“Why are you laughing? I’m being serious.”
Lizelle’s expression twisted.
This man. He’s laughing while someone is talking seriously.
“You already feel like my wife.”
Chase’s lips curved softly as he looked at her pouty face, holding back a smile.
“So, I guess I’m a little excited.”
“…”
Lizelle shut her mouth like a clamshell.
How did this man say such embarrassing things so casually?
She couldn’t tell if it was part of his act or if he truly meant it, but every time he said something like that, it left her flustered.
“Anyway, you’re free to buy what you want, but I meant you should think again about whether it’s really necessary.”
Hiding her embarrassment, Lizelle went back into the shop.
Chase was pulled along too since they were still holding hands.
“Understood. I’ll do as you suggest, my lady.”
Chase’s faint smile lingered.
He didn’t dislike her scolding. In fact, he liked it too much.
After all, nagging often came from concern. People didn’t bother to lecture those they didn’t care about.
Her words made him feel as though they were already a real family, warming his heart.
“Take care.”
The two returned to the shop, found Raphel, and prepared to leave.
“Please come back if you ever change your mind!”
The shopkeeper called out loudly to the trio as they walked away, unable to hide his regret.
The chance to sell the store for a blank check had slipped through his fingers.
He could only hope they might change their mind and return someday.
With the store matter resolved, the three resumed exploring the marketplace again.
After walking for a while, Lizelle stopped in front of a shop specializing in magical tools.
This seemed like the right place to find the poison detector.
“Could you wait here for a moment?”
“Of course. Take your time.”
Chase picked up Raphel to prevent him from trying to follow Lizelle inside.
“I’ll be quick.”
Lizelle added to Raphel before disappearing into the shop.
“Welcome!”
“Do you have poison detectors?”
“Poison detectors?”
The shopkeeper glanced around the store in thought.
“Don’t you have one?”
“Not one that detects only poison, but we do have detectors for harmful substances.”
The shopkeeper retrieved a long box, announcing that he found what she was looking for.
Inside the box was a device that looked like a thermometer.
“It does detect poison, right?”
“Yes, of course.”
Satisfied after inspecting the device to ensure it wasn’t defective, Lizelle paid for it.
At her request, the shopkeeper wrapped the item in paper to conceal it.
“By the way, your husband is very handsome.”
“Pardon?”
“The man holding the child and waiting for you—he’s your husband, isn’t he?”
Following the shopkeeper’s gaze, Lizelle looked through the shop’s display window.
There stood Chase, holding Raphel and waiting for her.
Raphel’s mouth was moving constantly as he chattered, and Chase occasionally responded.
To any observer, they looked exactly like a husband and wife with their child.
“Yes, that’s right.”
Lizelle nodded with a faint smile.
So, they really do look like a family to others.
Raphel as their son, Chase as her husband.
Though she had never experienced marriage in either her previous life or this one, the word family didn’t feel bad.
After all, she was about to marry Chase.
Even if it was a relationship bound by mutual benefits, not love.
“Have you waited long?”
After finishing her purchase, Lizelle hurried over to Chase—or, as the shopkeeper might put it, to her husband and child.
“Not at all.”
Chase welcomed her back without hesitation.
“I’m hungry!”
Raphel whined, swinging his legs in Chase’s arms.
“I’m done shopping. Do you need to buy anything, Your Grace?”
“I’m fine.”
“Then shall we eat together? Raphel says he’s hungry.”
“That sounds good.”
Chase nodded.
Though his expression remained neutral, he looked subtly pleased. Everything was going according to the plan he made the night before.
The three left the Smactor shopping district.
Because the street was so long, it took about ten minutes just to get back.
“Um, where should we go? This is my first time here.”
Lizelle glanced around, looking for a suitable restaurant.
She noticed a few restaurants, but wanted to go to a place that was nice and served good food.
It’d been a really long time since she’d eaten out.
While staying at the Duke’s, she rarely went anywhere, so she became accustomed to eating at the mansion.
Of course, the chef’s skills were so excellent that she was able to enjoy food of better quality than that served at most high-end restaurants, and she was able to enjoy it in luxury every day.
But that doesn’t mean that she didn’t miss eating out.
Because dining out had its own charm.
The lively atmosphere of being in a restaurant with other customers and staff.
The atmosphere of a restaurant and the Dukes’s house, always shrouded in silence, was incomparable.
“There’s a seafood restaurant and a steakhouse nearby, both famous for their specialties.”
Chase began to recite the lines he prepared.
He reserved both places, so they just needed to choose one.
“Hmm… That’s a tough choice.”
Since both seafood and meat were her favorite foods, Lizelle was in a serious dilemma.
Watching her deliberate, Chase realized his mistake.
Instead of booking two restaurants, he should have hired the head chefs from both and created a single new restaurant…
Then she could enjoy both cuisines without having to choose.
This time, he decided to create a comprehensive restaurant that would sell every cuisine in the empire, so she wouldn’t have to worry.
“Raphel, would you rather have seafood or meat?”
“Cookies!”
Unable to decide, Lizelle turned to Raphel, but his answer was no help.
“Do you have any preferences, Your Grace?”
“I’ll go with whatever you choose, my lady.”
Chase’s response didn’t help either.
Lizelle groaned at the difficult choice she had to make, but eventually followed her instincts.
“Then let’s have meat!”
As much as she liked seafood, her love for meat made the choice inevitable.
“This way, please.”
Chase, as if expecting this decision, led them to the steakhouse.
After a short walk, a restaurant with a sign that said Verdure in small letters appeared in front of the three of them.
The entire two-story, building was home to the Verdure restaurant.
The restaurant building, which exudes an air of grandeur that made it hard to approach, seemed to have a long history at first glance.
“Welcome, Duke Chase Halos and Lady Wilhazelle Frosier. I am Tayven, the manager of Verdure Restaurant.”
The restaurant’s manager stepped out unprompted to greet them as the door opened.
Lizelle looked puzzled at the manager’s greeting.
It made sense that he recognized Chase, given his fame, but how did he know who she was?
Was she really that famous…?
“Please, show us to our seats.”
“Certainly. Right this way.”
Chase escorted Lizelle into the restaurant.
“Wow!”
Raphel marveled at the lavish interior.
The restaurant was elegant and classy both on the outside and inside.
The impressive golden chandeliers complemented the rich wood-paneled walls.
The hallways were lined with antique art pieces, making her feel like she was in an art exhibition hall.
“Welcome.”
The staff, standing in a neat line, bowed respectfully as the three entered.
Lizelle felt awkward under the overly formal reception as she followed them to their table.
However, something struck her as odd the further they went inside.
For such a large, spacious restaurant, it was eerily quiet.
Though there were dozens of staff members, there wasn’t a single other guest in sight.
Lizelle quickly realized what happened. The reason for the empty restaurant was obvious.
Now was their chance to escape, before they placed their order.
“Your Grace, shall we go somewhere else?”
She whispered to Chase, making sure the staff couldn’t hear.
“Do you not like it?”
“No, it’s just… come closer for a moment.”
As Chase bowed with a puzzled look on his face, Lizelle whispered softly in his ear.
“I think this place went out of business. There’s not a single customer here.”
