And until the very moment I left, my mind was filled with the fragrance from the horse’s carcass.

A week has already passed since that day.

During this time, I secretly infiltrated the duke’s residence again to examine the horse’s carcass once more.

However, apart from the mysterious floral scent, I couldn’t find anything.

“Did Kaern find something?”

I couldn’t directly ask him, but it wouldn’t hurt to gauge the atmosphere.

So today, before finishing the garden maintenance at the duke’s residence and heading back, I deliberately sought out Kaern.

Without any specific reason to visit him, I had a bouquet of flowers cultivated in the garden in my hands.
When the knight guarding the office door informed that I had arrived, Kaern’s voice from inside instructed me to come in.

I entered the office with a smile.

“Kaern.”

Unlike usual, he was not at his desk but standing near the window. The bright light coming through the window illuminated Kaern.

Many of his injuries from the past week seemed to have improved, as he was not wearing bandages today. Instead, he was dressed in formal attire, and seeing him in this outfit after a long time made my heart flutter with delight.

“Have a seat here.”

“Sure.”

I took a seat across from Kaern on the sofa.

“What’s that?”

He asked, noticing the bouquet in my hands.

“Oh, these are flowers cultivated in the garden. I thought they would complement the office well, so I brought them.”

“They’re beautiful.”

“Aren’t they? Where should I put them?”

Excited by his compliment, I stood up and looked around.

“Is it okay to place them on the desk?”

“Put them wherever you’d like.”

As soon as Kaern finished speaking, I walked straight to the desk and placed the bouquet in a suitable spot.

After arranging the flowers nicely, I returned to the sofa. On the table, servants had laid out tea and snacks.

“Help yourself.”

“Wow, today we have walnut cake! Thank you, I’ll enjoy it.”

Instead of the tea, I tasted the cake placed on the white plate first.
Walnut cake was my favorite among the snacks I had at the Raverion Duchy.

“Is it to your liking?”

As I indulged in the cake, Kaern, who had been watching my reaction intently, asked me.

“Yes, it tastes even better after Adelia left. I always feel it, but the baking skills here seem to be improving. Kaern, you should try this too.”

I smiled widely and extended a fork with a piece of cake to Kaern.

To be honest, I didn’t expect him to eat the cake, so I was about to withdraw my hand. However, unexpectedly, Kaern rose from his seat and approached, taking a bite of the cake on the fork.

“Uh, um…”

I was momentarily surprised, lost for words as I stared at him.

“It’s delicious.”

Nonchalantly returning to his seat, he seemed unaffected, as if nothing had happened, savoring the taste briefly.

“Oh, right. It’s delicious, isn’t it? Is it your first time trying it?”

I managed to gather my thoughts and continued the conversation.

“I’m not particularly fond of sweet foods.”

“It’s a pity to have such a skilled baker, though.”

To have a baker reside in the mansion required a considerable amount of money. However, lacking the financial flexibility for such an arrangement, I would usually visit a bakery in the city with Amy whenever I craved cake.
“Oh, I’m sorry. The cake was so delicious after such a long time that I unconsciously ate too much.”

Before I knew it, the plate was on display at the bottom.

“No, it’s fine. If you need more, feel free to have as much as you want. The baker would appreciate it too.”

“Kaern, you should have some too.”

“I’m content with the cake you gave me earlier.”

Slightly blushing at Kaern’s words, I pretended to sip tea along with the remaining cake to hide it, using the teacup to shield his gaze.