Bonita swallowed all the cookie pieces in her mouth before answering.

“The taste is strange.”

“…Strange?”

“Yeah.”

Upon hearing Bonita’s words, Mary picked up a cookie and ate it.

As soon as it entered her mouth, the rich chocolate flavor with chunks of chocolate embedded in it delighted her taste buds. After eating the entire cookie, Mary said,

“It tastes the same as usual.”

“The same?”

With a puzzled expression, Bonita ate another cookie.

“For me, it’s strange…”

“How so?”

“I can’t taste the sweetness. It feels like I’m just chewing on flour.”

Mary, upon hearing Bonita’s words, touched the child’s forehead.

“Are you coming down with a cold? You don’t seem to have a fever…”

Sometimes, when people catch a cold and their noses are blocked, they can’t taste anything. Bonita narrowed her eyes and picked up a piece of iron with tweezers.

“I don’t know. I don’t feel like having snacks today, anyway.”

Mary watched Bonita with concern from the side. Unfortunately, the Duke’s personal physician had gone on vacation and was not expected to return for another three days.

Despite Mary’s worries, Bonita seemed fine even after several hours.

Mary sighed with relief. She planned to report to the Duke, but it didn’t seem like a major issue.

Meanwhile, Bonita assembled half of the iron rails. Even though it was only half, it looked much larger than expected. When completed, it would probably cover about 1/6 of the playroom’s area.

“Bonita, were you playing?”

At that moment, Luke entered the playroom. Bonita, who was lying on the floor connecting the iron pieces with joy, quickly raised her head.

“Yes.”

Bonita sat up and looked at Luke. She didn’t run to him and hug him like she did yesterday.

Luke also noticed Bonita’s changed attitude.

“You’ve already made half of it?”

Unable to muster the courage to bring up that topic, Luke intentionally changed the subject. In response, Bonita, who was fiddling with the rails, nodded.

“I want to assemble it quickly, turn the train, and see what the inside looks like. Then I’ll know.”

“…Huh?”

She could know what the inside of the train was like?

…How?

Luke, who didn’t understand Bonita’s words, hesitated. Bonita seemed to have no intention of explaining or didn’t understand it herself.

“There’s a small piece of coal in the set. I’m curious how long it will move with a handful of coal.”

“Oh, I see.”

Luke wondered why she was curious about that, but anyway, he played along.

“Was I like that when I was young?”

It didn’t seem like it…

As they lived together, Bonita showed many differences from ordinary children, especially when she focused on something, she immersed herself to the point of being scary.

It was an unpleasant thought, but if Bonita grew up in poverty without knowing her birth, she might have eventually stood out in the eyes of others, like becoming an architect or inventor.
“Can I help?”

“No, thank you.”

The subtle offer of assistance was swiftly dismissed. Bonita was more resolute than ever.

“I’ll do everything myself.”

Luke, feeling rejected, looked at Bonita with a disappointed expression. Mary, who had been guarding her from the sidelines, approached.

“Your Grace, may I have a moment to speak…”

“What is it?”

“Could we talk outside for a moment?”

Mary’s gaze shifted towards Bonita. Luke stood up as he closed the door and asked, “Is it related to Bonita?”

“Yes. Earlier, when she had some cookies, she mentioned not being able to taste anything.”

Mary explained cautiously, “For now, she seems fine with no fever or other issues. It may not be a significant problem, but I thought it’s something you should be aware of.”

“…Understood.”

Luke spoke seriously, then returned to Bonita’s side.

He asked her, “Bonita, want some macarons?”

Upon hearing the word “macarons,” Bonita, who was looking at the iron rails, turned her head upward. Among them, strawberry macarons were her favorite dessert.

“Sure.”

When Luke gestured to Mary, she quickly presented a plate of macarons within a few minutes. It was done with an assassin’s swift and precise movement.

“Here you go.”

Mary silently handed over the macarons and stood back at the edge. She seemed to blend into the background instantly.

Bonita picked up a strawberry macaron and took a bite. Luke, who watched her chew like a chipmunk, asked cautiously,

“Is it tasty?”

Bonita nodded.

‘Is she okay now?’

Since she claimed not to taste anything earlier, he had offered the snack just to be sure. Luke felt relieved for now, but he decided to instruct the Duke’s physician to examine Bonita when he returned.

Bonita quickly finished the tangy strawberry macaron. Then, while attempting to assemble the iron rails again, she glanced at Luke, who looked a bit bored.

“Want to do a puzzle?”

“Sure.”

Luke agreed.

After that day, Aria and Luke barely crossed paths. Even on the second day, Aria had come down to the dining room, but Luke was absent, visiting the capital at the King’s command.

“Is everything better now?”

“Thanks to your concern.”