meant to be eaten warm. Of course, bread cooling down was unavoidable.

Commoners were used to eating cold bread. But nobles were not.

In the end, Daniel was also a noble. There was no way he had eaten cold bread before.

“For bread to taste good when it’s cold, you have to really understand its qualities. If soft bread gets cold and dries out, it’s the worst.”

Rosebell shook her head, imagining a completely dried-out genoise sheet. Just imagining it made her mouth feel dry.

But if you soak the genoise sheet well with syrup and layer it with cream and fruit, it becomes a very delicious cake.

That was what she meant by understanding the characteristics of bread.

When harmony is achieved, even something bland becomes delicious. That was food.

Apple pie was the same. Each ingredient was good on its own, but when the apples cooked, their sweetness was brought out to the fullest.

“Rosebell, is there anything you need?”

“Ah! I want to buy some comfortable clothes.”

“Comfortable… clothes?”

“Yes! Comfortable clothes! Ah—just not work clothes.”

Reading Daniel’s expression, Rosebell quickly corrected herself. Only then did he relax, and she gave an awkward smile.

No matter how comfortable she found work clothes, she had no intention of wearing them outside. Well, she did wear them in the duchy, but still.

“Aren, don’t sigh in relief. You’ll die.”

“You heard that?”

“You sighed right behind my head. How could I not?”

“Please think about Maria too. It’s pitiful seeing her so restless.”

As soon as Aren finished speaking, Rosebell turned her gaze to Maria. What caught her eye were salons filled with dazzling dresses.

She had come out to avoid corsets, but if she followed Maria’s wishes, she would end up wearing one anyway.

“Maria!”

“Yes?”

“Since we’re out, let’s buy you a dress too.”

“For me?”

Maria’s eyes widened. She was someone who dressed others, but she also enjoyed dressing herself.

She was a woman, after all, and must have things she wanted. Though she always dressed plainly, she was quite beautiful.

“We’re in a different region, so it’s a gift from me!”

“My lady…”

Seeing Maria moved to tears, Rosebell smiled proudly. Aren, knowing things would turn out this way anyway, wondered if all this was really necessary.

“You could just say you’re buying whatever you want. Why go through all this?”

“It’s about how it feels. Even if I insist, it won’t change much. But Maria genuinely cares about me, so I want to take care of her. You should buy another outfit too, Aren.”

Rosebell was surprisingly good at being generous with her people. Back when he lived on the streets, Aren had never heard such rumors about her.

Once again, he was reminded that rumors were not to be trusted.

When Daniel entered the salon, he took a deep breath of the sweet, gentle floral scent.

Rosebell and Maria excitedly looked around at everything. The two men, however, had nothing to do and sat there awkwardly.

“When you return, I don’t know when we’ll meet again.”

“Huh? Ah… I suppose that’s true.”

“You must be having a wonderful time.”

“What do you mean by that…?”

“Don’t you spend every day with Rosebell?”

Daniel’s polite way of speaking showed his good manners and consideration for others.

That was exactly why Aren disliked it. Unlike himself, Daniel truly seemed like someone who suited Rosebell.

“Didn’t the young lady invite you? If you come to the duchy, you’ll be able to see her.”

“That’s true… but I can’t just abandon my responsibilities and leave.”

He was responsible too. In every way, he was a far better person than the crown prince.

Yet it didn’t feel good—probably because Aren’s feelings for her were growing stronger.

“Do you like the young lady?”

“What?”

“It just seems that way.”

Aren wasn’t good at speaking indirectly. Of course, it was something one could learn, but since Rosebell also spoke plainly, he stuck to what he knew.

“I like her. But she will never find out about these feelings.”

“Why…?”

“Because it could create distance between us. I’ve learned a lot from Rosebell, and I want to maintain this relationship.”

Seeing Daniel struggle with worries similar to his own, Aren fell silent. No one wanted this relationship to break. It was better for one’s own heart to suffer instead.

“I think I understand.”

“But… I also have something I’m watching carefully. I won’t lose.”

“What?”

Aren didn’t understand what Daniel meant. At that moment, Rosebell called out.

“Aren! Come stand here!”

With a dazed expression, Aren walked over to her. Of all the clothes she had handed him so far, this one was the most normal.

“But… isn’t the chest area too open?”

“It must be the fashion here! What do you think? Feeling insecure because you don’t have muscles?”

Rosebell pressed the clothes against him with an excited face. Watching them, Daniel gave a bitter smile.

She relied on Aren more than he had expected. And yet, she seemed unaware of it.

“I’ll never tell her. It’s okay to be this greedy, right?”

It takes time for a person to realize their own feelings. But for someone enduring quietly to keep things from falling apart, each day felt heavy and lonely.

Even so, he knew cherishing this feeling would help him grow. And he had no intention of provoking someone who hadn’t yet noticed his heart.

That would only work against him.

Instead, he planned to blend in naturally and slowly draw even a small part of her heart toward himself.

Even though he knew it wouldn’t be as easy as a plan.