“……Huh?”

The confused child suddenly lifted their head to ask, their voice cracking at the end.

Seeing this, Aeli silently looked around with a surprised face from behind.

It was because as soon as the aide finished speaking, the servants lined up in front of the mansion with bowed heads, and even the knights who came together, were visibly trying to read the situation.

Lutis frowned and glared at the aide as he opened his mouth.

“What are you trying to do now?”

“It seems the young master wants to go boating, but as you said, isn’t it too late to go after the meal? We could tell the kitchen to prepare some light snacks to take along, so you could eat while boating, but……”

“……Is that so? Th-then I……”

“The sky will be cloudy from the afternoon, so even if you go boating, the scenery won’t be pretty. It could rain, so it’s dangerous too.”

“Ah……”

“So I was wondering, perhaps you’re not interested in the bustling town of the duchy?”

The aide asked, looking at the child.

Hearing that far, Aeli could tell that the aide had overheard the earlier conversation between Lutis and the child.

Though he was talking to the child, it was no different from asking Lutis if he would like to go to town with the child.

Lutis squinted his eyes and threw a cold glance at the aide.

“If it rains, there will be constraints on activities, no different in town. And who told you to do something no one asked for?”

“Word has spread even here that the Duke is particularly fond of the young master and refrains from going out.”

“……”

“It’s the young master’s first time here, and the Duke has returned after several years, so wouldn’t it be nice to look around once? Even if it rains, I think there won’t be much problem if you mainly stay indoors.”

It’s just a guess, so it might not rain at all. The aide said so, bowing his head to Lutis.

Aeli slightly opened her mouth and covered it with one hand.

‘They say that rumor has spread?’

About 5 months had passed since Lutis returned from the battlefield and the child returned to their true nature.

It was surprising that in the meantime, rumors had spread to the duchy, which was several days’ carriage ride away even after using a warp gate.

At this rate, it’s safe to say that everyone who should know already knows, unless it’s the very outskirts of the empire.

She had thought that word might have spread among the servants, but it was faster than expected.

‘Even though warp gates are available regardless of status, there’s a price, so in reality, only the very wealthy among commoners can use them.’

Usually, noble houses with frequent visitors due to tourism or commerce would install warp gates around their territory for convenience of movement.

Even then, the Masons didn’t build them because they could travel by magic among themselves, and the Rattliffes restricted use to only when a ducal family member was present, so it was as good as nonexistent.

As a result, warp gates were practically useless for the territory’s residents, so their means of transportation would have been limited to carriages, horses, or on foot.

‘If it has spread this much solely through people traveling to and from the territory……’

It seemed everyone was quite interested.

The aide continued speaking.

“The temperature has dropped, making it pleasant for activities, so the streets have been bustling since last week. I hear the most famous patisserie in the duchy starts selling their seasonal menu from today.”

“……How do you know such things?”

“I overheard the maids talking. They say it’s very popular and sells out before evening, so there might not be much left by now.”

“……It doesn’t have to be today. We’re planning to stay for a few days anyway—”

“Papa, I want cake……”

“……”

The child looked up at Lutis with a tearful expression. Having inherited Aeli’s love for desserts, they seemed to have completely fallen for the patisserie, more so than boating.

Hugging a light beige rabbit doll to their chest and looking up with sparkling eyes, Aeli thought it visually quite dangerous and took a step back to observe the scene.

“……”

“……Well—”

“Papa……”

“……”

There was no unexpected turn of events.

“The cake is delicious……”

“……Swallow what’s in your mouth before speaking.”

“Mmm.”

Lutis spoke to the child who kept flapping their arms saying it was delicious.

The child nodded vigorously, but considering there had been a similar situation before, they were just good at answering.

It was obvious at a glance that they weren’t really listening properly, being distracted by the snack, and Lutis shook his head as if he couldn’t help it and looked at the child intently.

Coffee placed in front of Lutis and cool milk for the child’s portion.

‘That cake looks extremely sweet, and there’s even honey in the milk……’

Aeli rolled her eyes, recalling that the child’s main snack list consisted of pudding, cookies, cake, candy, and so on.

Somehow, they seemed to like desserts even more than she did at that age.

Aeli peered at the child’s side, half thinking it would taste good being so sweet, and half worried about their health, wondering if they should reduce snacks now that they’ve reached a normal weight.

The child scooped up some cake with a fork and held it out to Lutis, opening their mouth.

“Papa, ah.”

“I’m fine, you eat a lot.”

“……Aah!”

“……”

“This is rea-lly not sweet. This, this isn’t chocolate, it’s sweet… sweet something……”

“……Sweet pumpkin.”

“Yeah, that’s why it’s not sweet. There’s cheese too.”

Lutis doesn’t really like rich foods either. Aeli smiled as she watched them, reflexively recalling his food preferences.

The patisserie owner said they had succeeded in a deal with a foreign merchant and made it with new ingredients, which turned out to be sweet pumpkin.

It was a food Aeli had eaten occasionally, so she knew what it tasted like.

As the child said, the ingredient itself wasn’t as sweet compared to other desserts decorated with candied fruits, thick whipped cream, chocolate, and so on.

However…….

−Adi, but confectionery…… uses sugar for sweetness, not the ingredients themselves. Chocolate cake is exceptionally sweet because the ingredients are sweet from the start, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t sweet…….

“……!”

At Aeli’s words, the child, who had been excited about eating the last piece of cake, opened their mouth wide with a shocked face.

It was a reaction that showed they didn’t know that.

The child’s eyes trembled slightly. In the moment of hesitation whether to withdraw the arm already half-raised and outstretched or not.

“……That’s enough now.”

“Huh, huh.”

Lutis took the cake from the child, put it in his mouth, immediately rinsed with coffee, and slightly turned his head.

The child, looking alternately at the empty fork and Lutis, nodded with a broad smile.

After eating such sweet desserts while chattering away, they went out to watch a performance, sightsee the streets, and take a walk.

“……Ah.”

“……?”

Lutis, who suddenly stopped walking, looked down at the child whose hand he was holding and said.

“Come to think of it, you’ll need more clothes to wear during our stay.”

“Ah……?”

“Let’s stop by a clothing store before we go back. There are no children’s clothes at all in the ducal castle, so we need to consider the time it will take to make them. Do you remember how many sets you brought?”

“Um, umm…… Four except for pajamas, but I wore one today so now three?”

Lutis nodded and led the child towards the clothing store. It was the most skilled place in the duchy.

“Welcome, Your Grace. Have you come to have clothes made for the young master?”

The clothing store owner bowed in greeting as soon as they opened the door and entered.

Because the child felt burdened by the attention when first going around, the two guards who came along were instructed to watch from afar and did not enter together.

“Have the highest line of designs targeting children the child’s age made and sent to the ducal residence.”

“Yes. Then, young master, would you please come this way for a moment to be measured?”

At that, the child slowly moved their feet following the employee’s guidance, then looked at Lutis and asked.

“But……”

“Don’t you like this place? Then we can go somewhere else……”

“No, no, that’s not it! ……Don’t they make clothes for this one too?”

It’d be nice if we could wear the same thing. The child said, grabbing the doll they were holding with both hands and lifting it high above their head.

The intention was to show it to Lutis.

“……Doll clothes?”

Lutis looked down at the child with an expression of incomprehension.

Like the child, Lutis had also received a doll as a gift from Aeli when he was young, so he seemed to have accepted the child carrying it around all the time.

However, Lutis was not the type to play with it or make clothes for it even then, so the child’s request seemed unfamiliar to him.

After staring blankly at the child and the doll for a moment, Lutis nodded slowly. He seemed to be going along with it even though he didn’t understand, since the child wanted to do it.

“Specify the doll’s size as well and have clothes made in the same design as the child’s.”

“Yes, understood.”

The clothing store owner and employee nodded in response, and the child went inside to be measured, and after a while.

While the employee was taking measurements, the clothing store owner came out again and asked Lutis.

“Your Grace, then when would you like us to deliver the clothes?”

“Within four days including today.”

“……Pardon?”

The surprised owner raised his bowed head to look up at Lutis. Then, saying he was being rude, he bowed his head deeply again and said.

“I-I’m sorry to say this, but our clothing store makes everything by hand, so it takes some time. Also, the amount you ordered is not small, so four days is……”

“I’ll pay extra.”

As the owner’s words lengthened, Lutis quietly took out a blank promissory note from his chest and held it out.

Lutis continued speaking.

“You don’t have to bring everything within four days. Send about half first, and the rest can take a little more time, so when you visit the ducal residence, write down the amount you want for the clothing cost and additional payment.”

“……We’ll work hard!”

Money really does make everything possible. Aeli thought as she watched the owner, who had received the promissory note, suddenly become much more enthusiastic.

That’s when it happened.

Bang!

“Ma-Madam!”

An employee burst through the door with a pale face and called for the clothing store owner.

“The, the young master has disappeared……”

At the sound that followed, Aeli felt goosebumps rise on the back of her neck and arms.