“This is really delicious!”

Ludvig immediately switched Evelia’s empty plate with his full one, seeing whether the ensuing puff pastry suited her taste.

As the servants approached to bring a new plate of puff pastry, Ludvig stopped them with one hand.

He didn’t want the peaceful time with his food thief to be disturbed.

“You eat well. Now I see how your cheeks are so plump.”

“Even Udi said my cheeks were chubby.”

“Your cheeks get chubby because you eat so well.”

“No, this is baby fat from when I was young. They said it’ll go away when I grow up.”

“It might not go away if you keep eating like this.”

But contrary to the teasing tone of his words, Ludvig’s expression was filled with warmth and satisfaction.

Seeing Evelia cleanly eat even the puff pastry meant for him made him even happier.

‘I must reward the royal chefs today.’

Thinking this, Ludvig personally poured Evelia a large bottle of orange juice.

‘She doesn’t like the top part. I should give her the bottom part.’

He didn’t forget to pour the clear top part, which Evelia didn’t like, into his own cup, and give her the bottom part full of orange chunks.

The meal had changed from a time of attentive service to one where every little thing was considered, but the awkwardness was rather sweet.

Even the meal time, which was just a means of survival, became enjoyable.

She enjoyed chewing food that was mechanically shoved into her mouth and feeling its taste.

Even the thought of swallowing poison on behalf of someone else felt better.

It had been a long time indeed.

And so, Ludvig put all the food into his mouth before his childhood friend until the meal was over.

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“Your Highness. If you’re not going to eat that Madeleine, give it to me. I want to eat it while looking around the palace.”

“Call me as you usually do. What’s with the formality.”

Even as he grumbled, he faithfully handed over the Madeleine.

He even didn’t forget to carefully pack them into the basket beside him.

“Your Highness, the chef has arrived.”

At that moment, the chef, who had prepared today’s meal, entered the greenhouse with trembling legs as if indicating the end of the meal.

‘If even the princess says the meal wasn’t good, I will be dismissed today…!’

The prince never found anything tasty, no matter what was served.

So if the princess also said the meal wasn’t good, it was certain that the chef would lose his job.

After all, the princess of the Artina family was among the highestranking guests who could frequent this palace.

“Greetings. I am the chef who had the honor of preparing today’s meal for His Highness and the princess. I wonder if… the meal was… to your taste…”

When Evelia took some time to answer because she was swallowing the Madeleine in her hand, the royal chef trembled like a bush.

“….”

“It was really delicious!”

The words from the young princess were a reprieve.

“Oh! Th…Thank you!”

The royal chef bowed at the waist in thanks, crying out in relief.

As always, he didn’t expect an answer from the prince and tried to leave, but Ludvig added a word in a soft voice.

“…Well done. I will arrange for a special reward for those who prepared the meal.”

He had been in charge of the prince’s meals for almost ten years.

This was the first compliment in ten years.

The alert head servant and the chef, who was moved to tears, exchanged glances.

‘To get the prince’s compliment.’

‘You have to appeal to the princess, not the prince.’

From that day on, among the cunning servants, the method of getting the prince’s compliment was subtly shared.

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“I saw a deer while I was riding in the carriage earlier. Let’s go see the deer!”

“The deer are in the forest behind the palace.”

Evelia was carefully following the route that Ludwig had prepared.

Chasing after Ludwig, who was leading the way, Evelia asked about every passing flower, pillar, and person with curiosity.

Since it was a place she lived in, but never really felt attached to, it was fascinating for Ludwig.

‘So many things to see and be curious about in the palace.’

It was unfamiliar, but not bad.

Even if the land thief went away, he would recall his young friend whenever he saw everything that the land thief had asked about.

It would be great to see more and ask more questions.

‘The more traces you leave, the easier it will be for me to endure this world.’

And so, the two children entered slightly into the forest behind the palace.

“It’s a deer! There are so many deer!”

Evelia boldly approached the white deer that had flocked to the scent of the feed scattered by the servants.

“Good, good. I won’t eat you. I don’t like deer meat.”

“Hey, that sounds scarier.”

Despite her bold approach and the words that would sound scary to a deer, the deer did not run away when Evelia approached.

Ludwig and the steward watched from afar as Evelia petted the deer.

Watching Evelia petting the white deer under the bright sunlight, the steward summed up his admiration in one word.

“The Princess looks like a real fairy.”

“……”

He did not respond to the steward’s admiration, but Ludwig felt the same way.

‘What other word can describe this sight?’

It was the first time that taking something in with his eyes gave him such a comforting feeling.

Ludwig was happy to lose himself in that scene.

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Meanwhile, Evelia, who was gently petting the blinking deer, heard a faint whimpering sound.

“…Is it a baby deer?”

She looked around to see if it was a sound made by a fawn, but there was no fawn among the gathered deer.

“Is it hiding somewhere?”

Evelia went into the grass where the faint sound was coming from.

“……!!”

There was something. Something wounded.

It wasn’t a deer.

“……What is this?”

“Whimper……”

A puppy? No, a fox?

But puppies and foxes don’t have wings. Why does it have wings?

“I’ve never learned about animals with red wings.”

It was definitely a creature she had never seen before.

A small creature that she had never seen in any book.

“Puppy!”

For now, Evelia referred to it as a puppy.

Although it was quite different from a normal dog, it was fluffy and had a tail, so she lumped it together with similar life forms.

There was a long scar on the side of the deep red beast, and because of that, it was taking shallow breaths.

“Whine……”

When Evelia quickly approached, the puppy gave out a faint sound again and looked at Evelia with one eye slightly open.

The tears in its momentarily revealed red eyes seemed to be crying out for help.

“Oondine!”

[Contractor! Today, I gave a Silph in the spirit world a good… what is this?]

“It’s a winged puppy, and it seems to be injured. Give it some water. It looks thirsty.”

While pouring a stream of water into its mouth at the request of the small contractor, Oondine circled Evelia with a bewildered voice.

[I gave it water because you asked me to, but Chick, this doesn’t seem like just a dog? There’s no such thing as a winged dog in the world……?]

It felt strangely supernatural for just an animal.

“I haven’t learned about winged dogs either.”

Oondine and Evelia tilted their heads and looked at each other.

“……Whine.”

“Anyway, it’s a baby, so we need to treat it and let it go!”

When the creature in her arms whined again, Evelia stopped worrying and ran straight to Ludwig.

Oondine, who was left behind, circled the spot and expressed his doubt.

[That seems really strange. Where have I felt this energy before?]

I can’t remember at all.

Giving up on recollection, Oondine sighed and followed the small contractor.

[How come only things like that are drawn to our chick……]