“Oh, then I should tell you about Noah later when he goes to sleep, Your Grace.”
“No way!”
Noah vehemently shook his head. Carol playfully stuck her tongue out at him, to which Noah huffed and clung to the Duke’s side, tattling on Carol.
The Duke quietly listened to Noah’s account.
Then the Duke suddenly said:
“Dinner was excellent today.”
“It really was delicious.”
While Noah simply agreed, the Duke meant more than just the taste.
“Indeed.”
It was a time the Duke could not have experienced even when he had a human form at the mansion.
If he had never been cursed, this combination would have been impossible. Yet this moment felt so natural and comfortable, like an ordinary daily occurrence.
Their statuses differed, their table manners were a bit messy. But it was more enjoyable than ever before.
Not being able to see revealed certain things. One was that appearances he thought important actually mattered little.
After finishing their meal, Carol carefully glanced toward the basket she had brought.
“Would you like to try the dessert I brought today?”
“Dessert?”
“It’s a cake I often made at home on holidays.”
“I’d appreciate if you share it.”
“But the ingredients are much simpler and plainer than a bakery’s, so it may not suit your taste.”
Carol repeatedly mentioned he need not eat it, that she had simply brought it along.
“Yet it seems my desire to try it won’t change no matter what you say.”
Only then did Carol stop her disclaimers at the Duke’s words.
“I want some too,” Noah naturally chimed in.
The cake Carol brought took on a meaning of celebration rather than consolation.
Only after setting aside portions for Norman and Mrs. Wells could Carol have her share of the cake.
Fortunately, the cake suited everyone’s tastes.
“Sweet.”
Noah ate without noticing the cream on the side of his mouth.
Compared to the luxurious cuisine from the Duke’s Mansion, it was plain. But the cake’s eggy, buttery layers with cream and jam were a winning combination.
****
Though Noah wanted to throw a tantrum to stay longer, he refrained–trying to look good for the Duke.
Yet he couldn’t hide his feelings, his lips protruding in a pout.
Mrs. Wells’ firm demeanor left Noah no choice but to head for the door.
“Can I come again sometime?”
Clearly not wanting this to be the last time, Noah directly asked the Duke.
“Yes. We should visit the garden house together when we have a chance.”
“The garden house?”
“…Yes.”
Though just said to placate him, Noah perked up and bounced excitedly rather than calming down.
“Really? Don’t forget, okay?”
“Yes.”
Noah seemed to want to run back and confirm with the Duke again while clinging to him, but Mrs. Wells did not allow it.
“Noah.”
“I’m not sleepy yet, so I can stay longer.”
“Even so, it’s time to go.”
Mrs. Wells firmly opened the door.
Each reluctant step backward, Noah looked over his shoulder.
“Have a good night, Noah.”
“…You too, Carol. And you as well, Your Grace.”
“I hope you have a restful night.”
Though Noah clearly wanted to be held back, since Carol was not there for a visit, she quietly pretended not to notice.
Only after the door closed did peace return. Though things went better than expected, the Duke felt more drained than anticipated.
He leaned back wearily against the sofa.
“Are all children usually that energetic?”
“More or less. The Noah I know is a bit calmer though.”
“…I see.”
“He seemed extra excited today.”
Having two younger siblings, Carol was relatively used to childish energy as she stretched.
“Exhausting, isn’t it?”
“Yes, in many ways.”
“A child’s vigor is exceptional even at rest.”
“…….”
“You’ll have to get used to it.”
“I’ll try,” the Duke readily agreed, naturally anticipating the next occasion.
Suppressing a swelling emotion, Carol broached the topic she’d brushed past earlier.
“Isn’t it time you told me now?”
“What?”
“You mentioned I had said something about you earlier.”
“You were still worried about that?”
“Of course.”
She worried she had misspoken in some way.
She had become overly conscious of the Duke recently. So even trivial things preoccupied her thoughts.
It was surely due to others asking if she liked the Duke.
“It was said the teacher called me a kind person.”
“It was nothing, really.”
“Is that so?”
“It’s not an unusual fact, is it?”
To Carol, the Duke had always been kind to everyone. Though prickly at first, his nature was warm–unable to simply overlook even a small sparrow.
“No, that’s not quite right.”
The Duke completely refuted Carol’s belief. She didn’t expect him to reject a compliment.
“Huh?”
The thought that he may dislike such praise came belatedly. Yet the Duke calmly seemed to only want to correct the inaccuracy, not take offense.
“In fact, I have quite a foul character.”
“…Your Grace?”
“Yes. I only try to be affectionate towards those I want to look good in front of.”
“……”
Though he wanted to say more, the Duke stood up from his seat.
“It’s very hard to find a good teacher like you.”
“Ah, yes.”
If he went on any further, Carol might have realized his heart was crossing the line between teacher and student.
That would have been very troublesome.
“What’s the lesson for today?” the Duke asked Carol in a naturally gentle voice as she stood dazed.
There was an excited air unique to the beginning of the year throughout the lesson.
“Let me just have one more cup of tea first.”
“How about a glass of wine?”
The Duke picked up a bottle of wine he had placed beside the sofa before Carol arrived, on the side where he usually sat.
“…Now?”
“I was going to mention it over dinner, but I didn’t know if the child would eat dinner with us.”
“It’s class time though.”
“So you don’t want any?”
Watching the liquid swirl inside the dark bottle, she gulped down her dry saliva.
“…Don’t you know laborers’ wine tastes delicious when working?”
Carol laughed bashfully. Normally she would have flatly refused, but her mood was exceptionally good today.
It was Founding Day, Noah had accepted the Duke, and the Duke had said her cake was delicious.
But she should not have drunk the wine.
“It’s really delicious!”
She had tried alcohol after being transmigrated. But cheap liquor usually tasted bitter, and left a sour stomach the next day.
However, the wine the Duke brought was sweet from the first sip, with a pleasant fruity aroma at the end.
That must be why.
“Shall we go to the garden house?”
“…Now?”
The reason she did not immediately refuse his sudden suggestion was this:
With each step, her feet sank deeply into the snow. The snow that had started falling right before Carol arrived at the Duke’s Mansion was already piling up on the snow that had accumulated earlier.
Although he had mentioned going there before, visiting the garden house had been indefinitely postponed after the arrival of the guest.
When Noah heard about the garden house, he had said he wanted to go too, so Carol vaguely thought they would go together after the guest left.
“I thought we’d go next time.”
She was already tired just from the journey here.
“Didn’t I say there would be no one here?”
“With all this snow falling.”
The garden house made of sycamore trees in the woods behind the Duke’s Mansion was magnificent.
The two immediately entered the largest room with the fireplace and lit a fire.
Only after the interior had warmed up a bit could Carol inspect it properly.
“Do you like it?”
“It was worth the effort to come here.”
The Duke was regretting his impulsive suggestion to come. He had forgotten the cold under all the fur he was bundled in. He even felt a bit giddy with the scarf Carol had given him wrapped around his neck.
“Next time, let’s come when the weather is nicer.”
“Yes, when the three of us come.”
“Right.”
Just a moment ago he had been cursing the snow, but looking at it from inside, it seemed as beautiful as a scenic view.
Still, in case someone peeked inside, he carefully drew the curtains.
Inside was almost like his room had been moved here – everything he used in his room was present here.
If there was one exception, it was the books in one corner of the wall.
Perhaps this area had not been cleaned, as the books were faded by light. Carol dusted off the thin layer that had accumulated on the books.
“May I look at these books here?”
“Sure. They’re probably just books from the main library that haven’t been read in a long time.”
The first book Carol picked up after the Duke’s permission was one whose reason for being in the main mansion was utterly unclear.
[The Reason the Mistress Called That Knight at Night]
Carol, who had opened the book without a second thought, soon had to quickly close it again.
LMAO
Oh la la, spicy material 😂