Glancing at him slightly next to the teacup, Kaern was still staring at me without looking away.

“I’ll inform the butler to prepare more cake for you to take back when you leave.”

“What? No! It’s okay. Having it here is more than enough.”

“Just take it. As you saw earlier, I rarely eat desserts, so the baker doesn’t get many chances to showcase their skills. Without Adelia, who used to enjoy cake regularly, it must be even more disappointing.”

“I really don’t mind… Thank you, then.”

“Instead, from now on, whenever you eat cake in the mansion, you must always do it with me.”

“Yes? Yes. I’ll do that. But next time, it might be better to prepare a smaller portion.”

Slightly raising his head in response to my somewhat grumbling remark, he expressed a hint of confusion.

“Well, if you keep eating this much cake every day, soon you’ll gain weight like that pudding over there.”

Finishing his sentence with a hint of menace, he covered his mouth with a fist.

“That’s okay. Herena should gain more weight than now.”

Kaern nodded with a somewhat relieved expression only after his words ended.

“How’s your body?”

“Maybe it’s because the bandages are off, but I feel much lighter in movement.”

“Good to hear.”

“Did you stop by today to give me a new flower?”

“Yes, that’s right. Also, I wanted to check if Kaern’s wounds were healing well.”
“Am I someone precious to you?”

“Yes? Yes, that’s right.”

Recently, he kept confirming that he was precious to me.

Every time he did that, it was a bit embarrassing, but I had firmly controlled myself to avoid revealing my true feelings, so it wasn’t a significant problem.

Even though I liked him, there had never been a moment when I wanted him to understand my feelings.

So, as always, this was the best I could say.

“Is there something wrong, or is it just a general concern?”

“What? No, nothing’s wrong.”

I didn’t know last time, but now I understood why he was saying these things.

His words, full of warnings that he didn’t need to worry about me at all and just needed to be careful himself, were choked up in my throat, and I couldn’t say a single word to him.

Especially, I really wanted to tell him to follow in Blake Warren’s footsteps, but unfortunately, those words couldn’t escape my lips.

If I said that, I would have too much to explain afterward.

“Well then, that’s fortunate.”

“By the way, is there anything going on with Kaern?”

Thinking that now might be the right time, I cautiously asked him as if we were just inquiring about each other’s well-being.

“No. I’m fine too.”

Kaern answered without any change in expression, stating that there was nothing wrong.

“Well, I’m glad to hear that.”

It was impossible to extract information from him in this way.

‘Now, Kaern will probably start moving soon.’
Having recovered from the injuries, it was clear that he would probably move on his own.

I wondered how much he knew and where he would start.

With various curiosities, I smiled slightly and suddenly turned my gaze toward the window.

The setting sun was painting the sky red.

Thinking that I had taken too much of Kaern’s time, I opened my mouth to bid farewell.

“I should probably go back before it gets darker.”

“I’ll take you.”

“No, it’s okay. Your body hasn’t fully recovered yet.”

“Let’s go.”

As if he hadn’t heard my words, Kaern stood up from the sofa and moved toward the door.

“It’s really okay…”

Unable to break Kaern’s persistence, I mumbled softly and followed him.

A moment later, we sat facing each other in the carriage, heading in the same direction as before.

The carriage started moving with a slight jolt.

“What have you been up to lately?”

“I’ve been a bit neglectful of tending to the garden, so I’ve been focusing on fertilizing the flowers and trees.”

“How’s that personal matter I mentioned last time going?”

“What? Oh, it’s not going exactly as planned, but I’m doing my best.”

He unexpectedly asked about that part, causing a momentary pause, but fortunately, a plausible answer came out.

“I see. But are you really not going to study abroad?”

“I’m not saying I won’t go; I’m just postponing it for a while. I plan to go after this matter is settled.”
“What’s so important that you would postpone studying abroad? Of course, you won’t tell me.”

“I’m sorry.”

As his words were true, I could only respond with an apology.

After that, silence filled the carriage.

He stared at me intensely but didn’t say a word.

Feeling awkward being with him after a long time, I deliberately avoided his gaze and looked out the window.

“Oh?”

As I did, the surrounding scenery caught my eye, and I realized that the carriage wasn’t heading toward our house.

Giving him a puzzled look, Kaern immediately spoke.

“We’ll make a brief stop in the downtown area.”

“Downtown?”

Kaern nodded.

After a while, the carriage came to a complete stop at its destination.

“Get off.”

“Can I come with you?”

“Sure.”

Kaern extended his hand as we got off the carriage together.

Once we left, a store selling high-end decorations was right in front of us.