Chapter 25
I stood frozen in place. In my past life, many people made my life miserable, but no one had ever apologized.
“I-I was so awful that day… but thanks to you stepping in, I get to learn cooking like this… and I’ve even found joy in it…”
Louis babbled, eyes brimming with tears. On closer listen, it seemed—like Sawyer—he was moved that I stood up for him.
It wasn’t even because of you, though.
I wanted to tell him that, but Louis was so caught up in his emotions that I doubted he’d hear it.
“I—I’m not asking for forgiveness. Just…”
“I forgive you.”
I cut him off.
“…Huh?”
“I said I understand.”
He blinked at me with a dumbfounded look, but I didn’t feel awkward saying it.
Not because I liked him, but because I had suffered so much in my past life that what Louis did barely left a mark. Honestly, I’d forgotten about him until we met again.
Louis, unaware of that, clenched his fists and wiped his face—whether it was tears or snot, I couldn’t tell. But he clearly felt deeply moved.
“I… I’ll never forget this, my Lady.”
He sniffled a few times and made his vow. His eyes, once dull, now sparkled with sincerity.
I nodded quickly, eager to escape the awkwardness, and turned away.
Then he said something that stopped me in my tracks.
“C-could I… give you some of the chocolates I made?”
He pointed to a tray lined with dozens of colorful, patterned chocolates.
Fwoosh.
I licked my lips, eyes gleaming. Had he been stuck in the kitchen all day and missed Theon’s no-chocolate edict?
“Would you… really?”
Feigning disinterest, I replied reluctantly.
Sure, I’d made some myself, but more chocolate never hurt.
In fact, I could give away what I made and eat the pretty ones instead.
Feeling pleased with my now-perfect plan, I smiled.
“Why did you bring manure?”
Jenna scrunched her nose as she opened the box I sheepishly handed her.
“Are you planning to garden? The gardeners could get you better fertilizer.”
“It’s not manure…”
“My Lady, I told you—no need to worry about the Duchess anymore. You don’t have to scavenge fertilizer yourself.”
“It’s not manure…”
“Even Lady Callista is taking subtle interest in you—”
“It’s not manure! It’s a brownie!”
Swallowing my pride, I shouted.
Silence filled the room. Those few seconds felt eternal.
“…This?”
Jenna picked up a brownie with just her thumb and forefinger, as if it were contaminated.
Seeing it in her hand, I couldn’t bring myself to declare it as my first proud creation.
Yeah. Even to me, it looked awful. Though it was baked in a mold, it came out oddly flat and very much like the manure you’d see in a stable.
Sure, I tried to convince myself that chocolate always looks weird—Naitra’s assassins once mistook my old chocolate for poison—but facts were facts.
That piece in her hand wasn’t just any cake—it was a sad, malformed lump I had created.
“Is this all you made?”
Jenna tried not to sound disappointed. Reluctantly, I handed her a small paper bag filled with Louis’ chocolates.
“Oh my! These are beautiful! You’re so clever, my Lady!”
Jenna squealed, popping one into her mouth and launching into a dramatic monologue about how divine it tasted.
“…Take the manure too.”
I slumped away. Her reaction matched everyone else’s.
“Oh my, is this some sort of new poison? Sometimes animal dung is used in traditional remedies…”
That’s what Vittori said, intrigued.
“It smells incredibly strong. Perfect for repelling magical beasts. Thank you, Lady Harper.”
Even Aramis took it happily and sealed it in a thick leather pouch.
Everyone else was the same. None of them believed it was a brownie.
In the end, I had no choice but to hand out all of Louis’ chocolates. Otherwise, Theon would’ve assumed I hoarded them and ate everything myself.
“I gave them all away…”
All I had left was one sad little brownie.
Turning away from Jenna, I sighed deeply.
As I entered my room, debating whether to eat it or not, Jenna tapped me on the shoulder.
“Huh?”
“Um… Lady Callista is here.”
She pointed toward the corridor.
Sure enough, leaning against the doorway between the parlor and hall stood Callista, gazing at me.
Alone, without even a maid accompanying her—perfectly poised, as always.
I had no idea what she wanted.
“Uh, Sister?”
I bowed hesitantly, but she kept staring silently. Her expression unreadable—neither angry nor obviously kind.
“…What brings you here?”
I asked cautiously. She slowly stepped inside.
Tap… Tap…
Stopping just in front of me, Callista looked down at me.
“Did I do something wrong…?”
I felt like Louis about to get scolded. Had I upset her lately?
“…Do you have it?”
She finally spoke. But I couldn’t believe what I’d heard.
“…What?”
“Chris said you told him you were making chocolate for me.”
She repeated herself, unfazed by my stunned face.
“Do you still have it?”
My ears must be broken.
“…?”
“…?”
I thought waiting for Jenna’s reaction to my brownie had been an eternity, but this silence between Callista and me now stretched longer than the cosmos.
“…You don’t have it?”
She asked again. With her ever-cold face, it was hard to read. Her sealed lips made her seem annoyed, but her expression wasn’t quite angry either.
That faint sparkle in her blue eyes—was that… hope?
“I-I do!”
I blurted, handing her the last misshapen brownie in its crumpled bag.
It was the ugliest one of the batch—too embarrassing to gift-wrap.
Her eyes widened slowly as she accepted the bag. My heart started to race.
What if she gets mad for giving her garbage?
Bracing myself, I bit my lip.
But to my shock, Callista gently hugged the wrinkled bag to her chest—like it was a treasure.
From across the room, Jenna’s face turned gray. She trembled like Callista was holding a bomb.
Callista stared curiously at the bag, then said awkwardly:
“…I’ll enjoy it.”
Now it was my turn to freeze.
Enjoy it? That?
Thankfully, the contents were hidden, but the smell alone was enough to betray me.
“You take this too.”
Callista reached into her sleeve and placed a small, shiny, egg-shaped object in my hand.
Wrapped in colorful paper, it was clearly a chocolate.
My heart fluttered.
Finally—chocolate I could eat without Theon’s interference. A gift he couldn’t confiscate!
“Theon returns tomorrow. Go to bed early.”
She turned swiftly and left the room before I could even thank her.
…I was about to say thank you.
But that didn’t matter now.
While Jenna went to see her off, I unwrapped the shiny package and quickly bit into half of it.
Just as I expected—sweet. As sweet as the cake Callista and I shared at the banquet.
“So good… huh?”
About to eat the rest, I saw something shiny inside.
What’s that?
Clink.
As I tilted the chocolate, a pendant the size of a thumbnail dropped into my palm.
It had a loop for a chain, made of interwoven purple and clear crystals, forming a perfectly round jewel.
Could she have bought this… for me?
I popped the rest of the chocolate into my mouth, pondering for a moment, then shook my head.
Probably just something the maid picked up—one of those novelty kid chocolates with trinkets inside.
“Still, it’s a nice one.”
Even if I didn’t know why she gave it, it was pretty enough to wear now and then.
Whoosh—Plop. Whoosh—Plop.
I tossed the crystal from one hand to the other like a ball as I sucked on the last of the chocolate.
