As Theo walked home from the Duke of Voltio’s house, his eyes fell on the bag of cookies Sophia had given him as a souvenir.
The cookies were made by the Duke of Voltio’s chef, and were apparently delicious because they were made with plenty of butter.
Remembering how Sophia used to bake cookies with her mother and treat Theo when he came to play, Theo felt a little lonely.
After hearing that Sophia’s mother had died and that someone had taken Sophia away, Theo had been searching for her ever since.
Theo’s father and the neighbors had said that Sophia’s family probably took her in, but Theo couldn’t imagine that the “family” who had neglected Sophia and her mother would treat her well. If Sophia was being mistreated, he would find her and take her home. He was determined to do so with the small crush he had on Sophia since he was a child.
However, Sophia was not easy to find, and after more than a year and a half had passed since she was taken away, Theo unexpectedly heard her name from an unexpected source.
The person who had mentioned Sophia was a gambling-loving drunkard who Theo had seen often over the past year at Crescent Moon, a restaurant run by Theo’s father. His name was Gasur, and he was an older man in his forties.
Gasur was a good-for-nothing who was always being chased by debt collectors. Theo was about to question him about why he had mentioned Sophia’s name, but his father stopped him, and he listened in silence as the drunk man began to babble on.
It seemed that Gasur would soon have a “daughter.” Theo had thought he might be marrying a woman with a child from a previous marriage, but was surprised to hear Sophia’s name.
The name Sophia might not be uncommon, but… no way.
Could the daughter (to be) of Gasur with that name really be married to the Duke of Vortio? Watching Gasur generously buy drinks for those nearby, Theo felt suspicious.
Would a woman with a child destined to be the wife of a duke marry a scoundrel like Gasur? Feeling something fishy, Theo tried to question Gasur, but he was stopped by his father and listened silently as the drunk man rambled on.
Sensing something fishy, Theo was about to question Gasur when his father grabbed him by the collar.
“Don’t go. It’s best not to get too involved. He brought a hooded woman over recently, and she gave him something. Now that I think about it, it must have been a bag full of money. It smells strange. Just pretend you don’t know. Don’t get involved.”
“But Dad, what about Sophia?”
“There’s no way Sophia, who lived in town, could be the Duke’s wife. You’re overreacting to Sophia’s name. Here, bring this drink to that table.”
Theo reluctantly accepted the glass of beer from his father and headed to the table opposite Gasur.
Gasur could be heard laughing lewdly behind him. But if, if he were indeed the father of the Sophia Theo was looking for… Theo shuddered. He couldn’t just stand back and watch. He had to find out for himself.
With that in mind, Theo headed to the Duke of Voltius’ house, prepared to be turned away, but was surprised to find Sophia there, who used to live nearby. He had never thought it would happen, but to think she had really married into the Duke’s family…
Theo’s heart made an unpleasant noise, and it felt as if it was cracking along with a faint feeling of longing, but he shook his head to get rid of the sentimentality, and told Sophia about Gasur.
It seemed that Sophia already knew about Gasur, and looked confused after hearing what Theo had to say.
It seemed that Sophia knew about Gasur, and she looked puzzled when she heard Theo’s story. According to Sophia, there was another man claiming to be her father, and she was confused because of Gasur’s appearance.
Gasur had apparently told Sophia that he was her real father. But Theo didn’t believe that could be true. Sophia’s mother, Liselte, was a kind and beautiful woman, not the type to get involved with a scoundrel like Gasur. She certainly wouldn’t be the type to have relationships with multiple men.
Theo promised Sophia that he would explore the area around Gasur for a while.
On his way out, he met a tall man at the entrance to the Duke’s house, and he was probably Sophia’s husband.
(…She used to be beautiful from the start. It’s lonely to see her in a different world.)
Although the cookies weren’t in a fancy bag, but sitting on a plate with slightly uneven shapes, Theo felt much happier. From their conversation, Sophia seemed to be the same gentle girl she was back then. But she had gone to a distant world that Theo did not understand.
(He was a good-looking guy…)
The man at the entrance. He was a handsome man with red hair and hazel eyes, and a bold face. It seemed like there was no way he could win against him, even if he stood on his head.
“Tch…”
How stupid of him to think that he’d find Sophia and protect her. Of course Sophia would be happier with a rich, handsome duke than with the son of a small tavern owner.
Theo clenched the bag of cookies tightly, shook off his sentimental feelings, and ran off, kicking the cobblestones.
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Translator Note:
Hello there! This is RJR. I hope you liked it <3
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