“I brought some dessert that’s recently become popular in the capital.”
“It’s chocolate melted in milk to drink.”
“Yes, and it’s supposed to be really delicious if you cut up those marshmallows and put them in.”
After being confined to the Duke’s mansion, the Duke obligatorily listened to news from the capital.
Normally he just listened out of habit, but recently when he heard about some unknown businessman making a fortune selling this dessert in the capital, he immediately thought of Carol.
“Wow! Let me empty the teapot and boil some milk first.”
Carol emptied the teapot with an excited face and filled it up with milk.
“Can I do something different with some of them instead of just cutting them up?”
“Since they’re for teacher, you can do whatever you want with them.”
As soon as the Duke gave his permission, Carol dipped a marshmallow into the fork she had been using.
“Seems the surprise gift was a success.”
The Duke smiled softly, seeing how much more delighted she looked than when he gave her the perfume.
Carol said in an elated voice.
“Yes! It came at just the right time when I was craving something sweet again.”
Chocolate was something she used to eat when bored before reincarnating, so seeing it here was very welcome.
It provided the mood change the Duke intended.
Carol ran to the fireplace with the fork. Then she carefully rotated the fork to roast the marshmallow.
“You suddenly got quiet again, what are you doing?”
“I’m roasting the marshmallow.”
“Roasting it?”
Not just floating it on the melted chocolate to eat?
Amused at the thought of surprising the Duke with his dubious expression, Carol turned her gaze from the fireplace to look at him triumphantly.
“I thought it would taste good…toasted over the fire.”
“Ah, so the teacher really enjoys eating things roasted over a fire.”
“Do I?”
“I should have noticed from the baked potatoes.”
“But you seemed to enjoy them too, Duke.”
The milk started to boil. Carol went to the table, grabbed the chocolate, and put it in the milk. Before sitting back in front of the fireplace, she casually invited the Duke.
“Would you like to sit by the fireplace too?”
“Hmm?”
“We could move a chair over.”
Realizing that moving chairs around may not be proper noble conduct, Carol quickly added an explanation.
“Since the marshmallows will be done roasting soon, I thought it’d be nice to sit and eat them. But it might be better if I just go back and forth instead.”
“I was intending to take your suggestion. But aren’t you giving me too little time to respond?”
“Huh? Am I?”
“I’ve never regretted taking your advice before.”
The Duke stood up from his seat and approached the fireplace. It seemed to be the only place in the room he couldn’t move around freely. As the Duke stood, Carol naturally took his hand. He carefully made his way towards the fireplace, guided by Carol’s hand.
Once seated in the chair Carol brought over, the Duke looked somewhat awkward.
But soon his ears perked up at the warm air from the fireplace. His slightly swaying tail suggested he was feeling comfortable.
“From now on, you can put the chair back in its original spot in front of the fireplace.”
“There used to be a chair here?”
“Yes, I enjoyed sitting and thinking while watching the fire.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“At first I acted defiantly, until they reprimanded me harshly to remove it.”
His voice was calm recounting that time when even trivial things were taken away.
“It might be nice to have lessons sitting by the fireplace sometimes when we get a chair.”
“Yes.”
Originally there was just one chair, but he planned to bring in two so they could sit side-by-side.
“Let’s worry about touching hot things later, and first find a proper distance from the fireplace.”
“I’m looking forward to our next lesson already.”
“Oh! They’re done.”
Carol peeled off the perfectly roasted marshmallow skin.
“Here, would you like to try it first? It’s best when hot.”
“Sure.”
The Duke remained seated. She should have brought a bowl too. But she couldn’t ask him to move around alone–he might trip over something or accidentally lean against the hot fireplace.
“Let me go get a bowl.”
“No.”
The Duke’s firm response stopped Carol in her tracks.
“Didn’t you just say…”
“What did I say?”
“That touching hot things are still too difficult right now.”
She had indeed just said that, but the words slipped out before she could think…
“Then…how should we do this?”
The Duke gently smiled at her foolish question that came out without thinking.
“Since I’ve already seen your blunder, what’s one more time?”
“Huh?”
She realized again that she freezes up when flustered.
“If you’re embarrassed, I’m happy to close my eyes.”
The Duke obediently closed his eyes and slightly parted his lips. The action seemed to urge Carol on.
Holding the perfectly roasted marshmallow skin, Carol reached out her hand as if in a trance.
She didn’t know if her fingertips felt hot, or if it was her whole body.
The moment she felt her fingertips touch his lips, Carol quickly pulled her hand back.
A sweet fragrance seemed to linger in the air.
Only then did she think she could have removed the skin and put the marshmallow on a fork, or brought a bowl to re-roast it.
Had the Duke forgotten those options too? Feeding it to him directly…Her face felt hot, perhaps from the fireplace.
The Duke wiped his lips with his finger.
“It’s definitely delicious.”
“……”
The Duke seemed unbothered after taking the marshmallow. Carol wondered if she was the strange one for feeling embarrassed in that fleeting moment.
“I think I hear the milk boiling now.”
“Oh, you’re right. It’s fully boiled already.”
Carol hurriedly grabbed the pot holder and took out the teapot.
Only after pouring the chocolate milk into two cups could Carol calm down and take a seat next to the Duke.
It wasn’t just because of Louis that she had trouble focusing on the lesson today.
‘Noah.’
She could no longer put off talking about Noah.
Carol smelled the perfume on her wrist. Just taking in the scent seemed to ease her complicated thoughts a little.
“Is something the matter?” the Duke asked.
Carol swallowed dryly. Her fingertips tingled. She hoped the Duke wouldn’t feel too betrayed that she had kept this from him.
“There’s something I want to tell you.”
“You seem tense. If it’s about changing your mind on extending the contract…”
“No, it’s not that.”
“Then what is it?”
“Actually…”
The hand holding the cup trembled faintly. Just as Carol cleared her throat to talk about Noah–
Bang bang!
A sound like harsh winter winds furiously pounding on the window came from outside.
Before the Duke could grant permission, it seemed the person outside had lost patience, as the door suddenly burst open, breaking the tension. Norman came rushing in.
“Norman?”
Seeing Carol’s puzzled expression, Norman hurried over.
“It’s a big crisis!”
Norman cried out in an urgent voice. Up close, his eyes looked bloodshot.
“Your eyes are red. Are you okay?”
“What’s going on? Where is Mrs. Wells?”
The Duke addressed the most pressing issue first.
Normally Mrs. Wells would deliver messages herself, only sending someone else in truly urgent situations.
Regaining his composure, Norman bit his lower lip.
“My apologies for barging in so rudely like this. I’ll accept any punishment.”
He knew the Duke finding out about this would cause an uproar in the mansion.
‘But…’
This was not something he could overlook.
“No…ah, Noah has been arrested, accused of stealing Lady Chesworth’s belongings…”
Carol shot up from her seat.
Thud.
The chair clattered to the floor as she abruptly stood. Her face had drained of color.
Though their first meeting was unpleasant and he grumbled at her, Noah was a kindhearted boy.
“Noah? There’s no way Noah would do that!”
Norman nodded in agreement with Carol’s words.
“I know, but all the testimony points to Noah as the culprit…”
He was furious. The boy had come to Duke Winternox’s family like being sold off, not even announced to the lord, living like the dead.
“He has nowhere to run off to after stealing! Why would he steal anything! You know that, right?”
“…True, but…since the item was so valuable, and they’re convinced he’s the culprit…”
As long as Margaret Chesworth had determined it, without solid proof, Noah would not be cleared of the false accusation.
“It’s to lure the Duke out.”
Realizing Margaret’s intent, Carol gasped and covered her mouth.
But contrary to Margaret’s wishes, the Duke could not reveal himself.
Norman firmly grasped Carol’s hand.
“Carol, you’re our only hope.”
“Me?”
“He said you could prove Noah’s alibi…that you’ll testify to it.”
“…Me?”
“He said you’d prove Noah’s alibi for sneaking out at night.”
But no one knew about us meeting in secret.
Then she suddenly recalled the Chesworth maid she ran into at the servants’ lounge when returning from the garden last time.
Thank you for the translations!